A Rosy Glow

There seems to have been a rosy glow over the last seven days - late autumn sun allowing a lingering stroll around last Friday's tree fair, the chance for me and Ben to go out for a meal together (perhaps the first one in over a year, we think) and lots of games with the boys, gardening and, in my case, enjoyable teaching.One of the best pieces of news is that Son 1 will be allowed to take his laptop computer into school from next Monday. His teachers were wonderful - the Head invited them to give their opinions, and one after another they spoke about what a good student Son 1 is (pride, pride!) and how this relatively small problem with handwriting shouldn't be allowed to turn into a big barrier for his education. Once again, it shows how a few dedicated teachers are more important than any number of official documents! Wonderful people. A rosy glow over the week...
I rather like the way the jumble of stuff on our shelves outside the front door reflects the way the seasons here are merging. We have birds' nests collected when hedge-trimming after last spring, and bulbs the boys planted in church youth group, waiting hopefully for next spring! We have squashes from the garden representing the autumn harvest, and (real) ivy and (fake) berries welcoming the coming winter. The big lotus seedheads remind us of our family visits to summer gardens over the last few years and the metal basket reminds me of the good friend who gave it to me. Family, friends; spring, summer, autumn, winter; harvest and sowing. A providential placement of bits and bobs!

The autumn has arrived...

... we've reached the point where roasted garden veg seems like a warming treatinstead of a waste of garden-fresh veg!

Any chance of a good natter?

Hello friends. This is my first full post since my mum's death, and I hope you're not expecting anything deep and meaningful from me today - I'm just longing for a good old natter about anything and everything. Will you join me?

November Country Living, which I eschewed whenever I saw it on Scottish shelves, knowing that my own copy of it was waiting for me at home, is what I'd love a good chat about. It's such a lovely mag - let me know what gets you thinking!

First of all, I've spotted this fantastic canvas shopper which turns out to be designed expecially for the Museum of Rural Life in Reading. I don't think you know that I met Ben when we were both at Reading University, so this on-campus museum was the scene of one of our first dates. Romantic? It seems so to me!

Skipping a few pages, here's a treeehouse dweller.

This wonderful recycled pendant of mine was made by a (similarly easy-on-the-eye) treehouse resident. His treehouse is on a collective farm, on the outskirts of Edinburgh! His stall was full of jewellery made from 'found' items - china, shells, butterfly wings etc. It was also surrounded by women... Was it his jewellery or his angelic blonde curls?

Ah, interesting. Kate Humble is looking good in a French brand of outdoor wear. Sadly, the only Aigle products I ever owned were some super-looking garden slippers, which fell apart after just one year. I'm pretty sure that was a blip on an otherwise great product-range, though.

Country in the City is fun. It always reminds me of my brother in law, who is a wannabe bee keeper and waiting-list allotment gardener in Soho. My sister is less keen, but she did join him on a fungi foray like the one described here.

Yum, swoon, drool.

Ah, plans, plans... yes, I want to make some button jewellery for Christmas this year... Which blogger was it who posted instructions for a simple button crochet necklace last month, does anyone know?

Anyone remember my 'Country Living' autumn photoshoot from last year? I like this year's too - we've got one of those soil-sieves! And looking at the way the lovely Raja graced some of last year's photos, I need to tell you that that she's doing really well on her medication and looking like an elegant hound again, instead of a miserable stray. Such a relief. I'll tell you more about her illness when I'm feeling strong some time...

So, is anyone going to pen them a poem? Go on... I bet there are some bloggers out there who could write a great one! Ah, wool, Cumbrian shepherdess, tweed clothes. We lived in the Lakes when we first got married, and I was training at Charlotte Mason College of Education, Ambleside. Sadly, I can't wear wool next to my skin. (How's that for a non sequitur?)But I did own the most fantastic BIBA tweed jacket when I was in my late teens. I think I must have sent it back to the charity shop when it stopped doing up around me...Ooh, I think I've already seen these fantastic fair trade socks in my favourite online store, Ethical Superstore. Anyone who wanted to buy me a new Christmas present could just go and click randomly in their web catalogue - I think I would be happy with anything!

OK, Living with Wildlife. While we were away in Scotland and the pets were living with kind colleagues and neighbours, the mice took over our sideboard. That's one living with wildlife that we stopped pretty sharpish when we got back... But this was an example I would happily live with! They were nesting on the balcony of our gite this summer. We don't have them here, but we do have bats roosting in our roof. Very pleasing.

Oh, very lovely. But sadly for me, written by Christopher Somerville, with whom for some reason my Inner English Teacher just doesn't get on. It's unfair, I know, as he obviously writes about a million times better than I do, but he's just too self-consciously lyrical for me.

j

My favourite writer is fast becoming Ros Byam Shaw, who penned the superb text for Perfect English Cottage. It's got to the point where I'll buy a magazine if I see she's written for it - or at least I did with Period Living when I was in Scotland, and I wasn't disappointed.

A Thriving Country Town. We are just too close to Toulouse to really thrive, but we are pretty good compared to a lot of British towns, in terms of still having all the basic traders on the High Street. I've been following Niki's Nostalgia shop with great interest, including all her links to 'Turn Back Time: The High Street' programme. Have any of you been watching it? What do you think? We have no UK TV here...

Ah-ha, someone else who likes decorating with autumn colours...

Eek!

Too lovely.

This one looks interesting. And very well written, too. Love the sentence: 'The house sits in the middle of an informal garden, parts of which have clambered up its walls, as snug as a red brick chicken in a nest of greenery'. Hang on - it's by... Ros Byam Shaw! Well there you go...

And I could very likely do that with our oriental rugs, too...

Drawing to a close...Getting to the cookery pages with some very-Flossie one pot recipes from Clarissa Dickson Wright. I'm going to try this one.There we go! I'll finish off the rest of the magazine with some Bacon and Eggs in a Mug!And they were very good, too.

j

Thanks so much for putting up with my natter. Please do natter back, on anything here that took your fancy!

Autumn arrangements - finally, a moment to get them sorted!

I don't know if you find this too, but when I have blogged about something unfinished, it often gives me the impetus to get on and actually finish the job.

When I posted yesterday about my autumnal arrangements, I had the simple one you saw on the table, a great one one the sideboard surrounded by a whole heap of clutter (and therefore not fit for sharing, despite your kind words in the past), an unphotographed one on the mantelpiece and a strand of Old Man's Beard plus some plans.

Ever since September's lovely Country Living article on outdoor arrangements, I have been on the look out for the seeds of wild clematis - Old Man's Beard. There was none on our dog walking routes, and none at Ben's work. Suddenly, on Monday, I saw some on a fence near my school, and I nipped across the lane and broke off a piece, feeling rather self-conscious. It does make a great base for a simple autumnal wreath, though, so the embarassment was worth it.
The teapot on the mantelpiece took on an atuumnal feel after a walk at the weekend.This inspired me to put the rest of our hedgerow gleanings into another teapot!Following today's dusting and clutter-clearing, I put it onto the wonderful 'seasons' embroidery which Elizabethd gave me this summer. (Do check out her blog today- she has a great post about a French tradition.)Behind it, and doubling its effect, is my favourite Vide Greniers mirror from the summer.In the wider area I left some of the Indian Corn and other harvesty things I found at an autumn VG, plus my storage jars from the troc shop. I HAVE done well this year...

j

Here's the overall view. Fans of reality and clutter may notice the open lid of the coffee machine... I didn't, until it was too late!Finally, we have lots and lots of participants waiting to post their first Pause in Advent post this Sunday or Monday.

Please do click on the logo to your left if you would like to join in!

A Little Challenge of My Own

A little over a year ago, I set myself a challenge which matched, in its own little way, the Challenge of the Utmost Kind - I decided not to buy any cut flowers, but to decorate the house only with flowers, foliage or other items I could pick in the garden or the local area. At a pinch, I would allow myself to buy a potted plant (as I did on May 1st) which could then be planted in the garden.

Over the year I've planted lots of bulbs, to provide spring flowers, and have thrived on Ben's wild meadow flowers and his roses through the summer. It was the foliage and berries of last autumn that really inspired me, though, and once again I find myself loving the autumn arrangements, such as this accidental vignette on our kitchen table, best of all.

j

My reasons for the challenge were varied - to save money and to reduce the environmental impact of my shopping on the one hand, and to inspire creativity and appreciation of our local area on the other.

j

I have a few other autumnal projects which I would love to share with you, but life keeps getting in the way... Maybe one of these days!