I read a recipe at the weekend that sounded utterly sublime and so I made it today. It tastes as good as I thought it would. It is one of Thomasina Miers’, called Raspberry Meringue Sponge Cake. Her introduction says, “It’s a stunner…. Bake it this weekend and share slices with neighbours,…. Happy cooking.” and we did, with Sue-next-door..
Our sunset walk was lovely this evening, past our favourite old Oak Tree and up the hill for views of Carn Brea and the sea.
Daughter No 3 has been here for the day along with her partner and their daughter and what a truly lovely day we have had together hanging out in the garden, having lunch and then a lively walk along the Flat Lode Trail. We haven’t seen them all for many months so this afternoon had its emotional moments.
Dancing up the trail
Two generations looking out of Wheal Uny
We spotted a little moth on the down pipe.I think it’s a Striped Twin-spot Carpet moth.
While the grownups were chatting, LiveWire No 4 declared herself bored and her daddy introduced us to a beautiful poem, ” You’re Bored, Child? ” by Felix Dennis, a poet new to me but one I intend to find out more about. Read it aloud, hear the assonance and the alliteration, picture ‘life’s miracle’ unfolding in front of you. I love it!
Look at the birds.
Learn to listen to their chatter,
Their flitting, twittering flights for no
Discernible purpose; the clatter
And the cawing of that black crow,
The furtive, dry-leaved peck and scrape
Of blackbirds blundering in a bush
Seeking worms and beetles; the shape
Of the wagtail’s wing; the shove and push
Of tits among the bacon rinds;
The eerie, invisible knock,
Knock knock as a woodpecker finds
A bark grub; the wheeling starling flock.
Look at the birds.
Look at the earth.
Scoop up a handful in your palm.
Not for nothing have men plundered,
Murdered, fought and wrought great harm
Among their kind — whole empires sundered —
Just to own it, or to believe
They did. Crumble it. What’s it worth?
Ask a farmer stooping to sheave
A field of sun ripe wheat. The Earth!
The land! Listen, listen to me!
The blood of kings lies in your hand,
What came before— and what shall be.
Think on it. Seek to understand.
Look at the earth.
Look at the sky.
An emptiness? The blue-walled womb
Of all that is, of all that ever
Grazed or grew or swam — and met its doom —
Beneath our tyrant sun. Forever
Heaving, blowing, sleeting, snowing,
Raining, resting — bringing with the night
Its velvet, eerie canvas, glowing
With long dead messengers of light.
And yet, who looks— with wit to see?
Should you take long enough to chart
This wheel of time and mystery
Life’s miracle will swamp your heart.
Look at the sky.
You’re bored, child?
It’s our 53rd Wedding Anniversary today! Three years ago, our four kids made this cd for us having trawled all our friends and family for songs that reminded them of us or us of them and they collected two cds worth including songs from the kids themselves and all with such lovely memories and messages. We’ve been playing them all day and throughout our special dinner. The picture is from Cornish Bird in the Sticks and was specially commissioned for my 70th birthday and then added to by Kate, the artist, when LiveWires 5 and 6 arrived together.
We would have loved to have gone to St Ives today as that is where we spent our honeymoon 53 years ago but it is too full of visitors this year so we went on a new walk setting off from Gwennap Church, the graveyard that contains the Martin stone that inspired my Dad to write his best known novel, Jeremy Visick. It was such a lovely, peaceful walk with stile after stile to climb over and a long distance view of the cottage on Sunny Corner where Mum and Dad lived for many years and holding so many lovely memories. Join us on along the way.
We haven’t walked today as Storm Frances is beating a hoolie around us all. The following two photos are from our walk a couple of days ago, the last Foxglove fairy hats and the overgrown lane.
Last few fairy hats
Overgrown lane
These words are not mine but say it all on my behalf. Thanks to Angela Lee.
I have planted up the edible trough for the winter – winter flowering Violas, baby Lettuce plants and some Winter Lettuce seeds under the cover. Still in there are the self sown Nasturtium (for as long as it lasts), the Borage, Chives and the three different Thyme plants.
Echinacea is a lovely flower at this time of year. We are working out where to plant this one.
Supper tonight was a Prawn, Pepper and Spinach Stir fry with rice noodles – very tasty!
Much has gone over in the garden but the Kaffir Lilies are looking lovely.
This striking Geranium was a present from dear friends a couple of years ago and serendipitously, just as I went to get the photo for them, in flew a bee!
We harvested our first Sweet Corn today, steamed them and ate them just as they are with lots of salty butter melted over them – fabulous!