I’ve made my first angel of the season and I’m feeling good!
Tonight I’ve made a gluten free Ginger Spiced Honey Cake for the volunteers tomorrow.
I’ve had another brief letter published in The Guardian. Simple pleasures delight me!
Monthly Archives: November 2023
Angel, Cake and A Letter
Posy, Potatoes and Preparation
We managed to find a small posy for Ti today – not much colour in our garden at the moment.
I was making a Dauphinoise for our meal tonight and sliced the potatoes on our new mandolin – they looked so lovely I had to take a photo!
Nearly there in this photo, the potatoes, leeks and cream cheese almost layered up ready for our veggie meal this evening.
Window Box, Flowers and Peace
We were in Truro this afternoon and I spotted these lovely colourful window boxes.
Further on was this shrub that I don’t know the name of, with such pretty flowers. EDIT My lovely blogging friend, Ute, tells me this is called ‘Hot Lips’ from the Salvia family. Or ‘Salvia jamensis’.Thanks,Ute.
We were in Truro to hear various speakers, Palestinian and Jews, all so very concerned about the situation in Gaza. Just one quotation from one speaker for you, heartbreaking rather than beautiful, “We have lost 12,000 smiles.” That made me weep this afternoon and resonates in my head over and over again.
I am reminded of an amazing song by Peggy Seeger, ‘Oh, how I long for peace.” Do click on the link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onjWTza9QFE
Lovers’ Lane, New Leaves and Old Leaves
Walking back from shopping in town today, I chose the Lovers’ Lane route, it’s less hilly than the other routes and prettier.
Lovers’ Lane
It’s Autumn but there are new leaves on the Fern
Asplenium scolopendrium
Further along were the last few scarlet leaves on an Acer.
New Thatch
We drove past this work today, expert thatchers at work. We’ll go by again in a week or two to see the finished job.
Photo taken through car window
Truro Cathedral, ShelterBox and A Poem
I was in Truro Cathedral this afternoon with both my choirs as we rehearsed for a very special Carol Service, the ShelterBox Carol Service on December 19th.
The poet, Brian Bilston, has very generously given me permission to share this excellent poem with you. I hope, as I progress through these decades, I can stick to this resolution. We will be at a demo on Saturday, marching ‘with the kids’ and ‘brandishing homemade placards.’
AS I GROW OLD I WILL MARCH NOT SHUFFLE
As I grow old
Iwill not shuffle to the beat
of self-interest
and make that slow retreat
to the right.I will be a septuagenarian insurrectionist
marching with the kids. I shall sing
‘La Marseillaise’, whilst brandishing
homemade placards that proclaim
‘DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING’.I will be an octogenarian obstructionist,
and build unscalable barricades
from bottles of flat lemonade,
tartan blankets and chicken wire.
I will hurl prejudice upon the brazier’s fire.I will be a nonagenarian nonconformist,
armed with a ballpoint pen
and a hand that shakes with rage not age
at politicians’ latest crimes,
in strongly-worded letters to The Times.I will be a centenarian centurion
and allow injustice no admittance.
I will stage longstanding sit-ins.
My mobility scooter and I
will move for no-one.And when I die
I will be the scattered ashes
that attach themselves to the lashes
and blind the eyes
of racists and fascists.Brian Bilston
Signs, Soup and Seed Bombs
Another very productive and happy day spent at Community Roots,
My job, making signs for the crops of salad leaves
Learning how to make seed bombs
Delicious soup made by S, a volunteer
Signs in place
Seed bombs made by the girls and others
Throwing the seed bombs onto the bund
,
Above All, Be Kind
It’s World Kindness day and don’t we need it everywhere at the moment?
“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”
– Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Remembrance Sunday
The craftivists have been busy near us – three beautifully detailed postbox toppers.
And the town’s welly dogs also have their poppies……..
With a white poppy added
Breakfast, Peace and A Poem
Delicious waffles with maple syrup, blueberries, homegrown raspberries and creme fraiche – a breakfast treat. 
