It’s been a busy day – friends for coffee in the front garden (very cold) this morning, friends for tea and cake in the back garden (cold and wet!) in the afternoon and another meal out this evening! We all decided that we need to invest in some thermal and waterproof clothing so that we can continue to meet in our gardens over the winter. The vegan Thali at the Wilder Allotment Kitchen at the Mount Pleasant Eco Park was scrumptious and the music from the six gathered musicians a delight. A storm was coming as we left and a chunk of rainbow lit the darkening sky.
Category Archives: friendship
Thali, Fire and A Rainbow
Masks, Flowers and Cake
A week ago I made some masks for a friend and her daughter who is about to go off to University. I made plain black for the student and prettier ones for her Mum.
Masks for M’s daughter
Masks for my friend, M
When M collected the masks, she brought me some beautiful Carnations and Freesias all in bud to say thank you. Now they are open and just beautiful. Thank you, M!
Thank you flowers
I read an old Cornish recipe today for Autumn Cake. The recipe came from an old Cornish Women’s Institute booklet and sounded good despite the fact that I didn’t have all the ingredients. I had the cooking apples and one eater and all the basics but substituted the cherries with ginger pieces and the nuts with fat raisins. It’s a success!
A warm slice waiting for ice-cream
Autumn Cake
ISS, Street Art and Hugs
I couldn’t sleep last night and went downstairs soon after 5am. The kitchen was as bright as if there were lights left on and I realised that the half moon was shining in a very clear sky. I stayed for several minutes looking at the stars and then the International Space Station appeared from the right and made its way across the sky. I checked on the website and saw that it was due over at 5.22. Serendipity indeed. I went back to sleep happy!
We are enjoying the street art in our town, encouraging people to wear their masks.I really like this one.
Dear friends from choir drove by today as I was planting bulbs in the front garden. They stopped and came into the back garden for tea, cake and a chat. It was so lovely to see them but we missed our hugs. 
Suffragette Garden, Blue Sky and A Poem
The Japanese Anemones, the Verbenas Bonariensis and Lollipop and the Hebe are all flowering in my Suffragette Garden.
The sky has been a glorious blue today, here under and over the viaduct.
A young friend with a daughter about to go off to University is finding it hard (even harder, of course, for anyone in these Covid times than it was for us 20 years ago) but the words of Kahlil Gibran, that I have often read at Baby Namings, is still appropriate for all parents to remember. 
New Fabric, Flowers and Wood Carving
Fabulous new fabric arrived today, ordered in the hope of choir being able to start again at some point.
We went for tea with friends in their garden and took along some of the last flowers from our garden.
Part of our afternoon was a good stomp and a natter round their local woods where we came across a pair of otters.
Flowers, Marmalade and A Poem
What a night! There were wild August winds, driving rain and clatters of garden chairs trying to take off. Sadly much of the garden has been flattered as our small landscape has been altered but a disaster can be an opportunity so here we are with a lovely bunch of colour indoors of flowers that we rescued.
As we couldn’t spend much time outside today, we decided to make marmalade with the oranges we froze in January when the all too short Seville orange season was with us. That’s it for the year now. The tiny jars are for breakfast in bed should one of us fall ill. 
My poet friend, Kim Ridgeon, penned the perfect poem for the day and for the strange emotions we are all feeling in these uncertain and disturbing times. Please read it several times and feel the phrases that sum up the unpredictability of our lives right now. I love this poem.
August Wind by Kim Ridgeon
A Book, More Masks and Peace
Today I posted a little book to its author. Many years ago, when teaching Year 7s, we used to read ‘The Indian in the Cupboard’ by Lynne Reid Banks and from that inspiration, the children wrote their own story in chapters. I kept Paul’s which is delightful and as I have followed his very interesting career and stayed in touch, I am able to return this lovely piece of work to him.
I have made eight masks for our London family and they arrived today. 
I saw this today and wanted to share it with you all, Dear Readers. Peace to you all, wherever you are in the world.
Blackberries, Bouquets and Crocosmia
On our walk earlyish this morning, I collected bits from Blackberry bushes as at this time of year, every stage of the fruit is on show. The ripe ones are delicious!
We have spent the afternoon with our Dear Friend who is 101 years old. We had some delightful conversations as I did some embroidery by her bedside. What a joy and a privilege to spend all that time with her as N&G went out for lunch to celebrate their Wedding Anniversary. We took a big garden bouquet for the Wedding Anniversary couple and a beautifully scented bunch of Sweet Peas for T.
Our Cornish lanes are now orange as the Crocosmia come into bloom, gorgeous!
Moon, Onions and A Gathering
Last night’s Full Moon was beautiful, quite low in the sky and glowing. This month’s moon has various names, all to do with the harvesting that happens in August – Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon and Barley Moon. 
Our friends with the newly planted woods also grow veg and on a visit there this afternoon, I couldn’t resist a photo of these amazing Red Onions.
A lovely group of our singers met in the stone circle near the newly planted woods this afternoon. We couldn’t sing but it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, people we have all been missing over the last 5 months. J often dog sits for Kaja and is much loved as can be seen here as J is stroking Kaja and the delightful little Graham, a visiting dog. 
New Books, A Poem and Poppies
Two books arrived from my poet friend, Kim Ridgeon, yesterday and there are so many I want to share with you. I’ll start with a very timely one called, “Poppy Meditation”
Inspired by this beautiful, delicate poem, I have taken a series of photos of our Poppies.
‘soft silk red’
‘fragile beneath summer storm’
‘green wombed others wait their turn’
‘scarlet glory’
