Winter frosts

In between the wild winter storms there have been several frosty mornings here. Our poor garden has been blown about by whooshing winds and driving rains. Some nights I have feared for the greenhouse filled with shivering geraniums, still bravely flowering. Then there are the early mornings when frosty diamonds glitter everywhere. There is a raw bite to the wind and the blackbirds hang around the kitchen door, waiting to be fed. Walking down the garden one morning, I realised the hydrangeas were putting on a spectacular show. Three big bushes had gone into colour overdrive. I was thinking about the quilt I am making for Charlotte and suddenly there were the colours reproduced in the garden. Each flower with a delicate rim of icy glitter which lasted until mid morning. 

The magic apple tree

On Sunday I had a lovely time in the garden raking leaves. An enormous pile of leaves is such a satisfactory thing, I felt I had completed a very big job using a lot of energy. No excuse was needed for that extra choccy biscuit..... I had worked very hard. The big heap showed I was worth it, and maybe a third one too........... Sitting with my coffee at the picnic table, the light was fading, the afternoon nearly gone. I looked at the apple tree, it was decorated with golden bobbles. Like the most expensive Christmas tree. The setting sun made the apples glow. It reminded me that it is time to read my favourite book, The Magic apple Tree by Susan Hill. She writes about the seasons in her rural home in Oxfordshire. If you haven't read it, you have a huge treat in store and you need to read it at least twice a year.  I hope you love it as much as I do.........

Using things up

Still on the theme of knitting, I must show you my latest project. It involves Using Things Up, a great virtue of my mum, who never threw wool away. So here it is, my Mystical Stripe Jumper. That is the name of the pattern, which I must say I am not following entirely. Well hardly at all really. Soon I will own a fabulous and not at all eccentric jumper. And all knit from my  hoard of blue and purple wools. In stripes. And simple Fairisle blobs. It will be unique and I will be mystically striped from shoulder to hip.....I may show you when it is finished, just another arm to go.......

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Christmas shopping

Have you noticed there is a lot of Christmas music about when you are shopping? If I don't concentrate very hard on my shopping list, it is very easy to find I am singing along.  Yesterday, as I trundled down the cereals aisle I was horrified to realise that I was rocking along to 'All I want from Christmas is you....'. Yes, singing merrily.  In the paint shop, choosing a lovely lemon yellow colour, I hummed along. And to the shocked face of the young boy assistant who appeared around the end of the display of paint tins, I found myself murmuring 'Santa baby, just hurry down the chimmey tonight...... 'in the breathy tones of Marilyn.......he disappeared rapidly, looking rather pale! This is a terrible photo due to Christmas cheer in wine glass form.....

A little nap

My gorgeous grandaughter has several little naps each day. My voice on skype seems to send her to sleep. Like a soothing lullaby. Or a boring television programme in the evening! Here in my garden it is time to put plants to sleep for the winter. The roses are pruned down to prevent root rocking in the cold winds, old plants are cleared away and precious ones are tucked up with warm blankets of compost mulch. But what to do with my aubergine plants? Which have not produced a single aubergine.... On turning over a leaf I found the plant was a comfy hotel for several guests. A winter retreat for people who don't mind sharing a room, who are happy snuggled up together....The plant is going into the green house, I haven't the heart to compost it and evict them!

Charlotte and Betty

Last weekend husband and I went to a local farming show. It was a lovely autumn day and the animals were looking at their best. Pigs and piglets brushed and polished, the heavy horses with tails plaited and manes bright with ribbon. The sheep fluffed up, long ringlets  curled like Victorian girls, everyone so proud of their poultry and stock. The gymkhana was in full swing. Little moppets clinging on tightly to the saddles of their ponies as, with huge aplomb and steely determination they charged around the jump course. Charlotte on Cobweb got a clear round and were very pleased, extra polo mints for Cobweb tonight I should think. 

 At the dog agility course enthusiasm was everything. Dogs of all shapes flung themselves around the obstacles, tails waving madly. The wrong way through the tunnel, halfway up the ramp, miss out the difficult weaving rods, who cares, we're all having fun!  Some people dressed up for the occasion, taking account of the threat of rain. It is important to feel a cold wind won't spoil the day for you........ so Betty chose her outfit with great care....

Winter knitting

I rarely get time to venture into Lincoln, but last week I rushed in to meet a friend. My highly tuned fashion sense ( ha! )  instantly noted that there is a lot of knitting  about. In fact there is a lot of knitting everywhere. And there are Ponchos! I can't remember when we last had ponchos, maybe 1975....... I was astonished. On arriving home I dived into my extensive knitting pattern boxes and found this, saved by my mum from Woman's Weekly magazine. There they stand, gazing dreamily, a gentle smile on their faces, wrapped in their ponchos and now the height of fashion again. I expect you would all like a copy of this pattern. So that you too can knit or crochet your own poncho. And stand, looking poised and sophisticated, as they do... or you can just gaze in awe. Did we really wear such things? Please send photos........