Christmas is coming ...

We've sent the few cards we do - or those going by post, anyway, in the hope they will arrive before or despite the impending strikes. This year our chosen charity in lieu of buying commercial cards is Southampton Hospitals Intensive Care Unit.

We've sent, or organised, such presents as we give - not many, and mostly cash to the under-eighteens.

Festive food is on order, and the non-perishables already to hand will be taken tomorrow to where we are spending Christmas so there is less to take on 23 December when we transfer ourselves there for the holiday.

So here are two of the pictures from this year's card. The third was from part of an exhibition and whilst I'm sure it's fine sending to the few friends who get a printed card, I don't feel it would be right to put it on the internet, even though the photo is Mr Bufo's - as are these - and the notice in the gallery said photography was allowed. As always we have chosen only from pictures taken during this year.

The stone 'face' is on the beach at Porlock Weir, and caught our fancy on our post-lunch stroll in the spring.

Those who know Cleeve Abbey will recognise the inspiration for this early 20th century carved pew-end in Old Cleeve church. The mandorla containing the Virgin Mary and Christ-Child, and the motto 'Porta patens esto nulli claudaris honesto' - loosely translated by Elsie J Oxenham as 'Gate open be to honest folk all free' - appear high above the entrance arch of the early 16th-century Abbey Gatehouse. 

So all that remains is to wish everyone reading this the very best of the season, and may next year bring everyone, if not what they wish for, what will be right for them.

(The goose might be getting fat, but we're not having one this year...!)

And now it's Autumn

After one of the hottest summers on record it is now beginning to feel autumnal, as we are nearly halfway through September. The heat made knitting/crochet impossible as my hands were too sticky, and made it difficult to concentrate on reading, so not much done since the last post, other than the work I do for the EJO Society, which although voluntary (i.e. unpaid) is still necessary. Hence the main photo on offer is a rather splendid thistle I caught in full bloom a couple of months ago.

There is still war in Ukraine; still the same party in government, though a new prime minister and cabinet; still difficulties between UK and EU; still not seen the end of COVID-19. But I've enjoyed meeting a group of likeminded people at a conference in Bristol, and we've had some good meals out.

It felt like a sad day this morning - now we have the news that the Queen has died. For the first time in 70 years we have a King.

Spring in a Time of War

 

The garden is showing signs of Spring, and the days are lengthening. But there is news of war to counteract the spring feelings.

Pulmonaria and daffodils seemed to be the most appropriate flowers for the heading, but the hellebores are doing well, both the white...

...and the red, 

while the violets are putting on a brave show 

- and the tulips are all that are left of the last delivery from Bloom & Wild. 

Let us hope that the world situation doesn't get worse as the weather gets better.

More than halfway through January

Finally we are getting slightly lighter afternoons and mornings, especially at the moment with the full 'wolf' moon, which is making the thought of spring a bit more believable. Still very cold and frosty, though we haven't (?yet) had the snow of this date a few years ago.

We are also more than halfway through the Christmas cake, which I show here in all its original glory. I've used this recipe for several years now, and it always comes out well - a really heavy fruit cake, that takes weekly 'feeds' of brandy in the 6 weeks or so between making and Christmas.