Into the New Year

Already halfway through the first month of the new year, back to everyday routines after the Christmas break. Up at 6 a.m for the school bus, then a bit of quiet time with a book & coffee before tackling the day's chores. The moon is still visible when I get up & has been very bright this week.

With the full moon, nights have been brilliantly beautiful, a crystal clear sky full of stars and trees casting long black shadows on the snow. In the moonlight, the snow has been lovely, dusted with diamond dust sparkles.

As I look out the window now, more snow is falling, just a light sprinkling for the moment. Last week the kids had two storm days in a row, school (wisely) called off due to snowstorms or freezing rain, a mix of both some of the time. I've had a few stray cats hanging around off and on, and I feel terrible for them on cold nights. I put out food which they come around for now and then, but have to hide it a bit or the crows make off with it.

My son has been experimenting with the digital camera he got for Christmas, making slide shows of trees, snow shadows, the cat, all kinds of things. Some wonderful photos. I'm hoping he may help me post a few to share.

Over the holidays, I picked up all the Christmas-themed books I could find that were on the lighter side. Several authors do a mystery or romance every year - Anne Perry, Mary Higgins Clark - fun to read if not memorable. There's an old Agatha Christie anthology of stories that is one I'd love to own, called Star of Bethlehem. The stories are thoughtful, combine faith, a bit of magic & just good storytelling.

The best non-holiday book I've read recently has to be Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl, a story about the sister of Anne Boleyn (who also had an affair with Henry VIII). It's one of several novels about the Tudors by Gregory. They look daunting, big books, but once you start reading they are so absorbing you get through them pretty quickly. (possibly neglecting the dishes, etc. while totally transported to Tudor England). For anyone who likes a historical novel that is both entertaining and accurate, the series is a find. The Constant Princess is about his first wife Catherine of Aragon, another of the series is about Anne Boleyn.

With the cold weather and no gardening to do (except the dream variety), this is the time of year to curl up with a good book.

As we only have two TV channels just now since MPBN went digital, I often read in the evening too. I think I will buy a digital-to-analog converter eventually so I can get MPBN back. I gave up on cable ages ago, can't stand reality shows. Since we use indoor antenna, options are limited, but cable users in our area just found out they're losing PBS access too, because Rogers Cable just dropped MPBN from their local lineup. It's the PBS carrier here, from just across the border in Maine. My mother is furious since it's her favourite channel. So it goes. Rural areas are not generally well served by the companies controlling internet, TV etc. services, not here at least. Is it the same in western & central rural Canada too, I wonder?

Thanks to Becky for the birthday greetings, & Happy New Year to all! It looks like a challenging one according to all the economic pundits, but I think we' ll get along.

Christmas Memories

Hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner again. Today is my birthday, not quite my eleventy-first like Bilbo's, but old enough to have a lot to look back on. Don't think I'm cut out for blogging. I find it more satisfying to pick up a pen and write thoughts down in a journal. A computer screen hasn't the same feel. It's the same with reading, more so really. I prefer holding a book in my hands to reading from a screen, perhaps because I can't relax with a cup of tea anywhere near my keyboard. In journalism school, having a drink near the computer was absolutely forbidden on pain of death (almost!!) Ironically,when I worked at a newspaper for a brief stint, everyone had coffee cups at their desks. Unbelievably vile machine-produced coffee is a vivid memory from that job.

This November and December our climate has been wildly erratic, with snow one day and rain the next, from -12celsius to +13celsius in 24 hours, freezing rain, wild winds, a bit of everything. The forecast for today included possible thunder & lightning, in December yet!!! Hoping for a few decent days in order to travel safely and finish my very modest Christmas shopping.

Got a bread machine for a birthday present and look forward to trying it out as soon as I get the right kind of flour. Keeping fresh bread when the stores only get delivery once a week here on the island is always a challenge. I liked making bread by hand, but kneading dough gets difficult with arthritis stiffening up the fingers, so this will be fun. The smell of bread baking is one of the homeliest, most comforting there is I think.

I feel a deep sympathy for the families of the three soldiers we just lost, beginning the long walk of grieving at a time when most people are celebrating. The empty chair, the absent loved one, is especially felt when the family gets together for celebrations. This will be the ninth Christmas since we lost my son Jamie and there are few moments of the holiday when his memory isn't held close. This time with the ones we love who are still with us is a precious gift. Hoping all who grieve find moments of beauty in the music, lights and children's laughter as we journey on through this Christmas season.

Autumn Shadows

October is almost over, and I wonder if anyone else feels their spirits falling with the leaves. Right now, a golden world waits outside my window. Hackmatacks, one of the few deciduous conifers, are glowing with shades of gold as they ready for winter. Days of torrential rain and wind have swept leaves from apple trees, and windfall fruit lies under every tree. Most are too bitter for humans to enjoy, but the deer, crows and squirrels have been feasting on them. One tree produces somewhat scabby looking but tasty fruit, and I'm trying to pick as many as I can while they last. Juicy, crisp, and tart, they are a treat far removed from the perfect apples at the supermarket, tastier but not pretty.

Today sunshine is gradually returning after days of rain, but with it the mercury is dropping. Temperatures of 15c are giving way to a cool 8c. Hallowe'en will probably be clear and cold, so the search for warmer, suitable costumes is on. My son and his friends want to be a group of hobo-types. Even as teens, they enjoy trick or treat, and since they know most of the neighbours, we don't have much trouble with vandalism. Maybe the odd egg or two, but nothing too horrid.

Hunting season is upon us once again, so walks in the woods are out for a while. Most people are responsible and follow the rules, but there are those few others so I stay clear until it's over. My sympathies are with the deer though I know too many of them isn't good for them or the community. Driving home the other night, my sister and I glimpsed a doe in the headlights, stepping daintily off the road en route to the lake. We saw another one night as we came into my driveway, eyes glinting as it peered over the hedge. I wish them luck & will be glad when it's over. I know stocking the freezer helps some fishermen in the off season, it's just not for me.

The melancholy of autumn is beginning to make itself known. There is something about the change in the light, the darker days, the leaves falling, bare branches - it all has a sadness. Putting the garden to bed, the death of flowers, reminders of mortality I suppose.

Hallowe'ens years ago, when my oldest son was still with us, come to mind. I think of him often in these dying days of autumn, took the summer flowers away from his grave after Thanksgiving and put some fall flowers there. Now it's almost time for a new bouquet. He liked this season - I have a photo of him standing by the water, autumn colours of trees reflected in the bay, smile as bright as the sunshine.

My youngest son and his friends are having a great time reading Lord of the Rings, keeps him up late some school nights. He avoids starting a new chapter if it's too late because it's just too hard to put it down. I recently finished reading Paris 1919, & for any reader who loves history it is well worth a try. It's a long read & I took a few breaks, but learned a great deal from it. The anecdotes are fascinating and so much of what happened at the 1919 Peace Conference has echoes in current affairs it's a great backgrounder. The Middle East, China, the Balkans, etc., recommend it to any student of history. On the lighter side, just finished Murderers & Other Friends by John Mortimer & it's a wonderfully entertaining, intelligent book. He's best known as the creator of Rumpole of the Bailey for fans of Mystery on PBS, & has a sardonic wit that is touching and laugh out loud funny at times.

Island Autumn

As I waited (and waited) to get to this site, I thought to myself that it's a good thing I'm a gardener. It helps one learn patience, and living in rural New Brunswick with dial-up speed access on the computer, patience is much needed.

The cooler nights of fall are here, but we are enjoying sunshine and fairly warm days, and the sky is a joy to behold. It has that clear blue that we only get in fall, cloudless - a glorious backdrop to the gold, copper and crimson of the trees. There is something exhilarating about a bright autumn morning.

Last week, I found a poor Monarch butterfly worse for wear after a very chilly night. A female (the males have two black wing spots), she huddled on the sedum in my lower garden bed all day. I hadn't the heart to just leave her there & let nature take its course, so I put her in a shoebox with some sedum & butterfly bush blooms. Up close, it was obvious she had a damaged wing that made flying awkward, so I didn't think she'd last long outside. A local public garden kindly agreed to give her a home in a heated greenhouse, so I dropped her off in style. Hope she thinks she made it south for whatever time she lives. I read that most non-migrating Monarchs live about four weeks.

Thanksgiving is just about here, and this year we're having an extended holiday since school professional development days come right afterward. Five lovely days of not having to get up at 6 a.m. - I'm as happy as my son & his friends about that. Since my sister does a big family get-together & considers turkey at Christmas more than enough, we'll be having a nice ham dinner there. I'm attempting to do a small turkey at home earlier, probably Saturday, & hoping my old oven will do the job.

A few years ago, I invited my mum for Christmas the first year we were renting this old house. I put a big turkey (thawed) in the oven and we waited all day and into the evening for the bloody thing to cook!! It finally did, but since then I do nothing bigger than 10 lbs. Just one of the things you deal with in older homes with unpredictable appliances. I've since discovered that the oven controls and actual heat level inside aren't always a match.

Looked out the window of my sister's house at dusk a few days ago just in time to see a big doe stroll across the yard and into the wooded area beside the path. Then as we were driving home, we saw a four-point buck standing under the trees in a neighbour's front yard.

The songbirds are enjoying the goldenrod bloom out in the field beyond my garden, often see sparrows & finches darting around the low shrubbery. Crickets have been singing non-stop now for a while, & I still see the occasional grasshopper. Most of my garden is done, though up to today I've been getting a few runner beans every two or three days. The gold & yellow gem marigolds are still blooming, if a bit shabby close up, and the sedum has darkened to a burgundy red that brightens up the lower garden. The peony leaves are a nice fall bronze next to the butterfly bush. It bloomed late and is attracting bees and the occasional late season butterfly still. It has creamy yellow rather than the usual purple buddliea blooms. Right in front of the kitchen window, makes it a perfect spot for watching the insect traffic. Today a Painted Lady has been vying with the bees to get at the nectar.

Bluejays have been visiting the apple tree out front for the past few days, not sure if the apples or insects are drawing them. I usually get more crows than jays, they've gotten used to getting the bread crusts & old stuff I toss out to the driveway for them.

Election time next week & here's hoping for a good outcome. Hope everyone who can gets out to vote. When I was younger, I travelled a bit & met people who risked their lives for the right to choose their own representatives, so I hate to see us as Canadians not use the hard won rights we have. Happy Thanksgiving, all!!

September Stories

Two weeks into the new school year and not too painful so far, though getting up at 6 a.m. is harder now that it's darker each morning. Summer lingers still, with ripening tomatoes and flowerpots overflowing & lush. I love the pineapple mint, a cream & green variegated variety that blends beautifully with dark burgundy coleus and white-green double petunias. Makes a nice iced tea too. The scarlet runner beans are producing so vigorously I can just keep up, have to pick and cook about two cups per day. Wouldn't be fall without powdery mildow on some plants, and the bee balm definitely needs cutting back on that account - it's getting shabby anyway.

For one dollar, I picked up a bright red New Guinea impatiens at a season-end sale, and it's blossoming out with lovely big blooms, looks pretty next to a pot of portulaca that's all shades of the rainbow. In the lower garden bed, pink Autumn Joy sedum has taken over as the star, so big it looks more like a small shrub than one plant. I have just a few sweet peas blooming now, but they are lovely, sweet scented Matucanas, a purple-lavender blossom that scents a whole room. My sister has sweet peas in tiny vases on every windowsill, in a mix of rose, white and purple blooms. Next year I hope to have more, love the mix of scent and colour.

The hummingbirds are still around, though not seen as often. One little female rubythroat was busy at the feeder yesterday, then tried the fuchsia, the rose impatiens and the yellow blooms on the butterfly bush. Bees are attracted to that as well, and the song of crickets is still noticeable on warm days. The field behind the upper garden bed is a swath of goldenrod, with songbirds darting in around it all day long and into the evenings. I've seen chickadees, common yellowthroats, sparrows and yellow-rumped warblers in the last few days. A pileated woodpecker often flies over screeching maniacally, and crows are better than an alarm clock as soon as it gets light. It's seldom silent, always a sense of life seen and unseen all around.

It's getting too chilly at night for tenting, so my son and his friends have reluctantly given up on their weekend campouts. All summer they enjoyed campfires on the beach and tenting out in the woods. Getting together for house parties doesn't have the same atmosphere, though they enjoy movies & videogames as an alternative. Games like Risk & Middle Earth Role Play are popular too - if only homework evoked the same enthusiasm!

I'm not enthused by the prospect of a fall election - a hypocritical attempt to gain more power and a waste of public funds to do it. It would be so much better to carry on with necessary business instead of squabbling like a bunch of poorly disciplined kindergarten children. So it goes, I guess. Real change comes along fairly seldom, and I must admit I envy our neighbours to the south the challenge they have this time around. Now that would be an exciting election choice!!

Recently read and much enjoyed "Extra-Virgin" (author's name forgotten at present), the story of two friends who moved to a small town in Tuscany, long before it became a trendy destination. Their attempt to restore an old place and fit into small town life make an interesting and at times humorous story, a good read.

Late Summer Notes

Much as I want to deny it, summer is on the wane. This August has been hot and humid when not rainy and humid, with frequent thunder showers. There are still glorious mornings when the sky is cloudless and a southerly breeze is as close to heaven as you'd want, but that late summer feeling is coming on.

In the garden, I have Early Girl tomatoes ripening fast, unlike the Patio and Tumbler in containers, still stubbornly green though plentiful. The Scarlet Runner beans are producing well, with a small crop every few days now. The hummingbirds love them and often buzz me while I'm picking, hoping I'll go away. I've had a few pattypan squash - for some reason a lot of blossoms dropped off before they could produce. It looks lovely anyway, with the scarlet runner flowers twining with sweet peas and a row of gem marigolds in front of the veg garden.

In the flower bed, the pink milkweed is done blossoming - found a monarch caterpillar on it just yesterday and it's still there today, has the whole plant to itself. Seems late in the season so I hope it survives. The Autumn Joy sedum is filling out to a shrub size, love the way the leaves hold dewdrops in the morning or after a rain. The china asters are just budding now so should add some nice colour to that bed. Every evening I like to go down the driveway just to catch the fragrance of the nicotiana - it's self-sown and comes back every year, striking with the tall white trumpets.

It's been a good summer for berries, partly because of the frequent rain. My mum says blueberries are always better in a wet year, get bigger. A five minute walk up the road takes me to a lush berry field, had a great time there with my mum, sister and her two grandsons. We had enough to make blueberry muffins and I tried a recipe for "summer pudding", new to me this year. It's very simple, just white bread, a bit of sugar and mixed berries topped with ice cream or whipped cream. My son enjoyed it very much! Raspberries are about done now, but the blackberries are just beginning to ripen and the canes out back of the shed are full of them. I'm looking forward to them a lot, enjoy walking out on a sunny morning and picking a dish to toss in with cereal for breakfast.

On August 12th, the Perseid meteor shower was visible so I stayed up very late hoping to catch the show. My son was watching the live Olympic coverage anyway so we had a late, late night. Best time for meteors was said to be about 4 a.m. and I was out on the doorstep watching the sky, which was a bit cloudy but with stars visible. Saw three or four out there, then watching form a west facing window inside saw a few more before I gave it up to get some sleep. Jupiter is very bright in the southwest now too, with good binoculars you can see the moons.

Though I'm not a big sports fan, the Olympics is pretty spectacular and you can't help but be impressed with some of the achievements and struggles the athletes go through. I watched the end of the triathlon & couldn't believe the effort Simon (Whitfield)? made right at the race end, amazing. Love the equestrian events too, glad to see Eric LaMaze make a comeback from the drug problems of the past.

As I write this, the skies have opened up and rain is splashing and pouring down the windows. It's so dark, at 4 p.m. that you need the lights on to read (or type). Since thunder is likely to follow, I'm going to wrap this up and shut down. Hope we all enjoy what's left of the season.

(For a good summer read, try "Harvest of Bittersweet" by Patricia Penton Leimbach, a book of the joy and sorrow of life on an Ohio farm in the 1980s.)

I want to capture summer
In the middle of a dawn,
Press it fast between two pages
now,
Before the magic's gone.

-Eileen Black "August"

Midsummer Musings

As always, summer is passing too quickly. Already the stores are flogging fall clothes and winter catalogues appear in the mail. I refuse to look at them for now. Why would anyone want to dwell on winter coats when the sun is high and the breeze is from the south?

I've been blessed with the first opportunity to meet my niece's new baby girl, Grace. One forgets how very tiny and delicate a newborn can be. Poor dear is minding the humidity and heat we've been having and was a bit fussy with heat rash. She did me the honour of falling asleep while I held her in the rocking chair. Little ones are so very precious it makes the heart ache. She has a full head of golden hair, softer than chicken down.

My son is off to summer camp, and decided that long hair was too much bother - so he shaved his head!!! A bit of a shock - he's lucky to have a dimpled smile and gorgeous brown eyes that keep him from looking like a neo-Nazi. Just had his 17th birthday, they grow up so fast.

In the garden, the scarlet runner blooms are beginning to develop beans, tiny summer squash are growing behind big yellow blossoms, the peas are done, swiss chard is producing a small second crop and the garlic chives are in bud. Bee balm has just begun blooming and the milkweed is almost open. I've seen a few monarch butterflies, but have no caterpillars on the plant. They are supposed to thrive on milkweed so I'm hoping. At least I'll get to enjoy the vanilla-scented pink flowers soon. Gold and peach daylilies are among the plants passed along from my sister's divisions, as well as several leftovers from the plant sales. I have pansies and violas here and there in both raised beds and in containers. Tomatoes are lagging this year. I have a few on each plant but they are far from prolific.

I've been making homemade iced tea from pineapple mint, lemon balm and lemon verbena and it's good, citrusy & sweetened a bit with honey. Borage leaf is good in tea too, but I discovered last year it has to be used very lightly. Has a pronounced laxative effect in larger amounts about which I will say no more.

At the edge of the yard, wild raspberries are ripening and blueberries are almost ready to pick as well. In back of the shed, masses of green berries promise a good blackberry crop later. Just up the road, an old woods path is a great spot for picking blueberries. If only the mosquitoes would stay away, being outside would be wonderful.

When I'm not busy, I love to sit by the window with a good book, pausing now & then to look out at the garden. The hummingbird whizzes by to hit the feeder again or to perch at the fuchsias. Butterflies drift around, birds call, and I bask in the peace and quiet. I've been enjoying Miss Read's stories lately. Her tales of life in an English country village are just the thing if you like stories about the everyday dramas of ordinary people. She has a keen appreciation of nature and the countryside and the seasons feature in the stories. I don't much enjoy writers who seem not to see nature around them, though I do like different types of literature. Also reading "The Proud Tower",Barbara Tuchman's history of pre-WWI Europe, heavy going at times but full of insight and fascinating anecdotes.

We've had some (much needed) rain & thunder showers the last few days, and on July 19th I watched a fantastic sunset after a storm. The eastern sky was blotted out by a mountain of clouds, shaped and layered with shades of lavender, rose and at the very peak backlit to almost gold, wonderfully dramatic. As I watched, jagged streaks of lightning flashed out from the darkest centre of the lower cloud formation. At the same time, the sky to the west was clearing to the bright blue of a sunny day, turning to gold and pink as the sun lowered on the horizon. A sunset to remember.

Watched an interview with Nelson Mandela and the celebration of his 90th birthday. My son is proud that he has the same birthdate as such a true hero (an overused word but true in his case I think). We could use a few more like him in this world. Makes me proud to have supported the Free Mandela movement in my student days, in a small way. Think globally, act locally & all that, not a bad way to carry on everyday life at all.