Blue Gingham Dress

 Dear Reader,

Do you know the poem 'Warning' by Jenny Joseph which said something on the lines of: when she was an old woman she was going to wear purple and a red hat which wouldn't suit her.  I had been looking in my wardrobe lately and found most of my clothes were either beige or navy blue or something dull. But in these dreary times I have been wanting to wear colourful clothes, like Jenny,  to cheer myself and everyone else up. Since I don't go shopping and had found nothing on line that I liked until I went to Lyme Regis and found lovely Soraya, on the beach. She was selling bright coloured jackets which I fell in love with immediately and bought five different colours.  They will go with my pinafore dresses and act as a cardigan.  Two of them were for my children who were very pleased with them.

In the photograph is Horatio the Lyme Regis mouse Francis bought for me.  Francis made him some trousers to go with his nautical jersey.  Horatio was very excited to read this week of the rat, Magawa, who was awarded a gold medal for 'life saving bravery' for his work detecting dangerous land mines. If possible Horatio would would like to do something similar, but I am not sure there is anything like that available here where we live.

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From Gilbert White, 1771 in Hampshire

'Hedge-sparrow begins its winter note'.

From John Clare, 1824 in Northampton

'Took a walk in the fields, heard the harvest cricket and shrew-mouse uttering their little chickering songs among the crackling stubble'.

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Blue Gingham Dress

She was wearing
a blue gingham dress
long-sleeved, with lace collar,
one summer evening in July.

A sweet smell from lilies
lavender bushes
roses and orange blossom
drifted on the air,

the sea sapphire
played its own repetitive tune
soft and enticing
and a southerly wind blew.

Suddenly he took her hand
drew her near
kissed her urgently
then came a call,

they separated
ran back to the house
her heart racing
knees weak, on fire.

The gingham dress
worn and faded now
hangs at the back of the cupboard,
but the kiss is till as fresh
as it was on that one
summer evening in July.

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With best wishes, Patricia