Sunday 25 October 2020

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                                                                              Major Stanley in his boat

 

 Dear Reader,

 This is such a heart warming story.  I love it and hope you do too.

An 80-year-old retired British army major built a boat to raise money for charity following the example of record-breaking fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore.  He built the vessel during Covid-19 lockdown. 

He is hoping to row 100 miles of the Chichester Canal in West Sussex by December 18th. The boat is made of two sheets of corrugated iron, curtain hooks and a hosepipe, which he built to mark his 80th birthday. 

"It goes extremely well, I have worked out it travels about two miles an hour.  It glides through the water and generally speaking doesn't leak too much" he said.

Major Stanley, who served in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards for 35 years, has already raised £12,000 beating his original £1,000 target for a hospice.

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From Gilbert White, 1784 in Hampshire

"Hard Frost, thick ice. On my way to Newton I was covered with snow! Snow covers the ground, and trees!!."

From Francis Kilvert, 1874 in Wiltshire

"A damp warm morning steaming with heat, the outer air like a hot-house, the inner air colder, and in consequence the old thick panelled walls of the front rooms streaming with warm air condensed on the cold walls....The afternoon was so gloomy that I was obliged for the first time to have lights in the pulpit."

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Home

is honey
oatcakes
soft lights
warm bed
comfortable mattress

home is
quiet,
books, peace
a space for the
Good Lord,
a small garden
red geraniums
foxgloves and roses

home is where
my precious
collection
of things
have their place

home is safety.

 

                                                                                *

With very best wishes, Patricia

Sunday 18 October 2020

Sometimes



 
 



Dear Reader, 

Last week I was talking about beautiful Worcester Pearmain apples and I thought this week I would remind you of quinces. Their short season is now. The quince tree is deciduous and bears a pome fruit, similar in appearance to a pear and is bright golden-yellow when mature.  The quince is a hardy drought-tolerant shrub which adapts to many soils and tolerates both shade and sun, but sunlight is required in order to produce larger flowers and ensure fruit ripening.  It was favoured by landscape architects such as Fredrick Law Olmsted in the early 20th century for its attractive blossom.  

Most varieties of quince are too hard to eat raw but are used to make jam, jelly and quince pudding, or they maybe peeled, roasted, baked or stewed.  Adding a diced quince to apple sauce will enhance the taste of the apple sauce with the chunks of relatively firm, tart quince.

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The following quote is probably one you all know from Edward Lear's (1812-88), The Owl and the Pussy-Cat:



"They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
  which they ate with a runcible spoon..... "

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From Francis Kilvert's diary, 1878, The Gower Peninsula, Glamorgan

"We had a merry windy luncheon on the bank near the churchyard gate, and great fun and famous laughing. An east wind was blowing fresh and strong, the sea was rolling in grey and yeasty, and in a splendid sunburst the white seagulls were running and feeding on the yellow sands.  A wild merry happy day."

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Sometimes
 

I feel overwhelmed by
a spirit of joyfulness,
a desire to jump, to dance,
to laugh, to see the world
in a bright light,

sometimes I am optimistic,
enjoy the warmth of the sun,
soft patter of rain on my face,
the wonders of this world.

Sometimes I believe
people are kind and good,
are innocent of evil,
deserve praise and
I honour them,

and sometimes I don't.

                                                                                  *

With very best wishes, Patricia