Ramblings
Today steady rain and wind returned, rendering a wash-out for Nick’s painting of the house.
I retained in my iPhoto collection just one picture featuring in each of
in
and in
Next, I caught up with the ironing, some embroidered linen napkins reminding me of https://derrickjknight.com/2012/05/29/the-bees/.
Then I read more of ‘England in the Later Middle Ages’.
We are now about to dine on Jackie’s spicy chilli con carne with boiled rice accompanied by the same beverages as yesterday.
Yesterday’s wind persisted throughout this day of full sunshine in which
Nick Hayter began painting, first from the scaffolding, because he will do the bulk of the ground level once the scaffolding has moved round the back. Trying to keep ahead of tomorrow’s expected rain he began
the most accessible ground floor corner.
Martin continued his work on tidying and weeding the Rose Garden;
Jackie completed her clearance of the Phantom Path.
Shows the story of its first discovery on 24th of May 2014
and its appearance on 23rd October 2015.
This evening we dined on Jackie’s steak, mushrooms and onions pie; roast potatoes; boiled carrots, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. The Zesty, Juicy, and Fruity wines Jackie has been drinking lately are low alcohol produce of Spanish Vineyards. Tonight she drank Juicy and I was pleasantly surprised by the Fruity red.
Nick was due to start painting the outside of the house today.
Once again we endured heavy winds and incessant rain. Nick came anyway to check over all that needs to be done. He hopes to start tomorrow and confirmed that the intention is to finish all our work back and front before leaving.
We then transported another full load of garden refuse to Efford recycling centre and returned with an attractive Terra Cotta plinth
Later I removed from my iPhotos collection all the pictured featured in
and all but two from
Later, I loaded the car with more garden refuse in preparation for another dump trip tomorrow morning, while Jackie moved it down the back drive in order to leave the front available for Nick’s vehicle tomorrow.
This evening we dined on roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce, boiled potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and chopped cauliflower leaves, with tasty gravy; Jackie drank Juicy rosé and I finished THIS WINE.
I deleted from my iPhotos each picture featuring in
and retained just one from
and from
After lunch, beset by continuing blustery winds which no doubt carried the heady honeyed scents of the three cordyline australis trees throughout the garden, I undertook dead-heading and a little weeding.
Jackie had been tackling clearance of the Phantom Path.
Later I escorted my camera around the garden, and in the process
noticed that this unidentified shrub, flowering for the first time, is a bee magnet. Each of this gallery images bear titles within.
This evening we dined on roast duck and chicken breasts; boiled potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, with tasty gravy. Jackie drank Fruity rosé and I drank more of THIS WINE.
During the last three years Jackie has made several failed attempts to grow gauras, which we both like. This year she has researched their preferred conditions. They like well drained dry soil and plenty of sunshine. This would explain why I never had any trouble growing one in France, where it would experience weeks unattended at a time. We therefore took a trip to Otter Nurseries for my birthday present to her. Three were quickly chosen. Then she spotted a nicotiana sylvestris. All hers had died this year. So one was added to the trolley. Then she
admired an Eye of the Tiger rose, so we came home with them all. The wind was still strong enough to make the position of the pots perched on the table too precarious for comfort, so
the smaller plants were placed on the patio paving,
while The Head Gardener planted the Eye of the Tiger in the recently cleared Palm Bed.
We then enjoyed convivial conversation with Shelly who arrived with another present and card.
This evening we dined at Rokali’s where Jackie enjoyed ponir makhani, and I enjoyed Naga Chilli prawns; we shared mushroom rice and Kulsa Naan, and both drank Kingfisher. Jackie also relished home-made jalibi cooked to order – whenever we normally see this on a menu it is never available – not so here.
Early this morning Jackie photographed the garden, including bedraggled jackdaws on our chimney stack and Russell crow on Beverley and John’s roof, in mist.
For the last couple of days she has been recovering plants from the storm. This has involved replacing hanging baskets and re-erecting some plants, including the New Zealand flax broken down and bringing it back to life in a vase of water. She photographed these as well.
Meanwhile I deleted from my iPhotos all but one of those featured in
and the only one from
I kept three from
This afternoon I read more of ‘England in the Later Middle Ages’ before we drove to Ferndene Farm shop where we purchased 3 sixty litre bags of compost and various comestibles.
Our dinner this evening consisted of Jackie’s tasty lamb’s liver casserole; creamy mashed sweet potato; crunchy carrots; pure white cauliflower; and firm Brussels sprouts, with which she drank Zesty and I Drank THIS WINE Plants a Tree, a South African blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Shiraz 2022
The last section of the Oval Path refurbishment, albeit short, has been the most difficult of those curving round both the Oval Bed and the corner it shares with the Weeping Birch Bed.
The uneven bricks were deeply embedded with the usual weeds peering between them; some crumbled so as to need replacement; the recent dry spell meant that the soil bore the consistency of concrete; wide gaps opened between them, requiring the solution of filling the crevices with cobbles and kiln dried paving sand.
While the Head Gardener was thus occupied, the recent storm having necessitated a great deal of dead-heading, I carried out two lengthy sessions of that procedure, with weeding along the way, and afterwards rambled round with my camera. Each of the above images bears its title in the gallery.
This evening we dined at Britannia Thai in Milford on Sea. The service was as efficient and friendly as always. We both enjoyed starters: Jackie’s tempura vegetables and mine vegetable spring rolls; our mains were respectively tamarind duck and noodles; and jungle curry (duck) with special fried rice. We both drank Singha beer.
Steady rain having returned; Martin working most of the day in the garden; and Connor from Norman’s Heating fixing, hopefully for the final time, our radiator problems, I occupied myself preparing and carrying beverages and offering encouragement; otherwise
I deleted from my iPhotos all but one featured in each of
the
and
but none from
Gentle tapping; tinkling of small pipes; rolling across wood floors of finger-furtled heavy spanners and other such tools; water gurgling; heavy hammering; intermittent angle grinding; sudden thumping; crashing of dropped goodness knows what – the Heavy Metal Symphony Orchestra seemingly belaboured my ears from above the sitting room ceiling to militate against my concentration throughout the day.
Occasional silences lulled me into an unreal sense of peace.
After nine hour day a disappointed Connor was forced to admit defeat because he had not been able to complete the work. The whole system was riddled with blockages and different thicknesses of pipe being linked to each other, some being 40 years old. As I said, he should not think of this as failure since he had corrected all the problems upstairs with new materials and should be able to finish by fitting a couple more metres of piping which will need another visit. He will ask Dan to send a quote for the extra time which I assured him I would accept.
He left a real quietness behind him, allowing me to make a start on ‘England in the Later Middle Ages’.
This evening we dined on lamb’s liver and bacon casserole; creamy mashed sweet potato; pure white cauliflower; crunchy carrots; and firm Brussels sprouts, with which Jackie drank more of the Zesty and I finished the Langd’oc.
Two rainy summers have set back the work on completing the painting and refurbishment of the outside of our house begun two years ago. Yesterday’s storm during which the scaffolding was due to be erected did not augur well, but it had the decency to desist today for Tony and John of Solent Scaffolding to instal the wherewithal to enable Nick to begin the decoration next week. Tony described this task as fiddly, as they took great care to clear plants and leave me no trip hazards.
Here are some patterns they have created.
This afternoon I deleted from iPhotos all pictures featuring in
and those in
Later, I read the Prologue to ‘England in the Later Middle Ages’ by M.H.Keen.
This afternoon we reprised yesterday’s baked gammon meal with similar beverages.
We watched leaves and petals flying past our windows as continuing rain accompanied the relentless winds of the last few days.
Needing a little break from the challenges of English History I am pleased that Marina of M. L. Kappa, in a recent post focussed on her admiration of Barbara Pym, thus prompting me to reread
of which this is the Title Page and Frontispiece.
First published in 1952 the book reflects the lives of adults living in postwar London when rationing still kept clothes and comestibles in short supply and difficult to obtain. Although the writer does not make this point, potential husbands, casualties of the Second World War, were also in short supply, thus making a generation of women widows; bearers of engagement rings, no wedding bands, and never-opened bottom drawers.
The future for many was bleak, as it was for Miss Mildred Lathbury. “When my parents died within two years of each other, I was left with a small income of my own, an assortment of furniture, but no home….I worked at the Censorship, for which, very fortunately, no high qualifications appeared to be necessary, apart from patience, discretion, and a slight tendency towards eccentricity.”
The humour apparent throughout the novel is generally sad and often self-disparaging, ” ‘Of course not,’ I said, rather primly, I am afraid’ “
Pym’s language is tight, yet eloquent. “There was a whirring of wings and a crowd of pigeons swooped down onto the flat piece of roof outside the window.” She has an excellent ability for description, often subtly displaying alliteration, awareness of several senses and otherwise unspoken thoughts. “The jingle of the little beaded cover against the milk jug reminded me of Dora and her giggles, her dogmatic opinions and the way she took offence so easily.”
“Excellent women” is a phrase often appearing in the book relating to those, like Mildred, who spend their lives doing good works; caring for others rather than themselves; and making sure always to say the right, never the wrong thing. “It was not the excellent women who got married but people like Allegra Gray, who was no good at sewing, and Helena Napier, who left all the washing up.” When refusing an invitation, ” ‘That’s very kind of you,’ [Mildred] said, speaking slowly to gain time…..” This makes her very indecisive, “I might ask her In to coffee sometime but hesitated about it because I did not quite know how to convey the impression that it was not, of course, to become a regular thing.” “I stood awkwardly, not knowing what to say, I, who had always prided myself on being able to make suitable conversation on all occasions. Somehow no platitude came, the moment passed and Rocky went down to his own flat.”
The story is essentially told through the medium of conversation, at which Barbara Pym is most skilled. ” ‘Oh, but I think I did know, I mean I guessed,’ I said rather quickly and brightly. ‘I’m so glad.’
‘You’re glad? Oh, what a relief!’ She laughed and lit another cigarette.
‘ Well, it seems a very good thing for both of you and I wish you every happiness,’ I mumbled, not feeling capable of explaining any further a gladness I did not really feel.”
Yes, I did enjoy this free flowing work of a comic novelist very carefully constructed, and not always sad, but the skill of describing the internal and external worlds of the main protagonist leaves me full of empathy for a struggling generation. “Julian waved his brush towards me in a despairing gesture, showering everybody with drops of distemper.”
The author is truly insightful. “Virtue is an excellent thing and we should all strive after it, but it can sometimes be a little depressing.”
A. N. Wilson’s introduction is informative, and
Debra McFarlane’s precisely detailed illustrations are perfectly faithful to the text, to the characters and to the period.
This evening we dined on tasty baked gammon; piquant cauliflower cheese; boiled new potatoes, crunchy carrots and tender chopped cauliflower leaves, with which Jackie drank zesty and I finished the shiraz.