Another November Saturday and Stir-Up Sunday

 It's been good to have a (mainly) dry week this week after  the first half of November which was so wet, dull, gloomy and  muddy. Even though the sugar beet has all gone from the fields and all the big heaps have gone off to be turned into sugar, there is still plenty of mud around on all the small roads close to home, and despite it being a waste of time I washed  the car and got the mud out from all the wheel arches and it looked better............... for about 2  days.

The following is one of the poems from the little book of collected Country Poems that I found in a charity shop in October. I said I'd share some on the blog, but shelved the book and forgot , until now.

 

NOVEMBER

The lonely season in lonely lands,when fled

Are half the birds, and mists lie low, and the sun

Is rarely seen, nor strayeth far from his bed;

The short days pass unwelcomed one by one.

Out by the ricks the mantled engine stands

Crestfallen, deserted, - for now all hands

Are told to plough, - and ere it is dawn appear

The teams following and crossing far and near,

As hour by hour they broaden the brown bands

Of the striped fields; and behind them firk and prance

The heavy rooks, and daws grey pated dance:

As awhile, surmounting a crest, in sharp outline

(A miniature of toil, a gem's design,)

They are pictured, horses and men, or now near by

Above the lane they shout lifting the share,

By the trim hedgerow bloom'd with purple air;

Where under the thorns, dead leaves in huddle lie

Packed by the gales of Autumn, and in and out

The small wrens glide

With a happy note of cheer,

And yellow amorets flutter above and about,

Gay, familiar in fear.

Robert Bridges (1844 - 1930)

The sun only 'strayeth from it's bed' a couple of times this week, but even that was better than the forecast.
 From poetry it's easy and interesting to see how language changes just in  4 generations. I know that the engine mentioned is the threshing machine and daws are Jackdaws, but would my children?  I had to look up 'firk', which means "move quickly or dance" and  found 'amorets' means "an amourous girl"  or "a love knot" but I guess it's alluding to falling leaves. Also presume 'gay' isn't used in the same context as we use it now!

So apart from eating locally produced food, what have I been doing since my last Saturday round up two weeks ago?
Well, as usual I've been out and about. Swimming once a week and thinking how much easier it is in summer, because now there are too many clothes to take off and put on! For just a few minutes this week I was the only person in the pool - felt quite luxurious.............. and very strange.

I've been sorting some books for the charity shop, I'm getting more ruthless now, even some of my WWII Home Front collection are going. Also tidying crafting stuff into  smaller spaces. I have a chest of drawers in the craft room that now only has one drawer full of crafting papers and once I decide what/where/how to sort them, the chest can go.

On Thursday I volunteered to take Col's brother for a hospital appointment as the letter he got said "don't drive home", but it turned out he could have driven himself there and back. Oh well. He's got to be there at 8am one day in December and definitely mustn't drive - not sure I can get up early enough! so hope he can find someone else, luckily he's got dozens of mates.

I've been watching some repeats of "Who do you think you are" . Episodes I missed from a few years ago and this week it was Danny Dyer - of Eastenders fame and he was tracing his ancestors back to the landed gentry, including The Tollemache family of Suffolk. It reminded me that I really ought to visit Helmingham Hall which is not far from home, a famous house and gardens, owned by the same family for 500 years, yet I've never been.
It gave me a plan for next year.....A Tourist In My Own County. I'd better write a list!

Are you making a Christmas pudding this weekend? It's "Stir Up Sunday". The Sunday before advent was known as Stir Up Sunday because the collect for the day from the Book of Common Prayer says "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 The congregations version was "Stir up, we beseech thee, the pudding in the pot, Stir up,we beseech thee, and keep it all hot!

This week I am Grateful for

• Ideas for 2020
• My books
• A quiet swim
• Fine days

Hope you have a good weekend, whatever your plans. Not a lot going on for me this weekend but I don't mind that at all.

Back Monday
Sue