Friday 1 November 2019

November Days

The 1st of November is All Saints Day and might bring some fine warmer weather?


All Saints' Little Summer lasts three hours, three days or three weeks

I hope it's the latter...........please.

This months picture of a hare and a bonfire  and the words following come from the library book collected last week................



Wood-smoke and mists weave through the wind that follows the hare as she begins the last part of the journey. 
 And she sings, 
The Hunter's Moon, The Frosty Moon
The Cold Moon, The Badgers Moon
The Long Night Moon, Novembers Moon

There's a short poem in the little book Country Poems that I picked up at a charity shop last month about Autumn bonfires, it's by Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote lots of poems for children as well as his more well know stories.

Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail.

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons
Something bright in all
Flowers in the summer
Fires in the Fall.


November takes its name from the Latin novem because it was the ninth month of the Roman year. The Anglo Saxons named November "Blodmonath" meaning Blood Month, maybe because this was the month when any older livestock would have been slaughtered before winter, so as to save fodder for the younger animals.

One of the weather sayings for November is quite well known

Ice in November to bear a duck,
Nothing after but slush and muck. 

From one of the childrens' books that's moved house and stayed with me for 30 years. Illustrating the Sara Coleridge poem


 From the publication date it must have belonged to Youngest daughter. The lift up flaps show the mouse family enjoying themselves each month...... I ought to see if she wants the book back for Florence.

 

Back Tomorrow
Sue









31 comments:

  1. I used to love the R L Stevenson poems and can still quote huge chunks from some of them. Bed in Summer . . . The Cow . . . and wasn't there one about being on a swing?
    Happy November, Sue. Have a good one.
    xx

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  2. I used the Sara Coleridge poem a lot in school, doing 1-1 work with struggling readers. Hoping that we don't have a 'dull November'. It's grey and drizzly outside now, and I just spotted an arc of mushrooms outside my window.

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  3. Oh it would be lovely if we had some warmer (and drier!) weather for three weeks wouldn't it, but I suspect we won't. Some lovely illustrations in those books, and the mouse family is very cute.

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  4. I love lift the flap books and rhyming ones. Bedtime stories were a favourite part of the day for me. Happy November to you. xx

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  5. It's raining again!

    Apart from all the poetry, my favourite November book for children is Hare and Guy Fawkes by Alison Uttley. Were you or your children fans of Little Grey Rabbit?

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    1. I had never seen them until I started work in libraries and then by the time our children were the right age they had fallen out of fashion, but I've started collecting a few - for me!

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  6. I love the hare illustration - thx for posting. Is that your woodburner and cat in the top photo? Very cosy and the pic def makes me want to stay inside on this dreich, wet morning. Have a good friday!

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    1. Yes an old photo from ages ago.

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    2. And then the cat was laying there again so I did an up to date photo!

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  7. I love your post on the top so homely. We have had 4 lovely days this week but to day ii is raining, so I have sort out my wool Duck Egg, Sherbet, cloud Blue and Spearmint colours and will make a start on a crochet blanket, they are always handy.
    I enjoyed your poems and pictures.
    Have a good weekend Sue and everyone else.
    Hazel c uk

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  8. Your post was timely - we just got our first snow. I'm hoping it melts quickly and we don't get more for a while. I love the hare illustration. -Jenn

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  9. your header photos is absolutely perfect. Cats always know where to get comfy!

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  10. Like the cozy fire (header). Your various country folk themes/poems remind me of the saying about March coming in like a lion...for us, November decided it wanted lion-hood. Almost 26c yesterday, then near midnight a big t-storm blew through. Currently 5c and we have a freeze warning for tonight. Must go out to clean up all the fallen debris and bring in the potted plants. On the plus side, at least it will be sunny, if very blustery.

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  11. The children in the book reminded me of the "Lucy Atwell" children, do you remember them?
    As for bonfires I don't seem to ever smell one now. When I was a child my Dad was always doing bonfires in the garden. Probably not allowed now.
    Briony
    x

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    1. A Lucy Atwell book is a gap on the shelves - love her children so will have to look out for a book

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  12. Happy November and thanks for sharing the poems and books. I love your header photograph, Sue - it's so cozy and relaxing. Lynne

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  13. What a lovely book...the writing style took me right back to my childhood. I shall have to hunt down some treasures to read to Henry. xx

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  14. Hi Sue thankyou for your support on Sue's blog, just letting you know where I am, I am not going into all the ins and outs but this is where I am now.
    M x

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    1. There must be a problem as it comes up with not available

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  15. It is always nice to read and see pictures from the books about months and special days. You find so much interesting stuff! In Norway November was called Slaughter month in old days, in the same meaning as your Blood Month.

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  16. Ohhhhh, what delightful books, and poems, and quotes, and alllllll...!

    I do love children's books!

    And hares...!

    Thank you for sharing!!! I must see if my library system has some of them.

    Oh and your new Header, says "Hibernate At Home," so well.

    🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥

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  17. Lovely illustrations and poems. November came quickly. We had our first snow yesterday. I love your new header photo - there's nothing like a cat in front of a fire!

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  18. What a delightful book. My favourite Stephenson poem is at the beginning of Treasure Island - To The Hesitating Purchaser - "If sailor tales to sailor tunes ..." If you read it out loud, stretching and rhoticising the 'r's and missing the 'd' out of adventure, you sound exactly like Robert Newton, a genuine pirate.

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  19. I love seeing a cat sprawled in front of a warm cozy fire. It almost makes me wish we were not heading into summer. Almost!!

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  20. Gorgeous post,although we are heading into spring. Desperately needed rain pouring down here! I do love your mantle.

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  21. Children's books have such great art. I used to love it when the new ones arrived at my library, and planning how to use them for children's storytimes. I was lucky enough to meet a few authors and illustrators at library conferences. Such a treat.

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  22. I have never heard of the 3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks saying. Must be an olde English thing?

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  23. Love the header photograph. That's one very cosy cat :-)

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