Yet another good book! (lucky me!) Although how to describe it is a problem..................
In C.S. Lewis's Narnia the children disappear into the wardrobe for years at a time yet when they come back almost no time has passed.
In 'The Glass Maker' the years pass by in the rest of the world by jumps of 100+ years at a time -except for the Rosso family and their friends and glassmaking neighbours on the island of Murano and in Venice, where time passes so slowly that the same family members live for 500 years.
This sounds really odd yet the writing is so good (Tracy Chevalier always writes well) that it's easy to follow it and seems to make perfect sense. T.C. describes it as a stone that is thrown and skimming the surface of the Venetian lagoon, touching down at various times in history - but the stone stays the same.
Across the lagoon lies Murano. Time flows differently here – like the glass the island’s maestros spend their lives perfecting.
In secret, Orsola Rosso learns to craft glass. As a woman, she must flout convention to save her family from ruin. We follow her through hundreds of years of war and plague, tragedy and triumph, love and loss.
It's been 5 years since Tracy Chevalier's last book but was worth the wait.
I'm having trouble with my gardening mojo after last year when there was a mass invasion of giant slugs and what they didn't eat, the neighbour's cat dug up. This year the veg beds are covered by wire netting frames that turn into fences later and I keep taking the cat poo off the small bit left uncovered although dear Crumble cat has managed to almost dig up the rhubarb, which had shrunk to nothing much anyway.
I've never lived anywhere where rhubarb has failed so often. 5 crowns planted over the four years here and all but one just gone with nothing to show for them except 3 straggly stems this year.
In the greenhouse the tomatoes and peppers are OK but I delayed sowing cucumber and courgette seeds until after family had gone so a bit late. I've bought some growbags this year as it's difficult now to haul the big 40litre(?) bags of multi-purpose around to the back garden and into the greenhouse. Plus my wheelbarrow has a puncture so I'm waiting on BiL to kindly fix it for me.
Two gardeners who had been lined up to help sort out the front border both backed out so it's a bit of a muddle with ground elder and dandelions among the plants but with 'the knee' playing up so much I'm not looking forward to tackling it . I referred myself to physio and they emailed a list of 3 exercises - two of which I'd forgotten from five years ago when my knee was first injured so I'm religiously trying to do them whenever I can. If there is no improvement I can get a proper appointment - we shall see.
Dentist Next Week- 6 monthly check up - Oh Great Joy! Fine weather forecast - more joy - real this time.
Back when I have something to say...............
I hope the slugs and cats go somewhere else this year. It is so frustrating to see hard work I think garden being ruined. I'm sorry you are struggling with your knee. At least living in a bungalow means you do not have to cope with stairs.💚
ReplyDeleteIt's not getting stair exercise that's part of the problem I think
DeleteOuch to the knee and hope that the exercises help. The Tracey Chevalier book sounds really good. I will try and get it from the Library. Yeesh - haven't started my cucumbers yet. Will do that this morning and buy some from the cheap Nursery to make up numbers.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be late with many things without the mojo to get going
DeleteI hope everything goes well with your knee!
ReplyDeleteThe book looks interesting, especially since it is set in such a beautiful place like Venice and the island of Murano!!
The history of glass making is fascinating
DeleteI hesitated over veg gardening after last year's slugs and snails. At one point I was just going to sow wild flower seeds in every container ( my veg plot is just a dozen or so large tubs on the slab where a shed once stood). But I've succumbed... when it goes well it's so satisfying.
ReplyDeleteThe cat next door doesn't fancy pooing on top of the tubs, fortunately 😉
I hope I can fence and cover things later when I eventually get going in the veg beds
DeleteThis spring is much drier and slugs here are not such a huge problem, there is still time for the blighters. My tomato and cucumber plants are behind, I'm hoping next week promised heat wave will help them catch up. The only way I could get rhubarb to grow here was to dig a big hole, pop loads of gravel in for drainage and then plant the crown slightly raised, it's worked for me.
ReplyDeleteSo much dryer and I'm trying to keep the grass cut between the veg beds - it got a bit long last year
DeleteI hope the exercises help your knee. It's a nuisance when gardening gets hard. We moved to this house 9 years ago and the soil is rubbish, we have tried to improve it with lots of compost our own and bought, also well rotted manure and plenty of mulching. To no avail, anything new planted mostly gives up the ghost in a short time. We have failed with rhubarb many times, and as everywhere else we have lived we have always grown rhubarb successfully do feel miffed! We now grow edible things in pots and grow bags, and keep the rest tidy. It is boring but we are fed up wasting money only to have things die. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe how things don't do well here - it's never been a problem elsewhere
DeleteSlug pubs work wonders for us. Old fizzy pop or beer poured in plastic takeaways trays near your vegetables works wonders. Old sluggy or snaily drink their last drink and drown. The empty them and replenish.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I should have done but didn't
DeleteI went to the garden centre which grows its own plants on Wednesday to buy some sea holly. Owner said it will be ready in mid May so I have put a note on the calendar to go back then. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI like Sea Holly. Had some somewhere but not here
DeleteI'm going to have to try the slug pub thing too, what a nightmare the slugs and snails are. If you lived locally I could give you as much rhubarb as you could possibly deal with, we have far too much!
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Last year's slugs were huge and horrible, their eggs must have been in my compost
DeleteI hope the knee starts feeling better soon. You sound exactly how I feel at this moment. I can't seem to get myself sorted to do anything, or even think of what to post about.
ReplyDeleteIt's just the garden that I can't seem to get going with - plenty of good reading so that's OK
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about your knee and hope the exercises help! Too bad about the slugs and cat. I'm not a gardener so I have no good advice. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThe knee has been OK for 5 years until the winter when lack of exercise was probably the problem
DeleteThe author and story sound very good. I can see many life parallels and agree; as individuals, we are always working to perfect something.
ReplyDeleteIt is disappointing when slugs invade and damage the garden. The slug pub seems worth trying.
I'm hearing about grow bags and their success and might try one or two of them.
I hope the exercises help your knee. A friend just had a knee replacement and is riding a stationary bike which was recommended for strength and healing. She says the bike makes a difference. There is also PT.
I think an exercise bike would be a good plan, no where to put one is a problem here
DeleteMy head was in a spin just reading your description of that book plot! I don't think I'll be reading it, haha. I find the trouble with physio exercises is both remembering to do them at home, and having the motivation!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds odd but actually a really good read. All her books are worth reading she is very good at historical research
DeleteI need to plant the strawberry plants that I bought a few weeks ago. I like them even though there's only 12 plants. I go to an exercise class on Wed morning at the adult center. Ann is a good leader and I do a bit of it home to keep me going. Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteI have just a few strawberry plants in two tubs - they have a few flowers
DeleteStill a long list at the library - will be a couple of months before my name comes up
ReplyDeleteI think I waited a while too
DeleteThere are very few garden pests I hate more than slugs. Can't even think about them. I hope they aren't an issue this year for you!
ReplyDeleteReally bad year last year, much dryer this year so should be better
DeleteI've put the book on my To Be Read list. As for the knee do try to keep exercising and moving. For those who exercise regularly often find recovery is faster than those who don't. A static bike would probably be a good investment. Ask your exercise teacher for advice.
ReplyDeleteI'd like an exercise bike now that I don't cycle on roads anymore
DeleteI enjoyed The Glassmaker. I think it was my favourite book of hers. I thought the sections on the plague and how it was dealt with and the impact on the lives of the characters was excellent. Jean in Winnipeg
ReplyDeleteI loved her last one - A Single Thread. She always writes well
DeleteThe glass making part of that book was interesting to me as my husband blew glass as a hobby for 10 years and we have quite a collection of his works despite downsizing. The time travel was bothersome though.
ReplyDeleteSorry to read about the knew problem. For me it's the hips and bending to garden. Was planning to do some major weeding this day but with wind chill the temps are very cold after having such a warm day yesterday.
knee not knew!
DeleteThat looks like a very interesting book.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI understand about the discouragement with the garden. I've kind of given up after the deer and rabbits ate everything - including the flowers! I am debating whether to either buy fencing or a small greenhouse so I can grow something. There is nothing like fresh-from-the-garden vegetables.