Return to the Garden and the Magical Eye of Ceridwen

Hello, friends!

I am between art courses at the moment. The next one starts in a week. It's a 10 day long course by Ida Lang Anderson. We work on one piece of art over the 10 days. It's going to be an interesting project for me because I am not a patient person in that respect. I like to see my results quickly.

In the meantime, I had help, as I mentioned previously with my garden. A lot of clearing has been done and now the garden is resting in between seasons and recuperating its strength. Clearing debris meant a lot of space freed up so that light could get in between the plants again.  I could not resist half an hour in the garden, walking round, capturing the lovely sunlight with its unique autumnal qualities.

Native Fern

Bramble leaves in sunlight

Rosebay Willowherb seed heads

Late flowering rose on the rugosa.

Rosa ragosa hips.

Spider web in the camellia.

Japanese wind anemones

Cosmia Lucifer, seedhead.

The Magical Eye is a warm up exercise for the next art course I am doing which is called Wish Upon A Star. Hosted by Ida Anderson Lang.  

I don't have a fine gold pen at the moment, so I've left the wording off for now. When I do add it, it will be named after Ceridwen, the Welsh Enchantress.  

Looking at this now, I can see I really do need to work on eyelashes! But then again, I've only been doing faces of any sort. for a couple of months. It will come in time, I'm sure.

Practise! Practise! Practise!

Since I last wrote, I have had a thorough asthma and respiratory checkup. This is the first one I have ever had that has been so thorough, it lasted an hour, is to be followed with a review in a month, and I have to have blood tests to try and find out what my trigger is.  I've come out with completely new medication, and I'm really hopeful that we might shortly discover the cause behind the worsening of my asthma.  It was generally agreed today that although I have only had my official diagnosis in 1999, it is most likely I have been asthmatic since I was a baby at age 6 weeks old when I had my very first attack of bronchitis.  I've gone from two medications, {one to be taken twice daily, one to be taken as needed} to four different ones, now taken very differently. Fingers crossed this new regime will work better and I will see an improvement in my respiratory system.  Shake me and I rattle!!!

Until next time

Stay Safe, Stay Well

Debbie xoxo

Pumpkins Galore!

Hello friends!

Warning. If you don't like pumpkins, look away now!!!

Once again, it's Autumn and pumpkin season is upon us. My friend owns a sunflower farm, which at this time of year becomes a pumpkin patch farm. I'll be putting a link in later if you're able to go, but I know for most of you will it will be impossible.  I'm sure you'll find your own wonderful attractions near where you are.

Imagine my delight to be able to photograph some freshly harvested local grown pumpkins on a warm Autumn afternoon. I jumped at the opportunity. Those of you who know me well, know I have a bit of a thing about pumpkins. The more patterns and the gnarlier, the better!!  These are beauties. The varieties here are: Turks Turban, Harvest Moon, Sweet Lightning, Harlequin, Crown Prince, Casparita, and Kabocha.  

Could anything be more versatile? Firstly, you decorate with them. Secondly, in my case, you paint them. And thirdly, you eat them, turning them into delicious soup, stews, breads, pies, risotto. And more. My friend says they make excellent crisps, or chips depending which side of the Atlantic you're on!

Before I forget, here's the link to the Facebook page, which has all the details if you are in the area and wish to visit.  Pembrokeshire Pumpkin Farm.  There's loads of seasonal attractions. A haunted barn. A hay bale trail. And other things to do besides picking out beautiful pumpkins to decorate or eat.

Here are my photos. The first batch are taken with my Panasonic. DMC FZ45. The second batch which follow that are all square are taken on my phone.

Taken with my phone

Well, my friends, I hope you've enjoyed the trip around the pumpkins. I hope to get more photographs again. There are long lasting fruit and it's nice to take advantage of the different levels of sun light at this time of year. Also, they'll be popping up in my seasonal decorations, which I'll share later.

How do you like to use pumpkins? Do you use them just for decorating or purely for culinary purposes? Do you have a favourite recipe? Are you like me? Your pumpkins will be decorating your home from now until the end of November. I'd love to know.

Until next time. 
Stay safe, stay well.

Debbie.

October, Autumn, and a Hallowe'en Tag ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ Although I love this time of year and, as ever have much I would love to write about, you may have noticed my small absence, and I regret I must keep this short as I have commitments to which I must attend ~~~ finger's crossed the Editing Gremlins stay away!

First, and it is a real first, for I have never been tagged before {quite thrilled at the thought} I have been tagged by Guillaume at Vraie Fiction, a fellow Autumnophile {wonder what the proper term is? Please share in the comments if you know!}  So here are my responses to the questions, and I will tag some people at the end. However, if you want to take part, I'm sure it won't break some great universal rule if you just go ahead and do so!  Please do!

1.  Favourite Hallowe'en Song ~~~ hmm, there's quite a few I could pick from, such as the theme from Ghostbusters, or the Addams Family, maybe Monster Mash? Am I being too predictable if I say Michael Jackson's Thriller? Classic 1980's and brilliant make up and choreography that sort of set a new standard for it's time ~~~ but if I want a more sophisticated song, then it's 'Put a Spell on You' by Nina Simone ~~~

2. Witch or Vampire ~~~ definitely a good witch because I love the outfit  ~~~

3.  Favourite thing about Hallowe'en ~~~ tricky. We didn't celebrate Hallowe'en when I was growing up, it had slipped of the radar so to speak, so I didn't really come to it until I arrived in America. I just loved watching all the kiddos having so much fun in their costumes as they went door to door Trick or Treating ~~~ and we'd dress up too, to hand out the candy, so I guess that is what I miss most, for it isn't really celebrated in the village still, although it is gathering momentum.  I also loved that adults could dress up and have lots of good fun too ~~~

4.  Hallowe'en Party or Scary Movie Marathon ~~~ although I'm not really a party goer, I love a small gathering of close friends, and there is something about a Hallowe'en gathering that is just so much FUN ~~~ especially as I love baking Hallowe'en treats to share ~~~ 

5.  Skeletons or Zombies ~~~ neither. I love the fun of Hallowe'en but am not a zombie or a skeleton kind of person ~~~ maybe more of a Casper the Friendly Ghost kind of person ~~~

6.  Favourite Hallowe'en Candy ~~~ anything home made, such as truffles or marzipan, or iced cakes in traditional Hallowe'en shapes, like pumpkins, ghosties, bats, hats, and so on ~~~

7.  Favourite Hallowe'en Movie ~~~ got to be Hocus Pocus all the way, or Practical Magic ~~~ also enjoy Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas ~ only if I'm feeling really brave, that is! ~~~

8.  Favourite Hallowe'en Costume ~~~ why, a witch, of course, what else?

9.  Favourite Hallowe'en Store ~~~ well, I never found very much in the shops nearby, I either make my own things or pick things up as and when I come across something ~~~

10.  Jack o' Lanterns ~ yes or no ~~~ Would Hallowe'en be Hallowe'en without a Jack o' Lantern? Whether it be pumpkin or turnip, you got to have a Jack o' Lantern ~~~

11.  Bats or Black Cats ~~~ you mean I have to chose? 

12.  Is Hallowe'en your favourite holiday ~~~ comes a very close second to Christmas only because of Christmas cake and mince pies ~~~

13.  Pumpkin Spice Latte or Hot Chocolate ~~~ Hot Chocolate all the way for me ~~~

So now that it is done, I tag the following ~~~

April at April's Homemaking {you must go watch her video of her Hallowe'en house!}
Peg at The Scattered Journalist

~~~~~

I have not decorated much, the pumpkins and Autumn coloured chrysanthemums are yet to put in an appearance in the shops, so I have done just a little in anticipation of their imminent arrival ~~~

Soon, the green foliage plants will be replaced by 'mums ~ if they ever arrive in the shops! 

Ceramic pumpkins dotted over the book case

A small Avon glass squirrel that I bought my very first Christmas in America, 1978

Dartington crystal vase filled with woodland gathered pine cones, dried hydrangea and stipa gigantica stems from the garden

I do need to make some new buntings, so if time permits they will be made and put up appropriately, as well as the much hoped for arrival of pumpkins {though I somehow doubt the ornamental gourds are going to be stocked in local shops this year} Last year I had to put in a special order for orange and rust coloured 'mums and ended up with white and yellow ones ~~~hmmmm~~~ we will have to wait and see ~~~

Until next time ~~~

Sincerely yours
Deborah xoxo

Fall in to Autumn~the Last of the Harvest ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ the days of Autumn are now well and truly upon us and we are preparing for the first storm in just a few short hours.  The forecast is for severe gale force winds, torrential rain, and later in the week thunderstorms may add their presence to the mix.  I have scurried around the garden as best as I can to quickly bring under cover all those things that will not stand up to wildly windy weather; bins and things that could blow over and away are now safely stowed in the garage.  The hatches are as battened as I can make them, but I am never fully ready for the bad weather.  

I know you know that Autumn is my favourite season of all, and I love it best for the cosy warm feeling I get decorating, sipping mugs of hot cocoa, the lengthening shadows, bonfires, bringing in the harvest, walks in the countryside, stomping through crisply crunchy leaves, and so much more ~ I don't mind the gales and rain either, although they do curtail our outdoor activities ~ what you do not know is that I do miss, deeply, in my little corner of the world, the rich colours of trees turning to gold before shedding their summer coats ~ for the winds rolling in across the Atlantic wreck their havoc before the trees have turned, and leaves, dry and burned from weeks of drought and salt laden breezes, tumble from the trees, dried brown long before the yellows, oranges, and reds take their turn ~~~ so I live this vicariously through the images of others on places such as my Pinterest boards of Autumn landscapes, pumpkins, and other Blissful Autumn themed images ~~~

Here is a lonely leaf, falling free from the tree ~~~

As each day passes into the next, I check the vegetable garden thinking each day will be the last before Spring when there will be a gift to bring inside ~~~ well, those days go on and on ~~~ each day I found something more to harvest ~ for everything is a bonus at this time of year ~~~

I was delighted to find a small pick of tomatoes, a small treat of raspberries, a fair few courgettes and a plentyful bowlful of cooking apples ~~~

The courgettes are bigger than I like, why, one is a 'dreaded marrow courgette' that escapes detection until the very last, and although not as delicious as the tender, younger, smaller fruits it will not waste for it can be stuffed with lentils and a served in a home made tomato sauce ~~~

Then again, a few days later ~ there were more ~~~

Courgettes, the very last of the carrots, and some delightfully red eating apples ~~~

The courgettes gave so generously ~ right up until yesterday! So, I have been busy putting up yet more stores for the winter ~~~ isn't it wonderful?

Then, just yesterday, when I thought all was safely gathered in, and with the warnings of imminent severe gales {why, I can hear the winds beginning to gather momentum outside my cottage as I type ~ believe me, they have not been missed} I picked the last few very small courgettes that will not ripen now, and cleared the stems and leaves of the plants to put in the compost bin, I found these ~ a big fistful of tiny baby beets that had escaped earlier detection as they hid and sheltered underneath the big leaves of the courgettes ~ so there was a delightful bonus on the last day of the Autumn harvest! ~~~

While out and about on the byways and back roads of the Shire there are blackberries on brambles, berrilicious goodness ~~~

Pies, cordials, jams and jellies, blackberry wine ~~~
Just look at all those colours ~~~

Hawthorn berries, fiddly to eat and with a big stone and little flesh, although delicious, I leave for the birds and mice ~~~

Aren't they beautiful, how they just hang so invitingly ~~~

The stream is running dry, but after this weekend the water level will rise substantially and all the trout will be happy again ~~~

I think I found a Faerie House ~~~ 

I waited, but no one was home ~ or came to call ~~~

As ever, sunsets are a special and spectacular gift and this one was no different except that I put a filter on {and now forget which one, so cannot tell you}

Here is a link to the church yard that my Great Grandfather used to have to cut by hand ~ this is only a small part, and my mother tells me he did it all with a scythe ~~~ can you imagine that?

It was a gently grey and dampening day, you can hear the rainfall pitter pattering on the leaves and the birdsong that is omni~present in The Shire ~~~ so calming and restorative ~~~ before the walk back up that hill!

A little advance news to end on ~ I am thinking to plant onion sets this month and see if I can crop an early harvest next Spring ~ something I have never done before ~ but more on this later ~~~ in the meantime, Gentle Reader, remember that ~~~

~~~A Gardener's Work Is Never Done ~~~

***DO NOT EAT ANYTHING YOU FIND IN THE COUNTRYSIDE UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WHAT YOU ARE PICKING!!!***