West Cork - Artist - Dee Pieters
Dear Diary,
The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
- John Updike, September
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."
- John Updike, September
My sister emailed me recently and talked about her love of the month of September; she mentioned the air of calm about it. It is the month of her birth which made me wonder, do we all have a fondness for the season during which we were born? I am a child of Spring and certainly think of it as my favourite time of year.
But I love September too and I felt its calm as I walked with the dogs in the field this morning; there was for once complete silence, no traffic of any kind could be heard, no foolhardy motorcyclists treating our Welsh roads like racetracks which happens every Sunday with accidents happening regular as clockwork, and often fatal.
I digress.
The air is balmy today and only the gentlest of drizzles caressed me on my way earlier this morning. West Cork weather I call it, my very favourite climate that suits my Celtic soul. There was a faint mist over the nearest mountain top and I wished I had brought my camera with me. Then quite suddenly the sun came out, full on this time and I felt sad that most holidaymakers have returned home - the adults back to work and the children back to their new terms at school and that they would miss seeing Wales as it can be in sunny weather. I thought again how lucky I am to live here in my little piece of Paradise.
September’s stillness has captured me as it always does, this month-in-waiting with her one foot in summer and another placed firmly forward into Autumn, the season that for me is always brimful of colour and delight. And newness: new starts, new notebooks, new projects getting underway. Stop me, I am getting excited now for I always wax lyrical about September and this year will be no exception. I don’t even mind winter except that it goes on just a little too long.
The hermit in me loves to hibernate you see and loves log fires, soups and all things cosy.
Talking of mist David Gray has a new single out. I read yesterday a journalist describing him as the musical equivalent of mist - I don’t think he meant it so but being a mist lover I would take that as a compliment myself - His new single is called Fugitive, the CD is called Draw the Line.
And if you want a good book to read, not too heavy (sorry this is an unintended pun) I have just read...
The Weight of Water by Penelope Evans. A good read that resonated with me as I live in a cottage by a river which is (partly) the theme of the book. Reading it I could certainly feel the weight of the water in her writing.
So blessings today?
Masses, but I will restrict myself to:
Silence, Solitude, Stillness and Calm.
David Gray’s words and music.
Feeling rested after a few days off work.
A new Anne Tyler novel to start today. Staying on the watery theme it is called Noah's Compass...
Another new book - The poet Denise Blake has a new book out whose cover is Barrie Maguire’s picture which I love so much - the little girl wrapped in the green fields of the map of Ireland (see below in earlier blog). It is a small world indeed as I only discovered this through a comment on a previous blog. I will post the title when I know it.
My genealogy work is going really well and I am still chasing and catching many dead people; however hard they try they just can’t escape me.
Bye for now,
May the sun shine on you today,
Go mbeannai Dia duit,
Cait.
I like September too. In Northumberland, where I lived until my late twenties, the bracken would turn a crisp chestnut colour; autumn was often a very dry season and in the lee of the Cheviots we would sit on the sandstones at Bowden Doors, looking out to sea.
ReplyDeleteLovely post... interesting thought, that we have a fondness perhaps for the time of year in which we were born. I am at the beginning of December, but October/November, autumnal months, are probably my favourite, that shutting down of one season and into the next which is almost on the horizon. I love the snugginess of autumn, and winter too, home made soups, stews cooked all day in the crockpot, roasted chestnuts, brussels sprouts, comforting puds on a Sunday. I shall look up The Weight of Water, the cover appeals, and I have just finished Noah's Compass, and loved it.. but then, there isn't a book of hers that I haven't really enjoyed I don't think.
ReplyDeleteIt's just my favourite time of year. As I love winter so much, the whole of autumn is like Christmas Eve for me. Wonderful book ideas here, as usual. And I am also a big David Gray fan! Enjoy the mist!
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful images in this post - the month-in-waiting image is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI too have a fondness for May, the month of my birth, but love October with all it's colour.
I do like that Updike poem. It really captures something Septemberish -- always the month of fresh starts, even if you are no longer yoked to the back-to-school routine. I don't know about loving your birth-month; mine is January, and that is probably my least favorite month.
ReplyDeleteI saw the new Anne Tyler at the bookstore yesterday. There are lots of lovely new hardbacks to read at the moment. I am with you: let's be hermits and catch up on our reading!
Cait, thank you for introducing me to the beatiful paintings by Dee Pieters.
ReplyDeleteI am also a September child who loves the weather of her birth month. (Think that there is something to that notion of loving the month in which you were born.)
When you digress, I really begin to pay attention.
Your posts are ones to read, and then return to, for another read.
xo
Hi Cait - How I wish I was in Wales at the moment- it really is my favourite place. My birth month is February. It's the hottest month in Australia.Unfortunately everyone has new school uniforms and school fees to pay,teaching friends have classes to prepare, and the Christmas bills are coming in- so it's usually - have to take a rain check sorry! I think Spring would be a lovely time to be born - the birds and animals have it right!!
ReplyDeleteLovely paintings, Cait and as always lots to explore, books and music... thank you.
ReplyDeleteLovely post. I love September too, we live in a rural village in West Yorkshire and the nights are drawing in and every evening we see lots of tractors and combine harvesters driving by with their lights on reminding us that the seasons are changing. I feel a real affinity to the time of year I was born and adore crisp cold January days and cosy, dark early nights, when the curtains are drawn and we're all together.
ReplyDeletetwiggy x
Lovely post as ever Cait. I am reading it on a perfect September morning. I think I had better gtout there with my camera. I love Spring too but I am a September birthday and also always loved the going back to school of it!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post, Cait. I love the idea of September as a "month-in-waiting." A terrific image. The paintings are beautiful. Thanks for sharing them, and Mr. Updike, too. And your thoughts, the most interesting of all.
ReplyDeleteI too love the month of September and Autumn months I have to say are my favourites next to Spring.
ReplyDeleteI was born in the month of January, a cold winter month, but I do not mind the cold weather it means lots of wrapping up for lovely wintry walks, and the woodburner all snug and cosy.
Thank you Cait for the information on the books, have made a note of them, All of the books I have so far reserved at my local Library, so these ones will be some more on my list.
Lovely paintings Cait, thank you for sharing with us.
xx