Doris's Day: Back Blogging and a Day in the Garden

Never again!  Just emerged from a month of marking exam papers.  Huge piles of ironing; garden overgrown; journal unwritten and blog untended.  But weeks of holiday coming up soon and I tamed the garden today.  Ironing can wait.

I love these flowers which I've put in pots on the patio - we called them Livingstone Daisies in Ballyronan.  This white shrub which we called Bride's Blossom is also flowering,  but over here it

is Mock Orange.  Whatever - it smells lovely.

Peas also doing well and so much lettuce.

And the elderflower is eventually out, about a month later than usual.  Our hedge is full of this and really needs cutting but it looks great for a while with all this frothy blossom.  Considering trying elderflower champagne again but last time one of my bottles exploded in the garage so I'm a bit wary.  This is another childhood tradition.  It was made in May/June and we were allowed a glass of the sweet, slightly alcoholic fizz at Christmas.

52 Weeks of Happy 6/52: A Flower-y Post

 

Blogging on the back burner for now as I'm still marking poetry papers.  Just about halfway now.  So just a quick happy post. Joining with Jen again at little birdie 

1. Tea - sustained in my endeavours by many cups of tea from my favourite Emma Bridgewater flower mug.

2. Long evenings of daylight.  Ten o'clock and the birds are still singing.  We took advantage this evening and walked the dog late.  A bit chilly but at least the rain had gone.  And it's so lush and green everywhere.  Cow parsley, buttercups and those big daisies that we used for playing 'he loves me; he loves me not', tearing the petals off to find out the future!

3. Noticed also the dog roses are beginning to flower on the hedges around the village.  Love these - delicate, simple beauty

4. Planning our holiday, the reward for all this marking misery. Currently considering Cornwall (a spot of alliteration there - still in poetry mode) as I've been inspired by pictures on some my favourite blogs. (Today's Stuff by Leanne which features St Ives for example)  Perhaps Padstow (there I go again), if we can find a cottage which accepts dogs.  But after last year's UK holiday in Northumberland (below, cold and wet by Warkworth Castle) I'd really like some sunshine.... 

There's some flowers in this picture too - daisies on Kate's headband if you look closely. 

Happiness is: the perfect strawberry

Misery of marking relieved by trip to Morrison's for supplies: Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, large bar of Fruit and Nut and these: strawberries which are just perfect - ripe, but not mushy or too big; and shiny which shows they are fresh. Half price too supposedly at £2. (As if anyone who shops in Morrrison's would actually pay £4 for a box of strawberries.)  They taste delicious.  I'm on a constant quest to find strawberries as good as the ones my granda grew Northern Ireland when we were children.  Of course we weren't allowed to eat them: they had to be made into jam by Granny.  Going to make some at the weekend  - it's worth it for the smell alone. Anyway a short post -not much time for blogging at present.

Thought I'd also share a strawberry poem by Scottish poet Edwin Morgan.  Love this.

Strawberries

There were never strawberries
like the ones we had
that sultry afternoon
sitting on the step
of the open french window
facing each other
your knees held in mine
the blue plates in our laps
the strawberries glistening
in the hot sunlight
we dipped them in sugar
looking at each other
not hurrying the feast
for one to come
the empty plates
laid on the stone together
with the two forks crossed
and I bent towards you
sweet in that air
in my arms
abandoned like a child
from your eager mouth
the taste of strawberries
in my memory
lean back again
let me love you

let the sun beat
on our forgetfulness
one hour of all
the heat intense
and summer lightning
on the Kilpatrick hills

let the storm wash the plates

Edwin Morgan