3 books

It's funny weather today, all raining and windy, blustery, leaves flying all over, then all of a sudden sunny, clouds blown away and everything golden... It's inside out umbrella weather, and rain down your neck. Which is why I'm extra glad I can appreciate it from the cozy warmth of my armchair... 

I've been having a nice break (despite a christmas cold, don't you love those!) and doing lots of thinking... (and eating, don't forget the eating) I got lots of lovely presents for Christmas, I'm sure I don't deserve them all...  

3 round cornered books from 3 lovely friends...

First, a Moleskein with a difference...

An accordion moleskein! How perfect :) But I'm sure I will never dare write in it, it's too nice an object on it's own... 

'Wayside and Woodland Trees' by Edward Step, published 1940. Beautiful illustrations... (and it smells nice too!)

And when I unwrapped 'A Field Guide to Weeds' by Kim Beck I thought it was a coincidence; another plant identification guide (and that wouldn't be a bad thing, trust me) but on turning the pages...

The weeds grow and spread with each turn of the page. Beautiful.

Hope your days have been relaxing too x

wet feet

Caught in a cloud burst on my way home from work. I'd almost forgotten those winter nights of fighting my way through the wind and dark and rain, but nature saw fit to remind me; 'don't pack away your hats and scarves yet!' Now it's glorious sunshine again, I can almost hear the grass growing, roots drinking up water and warmth, seeds pushing up through the soil...


And the iris bloomed!

whatever the weather

English weather eh? You can't beat it. How is it possible to have so many types of weather in one day? One minute it's snowing so much I can't see a thing, then 10 minutes later it's bright sunshine, lovely blue sky, and I'm thinking 3 jumpers was one too many. But oh no, here come the hail stones, and the wind, in fact no, it's sunny again. It's certainly confusing the chickens! Perhaps it's global warming...

I'm reading a good book at the mo called 'Watching the English', it's all about English behaviour, and the first chapter is, appropriately enough for today, called 'The Weather'. Kate Fox, the author, thinks that we love talking about the weather so much, not because it actually fascinates us, but as a kind of 'social bonding'. The English have a reputation for being uptight and embarrassed in new social situations and saying 'cold isn't it' or 'nice to see a bit of sun' is (she says) a way of entering into conversation, we know where we stand with the weather. All the other person has to do say is 'yes I know' or 'it's been forecast all week' and you're sorted, you know where you stand with that person. And I was thinking about this, and it seems to be true.

I suppose being English myself I don't really notice how I react in these situations, it just comes naturally, so it's funny to read this book and think 'actually yes I do do that!'

I have been doing some drawings of trees today, see what you think.