I'm getting ready for an early start tomorrow morning -- a day trip to East Lothian to speak at the Lennoxlove literary festival. (Just been reading about the history of Lennoxlove House , which looks intriguing...).
Meanwhile, I've been following the good advice offered by others on this blog, and spent some time outside this afternoon, sweeping the leaves out of my garden, and planting bulbs (muscari and chionodoxa; hopefully both squirrel-proof). The fresh air and the prospect of spring flowers are definitely cheering... so thank you, everyone, for nudging me outdoors today.
12 comments:
Ooh, those bulb pictures are cheering in themselves, aren't they? Bulbs are great - appearing and surprising us when we need a 'lift' from a dark winter. When I read your post header, shallow person that I am!, I thought you were going to write about Annie Lennox! The Lennoxlove building looks fantastic - enjoy! No pressure on you re the talk (!) - you've only got to make the place more elegant and the audience more chic! Hope it goes well.
I planted five pots and two old fashioned sinks (a leftover from my mother's Country Living style of homemaking) with bulbs last weekend and felt instantly better. Come spring, I'll be looking forward to tulips, muscari and daffodils - I think even the prospect of them appearing is cheering.
Despite being a long-term inhabitant of north London, I have a soft spot for Country Living; in fact, I wish I had a copy of the magazine to read right now, but you can't get it at my local (very urban) newsagent.
As for Annie Lennox: well, I did interview her for the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar. Sadly, I can't post a link, as it doesn't seem to be online anywhere...
To make your craving for Country Living even worse, the December issue is brilliant this year (as well as the sinks I've inherited my mother's love of the magazine). The homemade gifts section has piqued my interest, so sadly (for them) everyone will be receiving my attempts at the liquers and water biscuits this year.
On a total tangent, I'm staying in the Keeper's Cottage at Menabilly this January. I spoke to Kits Browning a while ago and he said you'd done the same and found it unnerving. We stayed once last December and on the final night I almost made my other half come home at about 2am - I've been persuaded back with the promise of a nightlight...
Well, Country Living do declare themselves for 'When your heart is in the country'! I'll look out the the Harper's Bazaar / Annie Lennox article. I think she's great. Great singer and seems to have a good social conscience.
Abby
I've known Annie for a long time, and really does have a proper social conscience.
Now, Country Living and Daphne du Maurier and Menabilly -- we have so many notes to compare! I'm going to buy myself a copy of Country Living at the airport tomorrow, on my way to Lennoxlove. As for Gamekeeper's Cottage: I was there in November several years ago, with my younger son, while I was researching 'Daphne'. You'll see the cottage appears in the novel... Maybe I was over-alert to its atmosphere, but I did find it unsettling at night. That said, the woods are really magical, and it's such an amazing opportunity to be able to walk around the Menabilly estate -- to be inside the heart of a landscape that is both entirely real, and yet also semi-imaginary (for anyone who loves du Maurier's writing, as I do). And nothing can compare to the thrill of entering the gates of Menabilly for the first time...
Throughout the day, there is nothing 'sinister' about it at all - but by the evening it does become a bit unnerving. I'm not sure if it's because of the darkness and quiet, or because I spent the time envisaging the two women in 'Don't Look Now'!
However I did find it spectacularly exciting to be able to explore the woods, and 'walk in the footsteps', though I'm sure many others have done the same. We went on a quest to walk the old drive and succeeded; probably my favourite part of the week. It's so exactly like the start of Rebecca.
I must admit, I felt a little sick with nerves or excitement when we arrived at Menabilly (smaller than I imagined in real life) for the first time.
Hi Justine, I just wanted to say how much I love the Chanel book. I have just finished reading it after getting my copy at the Manchester event, where it was so lovely to meet you and here you stories!
Dear Justine I am so looking forward to our conversation tomorrow....Best regards Mark Timmins
Megan: I completely agree; it's after dark that thoughts of Don't Look Now begin to gather in the shadows. But in the daylight it's pure delight.
Mark: looking forward to meeting your tomorrow.
Pearl: so glad to hear you enjoyed Chanel.
Abby: I've made a resolution to plant more bulbs in the coming days... green shoots for next year.
I love those pretty muscari - we used to have those and crocuses in our garden. I don't have a garden anymore, but I bought paperwhites for my dining table; they remind me of Elspeth Thompson.
Some literature-loving friends and I had a "Little Women" picnic in the park a few months ago; it rained so we set up the table under a tree. We're planning a hot-cocoa-and-Betsy-Tacy one in someone's cozy living room for the coming winter, and when spring comes we'll have a "Secret Garden" picnic amongst the crocuses and flowering plums.
Hope your talk goes wonderfully.
I love spring season because is the best epoch to see beutiful flowers and paradisaical views over the mountains. Also there are so many girls on the streets looking for guys to have fun, and you can get xl pharmacy pills in a cheaper price ... November is definitely my time.
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