Today I had a parcel arrive from a good friend of mine (you know who you are!) It was a stash of books she had mentioned and asked if I would like as she had read them. Well, of course the answer was yes. I hardly know which to read first, but am drawn to Emma Freud's novel, set in wartime I believe.
Above is a book I would have liked to buy when we went to the Quantocks last year, and visited Coleridge's cottage. Richard Holmes has written two excellent biographies (the 2nd is Darker Reflections, about the mature Coleridge, and his friendship with Opium), and I was fortunate to have been given both by my friend Annie's daughter yesterday (along with a lovely old Patchwork book too). These were some of the books still needing rehoming fron Annie's cottage and I was so thrilled to be given them. I have started reading this one, and am thoroughly enjoying it as I know very little about Coleridge's life other than he wrote poetry, was once interrupted by the Person From Porlock and he wasn't a very good husband.
When I was feeling unwell on Thursday, and had an enforced sofa day, I got out the nearly-finished woolwork embroidery (for a firescreen) which my friend Annie hadn't been able to complete before her death. I had promised her and her daughter that I would put the final stitches. A couple of flowers needed finishing (above) and the border needed a bright colour to finish it off. It was all in chain stitch, which is fortunately the embroidery stitch I am most competent at!
The finished embroidery. The keen-sighted amongst you may notice the ceiling is where the floor should be, mainly because this was hanging over the door and Annie had sewn it from the middle down, so to speak. Isn't it lovely? Her daughter was very pleased.
When I was in the bath tonight it looked pretty dimpsey outside, but a Robin was singing his heart out, as if he was trying to impress a gal! It was uplifting to hear him. I wonder if it was the one who was perched on top of the telegraph pole earlier? We have several about the place so it might not have been.
I hope you are enjoying your weekends. I'm off to read now!
'Dimpsey'? Now that is a word I have never heard before - what does it mean please BB?
ReplyDeleteYou should be proud of that embroidery - I am sure your friend would be so pleased you have finished it. Hope you are feeling better again now.
What bliss an evening reading, I have just finished a book, tonight watching rugby, tomorrow stitching.
ReplyDeletePat - it's the Devon word for getting dark, dusk. I love it. I only did a tiny bit of the embroidery but was so pleased to finish it for Annie. Definitely better tonight, I'm glad to say.
ReplyDeleteMarlene - well, I was watching Rugby with my OH, and enjoying it, but I read a bit of the weekend paper at the same time. What sewing are you doing?
How lovely to complete your friend's flower embroidery and those books look tempting. Philippa Gregory is a favorite author of mine and I would enjoy biographies of Coleridge.
ReplyDeleteThe embroidery is beautiful and the bright colours such a delight. How very kind of you to complete it. X
ReplyDeleteI love the expression dimpsey! I also love the completed embroidery- it's absolutely beautiful. It must have felt pretty special finishing it for your friend and her daughter x
ReplyDeleteTerra - I had been putting it off as a pair of her wee slippers were in the bag with the wool, and I found it difficult to . . . move beyond her presence, if you like. Last week I felt she was sufficiently distant that I could do that - she was no longer in the room with me, if you can understand that. I think she would have been pleased that I finished it as I promised her I would.
ReplyDeleteJules - I think her choice of colours was stunning too.
CT - I need to try and remember a few more Devon words, as it is essentially my mother tongue, my roots going back so deep there (on my mum's side it is more West Country - incl. Glastonbury, and Northamptonshire, v. deep roots there).
The fire screen is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteFondly Michelle xx