Tardy Sights and Sounds Homework..

I have been shamed into blogging. Is it really nearly 2 months since I last blogged? Where does the time go?...
Holidays, getting the boys back to school, doing Craft fairs and parties, making stock for Christmas, orders and some health problems (again) But it is no excuse. I am no busier than anyone else nor do I consider myself ‘more important’ than anyone else not to do it. As the kind of person who is always usually driven to complete a task I am shamed into confessing that I never completed my homework. Does anyone remember the’Smells and Sounds that touch me homework?’ I know it hasn’t escaped a few of you that I never did mine...

As I write my list I am struck by how many of them are reminiscent of my childhood and see that after over forty years I am still happiest with the simple things in life...

SMELLS
The smell of the woodburner as I come into courtyard...makes me feel happy and secure at the promise of a cosy afternoon or evening reading or crafting and listening to music in front of the fire.

A roast dinner...As a young girl every day seemed to be a Sunday dinner day. Most days we ate the 'cheap' cuts of meat; breast of lamb, belly pork, heart or something similar. The meal was always accompanied by two types of potato, tinned green beans or peas and carrots and my Nan’s thick lumpy gravy.
These days the boys favour loin of pork, beef tail, turkey crown and whole chicken and we only usually eat a big dinner on a Sunday. My hubby and boys never fail to comment about the smell that permeates through the house on a Sunday afternoon when we have a something in the oven.

Ripened tomatoes...As a small child I used to visit my other Grandma and Grandad and spent all my time in the garden with Grandad Ken and his collie dog Jip while Nanny Burnett was indoors making the dinner or reading. Grandad Ken had the most wonderful greenhouse and vegetable plot, more like a small allotment....or it seemed to be to a small girl. Sadly I never saw Grandad after I was about ten years old. I recently found out that he died about eight years ago. So sad, I think of times past and wonder if my love of gardening comes from the short but precious times spent with him and the smell of the tomatoes that will forever remind me of him.

Lavender and roses...I have always had a love of ‘vintage flowers’ since the house I lived in with my Nan had a plethlora of colour and fragrance by the back and front doors. As a child I used to pick them and collect the fallen blooms and mix them with water to make ‘perfume.’ The strong aroma of those vintage flowers was so very different to the sticky green gunge that the perfume turned into after a couple of days.

At this time of year I am surrounded by the smells again as I make lavender bags and rosehip and rosebud hearts for Christmas Fairs and parties.












Carbolic Soap...Bathtime on a Sunday evening in front of the fire when Nan would fill the tin bath with hot water first and used to scold me when I complained about it always being hot.

Violets...or rather African violets which remind me of my old piano teacher who was an old tyrant and used to rap me on the knuckles when I got something wrong. But I still have fond memories of her and that part of my life.

Manure, muck, whatever you call it...I love the distinctive smell of any sort of smell that I so firmly associate with the country and a reminder that have fulfilled my dream to live in the country.

Cinammon and Christmas spices....this is another smell which drifts through our barn at the moment as every day I am making Garlands and Decorations for Christmas Stock.


Cinammon is such a sweet and sickly smell. But I love it. Anise, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves; such aromas remind me of Mulled Wine, Mince Pies, Christmas Pudding and Cake and all things Christmas....my favourite time of the year.












SOUNDS
Rain on the barn roof...Hubby calls me a hermit that I can craft on the island in the daytime with no radio or tv blaring away in the background. Instead I prefer to listen to the sounds of the countryside and there is nothing more relaxing than listening to the rain smattering onto the barn roof.
Birds chirping. All birds touch me. I get so much pleasure from ‘my birds’ and now know all of their songs. As I walk the mew of the buzzard makes me look up to see him gliding majestically overhead. I can tell when the woodpecker makes a flying visit past our garden, or when the blue tits are hungry and looking for food, or when Mr Robin is warding off any other robin who might be daring to steal some of the meal worms that I have put out for him. Or when the wagtail is chirruping. Or when spring has arrived and the first sounds of the swallows chattering away overhead tells me ‘they are back...’ And surely no better sound on a summers evening than to sit and listen to the blackbirds beautiful melody.
Crickets...warmth and association of faraway lands and holidays with pine trees and balmy nights.

Dog snoring...The dogs snoring always makes me laugh...to be so contented...Pity the hubby’s snoring does not have the same effect....
Piano music...I love almost all solo piano pieces and find I am unable to resist listening to a piece that is well played without being lulled into listening intently and hypnotised by the artist.

Piano music...like the franetic 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakoff can energise me and motivate me to do something I may well not want to do like housework. I can master the housework even if I can never master the ‘Vivace’ pieces with my arthritic fingers.
Listening (or playing) something like the beautiful Le Onde or Beethovens Moonlight Sonata has the ability to stop me in my tracks and entrance me to listen to the serene beautiful lilting. Braveheart-Love of a Princess or the magical Prelude No 2 played by someone wonderful like Dustin O'Halloran can move me to tears.

Please listen to this-it really is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. Such a talented composer and artist still not really recognised as great.

Laughter...Is infectious. Especially my Boys laughing. But in fact anyone laughing will touch me, and to hear myself laugh.



Right, I can tick another task off my 'things to do list'

So until another day

Bye for now