What if "autumn" was a verb as well as a noun? If I talked about "springing" around Belfast that would have all sorts of energetic, full of life connotations that would not be inappropriate at all.
Well, despite the much lamented by me lack of blogging,we have been autumning around the city since last I typed, and it has all generally been very nice. We manged to get to the David Hockney exhibition before it closed, although I think the (three) boys were most impressed by the view of St Anne's Square from inside the Mac. That is actually my favourite part too!
Hockney has very special significance for me. I'm afraid it's less to do with his undoubted genius and more to do with the weeks my aunt and godmother summered me round London and its exhibitions. It was also very, very lovely to see some of the iPad work that Catherine and I saw on our Utter Jolly to Biarritz and the Guggenheim, Bilbao a few years ago.
Is this Hockney's mother? I very much identified with the slightly slumped resignation. Maybe the good lady wasn't feeling a bit weary, but as the autumn pulls on the rope towards dark and cold, I am certainly starting to flag!
Last week at Hookery we had a very special night, because of an on-going and hitherto top secret special project. I didn't get much further than the chaise longue!
And so to last weekend. Brisk and bracing walk along Belfast Lough. The engineer inspects the machinations of a new fountain installation.
The boys carried their penny boards (penny boards?) in between places of sufficiently smooth, flat surfaces for a decent whatever the word would be. Look at the height of those boys!
I wondered if Sandra will be able to spot her wind turbines on the other side of the Lough? It should certainly be a familiar sight to Kezzie! I'm afraid I've only ever sailed it on a car ferry, and not on one of the luxurious cruise liners that still make us smile wryly at the benefits of The Peace.
This is Hazelbank Park- which has a little avenue of fruit trees: apples and pears. The boys were most disgruntled at finding traces of fermenting fruit under their feet. I am sure that this attention to new shoes will not last.
Prince Charming did some foraging, and we'd need to get some stewing done before we have some fermenting of our own. Not that would necessarily be a bad thing either...
And that is probably the height of it- except of course that the main event has not yet been covered. I keep waiting for the perfect moment to overwhelm me, but it never comes. So, Sandra's wonderful, lovely jaunt North as part of her recent trip to Ireland will have to push its way through the domestic mire very soon. What a fabulous weekend it was!
And so there we go.
Mise had a truly beautiful piece on how much less blogging there is around now. I wish I was still blogging lots and lots. There is just so very little of interest here to share. It's all two boys at Big School now and the homework that it entails, and it entails a lot. It's having to have a list to remind you of what laundry to do when, and what nights to think about PE kit, Games kit, violin, guitar, Drama. It's always knowing that there is so much more you could be doing for x and y and z. It's about never ever ever getting around to making more leaves for the autumn garland, tidying my room, or applying more moisturiser!
It's mundane and it's domestic and it's so non-photogenic! That's how I autumn just now! You'll have to imagine the gorgeous golden light in the gorgeous golden trees and the gorgeous golden heads of my boys busying away on the floor, because Mum is at the desk.
Happy October!
7 comments:
I found your post very interesting. I never imagined I would go on a cruise (and I don't know that I would again-far too expensive! It is only that it was BOGOF on passengers that I got to go because my Mum wanted to go. X
Now if you lived in the States like Pompom then this season would be a verb, and you could fall around the city!
I's always lovely to read your blog - coming from a childless (but with many cats!) Dormouse Towers I delight in reading about the mundane tasks of parenthood. I think it is a joy to read well-written blogs about things that delight and occupy us. There's a connection between blogger & reader that is very precious.
Lovely! I like reading about everyday doings so please keep sharing!
There is something about the pictures where boys wear coats that makes me feel nostalgic. We might not have coat weather for a while.
The sun here lately, and the golden/red/half and half tree leaves are magic. I want to freeze them.
I love you, sweet Mags. You're a treasure.
I'm so GLAD Sandra came again. Warms my little heart!
Angela makes me laugh with her "falling around the city," but Fall does make an easier verb than autumn, I think. The other seasons also, especially Summer. You write a very good blog post for someone who has nothing to say.
And I'm eager to hear about Sandra's trip - Maybe that will be a wintering sort of activity, when the weather is too bleak for long outings, and you can hunch over the computer.
I'm sorry about the lack of blogging, too. I will have to read Mise's article. The truth is, I often feel that I have said everything I have to say, and that the only things left are too long and laborious, like term papers or something.
What kind of trees are those in the last photo? I think I have a photo of them in my computer because I came across them and thought they were so cool and spooky! lol.
I know what you mean about the blogging. My life is fairly repetitive, and if I didn't have ATC's to shove in everyone's faces I'd have no news at all. But still, it's nice to hear from folks!
I will imagine your beautiful gold countryside, and your boys' golden heads shining in the autumn sun. :)
Ahh, Mags, I love the idea of autumn as a verb. It's my favorite season to be doing things, whether it's meandering outside or shopping for Christmas or pulling out fall decorations or baking yummies in the kitchen. The photo of your three boys by the window is lovely. You sound so busy, the best kind of busy.
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