Tuesday 3 June 2008

For the Rain it Raineth Every Day


He that has and a little tiny wit--
With hey, ho, the wind and the rain,--
Must make content with his fortunes fit,
For the rain it raineth every day.

Confound this English weather! For days and days now it has rained and yesterday it was cold. So cold that I wore my winter jacket to walk the children to school and my fingers felt chilly...a girl shouldn't have to consider wearing gloves in June! Also, I'm worried about the veg garden, it's north facing and needs sunshine for my beans, leafy greens and courgettes to flourish. Even though they're well watered (aah, this rain!) they're puny and the mice have been at them, I need some sunshine to get them going so even micey nibbles can't stop them growing. I've been spending my free-time doing very autumny jobs and pass times; baking, knitting and reading. I finished a book bag for the eldest girl...the Sirdar eco DK DID felt very well, but I'm unsure about the flowers, I wish that I'd put them in one of the corners of the bag rather plonking them in the middle like that...I may re-sew them, putting them artistically in the corner of the bag.

Ye gads! It has stopped raining! I was going to publish a recipe for tea bread (very nice, the DH's favourite, I'm making it because he's been in Italy and I thought it would be a nice treat for him to come home to) but I'm going out to weed my garden instead...taking advantage of the sunshine whilst it lasts.

Oh, for all of those who read Excellent Women, by Barbara Pym on my recommendation, I can highly recommend Jane and Prudence, very good...Radio 4 are serialising it on Woman's Hour, but I haven't been listening to it as I was reading the novel instead. I'll try to slip a link in to Woman's Hour if I have time.

God Bless!

8 comments:

Niki said...

I have the book on request at the library (excellent women), but just "clued in" that I can listen to bbc4 online! How wonderful, as Canadian radio doesn't do drama, book readings, etc.

As far as the rain goes....
"The gloom of the world is but a shadow, behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy!"
Fra. Giovanni

Marie N. said...

The rain and cold are not localized to your region. It is very unseasonably cool here too.

The bag looks nice! Does your daughter have an opinion about where the flowers should be, or is it to be a surprise for her?

deb said...

What a beautiful bag! I would have loved something like this when I was a kid. What a lucky girl your daughter is.

Zillah said...

For once, we have the weather advantage - it's glorious in Fife! Although we've discovered our veg plot is highly acidic, so some things are suffering. We'll be adding lime in the autumn.

I've been enjoying Jane and Prudence, although I haven't really heard enough of them. I thought of you when they announced the author!

Lovely bag. Enjoy the weeding!

Zillah

Gumbo Lily said...

I wonder if we're having the same weather day-in-and-day-out? We *were* in a severe drought these past 7 years, but this year we've got water, water everywhere! All the wells, springs, ponds, and reservoirs are filling up. I have to mow like mad to keep the lawn looking neat. Just got the garden planted and I am hoping for sun like you. (misery loves company)

Jody

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Niki
Enjoy your radio listening! Oh, and I love the quote!

Hi Marie
I hope it cheers up soon...I fear for my garden. It turns out that my eldest likes the bag just the way it is, so no extra sewing...but if I did the project again, I'd do the flowers differently, but you knit and learn!

Hi Deb
Thank you!

Hi Zillah
To be honest it's cheered up today and yesterday was quite nice too. I just feel that the garden needs a week of solid sunshine. Everything was so late this year because of the cold spring, I worry that my courgettes etc will not be sufficiently developed by mid-summer...anyway, I bet you can grow good blueberries on your acid soil!

Hi Jody
I bet all of your springs and wells are glad of this rain if you've had such a long drought. My beans have been planted out for a couple of weeks now and they're puny, really puny. The carrots and lettuces are okay (lettuces are slightly slug damaged)and I fear for my courgettes, I love those babies, but they ain't happy! Yes, misery does love company...we should all form "The International Society of Fretful Veg Gardeners".

Lucy said...

We spent much of our holiday in the "villa" as they like to call it, rather than out and about, because of the rain - and yes, it is cold as well as wet! We had the central heating up as high it would go at the holiday house.

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Mrs Pea
Poor old you! It's cheered up near me now, but getting rainy again for Wednesday, so they say.