Tuesday, September 22, 2009

ODE TO AUTUMN
( Autumn by Arthur Hacker c. 1905 )

As I sip some delectable Black Chai Tea this week, I wish each of you a very Happy Autumn from the Tea Society......

Ode to Autumn
John Keats


Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o'er-brimmed their clammy cell.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reaped furrow sound asleep,
Drowsed with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers;
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cider-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings, hours by hours.

Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir, the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The redbreast whistles from a garden-croft,
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

TARA'S WALK

Just the other day as Tara (our Greyhound) and I were taking our evening walk, I stopped for a moment to note that the air was very different. Gone was the heavy laborious humidity of late summer; in its place, crisp cool air to fill ones lungs with ease. Tara was actually the first to notice this peculiar alteration as she lifted her long regal head, tilted it ever so slightly and breathed slowly. This brought a smile to my face and immediately slowed our normally fast-paced fifteen minute constitutional down the sidewalk on College Street to a casual stroll back to the front porch. Autumn has this magical transformational effect on me where I become blissful, confident, and comfortable again. Its arrival makes me want to savor time with family and friends, preferably over a hot pot of black tea and plate of scones with plenty of milk and sugar on hand.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM



As most of you know, we recently lost our 14 year old Sheltie, Lizzie. We mourned her loss so deeply and still feel such a void that nothing can fill that. Not long after we lost her, I received an email from the lady who runs the Shetland Sheepdog rescue where we adopted Lizzie. She knew how special Lizzie was and how much we loved her. I had sent her a note about Lizzie and thanked her for bringing her into our lives. She then sent a kind reply and within it she told me about a very special bi/black Sheltie puppy that she had on her farm. She wanted to know if we would like to meet him. Being a two dog family, we knew that we certainly wanted to bring another dog into the family, we just weren't sure that we wanted to so soon after losing Lizzie. She told me that she would be in town on a Thursday and asked if we would like to keep him for the weekend. I guess since she knew us and that we had been "vetted" long ago with Lizzie that we were trustworthy. So, I agreed and we prepared for our house guest. It is important to note that I have had puppies in the past but my husband only briefly had one as a child and was not used to them. He was a little reluctant because of this but wanted very much to meet him. We then bought the appropriate puppy food and some chew toys. Our little guest arrived on a Thursday evening and needless to say, he didn't leave. I signed the adoption papers the proceeding Monday, last Monday in fact. I think she knew how much we would love this little boy and we certainly do. He won our hearts from the moment she carried him out of her truck and brought him into our parlor. Tara still lets us all know that she is Queen Bee but she loves having a companion that can keep up with her. Shadow, the cat, has learned to live with another "intruder". We decided to name our sweet little boy, Bailey- short for Baileys Irish Cream. We've been truly amazed by the bond we've developed so quickly with him. It feels just as it did with Lizzie and with Tara- That he has always been here and that he has never known any other home but this one. I somehow think that since Lizzie had had at least one litter of puppies before we adopted her, that she would very much approve of us welcoming Bailey into her family.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

WELCOME SEPTEMBER!



To Autumn
by William Blake

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain'd
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou may'st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

'The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust'ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head.

'The spirits of the air live in the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.'
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o'er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.

Join me with a hot cuppa, in jubilant celebration as autumn draws ever so near.

:-) R