I was brought up on the old Lincolnshire Folksong "The Lincolnshire Poacher" -
When I was bound apprentice
in famous Lincolnshire,
Full well I served my master
for more than seven year,
'til I took up to poaching
as you shall quickly hear -
Oh 'tis my delight on a shiny night
in the season of the year.
I had an Uncle Tom, who was a dedicated poacher throughout his life. I am sure it was his "delight" too.
In 1949 JB Priestley published a booked called, simply, Delight. In it he listed no less than 114 things which were his delight. They ranged from "the perfect gin and tonic", "the pleasure of smoking in a hot boath", to the sound of a football match in progress.
Now there has been a modern version produced, called "Modern Delight". It is fascinating to read what "famous" people consider to be their delight. Jeremy Paxman's delight is Frogspawn (he says the frogs will be "at it" long after we have departed this life!) For Philippa Gregory it is a tiny, fluffy duckling while for Roy Hattersley it is the delight of drying his dog Buster after he has been bouncing through puddles.
So here is a meme for you all today. What is your delight? You can, if you like, list up to six. As it is time to put on the lunch I can't manage six but I will tell you my most favourite "delight" and that is having The Times crossword to do over my breakfast toast and marmalade. Yesterday the Times was late arriving and we had run out of marmalade - I was bereft.
More delights from me later in the day - in the meantime - what is your delight?
Here, later in the day, are my other five!
The smell of an Autumn bonfire.
Sitting on the garden bench with both dog and cat.
Waiting in the airport departure lounge before a holiday.
Having my hair washed at the hairdressers.
Curling up by the fire with a good book (and a plate of crumpets!)
What ever your delights are - enjoy them while you can.
Oh Weaver, what a gift to come back to you for this post.
ReplyDeleteMy delight?
My son's soft neck.
The part of my daughter's hair.
Dried pine needles on the forest's floor.
A perfect bike ride or hike, where my body doesn't falter,but guides me.
A sweet familiar sound from my love.
A home smelling of cooked meals and candles.
And I'm afraid, an infinite more.
So many.. but..
ReplyDeleteThe smell of fresh cut grass
Linens fresh of the clothesline
My children talking jovially with each other
Sitting on the shore at sunset with a glass of wine and good company
Riding my horse through the woods on a perfect fall day..
The smell of woodsmoke in the air..
To wake up at dawn on a crisp October morning, camped in the Lake Superior country, with the smell of pine and woodsmoke, and the vast inland sea—and add to that fragrant mix fresh coffee and bacon in the old iron skillet—and while ravens croak and small waves lap over the beach where I sometimes pick up agates, watch the fog burn off the water, and see the patchwork colors of autumn all around…and know that the wealth of such a day was ahead and mine to spend any way I liked.
ReplyDeleteAh Weaver - where to start:
ReplyDelete* the curve of my grandchildren's neck, just under their hairline, where I must plant a tender kiss
* sunlight shining thru leaves
* my grown children laughing and conversing enthusiastically about life
* my husband's eyes
* the smells of autumn
* cool Egyptian cotton sheets on a warm night
* a beautiful, gentle, thick fall of snow
* wild weather outside while I am tucked safely inside in bed or before a fire with a little glass of port
I'll force myself to stop now!!
1)my children's laughter
ReplyDelete2)WT dancing an Irish jig
3)pine needles falling in that first autumn breeze
4)poached eggs by the fire on a winter Sunday
5)wine at twilight on the patio on a summer evening
(congrats on David's POTD!)
1 Warm, fuzzy hugs.
ReplyDelete2 Spontaneous laughter.
3 Smell of the first raindrops on a dusty pavement.
4 A Christmas tree's perfume.
5 Colors of flora and fauna.
6 Aroma of bread baking and coffee brewing.
Plus a gazillion other wonders in our everyday world.
Cool evenings with the fireplace aglow and a good movie from Netflix
ReplyDeletePlanting autumn bulbs (especially irises and daffodils) in my garden and watching them bloom in the spring
Christmas!
Walking on the beach come rain or shine
A good storm with lots of wind and rain
The contentment of having raised a loving, compassionate, kind and happy child
Living off the land, mushrooms, berries, nuts and anything else as well as gleaning.
ReplyDeleteThe smell of mouldering autumn leaves.
Rain on the tin roof.
The first snow..any snow.
Blackbirds singing at dawn.
Holding a wild bird that relaxes in my hands.
Cobwebs sparkling with dew.
Oops, I'm over six already! I could easily list a hundred like potatoes roasted in a campfire or the midnight sky seen in the desert. You've really got me going...
Things that delight me-- off the top of my head
ReplyDeleteclearing debris out of streams
or diverting them
uncooked cake batter (I know...!)
the colors in Morocco
beaches
getting lost in a good book
smell of mimosa
smell of lime bloom
lots of other stuff too.......
Hello Weaver,
ReplyDeleteThinking of delights could be both easy and hard! Two which immediately come to me are eating al fresco and sitting under an evening sky in the Kruger Park, South Africa, looking at the stars and savourin the silence. Simple pleasures really!
Re: POTD, if no-one's told you yet.
David Mcmahon in Australia hosts this. People can nominate an entry for 'Post Of The Day' and one lucky blogger's post is chosen. Well done for being one of the selection. You can read about it here.
http://david-mcmahon.blogspot.com/2009/09/post-of-day_10.html
Love your list weaver I'm with you on the crossword (the easy non cryptic for me) and all the others but perhaps not the hairdresses and airpoprt waiting lounge.For these I would substitute the buzz of the first drink of the day and the remembrance of the smell of petrol on a warm summers day off with a carfull of friends.
ReplyDeleteWeaver, Simple things seem to be my delight.
ReplyDeleteHolding a newborn child or grandchild.
Watching large snowflakes fall on an already snow-covered landscape in a starlit night.
Having my husband hug me for no particular reason.
The smell of a new-born puppy.
The company of friends.
(Can't do it with only 5...)
Finally, whenever I was ill as a child (even in the winter) my Mother would wash the linen and hang it outside to dry (or to freeze dry). So, the smell of freshly laundered bed linen dried in the out of doors.
Coming home from anywhere
ReplyDeleteHearing the car when Hubby's come home
Seeing the Little Owls' first baby every year (they've nested close to our house for 10 years now).
The smell of woodsmoke
Reading a favourite book sitting next to a roaring fire with pups sleeping on hearthrug
Chestnuts roasting on the fire
The scent of eucalptus or bog myrtle leaves crushed in the palm of my hand.
ReplyDeleteListening to the nighttime sounds of the wind and the rain, or the crying of owls and the barking of foxes, while lying snug in my tent.
Stamping through the fallen leaves in an autumn woodland.
Standing on a hill or mountain top with 360 degree views all around on a clear day.
A freshly ground cup of coffee and a thick slice of moist, home-made fruit cake.
Walking the whole day long through a beautiful, deserted landscape - with company and food and wine at the day's end.
Hi:
ReplyDeleteA hot bath on a cold wet day.
Going to bed for an early night.
Sitting on a windswept beach watching the sea.
A barbecue being cooked by my husband while I sit doing nothing.
Finding a comment on my blog.
Arsenal winning.
I remember that song Weaver - my grandmother had one of those old song books with words and music and it was among them. We used to have singsongs round the piano and all join in. My Uncle Ron was a bit of a poacher.
ReplyDeleteMy delights:
1. Picking up the phone and hearing my son say 'Hello Mum' on his return from the first Gulf War.
2. Taking a perfect batch of bread out of the oven.
3. Putting my feet up on the sofa with a cuppa and a book.
4. Surveying my efforts after a good gardening session.
5. Boxing Day when all our children and their children and now their children!! all come to see us and we are all together.
A long deep soak in a warm lavender filled bath.
ReplyDeleteThe sound of the night in the natural world.
The smell and warmth of newborn babies.
Walking on soft stones beside the rivers edge.
Floating in the ocean.
My delight? Oh delightful delights ...
ReplyDeleteI think my biggest constant delight is sitting on the doorstep writing, especially in the autumn or spring sunshine, with the birds flying around and all the lovely earthy smells of the garden.
Looking at the moon from the upstairs windows - a 'shiny night'!
Talking with folk you are on the same wavelength with!
A shared glance with loved ones.
A familiar sound suddenly heard as if for the first time - can be as mundane as the melodic purr of the fridge, or the creaking of the fence in the night breeze.
Fleeting moments of feeling connectedness with everything and beyond.
There does not seem to be any 'law of diminishing returns' on these delights!
Oh I do love your examples. Waiting in the international airport lounge!! So wonderful. That made me think of five delightful things about the place I love to go most....
ReplyDelete1. Shilasdair Yarn Shop on Skye.
2. Roast chicken at Amble's Brasserie in Ambleside.
3. The scarf and shawl department in Liberty of London.
4. Putting on boots and gloves in preparation for a hike in Glencoe.
5. The wind at Buttermere.
Oh gosh, only five?! I could go on and on.
What a lovely post!
ReplyDeleteHere are mine:
Having the first sip of morning coffee.
Rubbing my face across the fuzzy head of a nearly-bald baby.
Waking up to the sound of rain on the roof.
Having my back rubbed.
Seeing my parents for the first time each year when they come out to visit me.
Falling asleep on the sofa with The Great Dane.
mmmm crumpets!
ReplyDeleteok my list, lying outside on the grass with a good book on a sunny day, rugby, the smell of clean laundry, watching the flames of the fire in the winter, my family.
Your delights are so robust that they have made themselves my own!
ReplyDeleteDelight on a shiny night! Yes, my own deepest intoxication: the night, the moon, the galleon clouds!
Thank you for ever stirring our better selves, Weaver.
Aloha
http://www.crackseedcenter.com/MoreWhat.aspx
My delight would be,
ReplyDelete1. Being with my children and grandchildren and enjoying laughs, hugs and all kinds of silly.
2. Quiet mornings with my husband.
3. A fire in the fireplace on a very snowy day and not having to go outside.
4. The smell of food cooking for a shared meal.
5. A thankful prayer for my joy, love, life and freedom.
Thank you for asking, Weaver.
Weaver, you have a wonderful gift of stirring people's imagination, and one of my delights is reading your daily post.
ReplyDeleteI am delighted by the feel of the earth in my hands, a rose, be it perfect or not, the lovely folds of snall children's elbows and ankles and around their sweet necks, the time spent with Charles conversing and indulging in memories, meals with my family and their laughter. Many, many more.... Really, life is delightful.
Walking...being able to walk...anywhere.
ReplyDeletex
Hi Weaver,
ReplyDeleteI share your love of airport lounges before a holiday.
Sorry to hear about your lack of both The Times and marmalade.
Carving in the Autumn sunlight.
ReplyDeleteWalking my dog at dawn.
Sidesplitting laughter.
So You Think You Can Dance.
Sinking my feet into wet shingle.
The smell of woodsmoke at dusk on a cold winters day.
Having our children (that includes spouses) and grandchildren visit and share a meal;
ReplyDeletewalking along the beach with my husband and dog;
a lovely cup of Earl Grey and a good book;
reading in bed before falling asleep;
the smell of a dusted and polished house;
time with friends and hugs and kisses;
the smell of newly cut grass.
Wonderful Delights from you. I will borrow it if you don't mind for a post on my blog someday soon and will link it back to you! Cheers to a good weekend for you. Mollye
ReplyDeleteWell - I think we could write our own book of "delights" don't you? When I read your comments I think they are all my delights too - aren't we lucky that we find so much to be delighted about?
ReplyDeleteRiding along today I was thinking how very lucky we are that we can move around as we wish, holiday where we like, as women have such freedom - thanks for taking part - and yes - anyone who wants to take the idea and make a blog out of it - feel free -that;s what blogging is all about.
And another delight for tomorrow is Melrose Musings Saturday work of art - I am looking forward to that Derrick!
I have just read through them again - a lot of smells there and a lot of food. But I am sure you all agree that Heather's first delight puts all the others into some kind of perspective.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but notice that smelling babies was an awfully popular choice. Am I missing out on something here, or is it just a woman's thing, Weaver?
ReplyDeleteA walk in the first soft snowfall of the season.
ReplyDeleteThe smell of the ocean after being away from the Island for a few days.
My daughter's excited voice when she says "only two more sleeps before I'm there".
The first buds in the garden.
Sitting on the swing at 4AM on a summer morning with a hot cup of coffee.
Just a few that I thought of first...neat post Weaver.