Wednesday 8 December 2010

A Lovely Afternoon.


Simple pleasures can be so enjoyable. This afternoon seven of us met at the farm for our monthly Poetry afternoon. It has been a lovely sunny still day here but the cold has been intense.

J was expecting to be without electricity intermittently all day, so was pleased to come out; W kindly fetched J and brought her, plus two other friends, round here.
At about ten minutes to two D rang up to say that she was so disappointed as her lift, I, was stuck in a snow drift and her windscreen wipers had frozen on! After another ten minutes she rang again - "Yippee! I has been pulled out of her snowdrift by a passing farmer and we are on our way!!!" So after a lot of small crises we all managed to arrive.

I had spent the morning baking mince pies and fruit biscuits for a special Christmas celebration. Yesterday I bought some star fairy lights and this morning the farmer put them up around the stove in the sitting room. I wanted them up for today - I wanted it to be a celebration - after all, I am still here aren't I, and I could so easily not have been after my sudden illness a couple of weeks ago - so lets light the fairy lights early, I say!

We had such lovely poetry as everyone had trawled through for Christmas themes and wintry themes: T'was the night before Christmas; When Icicles hang by the wall; The Journey of the Maji; we heard Betjeman, Thomas Hardy, Robert Frost, and then we ended up with some real old favourites which reminded us all of our parents who all seemed to have learned poems off by heart at school. We had the green eye of the little yellow god - which my father could recite by heart (and often did - he needed nmo encouragement!).

We finished off with a cup of tea, a hot mince pie and a fruity biscuit - and everyone went off home just as it was getting dark. The farmer saw them all off the farm and made sure they got away safely.

Tonight it is destined to fall to minus twelve before rising just above freezing for a while tomorrow and for several days to come.

I think we all parted feeling better for such a lovely enjoyable afternoon, lovely company, lots of laughs, and for once pretty decent mince pies (although I say it myself).

23 comments:

The Bug said...

I always feel so happy & cozy after reading your posts - I'm glad you're still around too!

Tom Stephenson said...

Sounds great. I'm glad you all had a good time. Perfect.

Heather said...

A lovely post Pat and I'm so glad all your friends arrived safely and got away safely too. I feel as if I'd been part of the company. Your little star lights are so pretty and I celebrate your safe return from hospital with you.

Loren said...

Christmas lights and snow, too.

What better way to celebrate?

Penny said...

Such a lovely afternoon, you made it sound so warm and cozy and with the added delight of well known poems.

George said...

Well, there you go, Pat. I should have used a photo of your poetry reading and mince pie eating for my posting on simple pleasures.

Gerry Snape said...

Little is as nice as the words and laughter of a group of old friends. It sound great....and super poetry.

Sal said...

It sounds like an idyllic get together! I would have loved all that poetry!
Minus 12!! You keep warm!! ;-)x

Totalfeckineejit said...

What a lovely way to spend a day! And that stove looks so cosy, save a mince pie for Rudolph!

The Solitary Walker said...

What a lovely afternoon! Simple pleasures are the best.

steven said...

weaver i just got off my bicycle - minus fifteen out there - but i'm inside warm and toasty and reading how you took such good care of your poetic friends and especially your self!! it's so lovely to read your life!! thankyou. steven

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Ooh, wish I could come to the neckst one! Save me some mince pies!

Grizz………… said...

Dear Weaver…we are all blessed thankful beyond words to have you around and reporting so wonderfully from your cozy farm home. The simple pleasures are always the best—friends and family, food, a warm fire, a few familiar old verses well shared…lots of laughter. Thank God these things will never be bought and sold!

mrsnesbitt said...

Wonderful Pat! I started putting our decorations up today - tomorrow I will have a really good tidy through!

Pondside said...

It sounds like a perfect time - lucky guests!

Arija said...

A lovely way to spend the day Pat and I'm glad you had the fairy lights up. Close calls are there to make us see all the little things there are to enjoy. I know, I've had quite a few and each tie have let go of the unessential and learned to hug the little rays of sunshine to myself.

I'd love to try one of your mince pies!!

Titus said...

Perfect, Weaver. I wish I could have been there (very partial to a good mince pie!)

Granny Sue said...

How I wish I could have been there. It sounds like a perfect afternoon. And mince pies--what could be better.

The little lights are lovely, Pat.

angryparsnip said...

Lovely, lovely day !
The little fairy lights look charming.

It is the simple pleasures that make us happy.

Your weather is too cold and we are somewhat too warm...

cheers, parsnip

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thank you for the comments. As usual they make such good reading.
It seems we are all agreed that the little things give the most pleasure. Arija is so right when she says that such 'blips' help one to get one's priorities right.
As for leaving a mince pie for Rudolph eej - I shall probably not make any more as I have to watch my cholesterol - still I can always leave him a bowl of poultry wheat - he would probably enjoy it more. Keep warm (or cool if you are the other side of this world of ours).

MorningAJ said...

I love poetry and I love hearing it read aloud - and reading it aloud. I picked up a leaflet at the Doc's when I went for my flu jab on Monday. It's called Poems in the Waiting Room and it's an A4 card divided into thirds and printed with about six or seven poems. They come out quarterly and the latest is apparently their 50th edition!

I know what you mean about enjoying things after you recover from an illness. I know how I felt once I was over the initial shock a couple of years ago. Have a WONDERFUL time over the holiday season!

Acornmoon said...

Keep warm and save one of those pies for you know who ;-)

Bovey Belle said...

What a lovely afternoon with such good friends, and wonderful poetry. I wish I had been a fairy on the Christmas lights to enjoy it too!