It's truly fall. It's so gorgeous outside and getting even better.
Yesterday was Blackbird Saturday here. For the last three years I have noticed that a huge flock of blackbirds come through in October and for at least two years now they have come on a Saturday! Aren't birds smart?
I've noticed lovely ornamental grasses in my neighbors' yards. Isn't this purply feathery one pretty?
I have been putting off going to the grocery store for hours. Plum Cake is coming for an all day visit tomorrow and her current foods of choice are cucumbers, sour cream and onion flavored Pringles, graham crackers, and 1% milk. I only have the bargain brand of graham crackers and they are dry and boring. The good brand was completely gone last time I went to the store. Someone must have bought them all up and had a s'mores party! Funny!
I watched "Death Comes to Pemberley" today while knitting. It is VERY good. I love the actress who plays Elizabeth. She's graceful and soft.
I hope things in your life are going along well and that you're excited about a thing or two.
All of a sudden I am excited about salmon. Off to the store!
21 comments:
I just requested The House we grew up in from our local library. I'd never heard of it. Two of the books that I got from the library last week ( Drop Dead Healthy and the essays by Maeve Binchy) both don't seem worth reading so I'll persevere with MB but not A.J. Whatever his name is. Have a wonderful day with Plum Cake tomorrow.
I have never had blackbirds visit my feeder. They do eat seed that is on the ground but they never to the feeder... isn't that strange? I like the Susan Branch books for the same reasons you do and I've never tried any of her recipes either! Have a great week.
Your soil needs some nitrogen, that would help your cukes.
Blackbirds are very smart, they mate with only one bird, they have funerals and they have lookout for security, I find them very cool.
I pulled my Branch Autumn book off the shelf today!
The blackbirds are flocking here like crazy! They look like great, black storm clouds in the sky when they are flying. I have them at my feeders too.
I've had my Susan Branch Autumn book out lately. One of my favorite recipes in that book is the Cranberry-Apple Crisp. You really ought to try it. We LOVE it! I haven't made a lot of her recipes, but just a few chosen ones that I might have the groceries for.
Happy reading, knitting, and movie watching!
Those cucumbers are extremely opposite of their sizes. Whoa, nature is sometimes unpredictable. Love the photo of the maple tree, isn't it gorgeous looking at those colourful leaves. Geez talk about hoarding, I reckon I need to get rid of few things.
Enjoy time with plum cake.
Have a good week Pompom.
Hugs,
Aida
I loved Death Comes to Pemberly. I enjoyed every bit. I think your cucumbers are wonderful. Mine did that too. I love that the blackbirds come through. I read that book about the hoarders. It was so totally heartbreaking. I think about it all the time.
I have some Susan Branch but not as many as you. That is very impressive. I started reading The Scent of Water today.
I hope you have a lovely week with your Plum Cake. I think it is funny what she eats.
I hope you get lots of knitting done.
Have a lovely week.
I haven't any of SBs books, although I have her calendar and 2 yr diary which I love, so must add her books to my list to read one day! Cucumbers probably funny shapes due to over watering some days and not enough others perhaps? bet they taste great though! I liked seeing the blackbirds, they are huge - isn't it fascinating that birds 'murmer' in these syncronished flocks before taking off and that they follow invisible meridians, it's very interesting to my fuzzy little head and I want to know about it all, so you have prompted me to make a little time to read up on the WWW and learn more! have a lovely time with Plum Cake. Betty x
Does SB explain why she has never been able to have children? It is so obvious, and so incongruous. There must be a _reason_...
Also, is there any explanation of why she has a picture of a black couple, on the cover of "her story"? I have been baffled by this, since she first showed it. Why?
Yes, it's a lovely picture. But what in the world does it have to do, with her story?
All I can think of is, she "was advised" that she comes across as "Too White." And to expand her range, she has to put more "people of color" into her stuff. Good grief...
I have to chuckle at the cucumbers because mine look about the same. I have decided that the inconsistencies in size are due to lack or irregular watering. And it does seem that the grackles are on the move. Beautiful fall colors.
That's Susan on the cover of her new book, Tessa. She's tan! She grew up in California. I don't think she has any kind of a political agenda other than loving people.
When I look at all of her books together, I am so impressed with her work. She doesn't seem to try to reach a diverse audience. That's not her. She reaches people who appreciate the things she appreciates. It works for her.
'Pack up all your cares and woe, here I go, singin' low, Bye Bye Blackbird', I love that song!You'll never believe it, my oldest Princess loves the same Pringles as Plumcake! I had some geese fly right over my head this morning..I love 2 minutes away from a Nature Reserve and they leave at this time of year to fly to the warmth of the South. Wish I was a goose! Tons of hugs. xxx
Your day reading sounds wonderful! I have never read any Susan Branch books, but they sound fabulous! Those cucumbers are funny aren't they, they obviously didn't want to be pickled! xx
I absolutely love Susan Branch. I think she has made the world's children her own because I don't think she actually has children?...although I could be wrong. I know she has a long time male partner (like Oprah) and whatever the reason she does such simple, folksy, almost childlike rendering doesn't matter. She is so talented and endearing. I have several of her books, too, but not the last one. For some reason I always tie her to Laura Ashley in my mind--also one of my favorite people that left a mark on my "artsy" heart.
Enjoy your salmon---you can have my share---better--can I send MyHero over to eat salmon with you? I don't like to cook it either...sad, I know. xo Diana
I've never read any of her books.
My cucumbers had some strange shapes and sizes to them too. : )
There are quite a lot of crows around here all the time. I know a lot of people don't like them but I do. They are really very smart.
There are still a good number of Susan Branch books I need to collect. That novel sounds good! Have ordered from the library for later this fall.
hello dear one! The birds have been going nuts around here! The only Susan Branch book I have is A Fine Romance and oh how I loved every word of it. It was so much of what we experienced while we were in England. That's quite a difference between those cucumbers. I love cucumbers! Have a wonderful time with Plum Cake!
I've never had blackbirds at my birdfeeder, though I see them around. My favorite birds who show up on occasion (tho not to the feeder) are the crows. I love how they sit up in the trees and laugh at us.
We've had two weeks straight of rain, so I'm jealous of your blue skies!
I like the actress who played Elizabeth in Death Comes to Pemberly, too. She's also in the PBS/BBC series The Bletchley Circle, which I enjoyed a lot.
xofrances
What a cucumber! Whoa. I liked your photos of the blackbirds. We saw one in the parking lot at Costco the other day. It was standing underneath a car, maybe to stay cool in the shade, and it was making such a racket! We didn't know what it was and we stood near this car so confused until the bird flew out screaming its head off. It was funny! I'm glad it's cooler for you there now. We've had lovely cool weather for several days now in NM, it's so nice not to be hot anymore. Hope you have a good week!
Love your cucumbers. There is that beauty in imperfection I mentioned in my poem the other day. ;) Also... your blackbirds are delightful.
I love you my beautiful mama. We have had bluebirds this summer and I got to enjoy watching them over my morning tea. Such a delight, those birds. I love you!
Are you a teapot and book hoarder, Pom? Ha ha! No, you are a "collector".
I don't have any of the Susan Branch books, but they do look like fun to peruse just for the illustrations.
BTW, my poor old eyes are having a terrible time reading this new font. Especially the tiny font in the comments. *blink, blink*
Have fun with Plum Cake! Graham crackers and salmon! :)
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