Autumn

Isn't Autumn stunningly beautiful, a veritable feast of spectacular colour

Except for the conkers all this colour is from my garden

Not Quite The End Of Summer

Well the winter duvet is back on the bed and the central heating is on low for the evenings and mornings. Autumn and winter clothes are hanging in the wardrobe and I have put some summer ones away, but not all of them because...... I will need some when I go to Australia!! yes I'm off to visit my darling daughter in Fremantle next month, I'm so excited. I haven't been in November before, February used to be my chosen time and I have been at Christmas.

Back down to earth for a while and I have been busy. I'm now a fully paid up member of the WI. We have a small group in the village and we meet once a month. So far neither jam or Jerusalem have been mentioned :-)

We also have a craft club in the village, which I attend. We have a good old natter whilst knitting, crocheting, sewing or making cards, and our host provides tea, coffee and biscuits. I might bake a cake for the next meeting.

And there is more! we have an art group as well. I went along back in 2012 and discovered I could draw quite well, but I couldn't paint. It's not a teaching group, they are all very good experienced artists, so the intention was to find a class and learn. Four years on and I haven't done it! However a couple of weeks ago the group arranged a workshop so off I went full of enthusiasm and produced this

It's in ink and watercolour. There is quite a lot wrong with it and I am contemplating doing it again, but on the whole I was very pleased with my effort, not bad for an absolute beginner. I am keen to join the group but it's the same day as when I volunteer at the Salvation Army's old folks lunch club, so I will have to do some shuffling around!

A Good Read

The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas 
An epic story of wartime, family secrets and forbidden love, set against the stunning exotic backdrop of 1940's Kashmir. Within one exotic land lie the secrets of a lifetime... It is the eve of 1941 and World War II is engulfing the globe. Newlywed Nerys Watkins leaves rural Wales for the first time to accompany her husband on a missionary posting to India. Deep in the exquisite heart of Kashmir lies the lakeside city of Srinagar where the British live on carved wooden houseboats and dance, flirt and gossip as if there is no war. But the battles draw closer, and when the men are sent away to fight life in Srinagar becomes less frivolous. Nerys is caught up in a dangerous friendship, and by the time she is reunited with her husband, the innocent Welsh bride has become a different woman. 

 
Years later, when Nerys's granddaughter Mair clears out her father's house, she finds an exquisite shawl. Wrapped in the folds of the shawl is a lock of child's curly hair. Mair is fascinated with her findings and decides to trace her grandparents' roots back to Kashmir.

I have a bit of a thing about India and I love anything colonial, so this book was a winner from the beginning. With stunning descriptions of landscape and lifestyle,  real and likeable characters, and an excellent story I couldn't put it down.