Inspiration- Leonard Cohen

http://1heckofaguy.com/2011/02/23/leonard-cohens-olivetti-lettera-22-typewriter/

Current Read- Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Current Read- The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

I know that I started South Riding a week or so before and became distracted by Kingsolver but unfortunately it has happened again. I awoke on Saturday to a delivery, the delivery of Kingsolver's The Bean Trees which is the prequel to Pigs In Heaven, but I was completely unaware of that when I bought it two years ago from a charity shop. I also purchased her Prodigal Summer so god knows how long I'm going to be mesmerised by Kingsolver, but for now, I'm just going to have to continue digressing shamelessly. It is without a doubt, and addictive read.

For the full moon last night- Leonard Cohen & I

The Moon by Leonard Cohen

The moon is outside.

I saw the great uncomplicated thing

when I went to take a leak just now.

I should have looked at it longer.

I am a poor lover of the moon.

I see it all at once and that's it

for me and the moon

Where there's an end, there's a begining

I grew up with an apple tree in the garden (my sister & I carved our initials into it) as well a large grape vine from which we picked grapes and turned the leaves into dolma, we also had blackberries, gooseberries and a few strawberries before the birds ate them & our neighbour use to give us pears from his tree. Our garden in the summer is abundant with mint and in the past before they died, delicious Mediterranean flat leaf parsley, so eating off the land was familiar and thoroughly enjoyed. I once bought tomato plants and my father said “what did you do that for, we can grow them in the garden,” to which I replied, “we don’t have seeds,” “you don’t need them, watch this.” He chopped up an old tomato and stuck it in the ground to which I made a face at and said “ha-ha, that’s very funny” but to my shock, a fat stem grew, then the blessed tom-toms. One day I was gardening and found a bulb, a smell rubbed off onto my hand, it was familiar, bringing my fingers closer to my face I knew, there was no mistaking it, it was garlic, but where did that come from?


Growing and eating off of one’s own land, patch, whatever there is, has always been exciting. A few weeks ago, I found myself preparing soil to grow my own vegs and such, I live in a small flat with a garden, but I’m renting, so I can’t plough the land. I have to settle for troughs and a conservatory that is perfect for seedlings. This sudden shock of inspiration comes from Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Today, I finished her story of a year living entirely off her land and local produce and I felt a sense of loss as I read the last lines. She swept me beautifully along with her on such a grand journey; a journey brimming with fruit, life, hard labour and more.
After sewing seeds into troughs in my conservatory, I found myself dreaming about plants, and seedlings, I even dreamt that one sprouted out of the soil- of course it was too soon as I had only planted them four days before- it didn’t stop me from checking as soon as I got out of bed of course! I found myself going to a farmers’ market and stopping myself from buying so many products from far away countries, but I must admit, I did crumble yesterday and bought a punnet of grapes from South Africa and baby tomatoes from Italy which I noticed were unripe.

This is the power of reading, when it influences your life, when it shifts your thinking and opens your mind and heart to new horizons. That is what causes that mighty pang in the heart when you end such a book and just want to start all over again. This is why I write, this is why I read, and this is why I breathe. I know I’m not the only one.

Getting your hands muddy

I know it's terribly uncouth to read so many books at once, but it can't be helped, I've been enjoying this one a lot recently. It's inspiring, it's hilarious and it's my goal in many years time when I have the chance to garden and plant big scale, till then, it's all preperation which is why I ended up at Blackheath Farmer's market, it was such a delight, everyone is friendly (something alien when in a supermarket) , they throw samples into your faces and smile.

Bring forth the new changes.

I reject winter. I denounce it. I will no longer be swept along in the cold greyness, forgetting what summer once felt. In a bid to move on, I have taken over two gardens, my mother’s and mine by planting beautiful coloured polyanthus’ and primroses. I have uncovered the masses of bulbs from the winter’s grasp. My writing desk is covered in sunshine, my hall way and sitting room is also laden with flowers, and each night when I turn of the light and wake up, there is a vase of tulips beside me. I will roll with what I am given, but I will no longer forget the touch and smell of warmth!


With this massive rejection came a burst of writing, as the flowers rise from the ground, so does the new book, a reminder how we are all entwined and how the seasons effect us. Bring me warmth, bring me colour, bring me sunshine, but for god’s sake, put away the cold. Put away the cold.