At the same venue as the concert - The Burgh Hall Dunoon - is a beautiful exhibition of photographs by David Peat. I also had a nice lunchthere.

It's a time to support our local Arts Centres I think. I had a great afternoon out.

Is there anything interesting on locally where you are?

A fascinating live concert by the Sequoia Duo. You can learn more about them and hear some of their music here.

But as you know there's nothing like the real thing..

..feels very indulgant! Love it. We are lucky to have The Blairmore cafe in the next village along the shore. As we enjoyed a delicious breakfast we watched a couple sitting at the public picninc table across the road carving pumpkins, which looked to me like a rather nice peaceful thing to do of a Saturday morning.

Asking permission to use their photograph on the blog I discovered that they have been staying in The Old Post Office for the last three months and come over regularly to Scotland from America. It was lovely to chat with them.

I may not have carved a pumpkin since these in 2010!

When did you last carve a pumpkin?

..of clothes. Shopping in my own cupboards again, I am enjoying the change to different textures and colours. I know in many parts of uk you are still weating tee shirts and shorts, but it is cooler and wetter here on the west coast of Scotland, but I don;t mind. I am ready for a change.

All several years old - the jacket from Zara, good fabric, not terribly well finished but very inexpensive. The scarf from The White Company - very fine wool, it feels really beautiful and doesn't crease. The brooch I've had forever and the earrings are from a wonderful website called Scandinavian Silver - sadly no longer trading it seems.

I am wearing these with jeans and soft brown leather lace-up ankle boots and a new white long sleeved tee shirt has provided a freshness.

Must see what else I can find!

..make a lovely wreath. The days have been pretty wet and grey, but in a sunny spell yesterday afternoon I took apart the yellow wigwam which had the golden hop growing on it and made a wreath with the tangled but still supple stems. You just have to bully them into submission, tuck in the loose ends and leave flat to dry.

I will also press some leaves under the rug to decorate it with later.

..and make no apology for showing it again. It's beautifully crafted and I find it very moving.

But it's the music too, and I have adopted the first line of the song as a kind of motto since I first heard it - Take all your chances while you can..

Do you have a motto to inspire you?

..have to laugh at the gongs-on at 10 Downing St. (Sorry I can't credit this.)

Is autumn as colourful where you are? If you are in the northern hemisphere that is!
I'd love to know if readers from Australia and New Zealand are still with us...

I fear I am having my very own energy crisis as I still feel a bit feak and weeble (as my daughter once said) after my horrid cough and cold.

Several beautiful apples a day might help. They are gorgeous!

Have you listened yet to this month's podcast of As The Season Turns? You can hear it here.

In this episode Lisa Leendertz reminds us that we are moving into the darker season and that night and datkness will soon dominate, but I find myself aware of the quality of the light, diffuse and mysterious on misty days...

Even on a very grey day..

I watched one of my favourite programmes again last night. It's The Art Of Japanese Life presented by James Fox.
(Available on BBC iPlayer and on YouTube.)

Episode 1 is abut nature and Zen Buddhism and I was struck anew with the thoroughness with which the monks and gardeners attend to their tasks. I resolved to try for a day to be meticulous in everything I had to do. I decided to have a Zen Day!

It was relaxing, enjoyable and very productive. Mindful and calming.

Some large scale cutting back is going on in the garden, and much of it comes into the house for the few days it lasts

This is azalea lutea.

..

There is a wonderful collection of ceramics at The Burrell and I was struck by how very modern many of the vases and bowls looked. This could have been made by a skilled contemporary studio potter. I particularly like the asymmetry of the glaze at the foot.

In fact it was made during the Tang dynasty some time between 618 and 907. Next time I go to the Burrell I plan to take a longer look at the porcelain which seems to me to have a very modern aesthetic, and that makes me feel a closeness to those makers of so long ago.

Beautiful.

My first visit to The Butrrell Collection since it's recent reopening.

10 out of 10 for the refurbishment of this fabulous collection! See it if you can.

..if full of care we have noot time to stand and stare  (W H Davies scroll down here ).

Watching the moon rise, examining a flower, planting bulbs or sweeping leaves or having a soothing bath, I find I need to focus for a little time every day on something calming to counteract the world of the news media (which to me recently looks on the verge of hysteria).

What do you do to stay sane and calm?!

As I locked up tonght I looked out over the lcoh and saw the moon rise.

The 'mist' is my breath in the cold air.  Add the sound of an owl from across the bay..

So atmospheric!

I have bought lots of bulbs ffrom the supermarket this year, though Sarah Raven has tupios at 50% off right now (thank you Rosemary). Tempting. You can't have too many tulips..

..of the pandemic lockdowns. Confined to the house for a week now, though with nothing worse than a bad cold and cough, I am feeling very isolated.  Amusing myself with photographing things..

Video calls and text, TV and podcastss, radio, online shopping - of course the technology is brilliant in it's way, but nothng, nothing substitutes for being out in the rel world alert, engaged, alive!

Alert because you have to be - it can be danagerous out there.

Engaged because you are interested in how the world works, in the people you meet, in what's current.

Alive because you don't know what will happen next and you have a bit of an adventurer in your soul.


I am almost recovered - meanwhile can you recommend any good podcasts?

And small joys..

..in my own cupboards, I came across this. I stitched it some decades ago (it's not my own design) and it's been in a box of odd things ever sinde.

I found a little frame and put it on the shelf for a bit.

I like it. What do you have in some forgotten drawer or box or cupboarrd that needs to see the light of day?

I bet there is something!

..gatherings and sharings..

I have almost a kilo of sloes in the freezer to make sloe gin when I am recovered! I have not made it before. Have you?

..when only chocolate will do.