It's all too soon.

For me, it is all too soon. 

Do I sound like Mrs Scrooge?

Here in the UK Christmas has been on track for several weeks, with the larger stores having acres of shelving with 'Gift ideas' prominently displayed.

I happened to be in our Hospital this morning and saw that they had their Christmas cards on sale. Sadly out of many designs there were only two which vaguely pertained to the true season of Christmas. I'm tired of snowmen, snowscenes, trees, and many other things which are unrelated to the Christmas story.

I sound like my Grandma when I say ''"In my day....".

But somehow the magic of Christmas is so diluted by this frenzy of buying and spending. Like anyone else I like to get my shopping done early, but somehow this year seems more frenetic than usual.

There. That's enough for today. Please enjoy the shops with their colourful displays.

Book review

This is a book that I have just read.

It is very different from the usual 'romantic' novel, and I enjoyed its unusual setting.

Grace is a luthier, making violins to sell in her beautiful shop. She is world renowned for her expertise and orders flock in from around the world. The subject of her music and her musical instruments is treated in such fascinating detail, especially the description of the Cello she is entering in the Cremona festival.

There is, of course, a married man involved in her life, who is quite obviously an irritating and egotistic no-good that she adores. Somehow, although poignant, this relationship never quite took centre stage for me. More important was her interaction with her teenage shop helper and a delightful elderly man who gives her sage advice, shaking her a little out of her self imposed alone-ness.

No mistake is insurmountable, and she has made many in her life, but comes to a point where she sees that she is not as alone and isolated as she once thought.

The chapters set in Cremona are just so evocative, and I really wanted to be there. 

It has been compared to another recent book, "Eleanor Oliphant is perfectly fine'', by Gail Honeyman, and is indeed about another slightly introspective woman making her way through life on her own.

Have any of you read either of the books? I'd love to know your views.

The waiting room.

We all sat, silently in the waiting room at our local surgery. The rain poured down outside. a tinkle of 'muzak' drifted over the air from the check in desk.

Otherwise, silence.

Until a very jolly gentleman came in, wet through, dripping all over the carpet, and bellowed 'Good morning everyone'!

Why did it only take that one person to set everyone chatting?

The weather, of course, was discussed. The wait for the nurse, the flu jabs, the puddles in the car park.

All of a sudden, we became a group, engaging with each other.

It doesn't take much, does it?

A last rose

I'm so delighted to see one last rose blooming.

This is Dr Jo, named for Dr Jo Taylor, who was head of the Renal Department at Dorset County hospital.

She has flowered all Summer, has a lovely scent and is the perfect colour for a last Autumn arrangement, mixed with some Kaffir lilies which are much the same colour.

There is not much left in the garden now, except a huge bank of the lovely Geranium Rozanne, covered in purple flowers and looking as though it will never end!

not my photo, but from a catalogue.

I do thank you so much for your many messages. I'm much better now and catching up slowly with life in general.

Your comments and emails meant so much to me.

Thank you.

Autumn joys

Whilst in hospital, yes that's where I ended up last week, I spent some time in childhood memories. Well, it seemed better than just watching the IV drip!

Autumn was such a lovely time. We walked several miles to our village school, and through the lanes there were carpets of scrunchy leaves to kick and scuffle around in. We threw them, we tried to get them to fly, but the best bit was making a pile and jumping in it.

Then came conker time, when the huge Horse Chestnut trees shed their shiny fruit. 

Dried, tied on a piece of string, we spent hours whacking each others' conkers to try to prove ours was the strongest.

I just like to hold them and polish their beautiful mahogany skins.

There were sloes to pick, rose hips for mother's flower arrangements, and hedges covered in Old Man's beard, which we loved to pull off and make streamers with.

Simple Autumn joys. No smart phones, no TV, just children having fun in Autumn.

Not such a good week.

Like Linus, I've been relying on comfort blankets this week, having been knocked sideways by a very nasty diverticular infection, with temperatures of over 39 degrees.

Two Drs visits, three antibiotics (really) and I am just beginning to feel mildly human again.

Blessed by my stepdaughter being on holiday here for a week, taking over lunches for her Dad.

I'll catch up with reading and visiting as soon as possible.

Praying.

Our prayers are with all our friends in North Carolina.

We get updates on British television and are horrified by the scenes of devastation.

We have had floods here in UK over the years and those have been life threatening, with many people still not back in their homes.

But I don't think we have the terrible force that these hurricanes bring.

We pray for your safety.