I don't have a side bar of long lists of blogs that I follow, mainly because I don't follow that many, probably around half a dozen. Too many these days have become very cliquey and having captured an audience of devoted, sycophantic even, daily readers, reject totally and in one case, using foul language, any person that dares to disagree with a particular posting.
That said, there is one blog that I have become very fond of lately and it written by a charming lady in her eighties who describes brilliantly her day to day life living in the Yorkshire Dales. Despite some physical pain and problems this lady still goes to her exercise classes and does everything that she can to stay young. Her and her husband, written of as "The Farmer", live on a small farm in the Dales and her blog daily describes the kind of rural life that most of us don't think exists any more. The trips into the small local villages for shopping and the weekly meetings in small cafes with regular lady friends to discuss books and poetry over well described items of delicious sounding food. Seasonal life on the farm is described and pictured in beautiful detail as are recipes of food that she has cooked ( as a lousy cook, she has even sent me a couple of easy recipes to help me out).
Reading the blog it is like going back in time to when much of England was like that rather than just isolated patches, have a look at the latest posting at www.weaverofgrass.blogspot.co.uk
As you know, it was the Weaver's posts that introduced me to your own beautifully written posts. You all give me a way to feel much more connected to nature than would otherwise be possible living as I do in New York.
ReplyDeleteYour previous post with the Sandy Denny lyric reminded me of the important part that song played in Jerusalem, which I saw performed on Broadway one Easter afternoon. I sat next to an elderly Catholic priest who'd bought a ticket on the recommendation of his hotel's concierge. At the first interval, he turned to me, asking "Do you have any idea what this play is about?" I replied, "The English countryside." He said not another word and drifted off into a nap for the rest of the performance, being awakened by the drumming at the end.
Best wishes.
Thank you for your kind words Derek. I must say that I write my blog because I really feel the need to communicate with people. After a life in inner city schools teaching, to suddenly (twenty five years ago) arrive back into a life in the country (as my childhood was spent)made me realise that I couldn't stagnate.
ReplyDeleteI love the life of blogging and would recommend it to anyone who ever feels lonely.
Also, I would advise you to follow more blogs. The more you follow the more you will find like-minded folk who are on your wavelength.
Thanks for commenting Frances, the Sandy Denny song is one of my all time favourite songs, although it does bring out a heightened degree of melancholia in me.
ReplyDeletePat, you and your blog deserve all the praise that you get. I guess most of us who write blogs do it for the reasons that you have given and long may they continue. Tomorrow I'm gonna try making your Cottage Pie.
I have enjoyed Weaver's blog for a while now. I don't always comment, sometimes not having anything useful to add to the conversation, but I read every post and come away from each a little better or a little wiser.
ReplyDelete