November arrived in great style with rustling piles of crispy leaves, the kind you can jump in and throw about, seldom seen in recent soggy years. Autumn colours almost worthy of a New England Fall and blue mirror lakes reflecting impossibly blue skies. It may seem as though I'm constantly swanning about having photogenic adventures in perfect landscapes while the rest of the world knuckles down to an honest day's work... I can assure you this is mostly down to editing and curating, but recently I have to admit it's all felt like living in a Disney Autumn scene.Last week we had another emergency visit to the bookshop, a torchlit climb up Wansfell and an atmospheric Halloween night spent in the van on the side of Coniston. The photo above is a before shot; before swimming out to the little island in Moss Eccles Tarn,with icicle fingers, discovering a perfect red and white toadstool in the middle of the fairy kingdom and swimming back feeling smug (for being brave enough to brave it on November 1st) and blissful with the sun in our faces. I don't think the fairies minded being disturbed but I think I heard them laughing.
After the swim we walked around the garden of Beatrix Potter's house Hill Top. The house was closed for the winter but what a treat to have the garden almost to ourselves... last time we visited it was so busy with groups of people and tour guides that we had to queue in the garden listening to an introductory talk and Sara had a spectacular attack of suppressed giggles so that tears were streaming down her face by the time we got in. What a perfect little house and garden, I could sit and draw there all day.
Channeling my inner Beatrix (I'm getting to be almost her shape these days too) I've been drawing hedgehogs in quiet moments at work and expecting to be told off at any moment.
A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.–Neil Gaiman
Last week I was told I must clean shelves at all times and reading was banned even during the quietest days when everything was sparkling... this week I was told off for cleaning while customers were in. I'm a confused and resentful rebel; the teenager who wouldn't eat fish pie at school, the child who got in trouble at primary school for putting her hands in a tray of seed compost because she wanted to see how it felt, the frustrated artist disguised as a middle aged shop assistant! I've mused a lot about work in this blog and of course I'm aware that potential employers may read this and give the naughty troublemaker a wide berth but actually I think they'd be missing the point and the potential. Rules and regulations should also allow for imagination and inventiveness which is how things advance and grow and without which we are extras in a Samuel Beckett play or living a scene in Catch 22. I read this meme recently "people don't leave good jobs they leave bad managers" and looking back now I actually miss (the early years) working in a pub in Osmotherley when despite the long hours and low pay I would gladly have done just about anything for the manager Helen who had a healthy cynicism about our bosses, the job and a real skill in asking rather than telling. Helen now runs TeaCakes of Yorkshire, a lovely online tea company and I miss her loads.
Hey ho, the perils of over sharing in a public arena... but life's too short not to say what you mean just so long as you're not nasty. Now it's almost time for me to throw some more logs on the stove and find another pair of socks to put on over the other two - November is showing its other face today, it's cold and damp and the leaves are mushy gold on the doorstep. Last night we went up Catbells in the dark to watch the fireworks, it was so clear and bitingly cold, sitting on the rocks drinking hot blackcurrant and Brandy and contemplating almost two years in Newlands Valley.
I dug out this old sketch which I'd made after one of our weekend trips here from "home"; it seems so long ago now but the drawing feels more special now that I'm living surrounded by those colours , today the fells are just as black and topped with mist. Meanwhile in the land of blue and white more horses have emerged and a bear has left the Artfinder shop which is fantastic news and really encouraging.Keep warm where ever you are and enjoy the last of Autumn x
Reading: "When the Floods Came" Clare Morrall Listening to: "Paper Moon" Ella Fitzgerald after listening to Ali Smith on Desert Island Discs