The August malaise of “all play” is starting to make Jacques a dull boy. If me equals Jacques then boy equals ageing smudger. The longed for beribboned parcel of sun and blue skies duly arrived. It arrived after a long wait and I was impatient to unpack it. We had talked about how wonderful it would be when it arrived and had looked enviously at pictures of other people who already had some. It didn’t take long to tear off the beautifully wrought wrapping of bells, ribbons and bows. We’ve played with it quite a lot now to the point that some days we don’t play with it at all. There’s a similarity to the scenario of finding a car, with a huge satin bow tied all around it, in the street outside your house and realising it’s a present for you. Once the ribbon has been hurriedly torn off and you’re driving down the road it’s just a car that needs petrol, insurance and all the other annoyances that take the “present” out of the present. I’ve started to hear the murmurs in my head asking myself what I’d like for Christmas. These blackberries in crème de mûre help to keep me in the summer groove, ingrate that I am.
Simply Fed – a new book by Roger Stowell – this book is now available from BLURB.com in iPad/iPhone version for 5,49€
Camerahols link
Roger Stowell link
“Eating at La Moussiere” – iPad/iPhone version 3,99€ from Blurb.com
So beautiful Roger! I’m ready for Autumn.
Jenny and I were just talking about apples and pears:)
Noooooo! Keept the summer alive: I haven’t had my hols yet….Christmas can wait. I’m off to source some succulent blackberries.
I thought your post suggested that you were back off to school. I lost track of school holidays a long time ago:)
Ahhhh creme de mure, that’s on my to make list this year, slurp, slurp
I can’t believe that you MAKE creme de mure! How fabulous.
I have blackberries, red wine, sugar and I’m thirsty !
QED:)
No more talk of bells and ribbons turning into dots and yawns. ! When winter comes and you are moaning your arse off about the cold in your little stone house, I am going to haul up this page, wrap it chintzilly and park it out in your empty pool. Now I have to go and look up creme de mure.. I think i might want some! c
I’m pulling myself together after that stern rebuke:)
Good, just checking… c
You’re the second blogger to mention the dreaded “C” word.. I hope you’re not one of those who’s begun shopping already? Perhaps you could just pop over here and gift me a cup of this lovely summer heaven?!
The “C” word was way at the back of my mind. How did I let it slip out? I’m going to concentrate on Summer.
Winter? Really?… Fresh summer blackberries beat the “frozen in a bag” kind that we buy in the winter any day of the week. On a positive note, your photo of the blackberries looks simply stunning!
I wasn’t really thinking of winter – just writing stuff. That’s my excuse.
Oh, Roger. It is almost sacrilege around here to rush Summer, even though Fall probably holds the best weather of the year. It’s our Winters that are dreaded, with a bad one often becoming legendary. Just eat those luscious berries and try to think pleasant thoughts, avoiding Winter and, worst of all, Christmas.
I have taken a beating for mentioning the “C” word today. I’ve learnt my lesson.
You should buy Jacques a croquet set for those sunny afternoons with blackberries and crème de mûre
You may be surprised to hear that we have a Jaques (without the c) croquet set. Unfortunately this is a leftover from when we had a house with a lawn. We now have a gravel courtyard which means we have to stick to the blackberries and crème de mure without the croquet.
You got my joke! Shame you don’t have a lawn – I love croquet but I don’t make many friends playing it. I love it when you teach someone how to play and they think you are making up the rules as you go along
It is one of the most vicious games that I know outside of Monopoly:)
More beautiful blackberries – how can you be tired of summer?
I make it up as I go along:)
Interesting. I was just pondering a week ago what to buy people for Christmas presents….
I was thinking what I might receive:)
The blackberries do look most inviting . . . oh, the temperature scale showed 26 degrees yesterday and the magnolias and cherries are blossoming . . . [show-off from Down Under, I know
!] . . . and, some years back I somehow eased myself off the ‘C’ word by becoming Buddhist . . . works for me . . . in many ways . . .
I’m not sure that going backwards in the alphabet will do it for me:)
I’ll laughingly ‘pay’ that one, kind Sir
!
I am loving the blackberry season I am sharing with you! Now for the start of our own
I’m moving swiftly on to plums:)
Beautiful post! Yes, summer is blue… And blackberries are one of the best expressions of this season…Maybe a symbol too…
There are created in the most beautiful forms.
Even more beautiful than the last. . . .
Many thanks:)
Summer? Winter? I have gotten to the point where I no longer realize in which season we are. Cherries for Xmas? Maybe some blueberries?
It’s a good point but the clue for me is the pile of wood that has to be split:)
That is a good one? Roger!
I know.