the tree, tutes, almost springy, 6 villages cycle, jtns' birthday!

 

I see this tree from the bus stop at Buckland. The look of it is never the same.

Loved meeting students yesterday for assignment tutorials in Oxford.

Today has been glorious. The strengthening light - almost springy - is wonderfully uplifting.

Went for a cycle ride earlier, doing the 6 villages - Black Bourton, Alvescot, Kencot, Broadwell, Clanfield, Bampton - and the gated road. Haven't done that one for quite a while, having been somewhat fixated on ones to the east that mostly involve Mount Owen for some time.

It was justthoughtsnstuff's birthday earlier in the week, on the 20th. Yesterday, before teaching, over a coffee in Summertown, I re-read the February 2012 posts out of curiosity. They were written not long after Dad died.

I didn't mind reading posts this time. Previously, reading posts and Trust have stirred up painful memories but now I feel I can accept them as things that I wrote - things that I'm happy with, as a writer, and that helped me work through the miserable events that part-defined a big chunk of my life.

Here's the link to the February 2012 posts: https://justthoughtsnstuff.blogspot.com/2012/02.

vivid memories, late summer and autumn

 

Vivid memories from late summer and autumn.

Robin's pincushions near Bampton in west Oxfordshire, growing on brambles in ancient water-meadows.

The extraordinary Buddha's Hand lemon, seen in Santar, Portugal.

And, finally, exotic spindle berries near Newbridge, west Oxfordshire.

robins, happy christmas!

 

Loved these knitted robins, seen in Faversham when visiting family!

Happy Christmas!!

eek!, first post since late summer, apples, pears, diploma, portugal, kellogg centre, jane draycott, malachi mcintosh, analog days, go with the flow

 

Eek! The time has whizzed past!

The late summer, the early autumn - with days spent on the allotment and a reviving trip to Wiltshire, Michaelmas Term, all happened since I last posted.

There were the two Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing teaching Saturdays - loved meeting the students. Not to mention a trip to Portugal to stay with dearest friends (see photos, above, which include Viseu cathedral, a gigantic beam that works a wine press and a ruined mansion in Santar) - fantastic, as always! 

There were two Kellogg Centre for Creative Writing seminars, which I hosted - wonderful to meet both Jane Draycott and Malachi McIntosh!

There have been harvests of winter salads, which have continued after the sharp frosts, and carrots, beetroot, turnips and daikon radishes. Plus the odd late gladioli and supplies of marigolds and nasturtiums (latter to float in glasses of white wine).

The apples and pears kept us going for almost three months.

Happy times. And soon, Christmas and New Year!

Don't know why I've not posted, though I'm pleased now to go with the flow. Once - justthoughtsnstuff.com days - blogging at least once a week (sometimes way more times) was essential to identity and mental health. But now, thankfully, there is time for things like reading (paperbacks these days rather than ebooks) and keeping a writer's notebook (in pencil rather than on screen). Changing times. Go with the flow!

photo catch-up, trust rewrite finished, focused, fiction!, view from my desk, oxford writer

Posting some catch-up photos from the past 6 weeks.

A pyramid orchid on the verge of the A420 near the stop where I get the bus to work. Swallows nesting in a church porch. Gorgeous wayfaring tree berries beside a green lane. Reflections of old glass on a cottage's wood panelling.

Meanwhile, I've now finished the rewriting of Trust: A family story that I began after attending that Oxford Centre for Life-Writing one-day conference back in January. Was also taking into account comments made by a dear friend.

The result is a shorter, much more focused and, I hope compelling, read.

How many times have I said I've finished Trust? More than I can remember. But this time... And apart from anything else I want to start writing fiction again.

Really thrilled that the View from my Desk piece that I wrote for the Oxford Writer was published this week. One of the things I said was that I don't really have a desk. Most of what I write is tapped into my phone on the S6 bus - as all the Trust rewrites were this spring and summer!

time, why?, change, eyes, casts of light, thanks!, fallen oak bough

Not sure why quite so much time has passed since I last posted.

True, the end of the university term was busy and there was a lot to do on the allotment. There was getting things sorted before going on holiday. Also before an eye op about 10 days ago - the counterpart to the one I had last summer.

But there was time to do other things, including posting. And I intended to, just didn't get round to it.

Not sure what the problem was.

Though the last couple of months have been ones of change and rethinking. Perhaps that was it.

Am I transformed? No but definitely different, I think. Looking at the world afresh.

Literally in the case of the eyes. Casts of light seen for the first time in ages that take me straight back to an experience long ago and its associated feelings.

Thanks to M.C., my surgeon.

The picture, above? The bough of an oak, fallen but still close up against the tree, in a hedge by a cornfield several weeks ago. I was walking our dog along Hayway Lane when we heard it go. I wondered if I'd see the fallen branch later, and I did.

bottle of beer

Drank a bottle of beer in the back garden.

looking up

 

Looked up, beneath the pylon.

through the gate, beneath the pylon, escape, kellogg college creative writing competition - loved every minute, blue plaque for iris murdoch!

There is a little path, off to the left as I walk in to work, these days, which takes me through a metal gate, beneath a huge electricity pylon, into a field of buttercups.

I turn right and I'm only in the field for five minutes - if that - before I leave and pick up the cycle track to Osney Island.

But those few minutes, so unpromising, passing under the pylon, are an escape - a refreshment that sets the day right.

--

A week ago, I attended the Kellogg College Creative Writing competition: the readings, the announcement of the winner and runners up, and the guest night dinner. Wonderful evening! And it was a great honour to be one of the judges and to introduce the readings. Loved every minute!

--

Updated, Sat 27 May

So excited to read about the unveiling of the blue plaque for Iris Murdoch, which took place at 30 Charlbury Road yesterday! Part of a double celebration, with a plaque for Philippa Foot being unveiled later in the day, at 15 Walton Street!

allium posy, dearest friends, allotmenting, strategic year, uncertain hope of apples, busy trinity weeks, kellogg college creative writing competition!

 

J's posy for the bedside table of dearest friends staying with us last Friday. Allium flowers and leaves from a plant whose name I couldn't pronounce, let alone remember.

Have at least been able to make some modest progress on the allotment this weekend. Cutting giant leaves of grass and digging, in preparation for construction of raised beds in the summer. A strategic year, this one, with not much grown, although J has planted out broad beans and I have been harvesting asparagus.

Apple blossom was abundant a few weeks ago but there were keen frosts and we live in uncertain hope of some fruits. It's so difficult to tell what the damage was at this stage.

Middle weeks of Trinity term, which mean loads of work.

Looking forward to Thursday's guest night dinner at Kellogg and the announcement of the winner and runners up in the college creative writing competition!

coronation in west oxfordshire!

Don't have a telly, so missed the real thing. But who needed that when we had this in the village!

Don't know who did it but was amazing!

bluebells!

Love bluebells!

waterlogged, swans swimming or paddling, egret, waterfall, patchy

Waterlogged fields in the Thames valley, what with the heavy rains.

The swans on the oil seed rape crop were seen when I was cycling down a side road from Aston towards Yelford. Something of a lake - with 20 or more of the big birds swimming or paddling.

The egret I snapped yesterday, when taking our dog for a long walk - at that point we were three-quarters the way down Hayway Lane.

A few minutes earlier we were alongside one of the few fields of winter oilseed rape (it's a popular crop this year) that had remained fairly dry. The sound of gentle rain on the tall, in-flower and fleshy-leaved plants was like a distant waterfall.

On the way back we came across the farm manager beside the same field and he said, 'The crops should be looking like that one.' Then he pointed at the other fields which were patchy, with huge saturated-earth gaps and few of the stunted plants flowering.

lunchtime osney walks, changes, still recognisable, memories, ... pretty much

 

I occasionally take a lunchtime walk to Osney Island via the Oxford canal and Thames path. Reminding myself of where we lived for 14 years.

In some ways it has changed - terraced cottages done up to a higher spec, two houses knocked into one. Here and there, architectural new-builds - traditional outlines, bold panels of glass, metal and wood. There is a feeling of greater prosperity, a different demographic. The infrastructure of the waterways that make it an island - sluices, the hydroelectric project at the lock (that never used to be there!) - are brightly engineered. Their predecessors were simpler, and speckled with rust.

It is great to see both pubs now thriving.

I will always miss Woodward's bakery, which was redeveloped as houses well before we left. We used to live just up from it and loved the smell of the bread.

But in spite of the changes, there is easily enough to remind me of how things were and for memories to overlay. Friendships, chats in pubs, parties, voices, light through the willow branches or fleeting on the water, the people we said hello to but never got to know.

One time recently, someone was heading up the main street and I thought, I know that walk, even after twenty-two years.

A big change is the demolition of most of the old electric lighting station on the opposite bank of the river - only the facades remaining. In time this will be student accommodation.

I remember rowing our boat - bought, opportunly, shortly before we decided to leave and used only once - past the station. 'Past' taking a long while, as we went round and round!

Another time we were sitting at one of the benches by the Waterman's Arms, and there was a splashing commotion in front of the station and a young signet was pulled sharply underwater - by a huge pike, presumably.

Life wasn't always idyllic on Osney - but pretty much.

heron!

Spotted the grey heron again yesterday - the one that fishes in the stream beside the Oxford canal near Jericho. I say 'spotted' but actually it's hard to miss and as long as you don't make sudden movements, let's you get pretty close. Feathers bright for spring.

dog walking, orienteering, spring morning!, violets, st mary's spire

 

Walked our dog for a couple of hours on Saturday morning. Hardly anyone else about - dog-walkers, that is - although there were groups of school kids in the valley on an orienteering exercise, it seemed like. The leader of each group had the map. They and the rest equipped for a full day in the countryside. They seemed to be setting off in relays, about five minutes apart. Every time a group approached, I made our spaniel sit patiently. 'What a well behaved dog,' said one girl. 'Not like my dog!'

It was a wonderful spring morning, which definitely lifted the heart. And, I daresay, was a great relief to the orienteerers, what with the downpours we've been having.

For much of the time when walking in the valley, the location of the village is marked by the spire of St Mary's sharp above the trees. Saw violets as we came back towards the old Swan - a former pub, long closed.

shepherd's hut, thames-side walks, unique landscapes, time and space, spring

A short holiday in far-off Northmoor, staying in one of the shepherd's huts at the Red Lion. All of seven and a half miles away.

Excellent walks along the Thames path - the land ancient seeming and much different to the flood plain near our village. All along the west Oxfordshire Thames, it's just flat land, grass, trees, and at this time of year, standing water, but each landscape is individual, unique.

Haven't posted for a while. Not much time for anything but work this last month. Am hoping for a bit more space for my own projects over the coming weeks - and fun too.

Beautiful spring afternoon here.

snaps from the last freeze, ice on the frog pond, handy big coffee maker!

 

Frosty photos from the last freeze, as night-time temperatures drop and green starts to whiten again - though just a dusting this morning.

When I snapped these the lanes were too slippy for cycling and I'd taken to walking along the Clanfield road as far as Cowleaze Corner and back via Weald, with a final flourish down Queen Street and the wynds that bring you back to our street.

The world was grey and muffled that Sunday early afternoon. I was worried about the frogs in our pond because the ice was getting too thick to break in the corner beneath the hedgehog ramp. In the end I had to sink holes, three inches deep, using our big coffee maker! Haven't had to get this out - for coffee or saving frogs - for several years. (I prefer a French press these days, for brewing coffee - not so handy when it comes to melting ice!)

Hard to imagine it getting to minus five tomorrow morning. Such a beautiful spring-like day.

vibrant, sharpest, necessary space

Vibrant colours under the sharpest of winter lights, when I walked at lunchtime along the Oxford canal yesterday.

A see-things-afresh afternoon.

Necessary space in an otherwise crowded day.

terrific oclw conference, things to think about, fun in oxford, cycling, lemon-sorbet

Terrific conference at the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing at Wolfson College, yesterday, entitled Possibilities and Pitfalls when Writing about Living People.

A lot of things to think about in relation to Trust, so that I can attempt to make it publishable, whilst also staying true to its current form and structure. It's the right time, now the hurt and anger have waned (how long it takes!) and fairness and letting the story speak for itself can inform the narrative. A question of final cuts and adding extra text that gives clarity and depth.

There are some things I know must go, despite previous attachment to them.

It's very reassuring and affirming to be at a conference like yesterday's.

It was also fun to spend the first part of the morning in Oxford before it started. Breakfast then a walk round the Parks (dodging the complex rhythms of the inexorable 100 or so organised runners, zig-zagging the paths, each jogging at their individual pace with the encouragement of cheerful stewards). Where I saw the moss on a tree-branch. Photographing it, a still centre of looking, marvelling and concentration. A few moments of taking stock at the Kellogg Hub, before a drenched wander up to Wolfson.

Met some lovely people at the conference, which was infused with positivity and friendliness. How to run such an event!

Things are taking off at work as the term and New Year get underway.

Today was beautiful. Loved completing one or two tasks left-over from before Christmas. Gorgeous cycle up Mount Owen and back. Was that light best described as lemon-sorbet? It was certainly deceptively spring-like - as sharp-talloned snow and ice make ready to swoop.