Autumn has come.

The weather has turned here in Cornwall,gusty wind and rain and although the trees are not dropping leaves yet there is a definate change in the season, I always get nostalgic when summer fades!
Today I woke up thinking about age,the passing of time, people I have loved who have died and what it all means.The government seems bent on breaking down some of the institutions that have been so important in my life ,the rich get richer and tell the poor to pull in there belts and it is hard not to feel despondent.The worst thing to do is to get stuck in a rut and I know life is a never ending cycle of change so to find  new ways to fight greed,fear and injustice is the only answer!

One of the people I was remembering was a woman who lived here in Cornwall , I met her when I was working on the mobile library and we became friends. She was in her nineties when she died but in her mid eighties I would arrive and find her digging her vegetable garden still strong and vibrant. Going into her house was a healing process for me ,any worries would fade when I sat by her fire and drank her excellent coffee.She would always ask if it was good sometimes saying she was trying out another blend.Her house was timeless, she made lace,listened to classical music,read poetry, loved flowers and reading.She was often quite blunt  and could hurt peoples feelings,she could not have been described as a dear old lady however she was true to herself and that was so important. . We would talk about all sorts of things and often dissagreed especially on politics but to me she was one of the most successful and admirable women I have ever known.

She had always lived close to nature,and it seemed to me that what she had achieved was a very full life.I miss her sharpness , her wit,the taste of her jam,the best mince pies ever and listening to Bruch's violin concerto over coffee on a cold winters morning. I remember being taken down into the wild place in her garden to see the first snowdrops peeping out of the frosty earth!

She always was such  an inspiration.