31st October

Today, all over the internet, there are lots of Halloween posts from American and British friends. Here in Sweden, it's just an ordinary Tuesday, though.

In this country, the holiday All Saints' Day was moved (in the 1950s) to always be celebrated on the Saturday falling between 31st October and 6th November; and followed by All Souls' Day on the Sunday. Traditionally, it's also mostly a rather solemn weekend here, when we remember family and friends who passed away, and visit graveyards to put candles and winter decorations on their graves. 

In later decades, the American tradition of Halloween parties and trick-or-treat-ing etc has also spread - but there is no real consensus about when to have these celebrations. Some insist that they belong on 31st October, never mind what day of the week that happens to be. Others find it natural to have them on the Friday before All Saint's Day, whatever date that happens to be. Or even the weekend before 31st October. (I heard someone on the radio this morning sighing about having had random trick-or-treat visits for a whole week already.)  

On the housing estate where I live since 15 years, I don't think I've ever seen or heard any signs of Halloween celebrations. My own autumn decorations are modest and won't get any scarier than two friendly ceramic owls and some candles (real and fake) to light up the dark.

 

 

Barbie and Skipper have settled down to read - as do I from time to time...

If anyone is wondering what it's like outdoors, the answer is: grey, went and windy! 

On Sunday I did not set foot outdoors at all. Photo taken from my window.

 

Yesterday I did venture out as it was less windy for a while. Still very wet, though!

Today I went out again, to go and post a card to the husband of a close friend of mine who died back in January.  I managed most of the walk without getting too wet, but had to turn up my umbrella before I got back home again. I had also brought a candle for a family grave (great grandparents) in the cemetery close to home (which I passed on my way back). I managed to light it, but suspect that it probably got put out by wind or rain behind my back not long after. The forecasts for the All Saints/ Souls weekend are so far not looking any better, though.

The Ghost and Mrs Muir (Book Review)

 

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
by R. A. Dick (=Josephine Leslie), 1945

Vintage Movie Classics Kindle Edition
with foreword by Adriana Trigiani

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"The book that inspired Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s cinematic romance from 1947 starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison  is a 1945 novel by Irish writer Josephine Leslie (1898–1979), written under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick.
 
Burdened by debt after her husband's death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the rumors to be true, the young widow ends up forming a special companionship with the ghost of handsome former sea captain Daniel Gregg. Through the struggles of supporting her children, seeking out romance from the wrong places, and working to publish the captain's story as a book (Blood and Swash) Lucy finds in her secret relationship with Captain Gregg a comfort and blossoming love she never could have predicted.
 
Originally published in 1945, made into a movie in 1947, and later adapted into a television sitcom in 1968, this romantic tale explores how love can develop without boundaries, both in this life and beyond."

I just recently had an offer to buy this Kindle book for only $2.11. (I'm afraid it seems the price has gone up again already.) I know I've seen the film on TV some time in a distant past, but did not really remember the story.

I found the book quite a page-turner, with a good sense of humour, and a much better read than I really expected. It also seems to me that there may be other ways to interpret it than as a supernatural romantic ghost-story. Lucy is feeling rather trapped by her situation as a young widow. Both her relatives and society in general are putting a lot of pressure on her to do what they consider would be best for her - which is certainly not to go and live on her own (with her two young children) in an isolated, cheap old cottage on the coast, which also has a reputation for being haunted. Lucy learns from the sea captain's portrait what he looked like; but for the most part she only hears him speaking to her. And on the few occasions when he seems to interact with others in her surroundings, well, that may be open to interpretation as well. My own impression is that more than anything else, the Captain is "in her head", as a kind of alter ego that helps her break conventional patterns when needed. Sometimes his presence is stronger, sometimes he keeps away for a while. (The film I suppose might make him seem more tangible. But it must be decades ago that I saw it, and I don't really remember the details.)

Quotes:

"They left her nothing of her own. They chose her servants, her dresses, her hats, her books, her pleasures, even her illnesses."

"The voice was not really there either, she did not hear it with her ears, it seemed to come straight into her mind like thought, but how could it be her thought when she never swore."

"Do  you believe in psychoanalysis?" asked Lucy. "It's a new science, and they are only experimenting," said Captain Gregg.

"There aren't any earthly words to fit this other dimension, just as there weren't any earthly words to fit telegraphy and electricity till the scientists worked their way up to these things."

"Of course she's deaf," said the captain, "spiritually deaf. She can't hear me - she's only tuned into earth and herself."

"And if you have anything to say to me, think it. There's no need for you to speak to me out loud, I can hear all you think."

That Time of Year

Only three days left of October... The leaves are dropping fast from the trees now; and tonight before I go to bed, I'll be changing a number of clocks back from daylight saving time to "normal" (winter) time... 

For the record, I still wish we'd stop this nonsense of fiddling with Time twice a year. (I keep repeating that every time.) For my own part I feel like my Body Clock is pretty much stuck on Normal Time all year round, but changing the clocks messes with my daily routines, and keeping in sync with the rest of the world. (Like meals vs certain radio and TV programs, and when to go out for walks. Things like that.)

 

 (AI generated images)

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Back in August, in a post entitled Some books I listened to this summer, I mentioned the classic children's book Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett as one I reread by listening to it as audio book.

After that, I checked to see if perhaps there were more titles by the same author included for free in my Audible membership. I found three, and have now listened to those as well. The first two I have read before, in the past; but enjoyed getting reaquainted with them now as audio books. The third one was new to me.

The Secret Garden, narrated by Carrie Hope Fletcher

"Mary Lennox, a spoiled, ill-tempered, and unhealthy child, comes to live with her reclusive uncle in Misselthwaite Manor after the death of her parents. There, she meets a hearty housekeeper maid and her spirited brother, a dour gardener, a cheerful robin, and her willful, hysterical, and sickly cousin, Master Colin.With the help of the robin, Mary finds the door to a secret garden, neglected and hidden for years. When she decides to restore the garden in secret, the story becomes a charming journey into the places of the heart, where faith restores health, flowers refresh the spirit, and the magic of the garden, coming to life anew, brings health to Colin - and to Mary, happiness."

A Little Princess, narrated by Johanna Ward

"Sara Crewe is the brightest, richest, and most generous girl in Miss Minchin’s school for girls, and her father gives her everything she might desire. But when her beloved father dies, Sara’s friends and prized possessions are suddenly taken away, and she is banished to the attic and forced to work as a common drudge. Fed only crumbs, she still saves enough to feed her pet rat, and she tells wonderful stories to comfort Becky, the kitchen maid. Using her special ability to play make-believe, she transforms her hardships into an unforgettable adventure. And soon, even her wildest wishes begin to come true, as her real identity is revealed once and for all."

 

 

The Lost Prince, narrated by David Thorn

"Twelve-year-old Marco knows he is being trained for something, but he isn't sure what. All his life he has traveled with his father in secrecy, learning many languages and the ways of a gentleman, but forbidden to speak about their country of origin, Samavia. Samavia has been fraught with war for the last 500 years, ever since the prince mysteriously disappeared. But now, there is hope that peace may come at last, as it has been rumored that a descendant of the lost prince may have been found."

This one I can't recall having heard of until Meike mentioned it in a comment to my post in August. If you'd like to read a longer review, here's a link to hers from 2014.  

Personally, I found The Lost Prince rather different from the other three by Frances Hodgson Burnett that I've read - although when I think twice about it, they do all still have several things in common. Like children getting separated from their parents (one way or the other), having to get adjusted to different circumstances, finding new friends and learning new things; and going from rich to poor, or the other way round - or both. In some ways the settings are very different from our own time - and yet, perhaps these days the books may actually feel more relevant again than they seemed back in my own childhood. Although perhaps not as many lords and ladies and servants these days, there are undeniably still wide gaps between rich and poor in the world, and wars and catastophes of various kind are making it necessary for lots of people to flee, move and "start over" in ways they never imagined.

The Wikipedia biography on Frances Hodgson Burnett also shows that she did have some experiences of that kind in her own background to draw from. 

So I'm feeling a bit intrigued now, and may go on to read or listen to a couple more of her books that I'm not familiar with since before.

The Light from Within

It's been one of those autumn weeks when the light seems to be coming from within the trees rather than from the sky above... 

(Photos from Sunday 22nd through Wednesday 25th October.)

New Installments in Two Favourite Book Series

* T.E. Kinsey - Lady Hardcastle Mysteries 10
* J.R. Ellis -  Yorkshire Murder Mysteries 9

 

A Fire at the Exhibition by T E Kinsey
A Lady Hardcastle Mystery, Book 10
Audio book narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden
Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
Release date: 09-05-23 

Publisher's summary

May 1912. After the previous year’s deadly heatwave, it’s been an uneventful spring in Littleton Cotterell. Though for Lady Hardcastle and her fiercely loyal lady’s maid Flo, at least there are the provincial delights of the village’s inaugural art exhibition—and bicycle race—to look forward to.

But at the exhibition opening, there’s a panicked shout of ‘Fire!’ In the confusion, the main attraction—an extremely expensive book—is stolen from under everyone’s nose, as is a valuable painting lent by Sir Hector Farley-Stroud. Then the race, which starts as a charming day out, ends in a shocking death. And to top it all off, the Farley-Strouds reveal they’re in debt and might lose their house.

The sleuthing duo soon find themselves torn between a murder investigation, an art theft mystery, and trying to help their pals. All with a suspicious figure from Flo’s past, a supercilious insurance investigator, and a pair of rather bizarre treasure hunters on the loose…

I continue to enjoy this series about Lady Hardcastle and her lady's maid Florence. A lot of the serie's charm lies in the main characters and the repartee between them. As I've probably said before, I'm also drawn to it because of my own family history research to do with my grandmother's older sister who worked as lady's maid back in those days as well. [Her background less adventurous as Flo's, and as far as I know she was not involved in any murder investigations - but still... ;) ]

 

The Brewery Murders by J.R. Ellis
A Yorkshire Murder Mystery, Book 9
Audio book narrated by: Michael Page
Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
Release date: 09-28-23 

Publisher's summary

An award-winning beer worth killing for. Can DCI Oldroyd find the killer before last orders?

Steeped in a history of award-winning Yorkshire ale, the town of Markham boasts not one but two breweries. Richard Foster runs one; his sister, Emily, along with her partner, Janice, runs the other. And not without some resentment.

The unwelcome return of the town’s former bad boy, Brendan Scholes, threatens to ignite the sibling rivalry further. Scholes claims to have found the long-lost secret recipe to the beer that made Richard and Emily’s father famous, and he wants money.

But it isn’t long before Scholes’ body is found floating in a fermentation tank at one of the breweries, his head caved in by a hammer. DCI Oldroyd and Andy Carter are called in to investigate the murder, and there’s no shortage of suspects.

As rumours of the possible existence of a recipe for the famous beer spread against a backdrop of growing homophobia and misogyny, tempers run high. With Markham’s beer industry at stake, a killer on the loose and the town’s residents out for blood, Oldroyd needs to solve the murder before someone else is killed…

This is another series with quite a few books published in a rather short time. And this one too relies a good deal on its sympathetic main charachters - who in this case are police officers in contemporary Yorkshire. As I'm not a beer drinker myself, this particular installment may not be remembered by me as my favourite in the series; but as usual the story is excellently narrated by Michael Page, making the most of the Yorkshire accent. 

Something else these two series have in common is that besides the Kindle books not being all that expensive, they also always (so far) offer the Audible version at a real bargain price if you buy the e-book as well. And I really appreciate when I can alternate as a I please between reading with my eyes open or closed! :) 

Dressed for Autumn

 

Maybe you remember (if I remind you) that back in May, I donated most of my childhood Barbie dolls to the Salvation Army's second hand shop - but decided to keep two (one Barbie and one Skipper) + a selection of the clothes my mum made back in the 1960s. 

Not much point in keeping them unless I also "play" with them now and then, though... So at some point in September, with autumn setting in, it occurred to me to take them out of their box, dress them for an "autumn party", and keep them on display for a while (on a bookshelf in the living room). 

Lately it's been getting so cold outside that looking at their bare arms and legs made me feel they really needed to dress warmer, though. So I changed their outfits to more casual.

I might keep on letting them try out different outfits every now and then for a while - at least until I've had them showing off most of the different items in their wardrobe... ;-) 

For myself, I got my 2nd warmest winter coat out of storage this week, as we've been having temperatures not far from freezing point, storm Babet and heavy rain to battle. 

I don't think the storm caused any major damage just around here, but it was bad along the south-west coast. Trains and flights cancelled, trees falling on roads and buildings, flooding etc. For my own part, though, I could just stay in while it was at its worst. And not having a garden, I don't even have to tidy up outside afterwards...

Photos from Thursday - before the storm...

 

 

Blessed Silence

As some might recall me mentioning before, back in spring/summer I was having problems with being frequently disturbed by a neighbour's noisy bird.  

It started last winter but kept getting worse, and during summer became even more annoying, as then the neighbour also kept their balcony door open most of the day.  

I kept thinking of complaining to our housing company's office; but I hate conflicts, and could not really think of a "solution" other than the neighbour getting rid of the bird altogheter, which I wasn't sure was something I could demand.

It was also more about being frequently disturbed, rather than each session always lasting very long. (But that one would never know until afterwards!) Was I to try to report an ongoing disturbance by phone, it was likely to stop (pause) before I managed to get through to anyone. And in the nighttime I did not hear it. (I imagine the owner throwing a blanket over its cage in the evenings and until next morning.)

Summer came, and with it the usual period of noise from big birds outdoors: seagulls, crows and magpies fighting each other over food, and anxious to protect their own young offspring. And with that background noise added, it seemed even harder to "plead my case" about the single pet bird next door (even if to my ears, that was still much worse!).

In July, neighbour + animals (there's also a dog) went away for three weeks or so. Blessed silence reigned for a while in their absence - and my nerves calmed down... But at the same time, that also made me realise how much the frequent daily screeches from that bird had really come to affect me!

Sounds of silence

... And as soon as they were back from their holiday, it all started again. 

After my own mini holiday in August, I decided to keep daily notes for a while (time of day, for how long, frequence etc); and after a couple of weeks of that, I did try to sum up my complaints in an email to the landlord's office.

After a week or so I got a reply back that they had talked to my neighbour. (Their general policy is discretion towards both parties, so no details about what was said.) I did not really expect any sudden major change... But after that, it did actually seem like the owner was probably at least trying not to encourage the bird to chatter away as much as before.

 

However: Since the beginning of October I haven't heard a single chirp. And as there have still been sounds/signs of normal human activity, I'm actually beginning to think (fingers crossed!) that a new home must have been found for the bird - somewhere else entirely. (Hopefully permanently, and with someone living in a house of their own this time...)

Blessed Silence

All illustrations in this post created with the help of Microsoft Bing Image Creator.

Autumn At Its Best

 

After a period of wet and windy weather, today turned into a sunny October day with clear blue sky and glorious golden colours... I decided to walk into town for a couple of minor errands. Above is "my entrance" to the old cemetery where I go for almost daily walks - I also usually walk across it when going into town. 

So many leaves covering the ground now that I've lost the urge to pick them up! ;-)

 

 

The river still like a mirror today. 

 

 “Fall colors are funny. They’re so bright and intense and beautiful. It’s like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary.” – Siobhan Vivian.

“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.” – Chad Sugg

“If I were a bird, I would fly about the Earth seeking the successive autumns.”- George Eliot

 

Autumn Multitasking

 

Sunset from my balcony on Monday.  

For the most part, from Wednesday onwards, it's been an Indoors kind of week, though - very wet and windy outdoors, and even if I've managed to slip out for a short walk now and then, not really "camera weather". 

On Thursday I said "bye bye" to my piece of parkbench art in the cemetery. With only two dull brown leaves and a couple of shrinking chestnuts left, I decided to declare that exhibition over, and removed the last of it myself. ;-) (Cf my previous October posts.)

The autumn leaf collage on the inside of the door to my flat, safe from the elements, is still there for myself to enjoy though.

Photo from the cemetery on Thursday afternoon (during a break in the rain).

Photo I managed to snap from under my umbrella in dense rain on Friday (on my way to post a letter). The red leaves stood out as kind of luminiscent and begging to be photographed in spite of the weather - even if managing the phone camera with just one hand is difficult!

Indoors it's been a week of multitasking, from cleaning (Monday), ordering groceries (Tuesday), washing (Wednesday), receiving home delivery of groceries (Friday) and cooking (Friday/Saturday) - to (in between) sorting through old papers and photos to do with family history (never-ending project). 

I'm still in email communication on and off with the guy writing a book involving a couple of relatives of mine from before my own entrance into the world. (Cf my post from mid September - Elsewhere and in another Time.) And as I do most weeks, I've also been putting together a post for Sepia Saturday on my blog Greetings from the Past. The Sepia theme for this month is Portraits - which also sent me on a wild goose chase around my flat trying to remember where on earth I may have hidden a couple of photos in paper frames too big for the boxes and albums where most other photos are kept. (I still haven't found those, which of course will continue to drive me nuts until I do.) 

Illustration by by Microsoft Bing Image Creator