. . . and other miscellaneous items. It was a cold, rainy day last May when the first local farmer's market was held. But this weekend's last farmer's market of the season was chock full of autumn goodness and it was a gorgeous, crisp fall day! As you can see there was an abundance of produce and I came away with a bag full of delicious apples (my favorite fruit), beautiful, big red peppers (a literal steal at 50 cents a pepper), and . . .
. . . several jars of local organic honey as well as a few jars of jellies and butters. I am ruined when it comes to jams now. I will only buy homemade jellies and jams from It's All About the Bees. Every visit to the weekend farmer's market usually yielded some new flavor (this is my 'sweet' weakness)--gooseberry and anything ginger being my favorites closely followed by pear butter. Yum.
The owner brought along some of her bees this weekend, so I had to share them here, as I think they are pretty cool. It's pretty amazing that honey is thanks to these little guys. Much like Winnie the Pooh, I think I could happily eat honey straight from the jar, though I usually content myself with just an occasional spoonful in my tea.
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A little digression there, but I had such a nice weekend, I had to share pictures. Reading back over last May's post, I see I have made little progress in some books though I have moved on to new and different stories in other cases. So, no time was spent with Charles Palliser's Quincunx this weekend. Truly, I am determined to finish it this year. I had hoped to finish it by the end of this month but alas, those plans have had to be revised. I see it was my coffee-shop companion last May. This morning's companion (one of them anyway, the main one) was Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy. The idea is to read two sections per month with the goal of finishing the book next summer (all 1,400+ pages). Last month I managed to do so just in time. I am hoping I can still read the next two sections in the next week or so, but I might be just a little optimistic there. As for the Palliser . . . well, I have a few other books on the reading agenda this week, but I'll get back to it soon. Maybe it is time to recount the number of pages left, divide by the number of days left in the year and try and read just enough pages to finish by January 31? Whatever it takes to unravel the mystery of the quincunx!
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I was reading the first volume of Call the Midwife, a book I loved (though never did get around to writing about). I've lately thought it is about time to read the second book, but this weekend I decided to start reading Carolyn Burke's biography of photographer Lee Miller, which I think might be just what I need (to kick start my nonfiction reading). She was a talented, interesting and very intriguing woman. I generally love reading memoirs and biographies and am already mentally thinking about others I might read still this year (about Katherine Mansfield maybe, or Elizabeth Taylor?).
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I see that last May I was (as I am wont to do every few months it seems) reshuffling books and reassessing reading plans. I've been doing that once again since I came back from vacation. I put back on my bookshelves a few books that I am not quite clicking with and which I have not made much progress in, and have pulled out a new book or two, but mostly I have looked at my rather towering 'in progress but languishing pile in order to rescue a few. So, out has come Peter May's The Lewis Man, which I have fallen back into quite easily. I am very much in a mood for mysteries now, but rather than continually pick up new books I am going to finish the May first! (I already have in mind the my next read, however).
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I'm also back to Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar, which came with me on vacation but mostly was neglected. It is another book I am finding very engaging (and right now the more engaging the story the better as I hate feeling out of sorts with my reading and am happy to have at least gotten back into some sort of routine!). It's set in 1930s NYC and I like Marjorie. I like reading about that period and I like that there are bits about her Jewish upbringing. Lots of interest to me in the story.
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And this week's reading (in the hopes of finishing by month's end)? Ambitious plans, which I am sure I will not be able to achieve, but I will valiantly try anyway. I'm going to be starting Isabel Colegate's The Shooting Party and Vasily Grossman's Everything Flows. Both are 'readalong' books, though I'll be 'reading along', I have a feeling I will be finishing on my own. Who knows, though, maybe if I really focus, I can accomplish more than I think. And there is still my postal reading group book, which I have made little progress in, even though the story is interesting.
Too bad time doesn't grow on trees. I'd go outside and pick myself a few extra hours every day!
Okay, one more photo for the road. Look what's just around the corner. Yikes. Where has the year gone?