Posted on by Karen

New Life Begins

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Among Fields and Flowers: Seasons with an Edwardian Lady
A Slowly Unfolding Series| Among Fields and Flowers: Seasons with an Edwardian Lady ~ Part 4
Country Diary Reflections, Mar 1906

I have a deep admiration for those who truly see nature, who notice beauty. I have been so “busy” throughout my life that I have missed so much. I have looked less than I should have and seen less than I could. Those who share the splendor of nature are among my favorite to follow. By seeing and pondering what they see, I am learning how to linger with what I see.

Thoughts like these are why I have found such interest in The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden. Beauty is timeless, and although she wrote and sketched her drawings 120 years ago, it’s as if it were yesterday.

As I move into March, leaving behind her Curious Oak Tree of January and the Wild and Stormy weather of February, I now find myself seeing through Edith’s eyes as spring awakens. After the bleak stormy weather of February, it is no wonder Edith’s first words in her March 4th entry were,

Glorious sunshine. First warm day of spring. All skylarks are singing in the blue.

And it is no surprise that she went for a long walk; as always, she knew the flowers by name as she went along the way. I am unaware of colt’s‑foot, procumbent field speedwell, or primrose, but as a student of nature, she certainly was.

The birds are a favorite of mine. Personally, I am quick to throw open the windows first thing in the morning, that I may hear the cheerful chatter of my local birds. Yet I like Edith’s way of saying it best: that there was such a chorus of voices from every hedge and tree.

Two days later, another day of bright sunshine brought a new discovery for Edith—a toad jumping about in the hall, which must have come through the garden door. I would not have described it as a discovery, but to Edith all nature was a discovery, whether toads or mice or shrews.

When I see how she lingered over everything she encountered, I am intrigued with her cycling jaunts as she detailed what she saw. I have gone on plenty of hikes and outdoor outings of my own, but my recollection of what I’ve seen is so vague. I long for the day when I see the world as many of you do, with the detail of the flowers, the grasses, critters and bugs, and the different species of birds. Perhaps some of those details are buried deep within my mind.

A few days later, Edith cycled near Bushwood. She described the weather as a rather dull day, yet she still went a little out of her way to visit the steep banks where the blue periwinkle grow. However, “going out of her way” is an understatement—Edith’s own words describe the journey best.


The periwinkle flowers that Edith had come to see,“…were some way off the road, and I had to carry my cycle nearly a quarter mile down a steep, muddy fordrough, set thick with thorns, with high banks on each side…When I got to the bottom of the lane…I was glad to find the white periwinkle still trailing its leaves on the bank…I noticed that the white periwinkle blossoms have five petals, while the blue have only four. I wonder if this is always so.”

Apparently, this is not always the case. Edith was likely observing an atypical floral structure that can occur in wild populations. She captured the moment not only in her journal but also in a watercolor sketch of the white periwinkles with five petals and the blue with only four.

Beyond the flowers, she also wrote of birdlife around her, including one she encountered near the periwinkle bed. She wrote, “A beautiful Jay in all the glory of his spine plumage flew screaming across the lane…He seemed to resent the intrusion of a human being in such an unfrequented spot.”

Her journal includes equally beautiful sketches of birds such as the Song Thrush and the Chaffinch, as well as colored illustrations of eggs from species that begin nesting in March. She also mentioned the House Sparrow, Starling, Wren, Rook, Blackbird, and Robin, among others. Of these, it was the Robin’s nest in the bank of a lane that she most noted, writing that it was “evidently just finished. This is the first finished nest I have seen this year.”

Looking through her sketches, I find myself especially drawn to the speckled eggs of the Thrush. Though I am not sure whether Thrushes live nearby, we do have many swallows that frequent our corner of the world, and I sometimes think I might climb a ladder to inspect one of their tiny nests someday.

Posted on by Karen

Wild and Stormy

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Among Fields and Flowers: Seasons with an Edwardian Lady
Country Diary Reflections, Feb. 1906 | Among Fields and Flowers: Seasons with an Edwardian Lady ~ Part 3 | A Slowly Unfolding Series

In this series, I have been sharing how Edith Holden’s diary has deepened my sense of wonder. By slowing down and pondering her sketches and writings, I have begun to notice the quiet details nestled within. In my last post, I reflected on her January pages, especially A Curious Oak Tree.

Turning now to February, which arrived with remarkable fury, Edith noted that by the second day of the month it was already “wild and stormy”. A couple of days later, another thunderstorm brought rain, hail, and sleet, followed that night by a snowstorm—the “first deep snow of the winter.” The land still did not rest as the next day rain and southwest winds caused a rapid thaw; and just three days later, Edith simply wrote, “Snowing all day.”

Yet between the southwest winds and the returning snow, Edith was able to steal away to the “violet wood”, where she took particular notice of the Lords and Ladies.

On her way home, she gathered some Gorse blossoms. These newly picked flowers would have brought cheer to her home as the next day’s snow covered the landscape. She sketched a beautiful likeness of them and copied a poem by E.B. Browning devoted to this lovely yellow flower.

Gorse Blossoms

February 15th appears to have brought nice weather. Edith described walking home from Solihull, several miles from her home near Birmingham. She noticed things I might have overlooked—or at least not seen with the same sense of wonder. She described, “a number of Gnats dancing in the bright sunshine.”

The mice would have given me a start, but Edith simply wrote, “I saw two little Shrew-Mice in different places on the bank, who darted quickly into their holes directly they saw me.” To my surprise, Edith devoted a full page of her diary to this creature, copying a long poem by Robert Burns, entitled, To a Mouse. I share one stanza that seems apropos:

I’m truly sorry man’s dominion
Has broken Nature’s social union,
And justified that ill opinion 
which makes thee startle
At me, thy poor earth-born companion
And fellow-mortal!

An otherwise tempestuous February was gracious enough to allow for one more adventure. On February 24th, Edith described cycling to Packwood through Solihull and Bentley-heath. This was no small distance. I find that remarkable, especially as I imagine she stopped along the way more than once. She surely was devoted to seeking the beauty in nature, and her passion encourages me to pause and notice the beauty around me.

On this day, Edith described birds busy building their nests, and the Rooks did so with a great deal of chatter. Through her eyes, I can envision the “branches of Willow bushes…everywhere… tipped with downy white balls.”

Edith visited the garden of Packwood Hall adjoining the church, where she chatted with a farmer who lived there. He brought out a little lamb that she held in her arms. She wrote, “it seemed quite fearless—poking its little black head up into my face.”

February’s turbulent weather had not yet finished. That day, Edith rode home another seven miles “in a storm of sleet and snow.”

It ended as it had begun. “We have had more winter weather this February than any other month this winter.” Yet the wintry days did not prevent the Edwardian Lady from appreciating every bit of nature’s gift she could discover.

In the next series, we are greeted by Edith’s exuberant exclamation, “Glorious sunshine.” As spring awakens, I look forward to pages filled with her writing and watercolour art, alive with the fullness of nature.

Posted on by Karen

Learning from the Past to Shape Tomorrow

Looking to the past to contend with problems of today is a philosophy that is increasingly gaining momentum in my life. This is nothing new, however. The whole modern homestead movement, whether you live in an apartment or choose sprawling acreage in the middle of nowhere, seems to be fueled by this idea.

We certainly saw the weaknesses of our supply chains during Covid. Previously, obtaining our groceries was not much of a thought for most of us. But within weeks food security was front and center.

My defining moment—my paradigm shift—occurred as a result of a couple of experiences at a major warehouse grocery chain. While checking out, a clerk made the decision to remove meat from my cart without any explanation whatsoever. The next month, the slight was repeated by another clerk. This was not an issue of hoarding. There were just two packages of the same meat in my cart.

I could not get over the fact that a clerk was making the decision on what I could buy. The idea was troubling. What I was allowed to purchase seemed to be based on the subjective opinion of an employee, not a posted store policy,

My irritation took me awhile to process. However, over time my frustration changed into something constructive—a growing interest in food security, and reducing my reliance on the need for instant access to groceries. This wasn’t about adopting a “prepper” mentality, but rather about becoming more intentional in gathering and storing ingredients for the long term—much like kitchens did in days gone by. In this way, my urgency to buy groceries on demand is gradually being replaced by a sense of self-sufficiency.

An ingredient household, however, requires cooking from scratch. With freshly baked bread and the aroma of spices in the air, my journey toward food security has truly begun. My kitchen is the heart of it all.

 ©️ MorningKaffeeklatsch.blog

Posted on by Karen

Time Thief

The other day, I was surprised to read someone referring to another as a “timethief,” simply because she didn’t answer a question as they wanted. Although not condoning—true confessions, at first, I laughed out loud with the word being used in relation to a platform technical question, of all things. Initially, I thought she was a moderator, still not appropriate. However, as it turns out, she was just a member, who took her time to try to answer the question.

She was truly gracious. Instead of returning the insult, she calmly said she was explaining what “could” be done. It’s not like she wasn’t knowledgable. However, the asker, still in the mood to sling, came back in a passive/aggressive manner with, “Timethief”…maybe I should have explained better…ending with a smiley face.

Kudos to her for taking the high road. These are the ones who keep humanity sane.

 ©️ MorningKaffeeklatsch.blog

Posted on by Karen

Life’s Never Ending Progress Reports

Well, I thought I was done with report cards when I finished schooling, but now, the ever present monthly gas energy report. It’s never good. Well, it could be good, maybe if we were gone all day.

I do believe in being a good steward of our resources. We did go solar for electricity, but that was more about our state’s electrical energy going through the roof and just trying to control costs over the long haul.

For gas, I’m just not sure who I’m being compared to. There should be a rating for those who are home and those who are gone most of the day. Maybe I’d rate more than a middle to low C, when there is no D or F rating. Yes, it’s true. I have a “fair” rating, which appears to be the bottom of their rating system.

But I do have a plan. (1) Learn how to make a fire without the use of gas, (2) a wood burning stove, and (3) oil lamps. I do love mood lighting.

I remain convinced that the answer to the modern day issues is to go back in time. However, I know there are problems with my solution as well, since apparently we’re not supposed to burn wood either. 🤷🏻‍♀️

 ©️ MorningKaffeeklatsch.blog