The Novos Ordo.

The Novos Ordo(The English Mass),is celebrated once a week in my parish by the priest facing East. I have not experienced or heard of this happening else where. This arrangement seems to work well. Have any readers come across this way of saying Mass?

A Book Worm Award.

Over on Charli and me blogspot I have benn awarded the book worm award. Thankyou Carol, this is very kind. Now there are some far more deserving book blogs out there . So at the end of this post you will see the people I'm passing the award onto.
Here are my lines from the nearest book, Charlotte Bingham's 'In Distant Fields'.
'PARTITA SLOWED DOWN TO IDLE ALONG ON THE ICE JUST SO SHE COULD WATCH HER FRIEND EXECUTING A PERFECT SPIN.
'OH BRAVO!' PARTITA CALLED OUT IN GENUINE APPRECIATION. PARTITA BEGAN TO SKATE A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY, LONGING TO JOIN KITTY, NOT JUST BECAUSE SHE LOVED HER , BUT BECAUSE SHE KNEW THAT SKATING WITH KITTY WOULD ENHANCE HER OWN PERFORMANCE. AS THE TWO YOUNG WOMEN SKATED ALONGSIDE THEY WERE PASSED BY HARRY , HANDS CLASPED BEHIND HIS BACK, LONG LEGS PUSHING HIM TO EVER GREATER SPEED.'

Now here are the rules:
Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment.
Turn to page 56....
Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following there.
Then pass this lovely little award on to five other people ...




Margaret at 'Books Please'.
Brenda at 'Coffee,Tea and Books'.
Becky at' Book Reviews'.
Lezlie at 'Booksn Border Collies'.
'Just a reading fool.'

Sky Watch.

This is a photo taken from home on Wednesday 12 th November around 5pm. The sky was stunning and although the photo is good I don't think I've captured the vibrant colours.Hope you like it.
More photos
here.

Booking through Thursday

This is today's discussion,


I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?

Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?


'I'm betting that you have at least ONE permanent resident ...'
ONE, oh what a laugh! There are two bookcases crammed with bought books. They are not all mine , some belong to my husband. I do love books and I love to own them. It gives me a feeling of satisfaction when I realise how many I have actually read. There are some still waiting to get the first page turned, but I'll get there eventually.
However, I do enjoy a good look round the library and frequently borrow from them, but my branch is not very big and consequently the stock is limited . Even if I order from them some books are not available so buying is the only option.
More thoughts can be found

here.

An old soldier.

I've just seen Harry Patch , veteran of World War 1 on tv.This old soldier is now well over 100 and still remembers vividly the fighting in that war and how he held a comrade hand as he died. Wasn't that called 'the war to end all wars'. Unfortunately we all know that wasn't the case.
In these times we are all , imho dashing around , worrying about finances, homes etc. These are all important but I hope that I , at least, can take time to consider human beings and put my fellow man before my possessions.

Photo courtesy of



this site.

Remembrance Sunday

We Will Remember Them.


Photo courtesy of
this site.

He's here...

Yes he arrived yesterday . Isn't he cute. My daughter adores him. His name is Sonny , he's a 3 year old. 13.2 h Dales pony. Up to now(fingers crossed) he's been very good , in tacking up , riding and generally been around people he doesn't know too well.

Sky Watch

I took this photo today from the back garden.The Autumn colours are really vibrant in the sunshine. The bird, sneeked in there, I didn't realise it ws in the shot till I uploaded the pic. Hope you like it. If you click on the photo it will enlarge.
You can see more photos
here.

ABC 3rd Round

Over on Mrs. Nesbitts' blog we are concentrating on the letter'P' this week. This is a photo of my daughter's pony. He is a Dales pony and is 3 years old. The photo was taken at a training school and hopefully he'll be home with us at the end of the week, so I'll have more opportunities to take some more pics. Hope you like him.
More pics
here.

November.

Photo courtesy of
this site.

"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
- Clyde Watson

More November poems
here.

The Sunday Salon.

Well although I'm not quite finished this Maeve Binchy book I thought I would review it here.(Only have a few pages left). This is a collection of short stories , all based around Christmas time. In each story the characters are all assessing what the Christmas season will mean/be to them. For some the prospect is lonliness for others the prospect of too many relatives and for some a 'one night stand' that is regretted immediately the bedroom door is closed (however no intimate details were disclosed). IMHO the main theme of the book is, we are all searching for the TRUE meaning of Christmas.How we all need to feel loved and to love. The relationships in the book all needed the human touch , the feeling that can't be found in an expensive present in this materialistic world. Now please don't misunderstand I am no killjoy and I love the present giving and the tinsle as much as anyone but I do believe in the basics of Christmas --------- the power of a child born in a manger and hence the power of human love.

Knitting for colder days.

These has been this weeks project, a pair of legwarmers for my daughter. Boy, do we need them , it is so cold ! They were very quick to knit. However, I was a little surprised with the wool, which she bought online. I haven't done much knitting for a while and from what I can remember 'chunky' wool was a lot thicker than this , but maybe my memory is playing tricks. I know there are some wonderful knitters out there , they may not agree. Opinions welcome.

Booking through Thursday

Over on
Booking through Thursday the discussion this week is
Are you a spine breaker? Or a dog-earer? Do you expect to keep your books in pristine condition even after you have read them? Does watching other readers bend the cover all the way round make you flinch or squeal in pain?

Well I'm certainly not a spine breaker and I hate to see books with pages turned down or in anyway damaged. This is a pet subject of mine and I really don't see any need to deface books at all.

29 years ago today...

Yes this was where I was 29 years ago. Our wedding day. It was a lovely day with warm Autumn sunshine and nowhere near as cold as today, or perhaps it's just my age feeling the cold now. We don't have anything planned for today as our trip to the
theatre was for our Anniversary.So it will be a quiet night with a glass of wine,and a 'trip down memory lane' as we look at more photos.

The Sunday Salon

Well this week has seen some reading. I finished 'The Cross legged Knight' by Candace Robb. You can read the review
here. I'm about to start 'This year it will be different' by Maeve Binchy. This is a collection of short stories with a Christmas theme. I ordered this book from the library last October and I was still on the waiting list in February 08 so I withdrew my name . When I visited the library last week it jumped off the shelf at me so I've got it at last!! I've read a couple of Maeve's books before, and I do like the way she writes , she's a good storyteller.
The clocks were changed last night so the evenings are getting dark sooner. Winter is coming. I really don't like the dark nights but there is one consolation, there is more time for hobbies. So it's reading and sewing/knitting, but more of that later .Hope you all have a good week.

Book Review.

The Cross legged Knight by Candace Robb.
This is an 'Owen Archer' mystery. Set in England in 1371, it begins with the tale of the Bishop of Winchester's near 'accident' in the grounds of York Minster . The story then enfolds with a fire in a townhouse in York where the body of a young woman was found. Owen Archer, a one -eyed spy is asked to solve the mystery of the fire. With the help of his wife and Magda a 'natural ' healer from the riverside a complex tale is discovered. This is a really good read, you can just about smell Medieval York. I think it's no. 8 in the 'Owen Archer' novels , I intend to read more.
The curious title is the name of a carving placed onto coffins of Christians who died for their faith, in this instance someone who has been on a Holy Crusasde.