November days ...and a winter soup
...November is the pearl-grey month,
the changeling
between warm crimson October
and cold white December...
These words are from a poem entitled 'A Poem for November' written by Alison Uttley of Little Grey Rabbit fame.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Little Grey Rabbit, she is the main character in a series of much loved children's stories, published between 1929 and the 1970s. The stories tell the tale of Little Grey Rabbit and her friends, amongst them, Hare, Squirrel, Speckledy Hen, Wise Owl and Fuzzypeg, and their everyday life in their woodland home.
They are charming stories, told with great affection for the community of woodland creatures and beautifully illustrated by Margaret Tempest.
Alison Uttley was born in Derbyshire at Castle Top farm near Cromford and had a deep love of nature as is evident in her writings.
Apart from her prolific storytelling, she was also notable for being awarded a scholarship to study at Manchester University, where in 1906 she became only the second woman to be awarded an honours degree in Physics.
A remarkable woman.
I agree - November has been somewhat bleak this year, much more so than I remember from previous years. Looking forward to December and all the bright, Christmas lights. They really do help to brighten dark, winter days.
ReplyDeleteHello Julia, so nice of you to stop by and leave a comment. It's another grey and murky day here today. I too am looking forward to the Christmas lights to add a touch of sparkle.
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