Sunday, October 5, 2008

crispy evenings

I walked out of Tesco to a glowing evening, and that October, bonfire, crisp smoky smell in the air, that signals sweepings of leaves and tingling noses on the way. Winter coming, Christmas feeling. The sky was clear and the sun shone gold. It was sinking and a cresent moon was rising round the corner. Everything was windless, still.

Driving home, the trees were still green and bushy, rising up straight in to a perfect, gold-kissed sky. It was almost eerily perfect and motionless, I felt like I was in a model world, a toy town. It was beautiful but a little disquieting too. Just before twilight, when the light is still there, but fading, making everything strange. The houses and deserted roads weren't right, I would have loved to be in the countryside a little more, walking in the fields before dinner. Feeling that touch of magic, of Alison Uttley, ash keys and old countryside mystery.

But we had a bag of chips that smelled just perfectly salt and vinegary, and they tasted like you want chips to taste, with buttery eggs, unusually brightly yoked, they sang as we ate them, mouthfuls of warm exactly-rightness.

If something could fall into place each day like that, all would be well, I think.

I said to Olivia, about toytown, and she conjectured that maybe we were being driven by a giant hand, belonging to a child, or God - ! And that God makes everything happen, controls us all. Wow. The conversations in the car are getting more philosophical by the day.

11 comments:

The Scarlet Tree said...

Sound gorgeous. Don't children say the most profound things - uncluttered by fact and pre-conceptions.

Tatiana Franey said...

beautiful imagery, i can picture the beauty of the evening in my mind.
and kids - just wow, what can i say?

tatoca

morgor said...

Does Olivia go to a christian school?

If so they she probably isn't "uncluttered by fact and pre-conceptions" since you get indoctrinated at a young age.

Jo said...

Actually, she doesn't go to Christian school, or any masses or services, and is unbaptised, so she's pretty uncluttered compared to a lot of Irish kids.

She does have a very Catholic Granny though, and was talking about 'Holy God' for a while, which I find deeply off putting, I'll admit.

I don't actualy know where she got that predestination thing from, picked up from someone else, I suppose.

But no indocrination here, morgor.

Anonymous said...

i've always liked oktober. my irish workmates initially thought it was funny that in germany we call it golden october, they thought october is all grey and rainy and horrible, and my descriptions of golden blue october skys didn't ring a bell. but it's true, and it does exist in ireland as well...

Jo said...

Yeah, I would have said October's usually nice here - and there's more chance of good weatherthan in the summer!

morgor said...

"no indocrination here"

Excellent work ;)

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post. I swear it made my morning coffee taste extra good.

Now I want chips in newspaper all soaked with vinegar. That flavour does not exist over here.

Jo said...

Thanks, Sam! I know, chips are a special thing all right - but you've got burritos.

You know, sometimes I nearly cry about the burritos. And the sandwiches.

Anonymous said...

Dear Jo,

This is the first visit I pay you.
Your blog feels cozy and warm, as well as elegant in the visual concision.

Cheers to your Irishness, to the fresh air in your writing, to the social way you state your motherhood. All that seemed refreshing and inviting to me. Tessa

Anonymous said...

Dear Jo,

This is the first visit I pay you.
Your blog feels cozy and warm, as well as elegant in the visual concision.

Cheers to your Irishness, to the fresh air in your writing, to the social way you state your motherhood. All that seemed refreshing and inviting to me. Tessa