Wednesday 16 September 2009

Fruity & mellow

One of the compensations for the end of summer is the early autumn fruits. Al has had a lot of fresh figs brought in, and someone has had a fabulous crop of peaches this year - huge and juicy and really delicious. A few weeks ago, the Kent cob nuts were ripe and Al still has the last of those for sale, but today I ignored them, because he had something even better - fresh "wet" walnuts. I've come home with a big bagful. I've also come home with a punnet of autumn raspberries - I do have some autumn raspberry canes in the garden but they're a bit overwhelmed by nettles and I'm leaving them to the birds. Yes, think of me what you will, but I can't do much gardening at present.

This morning was the inaugural lecture of a new branch of this society - I've just come off the committee of one of its branches in Norwich. It was held in the local theatre and there was a very good turn-out, they had to bring in an extra row of chairs. It was an excellent lecture too - she'd come in at short notice as the original lecturer booked became ill and they had to scout around. It was about this picture, the subject and artist and why it caused such a scandal on being exhibited for the first time in Paris.

Oh, by the way, how do you pronounce 'eccentric'? "Essentric" or "excentric"?

Anyway, if enough people want to join it'll start up in January. I've come home and asked the Sage if he would join too and (once I mentioned a friend of his who was there whose wife is on the committee) he agreed. So that will be something we do together, which will be something of a novelty. Well, something that we go out and do together, that is.

16 comments:

Dave said...

Excentric.

Sorry I couldn't come over this afternoon. Have just got home, with my shiney car.

Dave said...

No, ecksentric.

Z said...

Not that any of us is, of course.

Not at all - I should think you're heartily glad to get it back. Let's hope the weather holds for next week.

martina said...

Ex centric. Eee centric refers to being circular. What are cob nuts? Hazelnuts/filberts? I can't remember why there was such a scandal when the Madame X painting was first exhibited.

Z said...

She didn't say eee centric, but ess sentric.

Yes, cobnuts are hazelnuts or filberts, specifically when they are newly harvested and still fresh, not dried.

It was a long and interesting tale - I'll explain briefly later on, bit busy now.

Zig said...

I have a walnut tree and it is heavily laden - the squirrels always get them before me though, other than the ones that is, that fall into my (chicken hating) neighbours and are just now making holes in their new conservatory roof.

Z said...

It's been such a wonderful year for fruit that I have hopes that people might bring walnuts into the shop from their trees.

If I were your neighbour I'd trade holes in the roof for lovely fresh walnuts. Admittedly, I'm greedy.

Dave said...

Ziggi has squirrels that fall off trees and make holes in her neighbours' roof? Are they drunk?

Anonymous said...

More of "ek-sentric" (short "e" sound).

That's funny about your raspberries -- I find the early summer ones disappear more quickly than I can get out there and collect them, but in the autumn, the birds are more tempted by the sunflowers going to seed, and I can gather more of them then!

Madame X has an unhealthily narrow waist!

Anonymous said...

More of "ek-sentric" (short "e" sound).

That's funny about your raspberries -- I find the early summer ones disappear more quickly than I can get out there and collect them, but in the autumn, the birds are more tempted by the sunflowers going to seed, and I can gather more of them then!

Madame X has an unhealthily narrow waist!

Z said...

Just shows that having a child doesn't ruin your figure!

I haven't actually looked for raspberries. I'm talking nettles as high as the canes!

And yes, I pronounce it as you do. Funny how some people say certain words - once we had a lecturer who repeatedly pronounced foliage as 'foilage' - but at least English wasn't her first language.

martina said...

I had a middle school history teacher who pronounced Africa as Affgaaa. Made students giggle every time he said it. A pastor used to say the word beautiful as beauty full-kind of sounds better doesn't it? Full of beauty.

I, Like The View said...

X

what a wonderful society - hopefully you and The Sage will find it interesting and stimulating and enjoyable

(-:

luckyzmom said...

eck - like peck or deck. Not saying it is correct pro-nun-c-a-shun, just that that is how I say it. My husband has called the morning meal breckfrast as long as I've known him. I stopped correcting him about thirty years ago. I think he does it just to irritate me now. It doesn't.

luckyzmom said...

It no longer does.

Z said...

I'm glad to know that the consensus is the same pronunciation as I use.

My beloved knows better than to irritate me...