Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady - November

♫The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady♫

Edith Holden begins her November entry in her 1906 "The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady". . . .

"The ninth month of the old Roman year which began with March.  The 11th of November was held to mark the beginning of Winter.  The Anglo-Saxon name for November was 'Blot-monath'; (Blood-month) the latter name probably alluding to the custom of slaughtering cattle about Martinmas for winter consumption.

1.   Steady drizzle of rain,--a regular November day.

3.   ....I brought home a little book on British Toad-stools today, with photographs of 65 different varieties.....In about half an hours' time I found 10 different species of fungus growing in the wood and adjoining field;--all brown in colour, with the exception of two,--one of these was the common Sulphur-Tuft,--a nice orange and yellow, the other was dull pink above, and a beautiful pale heliotrope beneath."

Edith went on to share the notes from the back of her book on Toad-stools. . . .

" ' The plant itself is composed of a number of minute threads, which run in all directions under ground;--and it is only when the plant growing in the ground becomes vigorous enough to produce seeds or spores that Mushrooms appear.  It will thus be that the Mushroom, the sole function of which is to produce spores is only the fruit of the Mushroom plant.'

10.  ....I found a very handsome species growing in tiers up the trunk of a Beech tree, where the bark had been torn away;  It was dark blue-black above, and pure white below--the gills being curiously waved and corruscated,--giving them the effect of white coral---and farther on in a little wood, I gathered some of the Common Polyporus from the side of a rotten stump; and a delicate little Stag's Horn Fungi or Claveria."

Edith saw and drew several birds this month--the Starling, Song Thrush, and Green Woodpecker.  She also saw Blackbirds and a Kingfisher.

This is the page she drew of the fungi she'd found. . . .

This month's DVD begins in London in 1917.  Edith has just learned that her brother Kenneth is very ill so she boards the train to go visit him.  Throughout the program Edith thinks back to 1906 and then through the years when her father died, the rift between her brothers and sisters over who would carry on the business, and eventually Kenneth's death which brings the brothers and sisters back together.  

In the biography it is the year 1911 when Edith and Ernest Smith marry.  She was 39 and he 32.  Edith continued her illustrating work and exhibiting her paintings at the Royal Academy while Ernest held a new position as the principal assistant to the Countess Feodora Gleichen, also a sculptor.  Edith helped promote the work of Ernest's brother, Frederick, also a sculptor.

Here are clips from Edith and Ernest's courtship from the DVD series. . . .
                       

Bunny Mummy's November Nature Notes from Edith's 1905 diary include photos of the November English countryside. 

In Ragged Robin's Part 8 she takes us to Elmdon Park near Edith's home in 1906.  Much has changed there but there is still at least one tree there that Edith would have seen--a Sweet Chestunt tree that has been there since the 1500s.

I decided I'd paint some of the fungi that Edith painted.  After inking in "November" I discovered I'd left the "B" out!  This did not bode well for my afternoon of drawing!  So I started again then drew the fungi on my drawing pad. . . .

I decided to leave out the log and the two fungi that I was not interested in.  It was not as easy as I thought it would be.  If I didn't have you all to hold my feet to the fire I might have given up on this one!  But after a few hours of reworking it this is what I ended up with. . . .

Here are the fungi I've found in our yard and woods over the years.  The yellow "globe" with white specks was photographed by Ken when we were in Eagles Mere.  The round one in the top right corner was almost as large as a soccer ball!  The pretty green and white "fans" were growing up the side of a live tree. . . .

My search on the Internet found this Country Diary Quilt fabric. . . .

Amazon has this mini-tea set for sale. . . .

Amazon also has this Crafts book for sale. . . .

And if you live in Britain Mark & Spencer has an appointment calendar for next year. . . .

Here are a few of my sketches from my morning journal.  These drawings are from "Henner's Lydia"--a book by Marguerite de Angeli about a little Amish girl (except the Tudor-style house which is from another of Angeli's books). . . .

The rabbit is my plush Velveteen Rabbit and the chipmunk and owl were from magazines. . . .

This drawing is from my very own imagination. . . .

Next month will be the last post on Edith's Diary.  If any of you have taken up the challenge and drawn some of Edith's drawings, I'd love for you to send me one so I can include it in next month's post.  You can find my e-mail address on my Profile page.


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Take Joy!