A Bluestocking Knits

Thursday.  Fine.

Farmer Cotton & Rosie here for breakfast – early because “a farmer’s work is never done,” as he is fond of saying.

I’ve been doing well enough in the Fishing Club for Old Noakes to give me a new rod, with a fine new bobber!  AND earned a new mixing bowl in the Cooking Club!  Find that I am quite enjoying cooking — especially for friends — & the washing-up takes no time atal, wh. is a constant wonder to me, as I always found it a bit of a drudge in Bree.  It has just occurred to me that I didn’t say “back home in Bree” — I am starting to feel truly at home here.  This pleases me no end!

Overheard in the Village Square: “I swear I saw Delphinium crunching on a mushroom like an apple”!

Being a somewhat absent-minded hobbit, I am spending the evening drawing a map of Bywater on which I mean to note the locations of the various fruit & nut trees &c &c.  One doesn’t wish to be caught short of Apples when it is time to make Baked Apples Filled with Oats, to be sure.

Am also a hobbit who loves maps.

Friday.  Fine.

Went to Nefi’s forge at his request. to learn that I’m to be allowed to fish from Ladle’s Jetty! “Catch many fish to make the mad Hobbit happy,” Nefi said.  I’m pretty sure that was a joke.  Ladle just quacked & looked a bit perplexed, as Ladle does.  Still haven’t figured out why Ladle wears a helmet.  Perhaps that’s also a dwarf joke.

Saturday.  Fine.

Had Delphinium & Sandyman here for an early supper.  Made a Baby Marrow Tart & Tuckborough Pikelets — a recipe that Delphinium had given me.  They’re sort of like crumpets, but with Currants & mushrooms & nuts, so a bit more substantial.

Have been doing pretty well in the Foraging Club, too, enough for Delphinium to give me a lantern so that I can forage when it’s getting dark — very handy indeed!

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… spent the afternoon foraging — Blackberries & Elderberries — there are quite a lot of each along the lane outside my front gate — then the evening making jams.  Made nineteen jars all told!  I’m sure that my face is as red as a piece of Rhubarb.  Went outdoors for a little while before bed to enjoy the cool evening & the beautiful stars.

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… the dirt under my fingernails!  Found myself inspecting them multiple times this morning, waiting my turn at Farmer Cotton’s stall.

At Ladle’s Jetty, I caught a splendid Tench, twelve pounds if it was an ounce.  Felt very pleased with myself!  Then in full view of Nefi and Ladle, I ran straight into the timber support around the Burrowses’s back door as I left, wh. kept me humble.

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… was so involved in deciding yesterday evening what to plant where that it was utterly dark when I rushed to bed — taking my watering can with me!

Tuesday.

An exciting day!  Had spent much of it out & about — fishing, mostly — when I ran into Willow Took, who completely flabbergasted me by admitting that she’d fixed my front door & opened up the passage & the room beyond!  I could barely stutter out my thanks before racing home to see it.

It is a lovely big room with a fireplace & a little sort of alcove off to one side.  It will be perfect done up as a bedroom for uncle — I must write & tell him.  And start looking out for furniture, of course.

Lit a jolly big fire, as it was quite cold! & of course the room need airing anyway —

Fished at Ladle’s Jetty later.  A beautiful afternoon — the cold water so clear that I could see the shadows of the fish on the bottom, & so blue that it was like the sky but for the ripples on the surface.