Autumn, Poetry, and Icarus

Its gotten cold outside, all the heat of the past month seems magically drained away. And the days seem to be sinking further into night. Yet around three o'clock in the afternoon there is still that golden fall light, the one that I love the most. It casts beauty on the mundane and makes the world seemed edged with gold and during this time men seem to have flames about their heads as if bearing halos. And I sit and gape at the world like an infant, drunk with the color and smell of it all.
With the darkening and coldness winter steps closer, knitting seems a more apt activity than it did in the high heat of August or July. As I drink my rose tea, a new favorite of mine especially with milk and equal, in the evenings I feel comforted in the warmth of my room and the softness of my bed.

Tonight I went to another Blake precept which is basically 7 students, a mixture of juniors and seniors, and a tutor, sitting around a table and discussing the text. It was our second to last class on the Songs of Innocence and Experience. Its been really great so far, the poems while at first appearing to be songs addressed to children prove much darker carrying a sense of mortality in them. This sort of contradiction has always fascinated me; beauty and ugliness, death and life seemingly standing hand in hand.
It is also nice to have Blake's engravings which always deepen my understanding of the poem. They are so bright and vibrant, each seems to capture fluid motion and yet each retains the done- by- hand feel. T.S Eliot said of Blake's work that it, "resembles an ingenuous piece of home-made furniture." A description with which I tend to agree with. Next we are moving on to his Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
On another note, everything my heart desired seemed to come in the mail today yarn( 2 skiens of JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 in juniper), a pattern book ( The Best of Interweave Knits), yummy lotion (Avalon lavender), and needles from knitpicks. I can now start working on the Icarus shawl which I have been dying to make. It will be my first lace project and I'm hoping I take my new books warning of do not work on lace when tired seriously, or else I fear there will be much ripping and cursing. But hey if things get too intense I always have my new lavender body lotion to calm me down, sigh. Maybe, I'll start it tomorrow, that is unless Eric wants me to go to fencing practice (which by the way I should go to). So if not tomorrow then Wednesday. Oh by the way another exciting thing is scheduled for Wednesday, my first knitting request. One of my friends wants me to make him a hat, he has even offered to pay for it. This has never failed to thrill me, that someone would want to pay for my art.
I'm starting to ramble and I've been slouching further and further into my pillows, a sure sight that it is time for bed. So goodnight hope to see you soon. Oh and if you get a chance please leave a comment :)