Tuesday 7 June 2011

Wild cherries


When the wild cherries had dried on the trees, too small to pick, too hard for the birds but chewy and delicious and left as treats for us children, we knew it must be close to the fourteenth of July.

                                                         from The Lantern

The unexpectedly foul weather in Provence last week lifted for long enough for me to run out into the garden to the wild cherry trees on the old orchard terrace. The cherries on these are tiny scarlet globules that taste of sour cherry candy, tart yet sweet on the tongue. The boughs were weighed down by fruit, all dancing in the wind.

When the sun came out, it was hot – but torrential rain lashed down only about an hour after these pictures were taken, accompanied by another epic thunderstorm. So much rain fell that day that fields of the region’s famous orange-fleshed Cavaillon melons were decimated and the crops lost. It just goes to show that it’s not only in the past that farming was a precarious livelihood, even in this place of glorious plenty where sunshine is usually taken for granted.

Again, I’m sorry this is such a short post and for my absence from comments on all my favourite blogs. I travelled back to England yesterday in readiness for the UK publication of The Lantern. The publication date has been moved forward – for reasons I still can’t reveal! - and it should be available in the shops in the week beginning June 20.

Meanwhile, the house here in Kent is like the Marie Celeste, abandoned in a state of chaos as we’ve run in and run out again in between travels over the last three weeks or so. For the next few days, this writer’s life will be occupied by the more prosaic mountains of dirty washing, domestic admin, and fixing all the things in this house that have broken down and have had to stay that way - as well as the inevitable fretting as to how my novel, in which so much time and work has been invested, will be received when it finally appears…



19 comments:

Unknown said...

Such an exciting time for you! Just make sure you take some time to enjoy those cherries. :)

K said...

The weather in Spain has been just as bad as you have described. In fact as I type,I can hear the distant rumble of thunder! However, the bad weather is a benefit to farmers and the cherries in your pictures look juicy and delicious.

It's also very exciting news about your book, I'm looking forward to reading it!

Jyoti Mishra said...

I love cherries
it tastes awesome... yummy !!!

Pétales de fée said...

Nice words about these times. The cherry season is a beautiful French song, you know?

Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
Et gai rossignol et merle moqueur
Seront tous en fête
Les belles auront la folie en tête
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur
Quand nous en serons au temps des cerises
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur

Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
Où l'on s'en va deux cueillir en rêvant
Des pendants d'oreilles
Cerises d'amour aux robes pareilles (vermeilles)
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang...
Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
Pendants de corail qu'on cueille en rêvant !

Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d'amour
Évitez les belles !
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour…
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Vous aurez aussi des peines d'amour !

J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
C'est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
Une plaie ouverte !
Et Dame Fortune, en m'étant offerte
Ne pourra jamais calmer (fermer) ma douleur…
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur !

Jean Baptiste Clément

Deb said...

Oh, congratulations, Deborah. What an exciting time. At least the domestic stuff is always waiting. I might be a little disappointed if I poked my head up from the laptop and found everything neat and tidy. But I'd figure out a way to handle it.

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

An exciting time, and you deserve a bowl of cherries for your much anticipated book... Mine is on pre-order with Amazon and I cannot wait to post a review...

Take deep breaths and enjoy the moment.

Bises,
Genie

Sam (Tiny Library) said...

Good luck with the publication, you must be excited :)

We have cherry trees at the school where I work. When they're ripe the kids pick them and we serve them in the school canteen, it's a really nice time.

Lynne with an e said...

I think that whatever you have to announce is going to like the cherry on top of the sundae!

Brenda said...

Many congrats! Enjoy all the moments, and may they linger with you always.

Sara Louise said...

There are three large cherry trees in my village and I've been pillaging!

Kenya D. Williamson said...

I'm sure your novel will be very well-received, Deborah. I wish you the best -- as the date arrives and you do your domestic work. ;)

litlove said...

We could use some of your rain - it's been unusually dry in the east of England this year and our crops are suffering from the drought! You have to feel for poor farmers. So very exciting about The Lantern, though, and I can't wait for your novel to come out over here. I am looking forward to reading it so much!

Muriel said...

Exciting time for you Deborah! I can't wait. I love wild cherries too...

Deborah L said...

Thank you all for these lovely comments, and the glorious poem, Petales!

I'm still having problems posting my comments on any blog that requires a Google Account sign-in - it simply will not work. And there are so many good posts out there where I'd like to show my appreciation! But I've discovered my own comments settings had slipped into the same position, so I've reinstated the name/URL option and might be able to put this up. Let's see...

Deborah L said...

Hurray!

Bunched Undies said...

Not to worry Deborah. If the book is half as good as the excerpts you've posted here the past few months, you'll have a hit on your hands...

BookQuoter said...

I myself cannot wait to read your book. Have fun and good luck.

Samantha Sotto said...

Exciting times!!! Can't wait to read your book. I'm sure it will be AMAZING :)

Anonymous said...

I'm going backwards through your recent posts, having missed so many, but it's very good news to see that The Lantern will be out soon. Looking forward to it very much.

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