a little here, a little there

 We're in for a cold day tomorrow; I had to dig out some warmer sweaters.

I bought a new dress, but on closer acquaintance realized it's a little big. I took the shoulder seam in some, and wore it to work. Today I machine-basted the underarm areas; will try it on and see how that looks. A little at a time. Maybe the armhole, too.

I bought Malcolm Guite's Galahad and the Grail. He is writing an epic poem of the Arthurian legends in four volumes, and the first two are out. How does he do it? Whenever I read any of his poetry, for some reason I get the notion that it just flows out of him, since I've never heard him talk about struggling to find the words. Anyway, sh seems to have been born two days after my brother, who also just had his birthday (of course). He had a couple of days off, and I was off yesterday too because of Veteran's Day, so we had a friend over; dinner was soup and turkey sandwiches, gingerbread and ice cream. It was a nice rest and visit. 

photo from Rabbit Room Press, the publisher

The illustrations are wonderful, too. 

So those three knights set off once more,
the true path to pursue.
And straighway they were veiled in mist,
for still the bleak fog did persist
and soon obscured their view.

But their good steeds kept plodding on
and seemed to sense the way.
Maybe their draughts of water clear,
drawn from the Naiad's well most pure,
gave those good beasts some knowledge sure
- sometimes when men are still unsure,
their beasts know more than they.

But as they rode on through the murk,
their sense of dread returned.
Around them came false flickering lights,
as though somewhere, just out of sight,
some evil spirits burned.

And then, ahead of them, they saw
a figure made of flame,
though in its mocking face it had
no eyes, but pools of dark instead,
as though it bodied forth their dread -
a nothing with no name.

And from it came a hollow voice,
most like the wuthering wind:
"You ride too late, I keep the gate,
and failure is your only fate.
Hell-fire finds sinners, soon or late,
and all mankind has sinned."

Thanksgiving is in two weeks. When you've been sick it's more a matter of one day at a time, rather than planning ahead for anything. But we have to get a turkey breast!