the not-so-little gesture
I find the little gestures far more impressive and meaningful than grand gestures. A rib-crushing hug, a cup of tea brought to me in bed, a slice of cake baked by someone else, the gift of a book which the giver thinks I will like. So when I met Gerard of I Knit London for the first time yesterday, I was utterly delighted when, after saying he had a present for me, he gave me a pineapple in a paper bag. It made me laugh, it told me that Gerard had read my book, and it made me feel very special - it's been a long time since anyone gave me a this kind of gift.
Gerard was a wonderful host and it was lovely to meet so many knitters at the Crafternoon Tea. I've also discovered where I want to live when I move to London to be old and wild (or just older and wilder): Bonnington Square.
WHAT A LOVELY GIFT FOR YOU ,AND YOU DO DESERVE SOME NICE GESTURES IN YOUR LIFE ,AFTER THE RECENT SAGA....
BONNINGTON SQUARE LOOKS WONDERFUL,I CAN SEE YOU IN THE GARDEN THERE...THE SNOW LOOKS LOVELY...I HOPE THE DREAM COMES TRUE...
Posted by: RI | October 21, 2007 at 04:22 PM
That's a fantastic gift.
Posted by: Karbee | October 21, 2007 at 04:31 PM
what a lovely personal gift! In colonial America returning ships would bring pineapples from their travels and give them as welcoming and hospitality gifts to their friends, and the pineapple still symbolises this today in some parts of Massachussets.
Posted by: driftwood | October 21, 2007 at 06:45 PM
could you save me a little corner when you move there? i don't take up much room... xx
Posted by: hazeljoy | October 21, 2007 at 07:48 PM
What a lovely gesture.
I also very much appreciate the little things in life.
I think the small acts of kindness mean more than the big overblown kind, although there is a place for them.
:)
Are you going to make a pineapple upside down cake with it?
Posted by: Stephalicious | October 21, 2007 at 08:06 PM
I have just finished reading some of your older posts and wanted you to know that I am new to your blog but read it every day (for your stats) because I love to see what you make and it inspires me to do the same for my house and family. I love your creativity (wish I had more), your thoughts which are similar to mine. I especially love your quilts.
(this is the only blog I read everyday and the only one that I dare to comment and I have to say that it makes me feel closer to your world being so far away.
Posted by: Maria from Honduras | October 21, 2007 at 08:59 PM
Oh Oh Oh!!!
I want to see London! I really do!
Though I do have a clump of red hot pokers in my front yard, just like the photo. It's coming up to summer here, and they're starting to flower.
Posted by: Frogdancer | October 21, 2007 at 09:57 PM
Thank you for the Bonnington Square link Jane. Where I live some of us residents are trying to save some land from being built on by a very well known supermarket.
What a thoughtful gift too.
Posted by: Bee | October 21, 2007 at 10:04 PM
Bonnington Square is a wonderful example of a great community project. They were especially lucky that one of the local residents involved in setting it up was the garden designer Dan Pearson. It's particularly nice how the ethos has spilt over into surrounding streets - lots of care taken with pots outside front doors and the like.
Posted by: joan | October 21, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Pineapples! Pineapples! Pineapples!
Wonderful, magical fruit!
See them growing in England at ...
www.heligan.com
click on Northern Garden and then on Productive Garden.
You English are just amazing!
"Pineapples in cold, foggy England?"
"Sure! We should try that. Let's have a go!" :)
Much "Sunshine" love to all
Maman
ps: In honour of Jane's first Book, the announcement has just been made that the "2007 Literary Christmas Cake" will be made with the Golden Circle Pineapple and Walnut Cake recipe.
Jane joins an illustrious band of Literary Christmas Cake Cooks. (Truman Capote being one of my favourites. The tale of how he and his granmother go about making the cakes, packing and posting them, is as "delicious" as their recipe!)
maman.
Posted by: maman | October 21, 2007 at 11:23 PM
Ooops! Jane, sorry!
Not Capote's 'Grandmother' at all. He and his much much older 'cousin' made the whiskey soaked, pineapple studded Christmas Cake.
You can read it all on line, "A Christmas Memory". A Delight!
maman
Posted by: maman | October 21, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Now that is the perfect gift! I think the small gestures are more touching since they require someone to know you well to pull them off.
Posted by: Dorothy | October 22, 2007 at 03:19 AM
My sister has a thing for pineapples - real and created. Anything pineapple themed will be an excellent gift for her - printed fabric, bowls, photographs.
I also love them, it's an elegant fruit. It's a physical manifestation of nature's order, in that it (along with the pinecone) expresses perfectly the fibonacci series in mathematics - each bump on the pineapple is aligned carefully so that it makes a triangle shape in that series - 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc etc. Personally, I love patterns, and I love turning a pineapple this way and that, letting my eye run along the differnt lines and patterns I can see.
I didn't know about hte symbol of hospitality, though. How fascinating!
Posted by: Kate | October 22, 2007 at 03:24 AM
Delurking to say that I lived on Bonnington Square for six months as a student almost 15 years ago. The college in the states that I attended had a house there that they would fill up with ten students every year. It was amazing, the first night we were there was the autumnal equinox and there was an incredible parade and the burning of some type of 'wicker man' in the garden. We were completely charmed and I still count those months as among the happiest of my life.
thanks for the beautiful blog.
Posted by: betsy | October 22, 2007 at 03:25 AM
I went to visit I Knit London in Bonnington Square in July of this year. I bought lots of wonderful wool there and met Gerard, but what made it all so special was that my father was born in no.13 Bonnington Square in 1928.He died four years ago but I know that our visit there that day, would have bought a big grin to his face, especially when he saw my loaded bags full of wool!
Posted by: Sally Anne | October 22, 2007 at 07:22 AM
I got an attack of the shys and didn't come down to IKnit on Saturday but I hope you had a fab time, it is such a lovely friendly place in such surprising surroundings.
Posted by: Clare | October 22, 2007 at 10:37 AM
Gorgeous place wasn't it. I love the walled gardens like that. So private.
Posted by: Gemma | October 22, 2007 at 02:45 PM
I used to spend quite a lot of time in Bonnington Square in the early 80's - Vine Lodge & other squats including the cafe & the secret wine bar.I had numerous friends who lived there - it was a time of cross-pollination of ideas & 'experimentation'. We were all part of a large London squatter movement which morphed into housing co-operatives & other developments such as the Stockwell Artists Collective in the old Annie McCall Maternity Hospital in Jefferies Road. Even though I still live in SW8, I hadn't ventured back to Bonnington Square for years ( I don't know why, just one of those things ! ) So it was fun to re-visit on Saturday with my daughter to say ' hi Jane'
ps. the NZ yarn company I mentioned is called Touch Yarns
they have a fab showroom in Alexandra, Central Otago or see wwww.touchyarns.com
Posted by: Maritza | October 22, 2007 at 06:11 PM
oh, I forgot to say, don't be put off by the Touch yarns website, it's not that pretty but hey ! they have possum yarn
Posted by: maritza | October 22, 2007 at 07:14 PM
I bet you had a great time!
Posted by: Zélia | October 22, 2007 at 09:44 PM
Have you read the 3000 mile garden? Great book re the exchange of letters between 2 gardening enthusiasts - one living in the US the other in a co-operative London square, Eccleston I believe? The book is full of gardening tips with a few recipes thrown in but also it is very interesting as it talks about both the history of these delightful and charming London squares and the challenges they now face from new development amongst other things. I was so enthralled by some of the descriptions from the book, that a few years ago when home I took myself on a walking tour around London visiting as many of them as I could in a day. It was a lovely day and along the way I met with some very interesting people and got to see some lovely and not so lovely gardens with in them.
Posted by: carol | October 22, 2007 at 10:19 PM
I too love the little things in life. Hubby cant understand why I love him to find me a heart shaped pebble or piece of seaglass rather than buy me diamonds - but I'm sure he's grateful for the fact!! Bonnington Square is now on my list of places to visit when I next visit London. thanks for the continued inspiration.
Posted by: Diane | October 24, 2007 at 12:56 PM
How lovely, a gift from that says so much...what a thoughtful person to befriend.
Suzie Sews
Posted by: suziesews | October 24, 2007 at 01:30 PM
the october issue of Simply Knitting finally came out in the states. Congrats on the little article on your blog. I know I love it but its great to see just how much others love it as well.
Posted by: Alyssa | October 24, 2007 at 03:05 PM