isobelmtl

Writing under a Montreal sky

Recent Blog Posts

about

Isobel Cunningham has published short fiction and poetry. Her book, Northern Compass is available on Amazon. She was born in Wales but Montreal is her adopted home. She speaks French, Modern Greek ( it’s a fun story) and a little Spanish…oh, English too, of course. She welcomes comments on her blog and looks forward to chatting with you over cyber-space.

Category: Uncategorized

  • Protecting things

    I have a unique flower that will soon bloom. I have owned this plant for many years and it’s the sort of plant that couldn’t stand even one day of freezing weather. That means it spends most of its life in my laundry room languishing sadly for months and months. It has bloomed a few…

  • Innocent clouds

    These clouds were above my back yard about an hour ago. The sunset made them pink when they had been white and a few moments later grey crept onto the lower surfaces. Little by little they became darker and darker. They changed from luminous wonders into dark everyday clouds. I’ve been spending time with my…

  • Someone else’s work today

    On my way home from an excursion that brought me close to the great river that is so close to us, and yet that we so often ignore, I heard a wonderful song on the radio. I made a special effort to remember the name and the first line of melody and looked it up…

  • Red leaf

    Not a betrayal, but a warning. The first surprising flag of decay. A little gasp at this first brilliant leaf fluttering high above lush green. Not a betrayal, but a call to reality. A silent call, clanging, clapping hands, calling to order. Seasons change Not a betrayal, but a reminder. The sun subtly steals a…

  • My second rank darlings

    First rank darlings are people but I don’t believe in putting pics of people on my blog. Call me old fashioned……like this rose. How lovely is that. I only planted it last fall and was sure the brutal winter would kill it but it is on it’s third blooming. I love the shape, like something…

  • Sky miracles

    I got up early and discovered I had no milk for coffee. It was too early to go to the little corner shop so I decided to cook an old favorite – green beans and new potatoes with onion and tomato sauce. I had quite a bit of time so I took a while simmering…

  • Old crafts

    I have been going to a dressmaker lately. She is a very old lady who lives in an interesting house in a quiet suburb close to the river. Her house is surrounded by a flowery garden. I must say her flowers are a lot better than mine. She has a flourishing greenhouse too. She is…

  • Ripening up

    Today I hear many little birds and see them fluttering in the leaves of the grape vine out back. The flowers of late summer are coming on now, gladiolii, sunflowers and apples are starting to fall from my little tree. Their faint sweet, vinegary smell attracts small wasps. Ripening up to autumn and today a…

  • Vines

    There is a price to be paid for entwining for binding for wrapping with tender tendrils. There is a price to be paid for advancing climbing, winding, entwining encircling the solid immovable structure. Stems so yielding, adaptable yet tough, seeking to find a hold-fast. There is a price to be paid There is a blooming…

  • Eating outdoors

    It has to be sunny, not too hot or humid and pesky flies and mosquitoes must abstain. There should be an old pretty tablecloth and the food should not be too complicated. That pasta salad comes from the Silver Palate Cookbook. I have never made anything from that book that was not seriously delish. They…