Tiny Books

In my possession are three small books, each no larger than a matchbox, that I inherited from my father and his mother.

One of them has its own stand - "Lilliput Maori Place Names," published in 1962 as a miniature version of an existing book.

Inside, is an inscription that reads "To wish you a very happy time in your new home. Thankyou for everything - I shall miss you dreadfully.  Purrs from Ginger."  Presumably, Ginger was a kitty cat.

The second is similar.  It is called "Reeds Lilliput Dictionary - Maori English  - English Maori," and was published in 1960.  No inscription in this one though. 

My favourite of the three little books would have to be this one. It is the well-known "A Christmas Carol" and carries a date of 1906.

It is bound in soft leather and even has small illustrations in it.

The books are too tiny for a bookcase, so have their home among other ornaments within my display cabinet. 

Margaret xx 

This month’s header photo is a 2012 photograph of the grandiose Dunedin Railway Station.  Dating back to 1906, it features a facade of black basalt stone with facings of white Oamaru limestone.  The inside, open to the public, is just as magnificent and well worth a visit if you are in the area.

What Fun

This morning, son and I scooted off to the Lions Club annual book fair.

This was the stash I came home with. 

I know my bookcases are already full, but the lure of some new books was irresistible!

I'm sure I'll be able to make some room - I have to LOL.

This was the view out the spare room window when I rose this morning. 

But the fog lifted, and this is how the day turned out. 

Browsing through my new books this afternoon, I found these pages in "The Housewives Handybook."

But the one that really made me laugh was tucked away on the back page.

The book, containing mostly recipes, was printed in 1964 by the Whangarei Young Wives' Group to help raise funds for the building of a new Anglican church.

I love these old recipe books and this will now be added to my collection. 

Margaret xx 

Books Shadows and Rusty

 

SON AND I DONATED THREE BOXES OF BOOKS TO THE ANNUAL LIONS CLUB BOOK FAIR THIS MORNING.

BEFORE WE LEFT TO DELIVER THEM, I SNAPPED THIS PHOTO OF SHADOWS BEING CREATED BY THE MORNING SUN STREAMING INTO OUR KITCHEN.

THEN IT WAS OFF TO VISIT RUSTY – AND HIS HUMANS TOO, OF COURSE!

BEING THE FIRST OF MAY, TODAY IS THE START OF THE LAST MONTH OF AUTUMN.

MY HEADER PHOTO THIS MONTH IS OF THE WHARF AT OMOKOROA IN THE BAY OF PLENTY.  THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN 2011 BUT NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED HERE SINCE THEN.

HAVE A HAPPY DAY,

MARGARET xx

Two From A Teapot

 

Over the years I have decluttered and decluttered and disposed of endless items, and some of them are a bit like boomerangs and make their way back to me again! 

I seldom regret what goes out the door, and most of them I never think of again, but just occasionally I do miss an item and when I find it again I am powerless to resist adding it back into my collection of stuff.

However, sometimes unexpected items also make their way back to me.  A family member recently moved house and came across a book that had belonged to me as a young child.  Did I want it back again?

I was thrilled.  I had almost forgotten I had owned the book, but still remembered the story and have enjoyed going through it again.

The book was called Two From A Teapot, published in the mid-1950s, and is the story of Tabitha Tabbitail (a kitty) and how two little mice, who lived in a teapot, cared for her when she was ill during one winter.

It is a charming tale and is illustrated with some delightful drawings and pictures.

Sometimes it is rather nice to feel a bit sentimental 😊

Margaret.

 

The Wind In The Willows

 

Ratty and Toad.  Mole and Badger.  How can one not love these little creatures in Kenneth Grahame’s adorable children's classic, “The Wind in the Willows”?

There are many books that publish this tale, or parts of it, but I was thrilled when I received this unabridged version.  It is many years since I have read the whole story – and I doubt many youngsters today would understand some of the archaic language!

It is only a small book, barely larger than a photograph, but it is light to handle and the print is easy to read.  I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with my old friends in this edition, put out as a Collectable Classic by Flame Tree Publishing.

Our weather today is sunny and fairly calm, a bit different to the gales we were punished with yesterday.  But apart from the slamming of a couple of windows (which thankfully didn’t smash) we had an enjoyable day doing very little.

Our comfrey is growing well (almost too well!) and the bees are loving the flowers.

I even had time yesterday to create this in my journal.

Happy Holidays everyone 😊

Margaret.

 

Taste of Life

 

Many years ago, probably the 1980s, I used to own two cookbooks by Julie Stafford – ‘Taste for Life’ and ‘More Taste for Life.’ 

They were written in line with Pritiken diet requirements, but I always found them good for reasonably healthy recipe ideas (although, I confess, I used to use a whole egg instead of two egg whites).

When we moved permanently into a caravan to live, we had to down-size dramatically and these two cookbooks were given away.

Some time ago, I found ‘More Taste for Life’ at a book fair and have since been on the lookout for its companion. 

Today we found each other!  The Lions Club were having their annual book fair, and there, sitting all by itself and looking at me, was the book I have been searching for. 

I found a couple of other books to buy as well, but this one made my day.

It has been cold and grey most of today, and there is more rain in the forecast.  

It is almost time to light the fire for the evening (I try not to have it going during the day, to save on firewood). 

A blanket to wrap up in usually sees me through the day, if I am not out and about doing something.

Margaret 😊

 

Books Read 2022

 

Back in January of this year I started a Book List to see how many books I would actually read during the year.

I thought I would probably read only about ten, but I see I have managed twenty-six.  Most of them are non-fiction and I know I have also browsed (as opposed to read) other factual books during the year.

So, all in all, I feel quite happy with my achievement 😊

Margaret.

For posterity, this is what I read:

Charlie Hammond’s Sketch Book by Christopher Fry (1980) (an illustrated journal)

Cowpats & Brickbats by D. Henshaw & G. McBride (2010) (rural tales)

Decorative Dolls’ Houses by Caroline Hamilton (1990) (doll houses)

Delights of a Fragrant Garden in New Zealand by Olive Dunn (1991) (herbal crafts)

Encore Provence by Peter Mayle (1999) (life adventure)

English Country Pubs by Derry Brabbs (1986) (illustrated history)

Glenshee, Glen of the Fairies by Antony M. Smith (2000) (stories of a Highland Glen)

Happy Sundays with the Bible and the Children by Charlotte Yonge (about 1898) (religious)

Heart Disease Prevention Manual by Allan and John Borushek (1987) (health)

How to Age in Place by Mary Languirand (2013) (retirement advice)

Lady Blanche Farm by Frances Parkinson Keyes (1940) (romance)

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (1934) (murder mystery)

Old St Pauls by William Harrison Ainsworth (1841) (historical novel)

Puzzle for the Secret Seven by Enid Blyton (1958) (children’s adventure story)

Seasonal Home by Kristin Perers (1998) (interior decorating)

The Cherrys on Indoor Island by Will Scott (1958) (children’s fiction)

The ‘Darling Buds of May’ Book of the Seasons by H.E. Bates (1992) (nature)

The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie (1947) (short stories about crime)

The Mediterranean Diet by M. Cloutier & E. Adamson (2004) (health)

The River by Sue Miles (1984) (history of the Waikato River)

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie (1929) (murder mystery)

The Victorian Nursery Book by Anthony and Peter Miall (1988) (Victorian era life)

The Zodiac Garden by Dorothy Hall (1994) (astrological herb gardens)

Victorian Entertaining by John C. Freeman (1989) (Victorian era life)

Victorian Keepsake by Allison Kyle Leopold (1991) (ephemera of Victorian love and romance)

Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. F. Batmanghelidi (2008) (health)

 

An Oops With Books

 

After spending yesterday morning in my garden, I went visiting family after lunch.  When I came home, I discovered this shelf in one of my bookcases had given way.  One of the little pegs that holds the shelf up had broken off – perhaps the weight of all the books was just too much?

I had emptied most of the books off it before thinking to take a photo.

Son was at the hardware shop this morning so he bought me some more pegs – metal this time, instead of plastic.  Hopefully they will be stronger.

Over the years most of my bookcases have been “cheapies” and the shelf often bows in the middle with the weight of books, but I have never had a whole shelf collapse like this before.  Thankfully, there was no harm done.

We have drizzle today, after a couple of days of fine weather.  Everything is growing very fast and most of my container plants need watering every evening.

I quite enjoy getting outside as the day cools down and visiting all my plants with the hose.  It is almost therapeutic!

Margaret 😊

 

The Dangers Of A Book Fair

 

This morning there was another Book Fair in the city, this time organised by the Rotary Club.

I succumbed to temptation and went along to have a look, along with a large crowd of other avid book searchers. 

The books were sorted into categories and ranged around the room, being viewed by Masked Readers (being a retail outlet, we were still required to wear a mask) who were practising a controlled form of subtle-push-and-shove, and grab-before-your-neighbour-gets-it.

I came home with eleven new Treasures, all non-fiction, and now have to find somewhere in the bookcase for them.  Once I have read through them, that is.

The books I got were:

Charlie Hammond’s Sketch Book – Charlie left England for the Antipodes in the 1890s and recorded his story in illustrated diaries

Cottages of New Zealand – a coffee table book about early settlers’ cottages and their gardens

Cowpats and Brickbats – a collection of tales from the Waikato (our province)

Flower Painting Workbook – a contemporary view on painting flowers

Healthy Gut Cookbook – recipes for digestive health

Historic New Zealand – showcasing some different places I may like to visit

Learn to Paint Landscapes – by Alwyn Crawshaw, an English artist I admire

Patterns of the Past – another sketchbook, this time drawings of early New Zealand buildings

Scarves and Other Accessories – different ways to wear and use accessories

Sewing Specialty Fabrics – a Singer book of tips on how to sew difficult fabrics

The River – the story of the Waikato River, which flows through Hamilton

A random page in Charlie Hammond's Sketch Book

Altogether, my shopping cost me $40.00 - attending a Book Fair is indeed a very dangerous place for my wallet to visit!

Happy reading 😊

Margaret.

 

Lady Blanche Farm

 

I recently picked this book up in a thrift shop, for no greater reason than it looked like an older style novel.  For 50 cents, I had nothing to lose.

‘Lady Blanche Farm’ was first published in 1940, and my book was a 1953 reprint.

Having just finished reading it, I am glad I found it.  The story is basically a romance set in a small American town during the first World War, with the odd twist of an old family curse running through it.

Not everyone lives happily ever after, and the story has sad portions, but overall I found it an enthralling read.

The leaves of Autumn in suburban Hamilton

The author was Frances Parkinson Keyes, a prolific American author who is famed for the thorough research that preceded the writing of each of her books. 

Wikipedia states, “The meticulousness of her detailed accounts make her novels valuable tools for learning about a time long past and customs that have died away.”

It may be too “quaint” for a lot of modern readers, with its high moral standards and old-fashioned style, but it was a novel I enjoyed reading.

Think happy and be happy 😊

Margaret.

 

William Shakespeare

 

It has been a bit like Christmas around here the last couple of days. 

Son has started going through some of the boxes he had stored away for several years and we are finding all sorts of things. 

There is even a lot of things that I thought I had thrown away – it turns out, he has them!

As well as all those little bits and pieces that seem to find their way into storage boxes, there are paintings, books, and a fair number of children’s toys.

One of our most intriguing discoveries was this old book, “Sir John Gilbert’s Shakespeare.”  It was published in 1882 and belonged to my great grandfather.

The book, which features over 800 line drawings, is intact but badly in need of some restoration work.

Son intends to have it repaired as he adores old books like this and loves the provenance that goes with them.

All of Shakespeare’s plays are included in the book, and I find it difficult to believe that fifty odd years ago I actually read through all of them.

Not something I would do today!

Have a happy day 😊

Margaret.

 

Book List 2022

 

The other day, Sue from the blog “My Quiet Life in Suffolk” (attheendofasuffolklane.blogspot.com) wrote that she had managed to read 92 books during 2021.

Wow, I thought, how could someone read so many?

In my mind, I only read about 10 during a year – but then I stopped and thought a bit.  I have already read one book this year and am into my second.

So, how many do I really read during a year?  I thought maybe it would be a good idea to keep a Book List this year and see how much I do read.

My first book was “Your body’s many cries for water” by Dr F. Batmanghelidj.  A fascinating read, and putting many of our daily health woes down to a dehydrated body.

I have increased the amount of water I am drinking!

The book I have started now is one that has sat on my bookshelf for many a year but never been read.  It was published in 1901 and given to my grandmother in 1934 by her father.

It is a book for young children and covers all the traditional Bible stories, broken up into different tales to be read each Sabbath over the period of one year.

I love the illustrations scattered throughout the book.  Many are pen drawings, but there are also coloured plates like this one of baby Moses being found in the rushes.

Our weather continues to be typical of summer, although our temperatures have dropped down into the high 20s (Celsius) so things are more tolerable than they were.

I have spoken to three people over the last few days who are suffering major sunburn from being outside too long.  Our sun here (like Australia) can be very harsh, and it is easy to end up looking a bit like a cooked lobster!

Remember to drink lots of pure water 😊

Margaret.

The Spring Season

 

A while ago, at a Book Fair, I bought a book called ‘The Darling Buds of May Book of the Seasons,’ and have finally got around to reading some of it.

It is sectioned into the four seasons, and each section contains extracts from the writings of H.E. Bates (the author of “The Darling Buds of May”), showcasing his mentioning of the English countryside in that season.

Celebrating the fact that we are now in Spring, that was the section I read first.

The book was published in 1992, and is beautifully illustrated by Llewellyn Thomas with both coloured illustrations and black line drawings.

I was saddened this afternoon to learn that one of my favourite rugby players, Sean Wainui, tragically died in a car accident this morning.  Sean played for our regional Chiefs and the Maori All Blacks team.  He was 25 years old.

It brings home just how fragile life is, and how none of us can know when our end may be.

Live each and every day the very best you can,

Margaret.

The Famous Five

 

Sometimes I look back over the week and wonder where all my days have gone.  If I didn’t keep a daily journal, I’d be wondering what I had done on each of those days as well.

Our weather has been so wet, wet, wet, this week and the best thing to do is stay indoors.  I’ve not been idle (all the time!), though.  My display cabinet, with ornaments, crystal etc. in it, is now sparkling clean, and my book shelves are being cleaned and the books organized a bit better than they were.

I added to my collection this morning when visiting a charity shop with my younger son, purchasing this Famous Five book.  I used to own quite a lot of them but they have disappeared in different directions over the years.

I know they are children’s books, but I actually enjoy reading one on a dreary afternoon.  This is not one I have read before, so I think I will be settling into my lounge chair with it this afternoon.

Last weekend I was invited out to dinner with some friends.  It was a lovely evening together, just five of us, and not something I have done for a long time.

There were three lemon trees on the property, absolutely laden with fruit, and I was thrilled to be given a bag of them to bring home.

Some of the lemons I have sliced into rings and dehydrated – I thought they might be nice to plonk into a glass of chilled water over summer time (not something I have tried before).  

I also dried some peel, which will probably get used when cooking different meals.

My apologies to all my blogland friends for not doing any visiting lately.  Some days I don’t even make it onto my computer!

And some days, like now, I just want to curl up with a book.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well,

Stay happy 😊

Margaret.

Harmsworth's Household Encyclopedia

 

Our weather today is cool and cloudy but only the odd shower is forecast.  I wrote an email to my daughter this morning and am about to have lunch (mushroom soup and toast today).

This afternoon I will probably curl up on my bed and continue browsing through Harmsworth’s Household Encyclopedia!  There are six volumes altogether, and they contain the most fascinating information about domestic life and interests one hundred years ago (the books were published in 1926).

I’ve read how to make my own clothes and household items (patterns included, as scale diagrams), how to keep house, keep a garden, and care for domestic animals.   There are sections on cookery and social etiquette, as well as different hobbies. 

Some things have not changed much over the years, but others are radically different.  This is what the start of the article on washing machines says:

“The main principle adopted in most types of washing machine is essentially the same.  The clothes, together with the washing mixture, generally some variety of soap and hot water, are placed in a closed box or cylinder of wood or metal which is fitted on spindles in the frame of the machine so that it is easily revolved.  The process of washing is accomplished by rapidly turning the cylinder on its axis, either by hand or by electric power.  A reliable machine of this kind will wash clothes as clean or even cleaner than is possible by vigorous hand rubbing, and such fragile materials as lace or net may safely be entrusted to it.”

Sounds a bit different from my automatic washing machine that is so smart it can tell how much water to use and has different wash cycles available for different items!

Have a happy day 😊

Margaret.

 

Weekend Books

 

Here it is, Monday again!  We had rather a lot of rain over the weekend so it was very soothing to get distracted with looking through my new books.

I find I am not a great fiction reader – only one book was fictional (an old book, “Bracebridge Hall,” by Washington Irving) – and some of them (like the one on English country pubs) are more a “coffee-table” book that can be picked up and put down at will.

There are a couple of garden books and one on how to make a Kate Greenaway doll with clothes, and then a couple on travel experiences (like Michael Palin’s “Pole to Pole”).  They might, on the whole, be old books (it was a Book Fair of donated books, after all), but I like going through them.

One book I was particularly attracted to was “The Darling Buds of May Book of the Seasons.”  It contains sketches and excerpts from the writings of H.E. Bates, and is full of descriptions like this one:

“The August rain is heavy and dark; it seems to blacken the green of the trees and wash out the burnished shine on the wheat.  At the same time it gives the oats a fresh, airy grace.  Beads of clear rain hang on the beards.  The black seeds are shown up like darts.  The oat-stalks are washed clean, opalescent, and all through the rainy, windless days they do not move.  For some days the wheat has an astonishing colour, especially against the hedgerows.  It is part green, part gold, partly the colour of dark honey.  The colours shade into each other and are more than ever like waves as the wind gently blows the corn.” (from “In the Heart of the Country”)

Don’t you just love how he manages to paint a picture with his words?

Margaret 😊

An Edwardian Childhood

 

I recently bought this book, An Edwardian Childhood, second-hand from a charity shop and have enjoyed dipping into it and reading about some of the vivid experiences recalled by children who lived at that time.

The Edwardian period is generally said to have lasted from 1901 to 1914, and was a time when children were no longer treated as miniature adults and childhood became a time of innocence and joy (at least for those in the middle and upper classes).

Many children whose memories grace this book were brought up by nurses and nannies, and I was struck by how much emphasis was placed on order and self-control.  Rigid routines were often strictly adhered to, and an overall aim seemed to be to teach children self-discipline.

A strong emphasis was placed on good manners and consideration for other people.  Dirty clothes made work for others, so you kept yourself clean.

There are stories of food being presented at several meals running until you ate it – teaching you to be polite and eat all that was placed in front of you.   Nursery food, plain and simple, was the order of the day and cake and sweets were joyous treats.

Fresh air and play were important for bodily health, so regular outdoor activities were scheduled.  Indoors, lessons and games were used to stimulate little minds.  Reading was encouraged, especially if the book promoted courage and bravery, or imparted interesting and important facts.

Outings broadened a child’s horizon but were still rare enough to be regarded with awe.  Things like trips to a toy shop, a visit to a museum, or attending a Christmas pantomime, were special treats to be savoured and enjoyed.

Times have certainly changed in the last one hundred years!

Margaret 😊

 

 

“An Edwardian Childhood”

By Jane Pettigrew

Published 1991 by Little, Brown and Company, London

ISBN 0-316-88865-6

Illustrations in this post here are all taken from this book

  

A Cosy Evening

The cooler evenings of autumn are now with us and the sun is setting earlier and earlier each day – it is, after all, only five weeks now until the Shortest Day arrives.

Most evenings we are lighting the fire.  The house is well insulated and the fire only needs to be ticking over to keep everything nicely warm and cosy.

I can sit in my favourite armchair and watch TV while soaking up the warmth of the flickering fire.

We had a lamb roast for dinner last night and I was going to photograph it – but was so hungry I ate it before I remembered!  With the lamb, we had baked potato, kumara, parsnip and swede, boiled silver beet (Swiss chard) from the garden, and homemade gravy.

No wonder I was happy afterwards to just sit by the fire!

There wasn’t much I wanted to watch on TV though – the programme I enjoyed most was one called Wild Britain, with Ray Mears.  When that finished I completed reading my latest book – The English Cottage Garden by Jane Taylor and Andrew Lawson (published 1994).

It is mostly a book to browse, with some gorgeous photos of cottage gardens, but also contains a brief and interesting history of cottage gardens in England.

A hot cup of Lady Grey tea and a small piece of Brownies that granddaughter made, and my evening was complete.

Nothing like a comfortable lazy evening to set one up for a good night’s sleep J

Margaret.

Black Friday Shopping

It may be Friday the thirteenth today but I gave up being superstitious about it many years ago, partly because I had no idea what you were meant to do or not do on this day anyway.  It always seemed to pass like every other normal day, and so far today has been just the same.

I visited Hamilton Lake for a short time and that is where I took this photo.  I was going to go for a short walk, but the sun was too hot and there were far too many people around.  I’m afraid I like my walks to be in relative solitude so that I can be refreshed by nature.  If I want to be in among crowds, I visit shopping centres (which I had already done earlier).

Hamilton Lake

I dropped grand-daughter off at school this morning before heading to the library for a book I had been reading about – Real Modern: Everyday New Zealand in the 1950s and 1960s.  It sets out to show how common items in daily use can show anthropologists what kind of normal everyday life people lived.  There is a lot of romantic hype about this period of time, and this writer endeavours to show whether that is really how the majority of people actually lived.

The shops were my next stop.  I am attending a celebration lunch tomorrow for the Diamond Wedding Anniversary (60 years) of my husband’s oldest sister and husband, and decided to go searching for a new top.  I found one as well, and the bonus was that it was on sale for $25 (I found another one that I liked, and it was $60!).

The top is black and white with sparkly silver bits (the dots in the photo) and has three-quarter sleeves.  It will go well with my black trousers and black sandals, and I have a black handbag to match.

My wardrobe is a little mixed up.  I am wearing black to tomorrow's celebration but I wore blue to yesterday's funeral.  I suppose it doesn't really make much difference these days what colour you wear.  Some would say it doesn't even matter what you wear, and we saw some very casual outfits yesterday.

Our area must be coming out of its drought situation as our water restriction levels have dropped from 3 to 2, which means we can now operate the sprinkler again between 6-8am and 6-8pm.

Water is so precious but we seldom notice it unless we have restrictions on its use.

Margaret.

LINKED TO Skywatch Friday