Books you can't read...

You can't read them because this bookcase is in fact a quilt! I spy an all time favourite among the "books." 84 Charing Cross Road was made into a gem of a movie, starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. 

[All the people we know in Florida are safe, including GrannyJ's incredibly stubborn nephew...]

Hidden works of art

Queen of Sheeba sent us a link to an article about artwork hidden using a technique of painting on the edges of the pages of a book, called fore-edge painting. The artwork can only be seen when the pages are fanned. When the book is closed, you don’t see the image because it is hidden by the gilding, the gold leaf applied to the edges of the page.

The article contains numerous photos and some videos. Please make sure you visit the site to see them all, and to learn further details about the books. Thanks QoS, I found it fascinating!

Here's a sample:

The first two photos are from the University of Iowa Library, the others were courtesy of Boston Public Library and  following photo is courtesy of Johns Hopkins Library. It's a bible with split fore-edge painting:

Link to article: http://twistedsifter.com/2013/09/hidden-artworks-on-the-edges-of-books/

When I am an old woman...

I came across the photo of the purple door on Facebook, remembered the poem and decided to look for it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick the flowers in other people's gardens

And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

                     ******************************

Another book by the same author sounds fascinating:

Book description on Amazon:

Not since Laurie Lee or Flora Thompson has a writer captured the smells and moods of the English countryside in the manner of Jenny Joseph’s Led By The Nose. The nation’s favourite poet has tended her “rural slum” in the Cotswolds for decades and her calendar of a year in her garden grows into an evocation of a personality that is uniquely literary, often leading the reader off her garden path with the sharply sly humour of her famous old woman who wears purple. Jenny Joseph’s memoir of a year in her garden through the sense of smell captures the feel of each month, as well as the flow of the gardening year (the chores to be done, the joy as your garden blossoms). The calendar of a year in her garden displays a personality that is eccentrically loveable, a wilful personality with her own individual outlook on life. The book’s unfolding of Jenny Joseph’s personality is just one of its many delights. Jenny Joseph focuses on the sense of smell, powerfully evoking memories and images that only a writer of her originality and perception could capture in the full range of  thoughts and feelings a garden can stir in us.

I immediately thought of Amy, of course...

[Both books are available from amazon.com]

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We have a message from Down Under:

Regina - If you would post the following msg in an appropriate comments section for your readers to see I would greatly appreciate it. Between our two blogs we ended up with a magic 25 responses and I am absolutely thrilled.

 

Your beautiful selfies have all had your kind messages added and are off to the video editor for compiliation – the finished video will be shown exactly 24 hours from the time of this writing and should be released to youtube not long after.

Leesa has managed to get contributions from local television talent so her 5 minute speech has morphed into an almost 30 minute video filled with hope and love and good wishes.

I cannot thank all of you enough… my heart is full because of you :)

-Oz

Favourite spaces

The French Cat

This beautiful picture comes from the book "The French Cat" by photographer Rachael Hale McKenna. She also photographed "The French Dog."

They look perfect for the Francophile pet lover's coffee table!

This is true

This picture is accurate 99% of the time. There have been cases where a good scriptwriter, a brilliant director and a cast of talented actors have turned a mediocre book into a cinematic masterpiece, but a good book is always superior to any film based on it. The depth of a good book turned into a movie is limited by the director's interpretation of the story, but when we read it ourselves, our imagination takes us to depths no director will ever know...

Fantastic birds

Amy sent us some info about this great book about a bird sanctuary. Thank you, Amy.

Here are some excerpts from an article by Jon Foro:

More than 350 birds spanning 40 species have found sanctuary under the care of Michele Raffin. Her passion for these exotic creatures--through rehabilitation of injured animals, breeding, and the return of as many as possible to their natural habitats--is doing the hard work of (hopefully) pulling many back from the edge of extinction.

The Birds of Pandemonium is the story of Raffin's extraordinary efforts, but she's far from the only star. We meet many of the birds themselves, and through their personalities (and you'd be hard-pressed not to consider them individuals after reading these pages), we come to understand the challenges they face and the importance of ensuring their continued existence and success.

Enjoy these images and short biographies of some of the book's more memorable characters.

Tico, Blue and gold macaw
Tico is extremely intelligent and can pick just about any lock. A trickster who loves to play practical jokes, he will mercilessly mimic other animals—and then watch as I become totally confused and slapstick ensues. Tico used to enjoy dancing with me, his body hugged to my chest, his head resting under my chin, until he dumped me for Mylie, a gorgeous Catalina macaw.

Mylie, Catalina macaw
Sweet but not so smart, Mylie only knows a few words, such as “kiss, kiss,” which she says with an air kiss. When I’m away, she doesn’t resent my absence as the other birds do. Beauty queen Mylie is too self-absorbed to even notice.

Gwen & Lancelot, Green-naped pheasant pigeons
When Gwen died of a heart attack, her grieving mate, Lancelot, cried so mournfully that I began the search for a new mate for him. Today, almost 40 percent of green-naped pheasant pigeons (GNPPs) in the U.S. live at Pandemonium, the largest population in the country. GNPPs are threatened due to the destruction of their native New Guinean tropical rain forest and there are very few places that have been successful at breeding them. Pandemonium Aviaries is one of those places.

Coffee & Wing, Victoria crowned pigeons
Coffee really wants to be house pet and be hand-fed. His one-winged sister, Wing, is more wary. Pandemonium has the second largest population under conservation in the world of Victoria crowned pigeons and their close relatives, blue crowned pigeons. These are the largest pigeons in the world—a distinction that used to be held by the dodo bird until its extinction in the 1600s. Unless measures are taken to preserve their natural habitat and protect these birds, crowned pigeons may head that way as well.

Oscar, Lady Gouldian finch
A cast-off given refuge at Pandemonium, Oscar was shy and couldn’t fly. With some love and attention, he became a very social bird, interacting with the other finches as though he were “one of the boys.” Unfortunately he could not reach the upper perches of his aviary. He solved this problem brilliantly—by “teaching” me how to build a ladder that would allow him to climb up to sleep among his friends.

Amigo, Red-headed Amazon parrot
Amigo is a disgruntled, grumpy old bird who finds it hilarious to bite me, especially if someone is watching. Although partial to attractive young women, he did fall madly in love with an African gray parrot.

Amadeus, Lady Ross’s turaco
Amadeus lost a leg when attacked by a predatory bird at his previous home but has the demeanor of James Bond: suave, confident, a real ladies’ man. He is keenly interested in what’s going on around him and has a remarkable connection with autistic boys.

Harli & Peeki, Rainbow lorikeets
Harli spoke with a strong New Jersey accent. Signature phrase: “Whacha doin’, honey?” An adorable but sometimes dangerous bird who could exact painful bites, Harli found love with Peeki, a rescue from a bird mart. The two were inseparable for many years, until Harli died. After that Peeki began talking with Harli’s Jersey accent.

[I always think of you when I look at exotic birds... I wonder why?]

No matter what

My sister sent me this photo, a favourite of hers, and now mine too...

Sitting on a book

Amy found a very interesting article about fifty "book benches" that will be installed in London to promote reading. It's called "Books About Town." After the event, the benches will be auctioned and the proceeds will go to the National Literacy Trust. The artwork was executed by various artists and each is a masterpiece.

Here are some examples of benches, which I found by googling, inspired by Amy's email. Thanks so much, Amy, the whole thing is delightful!

We could play a little game, where you try to identify the books or authors and I'll update the post later by adding captions to each picture and also give you the link to the article so you can see all the benches. Ready?

Dr Seuss - Theodore Seuss Geisel

Sherlock Holmes stories - Sir Arthur Cowan Doyle

The Railway Children - E. Nesbit

How to Train You Dragon - Cressida Cowell

Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll

The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffer

Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne

Bridget Jones Diary - Helen Fielding

Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

1984 - George Orwell

On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

War Horse - Michael Morpurgo

The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling

The Librarian - Terry Pratchett

The benches will be all over London and can be seen here: Books About Town

[I'm updating the post on the iPad, in the comfort of my own bed...]