Hello Bloggy friends!

 

You’d never, in a million years, guess what I’ve just come from doing.  But… more on that later.

I’ve lost myself in books this last month.

Under the Hawthorn Tree  is a book for children about the Irish potato famine.  

 

It was not outstanding by any means, though a reasonable and gentle introduction to the Irish plight.  The author cannily avoids alienating half of her perspective readership by giving the Catholic/Protestant issue the very mildest of winks in perhaps one or two sentences.

 

More informative, and no less readable despite being non-fiction, is Black Potatoes.

 

Included are accounts of family histories and news reporting of the time.  Generously illustrated, it gave plenty of information about the period, without sacrificing a surprisingly  homey,  story-telling feel.  Possibly the thing I liked best was that it kept us thinking and discussing for some time after finishing it.

 

Next, and purely for pleasure, though it would easily fit your history program if you are looking for something dashing to read about Edmund Ironside, Alfgar the Dane was no hardship, once you pass the first few pages.

 

I’ve also whipped through The Lantern Bearers, Dawn Wind, and Frontier Wolf by Rosemary Sutcliff.  Of course they were good.  They cover Rome’s abandonment of Britain, and her sneaky re-entry via religion.  Well worth reading!

 

And something surprisingly girly for me; no vikings, no sword play, no pirates, or wars…

 

My delightful friend, Mrs Fivepeas, bought this gorgeous book for me. It has the cutest ideas!  One of my favourites is a flower clock.  NOT one of those clocks of flowers with hands put in the middle to tell the time, but a spankingly clever idea – it lists flowers to plant that open and shut around the clock.  At any time of the day or night, you can tell what the hour is by what flowers are opening and closing. Isn’t that amazing?  Isn’t it more amazing that someone sat up all day and all night to … watch their flowers open and shut?  I was staggered, but impressed.  :D

 

And this brings me back to what I was doing just before writing to you.

I was shovelling manure.  (Oh! The Glamour!)

Yes, in my leopard print gumboots and a sundress, by floodlight, shovelling manure from the back of a ute, into …. my new vegetable garden!  I’ve been taking pictures as my garden progresses, and you know they’re coming with the story just as soon as it looks pretty enough to share (or even before, if I can’t wait :P ). I know you’ll be riveted.

We’re also heading off to another ball in two weeks time so I may inflict a bunch more pics of foofy girl stuff on you.  Will you cope?!

 

Hope you are all well, Bloggy friends, and enjoying the break if you take school hols!

 

About these ads