Friday 31 October 2014

Stitched Words


I am an absolute sucker …
… for anything sentimental.


An old book dedication …
…  a romantic proposal …


… or simply a few words in a song …


… can move me.


I love John Legends ‘All of Me’
… such tender words.


I adore the soundtrack to The Descendants …
… with George Clooney.


I fell in love.


Not with George …
… was already there.


It was the soundtrack.

Ka Makini Ka'ili Aloha

This breathtakingly beautiful melody …
… about a love of a homeland.


It is wistful and haunting.
It reaches deep inside you.


Yep. Give me nostalgia …
… any day.

 ***

My latest love poem scrolls.


Teeny hand stitched words …
… of love and affection.

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Friday 3 October 2014

Carrot Jam, Vim and a Love Poem

Buried beneath an auction ‘lot’ of assorted cutlery …
… and a pile of old road maps …
… was a bundle of old books.
I almost missed them.




Three handwritten recipe books …
… and a cookery book …
… entitled Miss Tuxford’s Cookery for the Middle Classes.


Handwritten recipes that have been passed down …
… generation to generation …
… mother to daughter.


Tried and trusted recipes used again and again.
One book, stuffed with magazine cuttings …


… carefully glued onto the pages …


… and hastily written notes penned on scraps of paper and envelopes ...
… stuffed loosely in the back.




Pages stained with food debris showing the firm favourites.


The oldest book is written in the most beautiful script.


A fascinating insight …
… into the housewife’s life in the early 20 century.
With no supermarket to pop to …
… or the vast array of ‘off the shelf’ cleaning materials …
… to choose from …
… the book contains, not only recipes for dinner …



… but formulas and procedures for houswifey things  …


... in the kitchen ...


... and the smallest room ...



… patterns to knit garments for the little ones …



… starching collars and cuffs for hubby’s shirts …


… keeping your hats in tip top condition …


… as well as attending to the families ailments.


And for the ‘me time’ away from the daily chores …
… perfecting your handwriting …


… and keeping a note of those favourite love poems and plays.





The cookery book offers recipes that ‘’ensure …
… dainty, wholesome and nourishing dishes’’


… the Delia of their time?


... perhaps not - stewed eel – yuk!
Maybe something for the newlyweds …


… as well as the adventurous …


… cucumber marmalade and carrot jam?
Really?
.. and measures in coinage – how utterly inventive!


… and very handy dandy …
… if you misplace your weights.


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