Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

A Month in Numbers - May 2013

Julie runs her Month in Numbers series on Notes on Paper each month and has done for a couple of years - over that time, I have read many interesting posts from fellow "bloggers" who link up with Julie and last month I was tempted to join in myself, so wrote my first post - - I had some pretty special numbers I really wanted to remember  from April 2013.

I wasn't sure there would be any numbers to record for May - but to my surprise I have found myself making the odd note of a few numbers - unusual for me anyway, as my real passion is words!!.
  • 1 Swap - -  
Participated in - - only a small step but since I seem to have had no heart for so much, significant I feel - - so a big Thank You to this lovely lady for organising it. 
  • 3 - Books read - -
Reading has been something I have found difficult to maintain my concentration on this last year, so to regain some pleasure in it whilst on holiday has been a surprise. I read Attention All Shipping, Miss Garnet's Angel and The Night Circus whilst on the narrowboat we spent a week on, along with my sister-in law and her family.  I hope it means a return of my pleasure in reading, as the last book I finished was How Far to Bethlehem? at Christmas, and that was one I have read before.


  • 3 - "Heirloom albums"  - -
(My friends description) completed alongside my friends who come along to share Crafting at the Cottage with me each week since January. We have worked together on different projects - me sometimes sharing techniques I have picked up in my years crafting to help my less experienced friends. I have so much enjoyed it, not only their company,  but the sharing aspect of our weekly get-together. It seems R----, C----, L------, P------ and K--- also think it fun - so we start a new project together when I return from holiday - with the addition of a new friend joining us - A----- , a new member at Craft Club. Crafting with these ladies from Craft Club has really helped to fill some of the huge hole I still have in my life , and for that I am truly grateful. These are my albums (all inspired by this lady) - all now awaiting the photos to arrive - one for each of my daughters and one for my sister. The photos - when they arrive - are all vintage pictures of the females in our family.
  • 17 - Radish seedlings  
All sprouting and looking healthy! I am a somewhat inept gardener - a "stick it in and hope for the best" kind of girl - the first time I have ever planted anything other than flowers in my tubs and pots and I have certainly never planted vegetables from seed before! Trying to grow a few vegetables in our cottage garden was something I hoped to be able to do with my Ben - that wasn't to be, sadly - but  I made the decision to have a go anyway - I have planted beans, lettuce and other salad leaves - which are all sprouting - but the radishes were the only seeds in a separate pot that I could count!

  • 27 -Years together
I can't quite figure out where those years have gone - 27 years?? and think "how did that happen then, our wedding was only yesterday!"And I cannot express how much he means to me without sounding really like some teenage girl experiencing her first "crush".

  • 70 Feet

Above the valley floor crossing the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct!

  • 460 yards 
The length of Chirk Tunnel on the Llangollen Canal, which we travelled down in a narrowboat as part of our holiday last week. Only a single boat width - it is fortunate that you can see if there is already a boat in the tunnel before you set off!

To find all the details of A Month in Numbers - and maybe join the "number crunchers" yourself - hop along to Julie's blog to link up - I know from my own experience she will give you a very warm welcome.

'til later,

Bannaghtyn, Jen x

Thursday, 10 May 2012

Keepers - - - -

I thought I would share ten of my favourite books - those that in my head I call "Keepers".
 I read avidly as a child, teenager and young adult. The birth of my first child put a stop to my gallup somewhat - - - and when 2 more joined our family -- my reading slowed to a fullstop!! Well - at least for just me - I did lots of reading aloud of a variety of children's stories!! It recovered slightly when I was  able to read for pleasure for me alone by reading on holiday. But that was the sum total of my reading for many years.
However as you probably already know dear reader - I love words - so reading has been something I have made a conscious effort to get back into - and initially I found myself going back to old favourite "re-reads".  - -  and re-read I did - - - many books not read for years - and to my delight - still the old magic was there , transporting me to another time, another place, other scents and other sounds - - almost I have forgotton a books' ability to take me completely out of myself - - so that I often have to shake myself to return to my real, mundane world of 2012 and the present day. Do all readers experience this feeling I wonder? I know I do - and for me it is how I judge a book - am I there in the story - or on the outside looking in?
Anyway - I have chosen books for this list from my recent "re reading" - and trust me - it wasn't easy - based on that rather simple premise - am I there or looking in? These are all books I think of as "keepers" -those I don't want  to pass on to other readers. (selfish of me ? - probably yes!!)
So here they are - in no particular order - just 10 books I have read more than once -  and very likely will re read again. -
1] Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
2] The Luteplayer - Norah Lofts
3] Green Darkness - Anya Seton
4] Thomasina - Paul Gallico
5] How Far to Bethlehem? - Norah Lofts
6] The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
7] Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
8] The Dean's Watch - Elizabeth Goudge
9] A City of Bells - Elizabeth Goudge
10] Frenchman's Creek - Daphne du Maurier

Do you have favourite books you re read ?  Or favourite authors - looking at my list I can see I have I would love to know if you have.

I am sure there will be many more interesting posts on than this, today in blogland - find them with Shimelle.
As always its lovely to have you stop by
'til later

'til later,
Bannaghtyn J x


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