Spotted in the garden!

Just when we thought that the new fat-balls were failing to attract avian attention, I noticed the end of quite a large tail coming from behind and showing its underside. A little more came into view, - bright red, - then its owner obligingly moved to the front of the feeding station providing us with a priviledged view of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a 1st for us in the garden.

The Blue Flower

A quarter of a century ago I was a bookdealer, ~ secondhand and antiquarian. I could not resist keeping some of my stock and one such book is "The Blue Flower" by Henry van Dyke (1852-1933) published in 1902.

I kept this First Edition for its beautiful cover, its delicate illustrations and its gilt-topped handcut pages, ~ a work of art.

For twenty-five years it sat unread until time permitted me to put that to rights. Fascinating, mystical short stories. However, when I came to turn page 203 it was uncut, ~ so it was not twenty-five but one hundred and five years that its words had waited to be read.

In the literary world the Blue Flower (Blaue Blume) was the symbol of Romanticism, ~ van Dyke followed in the footsteps of Novalis (Georg Friederich Frihen von Hardenberg 1772-1801) who, with Ludwig Tiech found the Romantic Movement. (Ludwig Tiech's sister Sophie married August Ferdinand BERNHARDI)

To strive for the infinite and unreachable is to be 'always looking for the Blue Flower'.

Opportunity Knocks!

"Every child should be given an equal opportunity"
Given? That would appear to be a little naive, ~ offered perhaps and if not used to great advantage it could then be abrogated.
Schoolchildren do not share equal attitudes, ~ some attend school with the desire to learn whilst others are there simply to 'mess about'.

PROFILE - Teannie Pirie

Born Christina, daughter of Catherine and John Pirie of Tweeddale Farm, Keithall, Aberdeenshire, on the 19th April 1871. Pictured here when a young teacher at Rathen School in the North East of Scotland c1897.

I think that she is simply beautiful, but then I guess I would, - she was my wonderful grandmother.

A Sign of the Times

The tombstone is dated 1845 and is

in memory of Elizabeth

her name written in fine copperplate

but shortened to Elizth

to save space and leave more room for

"wife of"

followed by the husband's name

carved in deep CAPITAL LETTERS.

Such a tiny instance encapsulating

a huge piece of social history.