Hello! I'm still here. After weeks of frantic busyness, sewing, restocking the Emporium, visits to schools, old and new, applications to Sixth Form Colleges and new Secondary Schools, endless tumbleweed moments in the post office queue and neverending cups of tea, I cleared the decks and decided that I would sit down today and write a new blog post, apologise for my absence, tell you what I've been up to and get back into the swing of blogging and visiting you all again.
Well, hey ho, perhaps I was being a little optimistic. Last Monday morning in November and there was I expecting sunshine to take some lovely rosy photos in!!! Ha ha! That'll teach me. So forgive me if I change my mind about the subject of today's post but I'm unable to accompany it with the photos I wanted. For weeks now I have been giving myself a very hard time about neglecting this blog, and more importantly, not having the time to visit any of you. I have been walking round composing blog posts in my head (and believe me there are quite a few stored up there). I haven't even had the time to visit your blogs, have a quick read and leave without a comment, how bad is that, when I haven't even found the time to lurk. As the weeks have past the thought of writing a new blog became something akin to that dreaded piece of homework, the essay that you know has to be written, the one that makes you sit down and get on with it, and the one, ultimately, that will leave you feeling oh so much better for having finally written it.
Well this is it. I'm really sorry. Please excuse my absence. I owe this blog and my blog readers so much and feel very bad about having temporarily turned my back. So I promise, when the sunshine returns, however temporarily, I will snap those photos and tell those tales...
In the meantime, here are some photos of some of my favourite books that I have recently been able to hunt down and add to our Library at the Emporium (we've also been busy decorating the front of our Emporium, my goodness it was hard not using up all the snow from the roof in our snowball fights, a rather wet and soggy Dottie and I returned to the stockroom much later!).
Back to the books - I do try to find my favourite titles to add to our library. Books I have read myself, and can recommend. Old, original editions that smell like books should smell! Of course, my all time favourite would be "I Capture The Castle" and I have been lucky enough to find an old edition with dustjacket.
Recently, Mr Roses, Big Sister and I have been rewatching the BBC DVD of "Love in A Cold Climate". I can't tell you how happy I was to stumble across a first edition of this book to add to our shelves. "The Pursuit of Love" and "Love in a cold climate" were written for wet, rainy days like this, I'm sure of it!
At the beginning of this year I read "A Game of Hide and Seek" by Elizabeth Taylor, when it was republished by Virago. I must admit I knew very little about the author and had not heard of the story before, I was, I have to admit, attracted by the book cover! Having read the Virago edition and fallen in love with it, I set out to find an early edition with book jacket. Oh the thrill of the hunt! Nothing lovelier than finding a book unexpectedly when you've almost given up the search! What a scrumptious jacket too!
And there's more! The icing on the cake - not one book, not two, but four lovely stories in one book with original dustjacket too! The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield is one of the most amusing books I read last year. After reading it, I found an original copy of another in the title "The Provincial Lady in Wartime" and want to write more about this in another post. But here, in this edition of "The Provincial Lady" are four of her books. A real treasure that I am finding it hard to part with.
If you fancy a good read, or want to give a book at Christmas they're all on the library shelves.
I shall be back as soon as the sun appears with some photos and tales of 1940s Christmases, Horlicks, dried egg and woolly knickers!
x
20 comments:
Hello Kim!
How lovely to have you back, missed you! There just aren't enough hours in a day are there! I have a pile of books waiting to be read! Perhaps in the Christmas holidays!
Have a lovely week!
Rachel x
Tee hee hee! The memories are flooding back...."do you know you can get those decorations in the 99p shop!"
Now where did I put those paperchains....?
Yay! You're back -- you've been missed dear Ms. Roses. Looks like you've been having some fun with some very lovely books!
Lovely to see you - we've missed you but know you've been very busy so don't be too hard on yourself!
lovely to hear from you, but sounds like you've been very busy too. It's a shame when blogging (or anything) turns from fun into a 'must do' - kind of takes the fun out of it, but I know the feeling - I get it too if I've not written for a while. And this time of year, there's just so much to pack into every single day, something has to give. Am sure everyone will be blogging more in Jan/Feb when the weathers too rubbish to be outside, but the demands of Christmas have receded.
Oh, what a lovely booky blog! What delightful books. I'd be after them if I didn't have copies already, albeit not originals ... Love Provincial Lady! Why can't the BBC make a series about her? They would make lovely costume dramas (with asides to camera rather like those made by Dianna Rigg in the detective series The Mrs Bradley Mysteries.)
Margaret P
My, you have been busy... I wouldn't worry about not even having the time to lurk, it happens to all of us once in a while (although saying that I have missed you and am glad to see you back!) I love that you compose blog posts in your head, I compose so many things in my head that never actually quite make it, it's good to know I'm not alone!! Glad to see all these wonderful books you have found, how lucky your customers are to have such a wide range of lovely wares to choose from.
Heading back to decorating the tree for our own Christmas project, but looking forward to more posts now you're back xx
Hi kim. Good to see you back, but everyone knows what it's like when you're busy so don't fret. Love those gorgeous old books x
Great to have you back. I always remember that edition of the Elizabeth Taylor book being on the bookshelves when I was younger. I must ask my mother if she still has it. You have found some great books there.
Ruth x
Books are always the best present in my...book! I've not heard of Provincial Lady but will be keeping my eye out. I've not read Bonjour Tristesse since I was a tortured teenager, will dig it out and refresh my memory.
Good to see you back, remember it's for fun and don't make updating us a chore.x
Lovely to hear from you, but no apology needed for your absence. It's a shame when life takes over sometimes and there's no time for blogging, but that's just the way life is!
No problem about the mention, will let you know the reaction when the book is unwrapped at Christmas.
Lisa x
hi Kim, am so glad things are going so well. I love the books. x
great to have you back.Where do you find all your old books?I have been reading a selection from Persephone books.These are books that have gone out of print,mostly written in the first half of last century.There are some great stories and such a pleasant change to modern literature.
Hi Kim, lovely to see you back ... sometimes it's so hard to find the time, isn't it?! I can sit down at the computer, and suddenly, half a day has gone by! Your selection of books is just wonderful - brings back lots of memories!
Willow x
I think we are all suffering at the moment, I have been so busy at work, making christmas presents and preparing for my fair, I havent done a proper post for ages, plus I have been feeling so glum I havent felt I had anything worth sharing. I hope you still have I captured the castle I would love to buy it for polly for christmas its her favourite book. I cant wait for the holidays to relax and get my thoughts in order...love and hugs H
I adore all those books and such beautiful editions!! great finds.
Oh yes, those books!
I can't remember which of the Nancy Mitford books it comes in, but there's an uncle who is invited to go out (hunting, maybe?) and he says, "It's not madly me, you know, and certainly not in this weather" - and this has become one of our family sayings when we don't want to do something.
Lovely to see you back. Life does get in the way of blogging, doesn't it?
Sounds like you've been really busy. I get that feeling about blogging when the camera starts to fill up with an assortment of stuff which could make several blog posts but there isn't time to process them and panic sets in. Lovely books, I adore I Capture the Castle and Love in a Cold Climate, real snuggle up by the fire books.
I love old books , enjoy the hunt just as much too . It does take a bit to get back into the swing of blogging doesn;t it
I'm fairly new to the blogging community, but one thing I've observed is that we are a very supportive and understanding group. Your absence, for whatever reason, should not cause you to feel stressed or under pressure. Enjoy your holidays and re-charge your batteries. And welcome back, by the way!
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