Well, it seems like a lifetime since I last blogged and the only reason I can give is that I have had little to blog about. It has been a quiet patch here at Poltisko Farm, but I have logged in regularly to see what you have all been up to. So thrilled to hear about both Jane's move and her news about the book. Late as ever, I am planning to read it to the children (probably including the 17 year old) as of tonight as it seems to be the only way I can get to it. I love the whole ritual of story-telling with the kids all sitting round and snuggled up in duvets (well, it IS summer after all!) and love even more the fact that the older ones will often sneak in for a listen too, long limbs wrapped around the warm bodies of the little ones as they sleepily listen to the familiar tales. They say it reminds them of when they were tiny, particularly if I am reading one of their favourites from what now seems so long ago.
All the children are huge readers, though not all of fiction; Tom prefers biographies and reference books, while Lauren loves everything (just like her Mum!) Sam and Elias love fantasy novels, and Lucy is a law unto herself - she reminds me so much of myself at her age, several books on the go at once and no library large enough to keep up with the rate at which she devours them! We are currently reading The Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder and I have learnt how to clean and prime a gun (!), how to look after, kill and butcher a pig (useful one this, I feel), and how to prepare one's home for the impending winter months by ensuring the loft is full of pumpkins, grain and a variety of fruit and veg. It's a lovely read, though not a patch on my own favourite, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. How many times I read that book and the rest of the series, and how traumatised was I that Jo didn't marry Laurie!
Well, little else to say today. The past couple of weeks saw sad news as a very dear and lovely friend went into labour with her first child to find it had died because the placenta had detached. Nothing else was wrong and the baby was a perfect little girl. She had heard the heartbeat only the day before and had had a trouble free pregnancy, yet it was not meant to be and she is now suffering terribly. I can only imagine what she and her husband are going through and know that some of you have also been there too - my heart goes out to you all.
I will try to write something upbeat tomorrow and in the meantime I'm going to treat myself to a meander through all your lovely blogs. Take care all xx
PS. Chris, so very sorry about the setback, but that's all it is - keep going; I am sure it is meant to happen x
I love Little Women too - I often re-read it. I love reading to the children on winter's nights (or summer nights these days!) too. Terribly sorry about your friend - weird that we should both write about such things today. The same thing happened to one of my friends a few years ago, she lost a perfect little boy, Stanley.
ReplyDeleteWhat a magical time of the day that can be, sadly it all passes too quickly. I used to read certain books depending on the weather, it's rather strange here too, I had better whisper that though.
ReplyDeletePicturing you all there reading and listening is lovely, storytime tends to be at bedtime and often the oldies don't get one read in the bedlam of trying to get everything done but I will try and combine them a little as Elliot is getting older now and will listen better. I loved the Little women stories myself.
ReplyDeleteVery sad for your friend it something I can't and don't ever want to imagine going through. The poor couple.
Oh I'm so glad you're back writing. I love your blogs, I love the photo at the top, on the beach too. I will keep using the word love here I am afraid as I love Laura Ingalls Wilder's books too and Little Women is an all time favourite, one of my earliest read and adored books. And to read of your children's love of books is a delight to me. You and your daughter sound just like me as a child. I read all the books in the library too.
ReplyDeleteAnd you reading to them all tucked up under the duvets, and the big ones, what lucky children they are to have you as a mother.
Such very sad news about your friend.
But thank you for such a special blog.
Take care
Caitx
I'd love to sit and read to Amy like that. She still wants picture books and I want to get onto the ones which have few pictures and more words! Laura Ingalls Wilder was wonderful. I watched every Little House on the Prairie and can remember most of them.
ReplyDeleteCrystal x
Hello! nice to see a blog from you - was missing you.
ReplyDeleteSad news about your friend - a very dear friend of mine had a very early baby 27 weeks, who didn't survive, it was the most harrowing thing to watch them go through it. Awful.
Thanks for being so kind. And when you see such sad news and read about what happened to your friends it's an insignificant blip too. That's a great photo of you both.
ReplyDeleteNot remotely too late for commenting on Walker - I'm going to have to revise it substantially and want to take on board everyone's comments. I love reading aloud to James - we snuggle up in bed (he comes into mine) and it's a moment out of time. At the moment it's Harry Potter with me trying to do all the right accents (I'm not bad at Professor McGonagall but my Hagrid is comical).
ReplyDeleteYes, oh yes to Little Women....
Good to hear from you again! Gorgeous photo!
ReplyDeleteI used to read to my children too, right into the teens - it was a special time and made us all 'come down' for the hectic activity of the day. I love to picture you and yours doing the same. I work with a very troubled population and one day a man asked me (with incredible yearning in his voice) "Are you the kind of mother that reads to her children every night?" I nodded'yes' and the look on his face said it all - nothing like that had ever happened in his life.
So sorry to read about your friend. I know you'll be a sensitive, supportive friend to her as she goes through this awful time.
Loved the image of you all sharing the joy of reading together. I'm looking forward to reading to my daughter as she gets older - she's already a big fan of books and she's only 3!
ReplyDeleteMy heart really goes out to your friend. I can't begin to imagine what she's going through. Simply awful.
Lovely photo.
How lovely to hear about your family and reading together, all snuggled in a duvet. I felt really strange when I started reading to my two when they were babies, but I've got into my stride now, complete with silly voices! They are only 5 and 3 and I'm really looking forward to reading Little Women to them. They already have their eyes on my set of Arthur Ransomes!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to read the harrowing news of your friend.
Love the picture and love the image of both young and older children sitting around listening to stories. I miss that now that my children are grown and left home - but will not only be able to look forward to it as a oneday Gran but will have all the anticipation. And reading your blog just made it seem all the more real.
ReplyDeleteLovely picture of you and the brood snuggling up for a story. We always used to have bedtime stories until my Lauren got far too grown up and sophisticated to be read to. I miss the bedtime ritual. She too is a total bookworm like her Ma. Toady
ReplyDeleteI mush prefer teh real stories in teh ingless books than the tv series which is far too gooey...
ReplyDeleteHello to you, Pipany!
ReplyDeleteThe photo is a gem. Thank you for sharing your happy selves with us.
(I also like the previous one of fowl in garden -- wonderful colors.)
Now about reading...I was read to as a little girl, mostly by my dad as I recall, and became an early and hungry reader myself.
I am the oldest sibling and, interestingly in light of some recent studies being talked about over here, my youngest brother says he hardly ever reads, and has hardly ever read for pleasure. He is much more of an outdoors guy, skies, fishes, bikes, camps, hikes, all that sort of thing that is not my thing at all.
Good for children to be exposed to all of it, I guess!
I do absolutely love reading your blogs.
xo
Oh loved the image of you reading to our brood, mine love stories too. It is a special time, story time, one to be treasured.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your friend, how devastating.