Monday 19 October 2009

PC-ness strikes again, the latest MUST HAVE pet and just a bit of this and that.

It seems the world is still going mad with Political Correctness, especially in the world of childhood. As if it wasn't bad enough that someone decided conkers had to be banned because of health and safety, now they're mucking around with nursery rhymes. Humpty Dumpty, poor old soul wasn't he? Remember how all the King's horses and so on couldn't fix him? Well, it has been decided that is too downbeat and negative, so now they can and the ending has been altered to say they could make him happy again! Well, that's nice for old Humpty of course, but whatever next? Jack and Jill will no longer be able to go up the hill together, who knows what they might get up to? Little Jack Horner can't go sticking his digits in his food, health reasons obviously. Little Bo Peep will now employ a well-trained collie to round up those lost sheep. The old woman in the shoe would have been reported to social services for whipping her children. The rock a bye baby rhyme would be banned as being too depressing and sad, or perhaps for putting ideas into jealous elder siblings' heads. And Contrary Mary, in the reasons of equal sex rights and all that, will have to have pretty maids and men all in a row!
Coming up to Christmas and pretty soon the ads will start trying to dissuade parents from giving in to their children who want a puppy for Christmas. The usual 'A dog is for life, not just Christmas' signs will appear, and rightly so. However, this may soon have to be changed to either 'A pig is for life...' or 'A hedgehog is for life...' Yes, I really did say 'pig' and 'hedgehog'. Local news items in the last week have featured mini versions of these animals, which are, if the news is to be believed, THE pet to have, big business... especially for the breeders of course. At £750 for a mini pig, which grows no bigger than an average, adult cat, and looks ever so cute (especially the mini Gloucester Old Spot with it's little pink nose) you can see why it's big business! Not many chops for that outlay I can tell you! As for the hedgehogs, well they are special African pygmy hedgehogs, and they have the advantage over our wild native version of not having fleas. Now that really must be a plus sign, because one of these little fellows, who can sit inside a mug when fully grown, will set you back £150. For something that can get into the smallest of spaces your house would need to be as secure as Alcatraz to make sure it didn't escape, or get behind the fridge, under the cushions on the sofa... the list of possibilities is endless.
Had a bit of a day out last week, visiting a favourite small, independent booksellers in the lovely town of Holt. We normally visit at Christmastime, my birthday treat, but decided it would be Himself's treat instead. I normally buy my books online, shopping around for the best bargains, but needless to say they are nearly always found on Amazon. But the one thing you don't get is the discovery of little gems that you can't resist, so whilst Himself bought a couple of the latest offerings from two of his favourite authors, I came home with reprints of old novels. Not shown here is IN A SUMMER SEASON by Elizabeth Taylor, and that's not the Cleopatra Liz Taylor, but the Elizabeth Taylor, authoress, born 1912, and whose works are now being reprinted by Virago. I haven't read any of hers, but have had them recommended by several friends, so I am looking forward to reading this, once I have worked my way through the library-ordered books that is!

But I couldn't resist these two paperbacks either, the title of the one on the right especially caught my eye, and they just looked so 'take me home-able'. I have this thing at the moment about women writers from the late 1800s to around the mid-1900s and that era... Rachel Ferguson, who wrote the wonderfully titled THE BRONTES WENT TO WOOLWORTHS, was born in 1893, and Joyce Dennys, who wrote HENRIETTA'S WAR in 1883. Both books have been reproduced from the originals by Bloomsbury, and are part of a set of five. I also got THE IVINGTON DIARIES, the latest by Monty Don, but bought on line as it is an expensive book. But gorgeous, so readable, lovely photos of the garden, and already after only a couple of days, I am in July.

Needless to say there has to be some crafty bit in here, and this is a parcel of fabric received from Barbara in France, who responded to my 'Books for Fabric' swap posting on the PC forum. I want to make a quilt, six inch squares, which will go on a simple wooden bench seat in the summerhouse, next year. It will be quilted, though I am not yet sure if I shall quilt each square, or just tie the layers together with fancy little bows using contrasting coloured embroidery silk. I shall take photos, but don't hold your breath! There is, as usual, a long list of things to make and do, but isn't that the way it should be?
Enjoy your week ladies and gent(s), and thanks for popping by.

15 comments:

Chris Stovell said...

I saw some pictures of the tiny hedgehogs - they are very cute but the pet bit worries me.

More fascinating reads here - did you listen to 'Open Book'? Ten authors are currently promoting their forgotten classics - I wonder what you would suggest?

Teena Vallerine said...

Hi there! You could always pop into Wiveton on the off-chance although it's better to book if you want to sit indoors this time of year! In high season you'd be lucky to find standing room! t.xx

Marigold Jam said...

I agree with you that the world has gone mad about PC. I am somewhat concerned though that people might get those little pigs or hedgehogs and then realise that small though they may be they also have all the usual functions and I wonder if they can be housetrained? Can imagine the poor little souls being dumped alongside the motorway having blotted their copybooks (or perhaps the beautifully upholstered settee!) once too often! I would rather the powers that be concentrated on "real" issues and let the children get on with the usual horrid rhymes and stories - Grimm springs to mind and never seemed to have done anyone any lasting harm"!!

I know, I know I am becoming a GOW in my old age!!

Jane

The bike shed said...

PC Nursery rhymes -I so agree.

There is good book - The Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book - that is available on ABE books and similar internet suppliers (out of print now, but lots still available) which has an excellent collection of old traditional rhymes and poems, lovely woodcut illustrations too.

Calico Kate said...

Fiddling with Nursery rhymes is nonsense I do wish people would leave things like this alone. & Conkers bet you can't skip or play hopsctch any longer either. In fact I'm astonished that there are still swings in the parks!

I love that book title! Did they really? for a quarter pound of pic'n'mix perhaps?

Hate hate hate the idea of miniture pigs and hedgehogs. What will happen if they get 'loose' and mate with normal things and we start getting hybrids, byebye British hedgehog I expect, if SNH haven't shot them all. Grrrr don't get me started.

Fabric looks fantastic looking forward to seeing the end result - at some point!
CKx

Felicity Grace Terry said...

I came across your blog after being left a comment from our mutual 'friend' the detective - delightful, isn't he? He paid me a SECOND visit yesterday, glad to know my blog is so bad that he had to come back for another visit. What he probably doesn't realise in all of this is the number of great blogs I've discovered thanks to his rudeness.

The Fairy Glade said...

HI there, please tell me that I am not going loopy, I have emailed and sent comments to your blog, but nothing seems to get through. Did I imagine the xmas swap cos your post seems to have disappeared too. Is it me?

Flower Girl said...

What a wonderful title - The Brontes went to Woolworths - I wouldn't have been able to resist that one either! Lovely covers too..although we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, of course! Rebecca x

Wendy McDonagh-Valentine said...

You have such a gift for writing and it's always a pleasure to read your posts. I'm very happy to have found your blog. :)

~ Wendy
http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Jennyff said...

I can't stand all these highly breed animals that make designer pets when there are so many dogs and cats waiting to be rescued. It is a mad world, at least we can try to keep sane with good books and our crafts.

apple said...

More fascinating reads here - did you listen to 'Open Book'? Ten authors are currently promoting their forgotten classics - I wonder what you would suggest?anger management for women

darkhung said...

I can say your painting is far from crap if these are the results you produce! I'd be more than happy with that standard of painting. Thanks also for the tip of using a dark green-gray as a highlight for black. I will try it. I find a sand/buff color useful for red highlights.
Igre

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