poetry day

Today is National Poetry Day in New Zealand and I'd like to share this poem by the wonderful Jenny Bornholdt from her Moving house collection. I often think of this poem as I pass under street lights walking home in the dark.


Instructions for how to get ahead of yourself while the light still shines

If you have a bike, get on it at night
and go to the top of the Brooklyn Hill.

When you reach the top
start smiling - this is Happy Valley Road.

Pedal at first, then let the road take you down
into the dark as black as underground
broken by circles of yellow lowered by the street lights.

As you come to each light
you will notice a figure
racing up behind.
Don't be scared
this is you creeping up on yourself.
As you pass under the light
you will sail past yourself into the night.

time was

The nightshirt is finished. It's the first garment - excluding teddy bear clothes - that I've made for a very long time. I used Simplicity pattern 1021. It's a bit of an odd birthday present as I'm three weeks late getting it done and, as it's made from a fine linen that should be nice to sleep in during the summer, winter is almost here. But I'm so pleased that I got it done and it turned out OK and it fits. I now feel emboldened to try something a little more complicated for myself. Maybe something simple from Lotta Jansdotter's new book, Everyday style.

I recently read Patti Smith's M train - a memoir in which she talks (among other things) about her favorite authors and books - including books from her childhood. A list of her favorite fifty books (including some children's titles) has been posted here on brain pickings.

M train got me thinking about some of my favourite childhood reading:

• Bristle face by Zachary Ball

• The midnight fox by Betsy Byars 
  

• Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

• Bilgewater by Jane Gardam

Patti Smith seems to often re-read books including some of her childhood favorites. Do you ever re-read your childhood favorites? Do you enjoy them all over again? Or is it disappointing, like re-watching a favorite movie can sometimes be? And, if it is disappointing, does it somehow spoil the wonderful memory that you held for that book? Well, I'm about to find out. I've borrowed a copy of Bilgewater. I'll let you know how it goes.

Reading: The party line by Sue Orr - novel  set in 1970s rural New Zealand about collective complicity

plumdog

I've just finished reading this great book/graphic novel - Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark. It's a diary of sorts and spans a year in the life of Plum, Emma's "whoosell" (whippet, Jack Russell, poodle cross). Written by Plum, illustrated by Emma. It captures a dog's life so well. After reading it I felt a little sad and missing my Louie.

Plumdog (the book) started life as a this blog. I was inspired to think I could start a similar thing for my cats but cats don't do anything really, do they? Eat, sleep, preen.

(other) Reading: My name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout who wrote Olive Kitteridge that you may have seen on tv.

Making: Rhubarb jelly - it's astoundingly good if you like rhubarb. I made this BBC recipe. I think it's not necessary to add the layer of reserved cooked rhubarb but you might like to.