Here you have the faery songs, the golden, glad, and airy songs, when all the world was morning, and when every heart was true; Songs of darling Childhood all a-wander in the wild wood, songs of life's first loveliness - songs that speak of you!
Thomas Burke
All night long their nets they threw for the fish in the twinkling foam, then down from the sky came the wooden shoe, bringing the fishermen home; 'Twas all so pretty a sail, it seemed as if it could not be; and some folk thought 'twas a dream they'd dreamed of sailing that beautiful sea; But I shall name you the fishermen three,
Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.
Dutch Lullaby by Eugene Field.
No skies so blue or so serene as then; - no leaves looked half so green as clothing the playground tree! All things I loved are altered so, nor does it ease my heart to know that change resides in me!
A retrospective Review by Thomas Hood.
Bartholomew is very sweet, from sandy hair to rosy feet. Bartholomew is six months old, and dearer far than pearls or gold. Bartholomew has deep blue eyes, round pieces dropped from out the skies. Bartholomew is hugged and kissed! He loves a flower in either fist. Bartholomew's my saucy son; No mother has a sweeter one!
Norman Gale
The boxes about our courtyard we carpeted to our mind, and lived there both together kept house in a noble kind. The neighbour's old cat often came to pay us a visit; we made her a bow and curtsey, each with a compliment in it. After her health we asked, our care and regard to evince, we have made the very same speeches to many an old cat since.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
When the voices of children are heard on the green, and laughing is heard on the hill, my heart is at rest within my breast, and everything else is still. "Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down, and the dews of night arise; Come, come, leave off play, and let us away. Till the morning appears in the skies."
William Blake
Children in Verse fifty songs of playful childhood with illustrations by Honor C Appleton.
Regular readers of this blog may remember a previous post about health-food pudding and nursery cake. My sister left a comment saying how much she
would like to own the featured cookbook. I sent it to her and when Terry and I visited yesterday she had cooked
one of the cakes from it (thank you lovely sister!)
This is the deliciously gooey chocolate cake.
This is the very talented chef (my sister Sue)
Terry on the left and Sue’s husband Brian on the right enjoying a little spring sunshine in the garden
Sisters
Sue and Brian's pretty courtyard garden
Thanks to Sue and Brian for a lovely day and thanks to
everyone who takes the time to call in at my blog. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Dear friend out in beautiful ENGLAND! Oh how lovely this entire post is today! To see YOU, your sister, your husbands! And the cake.....yummmmmm!
ReplyDeleteIt is snowing here again, and in full force. This is silly! But your magical post (I can be a child forever) is what I need today to connect me back to my happy place. These illustrations are what I dream of, what I once had and hope to never let go of. You all look splendid! Big hugs Barbara! Anita
Thank you Anita, you are such a sweetheart. I hit the publish button before checking any of the spelling or anything else, so I do hope it reads OK. I can’t believe you have more snow! I keep trying to send the sunshine your way, but I obviously need to blow harder. Have a wonderful weekend. With love Barbara xx
DeleteIt was lovely to see you both. Must not make too many of the cakes - look how fat the pair of us (Brian and I) are. Cake has all gone, shared it with Frances our nice neighbour today. Back on the diet tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteLots of love to you both.
Sue xxx
Sue, you are not fat! You looked lovely yesterday, as you always do. I’m sure you are years younger than me. It was really nice to catch up with you, wish we could do it more often. xxx
DeleteHow lovely that you got to try out some cake from the cookbook! I so so love the illustrated poems. Before I saw the words, I immediately recognized Wynken, Blynken and Nod
ReplyDeleteHello Bish, I just had to include Wynken Blynken and Nod it’s such a lovely poem. I promised myself I would make some of the cakes, but I would probably never have got around to so I’m glad my sister did. That chocolate cake was seriously good. Thanks for leaving a comment.
DeleteOh my! Where to begin?
ReplyDeleteThose illustrations are absolutely lovely, there's so much to see in each of them.
I especially love Wynken, Blynken and Nod - adorable!
What a lovely family your have - that cake looks absolutely, mouth wateringly delicious! I hope you all enjoyed it (jealous)
What beautiful flowers they have in their garden too.
Enjoy your weekend lovely Barbara x
Hi Yvonne, it really was the best chocolate cake I’ve tasted in a long time. If there was any left, I would ask my sister to send you a slice!
DeleteHave a lovely weekend. Barbara xx
Sorry all went yesterday! xx
DeleteIf I asked, pleaded, would your sister consider sending me one of those cakes?
ReplyDeleteI'm supposed to be on a diet but to hell with it.
My sister would not be able to refuse you Roger. She has a heart of gold. Forget the diet eat cake! : )
DeleteWhere are you?
DeleteHi Sister, Roger is an author living in London. If you want to find out more this is his blog http://threehoodies.blogspot.co.uk/
DeleteYour sister's garden is so pretty. You are fortunate, I don't have a sister. My brothers are great but a sister would have been nice. Especially if she made me a wonderful chocolate cake!
ReplyDeleteHello Darlene, I’m lucky – I have one of each! Not that I see very much of my brother, but I still know that he is there. Sue is a very talented gardener and a jolly good cook. Thanks for calling in. I hope the weekend is going well. Barbara.
DeleteBarbara, you say I find the nicest books, but I think it's the other way round, you find the nicest, loveliest art and verses ~ you have found and given us here, snippets of childhood I wish everyone could have. Imagine training a cat to bow and curtsey! I love the rhyme of the Dutch lullaby and the art of Bartholomew with his mommy by the sea the most. You, Sue, Terry, and Brian all look great. You sisters have got amazing green fingers. Those blooms are wonderful , and that gooey cake makes me want to get one today. Enjoy Spring, dear Barbara!
ReplyDeleteThank you Claudine, you do say the nicest things. I’m not sure about green fingers but mum was a keen gardener, and I think my sister and I picked up a love of flowers from her. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Barbara xx
DeleteWinken Blynken and Nod is one of my favorite rhymes from childhood. My mother taught me the difference between a wink and a blink using that poem. And as always, beautiful illustrations!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely memory Teressa, thank you for sharing it. I’m glad you enjoyed the illustrations. Have a happy day. Barbara.
DeleteWhat a beautiful post! I love the illustrations and verse from Children in Verse! Each illustration had so much to offer the reader. How awesome that your sister made a cake from the cookbook. It looks like it was tasty. Your visit looks like it was such fun and I am glad you got to have a special day together. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Stephanie, we did have a special day (we always do when we visit Sue & Brian), and the cake was delicious. Glad you enjoyed the pictures and verse. I hope the sun is shining for you. Barbara.
DeleteWhat a lovely, lovely post Barbara. I love the photo of you two sisters. And how brilliant to give your sister the cookbook. Wonderful pots of spring flowers too. I do so love hyacinths.
ReplyDeleteI am utterly charmed by the lines of invitation by Thomas Burke..would you mind if I use them sometime? Honor Appleton's illustrations are just adorable aren't they. Such wonderful colours & detail. Thank you for sharing such sweetness.
Much love Catherine x0x0x
Hello Catherine, I would be delighted if you used the Thomas Burke words, they are far too pretty to stay hidden inside a book! I love the Honor Appleton illustrations. She was such a talented artist and one of my favourites.
DeleteI know what you mean about hyacinths they are so pretty, and they smell good!
Thank you for taking the time to call in and leave a comment. I hope you are having a good weekend. Love Barbara xxx
Barbara, you have everything I love in this post! Adorable illustrations, lovely flowers, and gooey chocolate cake. Bravo to your sister on that yummy looking dessert! Looks like a wonderful day with your family in the warm English sunshine! We just had 8 inches of snow yesterday!!
ReplyDeleteOh no! I hope you get some sunshine soon. Not that I don't like snow you understand, I do like it very much when I'm in the warm looking out on it but not when it lasts for weeks and weeks, and you need to get about it in.
DeleteWe had a lovely day with the family, and the chocolate cake was delicious. Thanks for calling in.
Hmm, I seem to have accidentally signed out and now can't sign back in. As I was saying .....
ReplyDeleteI think the first person to comment says it all. Always a pleasure to visit, your blog does indeed take one to their happy place.
Tracy Terry.
Thank you for trying again Tracy, sorry you had problems.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Dear and kind friend, I will continue to visit you and others blogs where I find such happiness and a sanctuary of creativity. Thank you for coming to visit, and I am still here! Only monthly will I post, however. HAPPY DAY!
ReplyDeleteSuch sweet, innocent children's poems ... just lovely!
ReplyDeleteAnd you are so lucky to have a sister ... I wish I had one!
Hello Marina, I do feel very lucky to have a sister. We talk about anything and everything and always ‘put the world to rights’ when we get together.
DeleteI’m so pleased you enjoyed the poems. Thanks for your visit, Barbara.
What wonderful pictures of your family and flowers. Our flowers haven't started to bloom yet. I love that yummy looking cake too. As for the book, well, it's a keeper, isn't it? The rhymes, the descriptions, the pictures. If only I could draw like that.
ReplyDeleteHello Donna, now wouldn’t that be wonderful? I’ve always wanted to draw and paint, but I’m hopeless at both. I will be over to see you in a day or two. I feel sure I must have missed out on some of your recent posts. Life is just so busy at the moment.
DeleteLovely poems and thanks for sharing the photos.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHello Kelly, I enjoyed sharing the poems and the photos, thank you for taking the time to look at them. Barbara.
DeleteLovely - people, places, flowers and of course the yummy chocolate cake !
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good time with your sister.
Hello Carolyn, how lovely to ‘see’ you! I’m so pleased you enjoyed the pictures. We had an excellent time (as we always do). My sister is the perfect host.
DeleteI hope you are keeping well. Barbara
Hi Barbara -
DeleteYes, it's nice to "see" you too !
After looking the gooey choc cake pic, I am now deciding between making curry puffs or chocolate cake this weekend ! :-)
Hi Carolyn, impossible to choose – make both! :-)
DeleteSuch gentle stories, as always, with exquisite illustrations. I wonder what kids of today would make of them?
ReplyDeleteThe chocolate cake is making me drool but I'm trying very hard not to make any. I did eat some shortcake biscuits yesterday and today.
The garden looks so colourful with the daffodils and love the statue. I must email you some pics of the books too.
Hello Anne Marie, books I buy for my granddaughters are bright and choc full of exciting things, so I suppose a book like this would be thought of as “boring” (how sad). I think you have to be a certain age to enjoy the quieter things in life – well that’s my excuse! :-)
DeleteThere is no urgency with the pics, just whenever you have the time.
Thanks for calling in, Barbara.
These illustrations are beautiful! Your sisters garden looks magical and such a mouth watering cake! Lucky you! You got to eat it:-)
ReplyDeleteLucky indeed, it was delicious! :-)
DeleteBeautiful illustrations - I really like the last one of the children on their mother's lap. Loved your pics as well - especially the one of you and your sister sitting together. Its always nice to get a glimpse into your world :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon. Sue and I were not so keen on the ‘photo it made us both feel old. But then I guess we are! Glad you enjoyed the illustrations.
Delete