Two days ago I went to a book sale held at the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library. Zillions of books. Two dollars for hard covers and one dollar for paper covers are the common pricing. I picked up a small hard cover, published in 1913 called "Wild Flower Preservation." The book has heavy cream paper and brown age spots throughout. It smells like an old book. In front a quote reads:
...We shall find that the love of nature, wherever it has existed, has been a faithful and sacred element of feeling... -John Ruskin
I knew that the drawing challenge held the theme 'garden party' and as I do not have a garden myself, I headed to the boulevard out front and walked around looking for buttercups. It didn't take long as they are everywhere. Lesson I in the book tells how to preserve buttercups. Doing this exercise will be my contribution for a garden party of sorts. My kind anyway.
Before I begin to show what I did, I just have to read to you a bit from the foreword: "I must admit that the very word 'herbarium' sounds prosaic, and that the terms 'dried plants' and 'specimens' are absolutely devoid of poetry. That is just the pity of it all, for flowers and poetry should be inseparable. Who will give us a word instead of 'herbarium,' some word with a vision in it, a vision of all the grace and loveliness of wild-flower land?"
I want to have a cup of tea with this guy at my garden party.
Okay, so here's my page of buttercup preservation. Pretend I am 11 years old as the printing reflects it. HA! I need to practice my hand. Also, spelling. 3 mistakes that I know of, one I did not catch, and who knows how many you may spot that I missed...
I keep a penknife in my pocket at all times. Just because. It came in handy to dig a clump of buttercups.
I love my penknife. I often use it to slice sushi in half when I'm out and about.
A closer look.
The finished page (for photographic purpose.)
Spelling!
Another closer look.
So there's my page for the challenge this week. To see more players who have joined in for the fun, visit this page to meet Tammie who is hosting for us. THANK YOU TAMMIE! Thanks for dropping by and I hope to see you again soon! Hugs, Norma, x
thank you for joining us Norma.
ReplyDeletei love having a knife with me also, so hand. perfect for sizing sushi and buttercups.
i love that opening quote on nature.
and your drawing. sounds like a wonderful old book.
garden party...
ReplyDeleteLOVE buttercups!
my youngest pick them
every year ;^)))
new theme
for the drawing cahllenge
on my blog
x
Patrice A.
I.Love.This.Post. an old book with words written in 1913, a flower with a clump of dirt, an always on hand pocket knife, some misspelled words, and a botanical drawing with labels.... pretty much what I call perfection!
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