a beautiful book

Yesterday arrived

another birthday present

that was ordered by mail

LOST  WORDS

I follow Jackie Morris' blog for quite some years now

and admire her fantastic way she illustrates

her own and other books.

This is a collaboration of two artists

who greatly admire each other's work

The poems by Robert Macfarlane

capture the true spirit of each and every animal or plant

I loved the book when I saw it on Jackie's blog

and was VERY curious when I saw it

in our wonderful Rotterdam bookshop (Donner)

translated in Dutch

.....

But I can only say that

Bibi Dumon Tak

(a Dutch writer)

did a splendid job translating Robert's (lost) words

(it is only a pity

that the printed gold leaf background of Jackie's watercolours 

is not as bright as the "real thing")

I can strongly recommend this wonderful book

to anyone who loves nature

poems and watercolurs !

slowly going

That's what I'm doing at the time

My creative things 

aren't growing very fast,

nor are the flowers in the cold spring garden

...

But the local garden center

is very helpful

when it comes to slow gardens

Not home grown, 

but from a tray full of bright colours !

Not that my days are idle, oh no,
the stack of jewel squares is steadily growing and

I'm busy de-cluttering the bookcase,

Though it may not lóók like progress, but it really is !

I got rid of all the tiny bits (and dust) that gathered on the shelves.

so you could hardly see the books anymore.

Now the fun things only stand on the ends.

Now you can see again this lovely Wayang Golek head

(It is fár from finished, 

and I had a hard time to persuade the man who made it,

to sell it to me unfinished !!!

But he did, and I cherished it for many years now)

 While I was working the bookcase

and Man colouring his Mandalas (or studying Italian)

the little one had work of his own

*

Today 

(the bookcase is finished)

I started mending an etui (container)

that a dear friend made many years ago

(the zipper was broken)

...........

but I can tell you :

that making a new one

would probably have been a lot easier

than replacing this broken zipper 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(but I'm glad anyway !)