Friday Poetry: Anon

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has some fab plans for the weekend.

My chosen poem this week is one that my students sing and play regularly as it is a great beginner piece.

Lavender's Blue

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen;
Call up your men, dilly dilly, set them to work,
Some to the plough, dilly dilly, some to the cart;
Some to make hay, dilly dilly, some to thresh corn,
Whilst you and I, dilly dilly, keep ourselves warm. 

Anon

Happy Reading

Etsy

Reading My Height in Books #2

Hello!

It is time for another update of Reading My Height in Books. I tried to get Lyra to join in with the photo this time but as soon as she saw the pile of books she became suspicious and ran away.

The book pile now contains 12 books and is exactly 11.5 inches high. This leaves me with 55.5 inches to go.

This time in 2021 I was at 8.5 inches high so I am ahead. Hopefully I can keep ahead of 2021 and finally manage to read my height in books.

Look at that pile grow!

Happy Reading!

Etsy

WWW Wednesday: 1/03/2023

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you will read next?

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good start to March. I’ve had a busy day teaching but I managed some reading during my lunch break which was lovely.

What I am Currently Reading

I’ve made a big push with The Count of Monte Cristo this week. I am still really enjoying the book but it is quite a slow read. I started Diddly Squat yesterday and have nearly finished it. It is a really easy read and very funny.

What I have Recently Finished Reading

This was a reread for me and I absolutely flew through it. I am absolutely loving being back into the world of Dr Galloway.

What I Think I will Read Next

So many books to read and I have quite a few lined up for March. Hopefully, I manage to get a good number read this month.

Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading

Etsy

February 2023 Wrap Up

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I have managed to read another six books this month so I am doing well with my reading so far.

Statistics

Books

Pages: 279

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 298

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 384

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 189

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲

Review to follow

Pages: 304

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 340

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

12/80 Goodreads Challenge

I hope everyone has had a good reading month this February.

Happy Reading

Etsy

Goodreads Monday: 27/02/2023

Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club.  All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.

Hello!

I hope everyone has had a good Monday and start to the week.

My chosen book for my Goodreads Monday is one that has been on my TBR for quite a while but one I hope to read this year as part of my nonfiction challenge.

Jerusalem 1119. A small group of knights seeking a purpose in the violent aftermath of the First Crusade decides to set up a new order. These are the first Knights Templar, a band of elite warriors prepared to give their lives to protect Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land. Over the next two hundred years, the Templars would become the most powerful religious order of the medieval world. Their legend has inspired fervent speculation ever since. 

In this groundbreaking narrative history, Dan Jones tells the true story of the Templars for the first time in a generation, drawing on extensive original sources to build a gripping account of these Christian holy warriors whose heroism and alleged depravity have been shrouded in myth. The Templars were protected by the pope and sworn to strict vows of celibacy. They fought the forces of Islam in hand-to-hand combat on the sun-baked hills where Jesus lived and died, finding their nemesis in Saladin, who vowed to drive all Christians from the lands of Islam. Experts at channeling money across borders, they established the medieval world’s largest and most innovative banking network and waged private wars against anyone who threatened their interests.

Then, as they faced setbacks at the hands of the ruthless Mamluk sultan Baybars and were forced to retreat to their stronghold in Cyprus, a vindictive and cash-strapped King of France set his sights on their fortune. His administrators quietly mounted a damning case against the Templars, built on deliberate lies and false testimony. Then on Friday October 13, 1307, hundreds of brothers were arrested, imprisoned and tortured, and the order was disbanded amid lurid accusations of sexual misconduct and heresy. They were tried by the Pope in secret proceedings and their last master was brutally tortured and burned at the stake. But were they heretics or victims of a ruthlessly repressive state? Dan Jones goes back to the sources to bring their dramatic tale, so relevant to our own times, in a book that is at once authoritative and compulsively readable.

Please drop me a comment if you have taken part in Goodreads Monday and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading

Etsy

Friday Poetry: Eugene Field

Hello!

My chosen poem today is by the poet Eugene Field (1850-1895). Field was an American writer, best known for his children’s poetry and humorous essays.

Wynken, Blynken and Nod

Wynken. Blynken, and Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden show, -
Sailed on a river of crystal light
Into a sea of dew. 
'Where are you going, and what do you wish?'
The old moon asked the three.
'We have come to fish for the herring-fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we,'
Said Wynken,
Blynken
And Nod.

The old moon laughed and sang a song,
As they rocked in the wooden shoe;
And the wind that sped them all night long
Ruffled the waves of dew;
The little stars were the herring-fish
That lived in the beautiful sea. 
'Now cast your nets wherever you wish, -
Never afraid are we!'
So cried the stars to the fishermen three,
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod. 

All night long their nets they threw
To the stars in the twinkling foam, -
Then down from the skies 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.

Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes,
And Nod is a little heard, 
And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies
Is a wee one's trundle-bed;
So shut your eyes while Mother sings
Of wonderful sights that be,
And you shall see the beautiful things
As you rock in the misty sea
Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three:-
Wynken,
Blynken,
And Nod. 

Eugene Field

Happy Reading

Etsy

This and That Thursday

Hello!

I thought it was time for a non bookish update.

Walking

This week I have been on half term so I haven’t had school. This has meant more free time and I have made the most of it by going on some lovely walks. I am really enjoying the start of the lighter evenings and I am looking forward to going on some evening walks once I am back at school. My husband and myself are also taking part in the Conqueror Lord of the Rings Challenges and we are now half way through earning our second medal, fingers crossed we get to the end soon.

Yummy Treats

We have managed to go out for some treats recently. Last week we went out for a lovely meal where I tried my first ever Baked Alaska. It is so nice to go out for the odd treat. I also cooked a roast on Sunday which I rarely get to do because we generally don’t have enough time on a Sunday due to work commitments. I will be honest the Yorkshire puddings are the best ones I have ever made, sadly they caught slightly on the one side but they were huge!

Card Making

I spent a lovely afternoon yesterday making some Easter cards. I am really enjoying my bits of crafting at the moment and have loads of ideas. I just need to find more time to work on my ideas!

So there are a few of my non bookish activities. We are hoping to go out for an adventure tomorrow but we haven’t decided what yet.

Happy Reading!

Etsy