Isn’t it great when you form a link with someone? You make a slightly obscure reference, and someone recognises it and greets it with enthusiasm – that has happened with Belgian Waffle and me. She referred to a favourite book from her young childhood, and I was able to reply, not only that my children had the book, but that it was right next to me, because I now read the same book to my grandchildren. And so I promised her that I’d post some photos of it, because it’s out of print and her copy has long ago disappeared.
I’m afraid that the second photo down is out of focus, and none of them is great, but things happened and I didn’t get around to taking the pictures in daylight, and finally took them with a phone against my ear on the drawing room carpet. The book on the carpet, not the phone or the ear. It is a delightful book and I hope it might be reissued one day, perhaps by a company such as Lulu, which prints to order. Weeza’s favourite book as a toddler, Smith the Lonely Hedgehog, by Althea Braithewaite, was printed in that way and I bought Zerlina a copy plus a spare in case it ever was lost.
I have got as far as registering with Apple my interest in a new iPad. They aren’t taking orders yet. I agreed with Weeza when she said that it won’t change my life (sorry to sound overdramatic) in the way my phone has, because there isn’t that much more of a change to make, in truth. But I am looking forward to it immensely. I also am looking forward to the absurdly grand gesture – the really good bargain to be had, at present, is to buy the original iPad at a reduced rate. But, although I rarely indulge myself very much (you observe the careful qualification), when I do, I have little interest in being cautious. I shall also buy myself a new printer, so that I can print from the iPad wirelessly, just because I can.
Just because I can. Hah.
My iPad 1 bargain hopefully arrives today!
How odd. Before reading this I published my own blog post, which includes the phrase: Just because I can.
Oh, thank you so much for this. It looks exactly, in every detail, as I remembered it.
x
You put me to shame with your easy familiarity with iStuff, Z. J. very kindly gave me a Kindle for my birthday – I hardly dare take the protective plastic sheet off the screen in case it bites. And presently she’ll help me set it all up, and thereafter I shall swank about with it wittering on about how easy it all was. That’s the trouble with having one’s IT parameters set by the Sinclair ZX81.
I think they’ve been very canny in keeping the same price for the new machines and dropping the price for the present ones – more effective than a lot of money spent on advertising and, of course, we all buy apps and they get their cut. And I’ll buy the word processing programme and so on…
Dave, it’s the power of middle age!
It’s a pleasure, Waffle, and if I ever spot a copy on a book stall, I’ll buy it for you.
I’ve only ever had iStuff, Chris. I’m not very familiar with PCs, although I used to know my way round a Commodore 64, quarter of a century ago.
Wow that brought back memories I didn’t even know I had. I remember reading the Apple Pig when I was young too and I’d completely forgotten about it.
Never heard of the Apple Pigs!
Sam’s favourites are the Hairy McClairy (from Donaldson’s dairy) series, and Guess How Much I Love You with Little Nutbrown Hare.
I suppose there are so many childrens’ books out there that it would be quite rare to share a favourite.
My own personal favourite from my childhood was Tootles The Taxi, a Ladybird book. Sam thinks it’s pants.
Everyone is so much younger than I am! Sarah, I shall include you in my list of honorary blog-daughters.
I loved the Blackberry Farm books by Jane Pilgrim when I was little, Simon. When I was a bit older, I loved the Just So Stories and used to get to the end of the book and start right away again from the beginning. I’m sure I’ve written at least once about favourite childhood books, so I won’t get started again!