Past Imperfect

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

THE BOOK

20 comments:

f:lux said...: What a gorgeous thing to have! It must be lovely just to hold, let alone read.; 8:58 AM
Pat said...: f;lux: yes it is and I'm going to see MTL takes greater care of it.; 4:23 PM
Drama Queen said...: What a find!!!! And it looks in such good condition.; 7:08 PM
Pat said...: hi DQ! I've told MTL he has to wear white gloves when he touches it!; 11:21 PM
Anonymous said...: Pat, if the cover is real leather then you must handle it often with bare hands. I was told this by an antique book dealer. He said that the oil from your hands stops the leather from drying out and crumbling. It also helps the paper inside the same way. If you have a leather covered book that is dry and flaking then rub a small amount of camphor oil on your hands and gently rub them over the book. Never put the oil directly onto the book, and never, never use Vaseline, that destroys leather!

You can pay me later!

Grumpy Keith; 12:59 AM
Anonymous said...: When I was little my grandmother taught me a poem she said was by Rupert Brooke, but now that I'm old I doubt it very much! It was:

When I am old
Please do not cry,
For I will leave you riches;
A knife, a fork, a cabbage stalk,
And a pair of mouldy breeches.

Grumpy Keith; 1:05 AM
Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...: That is so a love-token! It must have been! And all that pulsating romance inside. Lucky old matron!; 1:58 AM
Pat said...: Keith: that is interesting. It is real leather and very tactile; one's instinct is to stroke it and that's what we have been doing and now, will continue to do. We have another - so old it uses f's for s's. That certainly could do with a camphor rub. As Sanm says 'OOh Matron!'
Your Gran's poem is great - I'll try it on the kids at Easter. It's a step up from my cow pat one.

Cowpats are free tra la, tra la,
But don't throw one at me tra la, tra la,
Or you may get hit tra la, tra la,
And they're full of s--t tra la,
tra la.

Sam: it does throb a bit! MTL told me there were some prized pieces in the family (not in this branch) which had been left by the Matron, which are said to have been left to her by the surgeon. But not a word to Bessie!; 9:46 AM
Leesa said...: I love old books. And sometimes I wonder who else has read the same words I am reading some decades later. Not only are the words "wormholes to the future" but sometimes the books themselves are.

Oh, and I posted something yesterday (below) that requires your attention. Sort of a mis-post.; 8:27 PM
Pat said...: Thanks Leesa. Hopefully you will have received my e-mail by now.; 8:44 PM
TLP said...: That is truly lovely. And it does make me think that something was going on between the giver and the givee.

I love the posts below.; 11:42 PM
Pat said...: Tan Lucy Pez: I think so too!; 8:21 AM
Michael K. Althouse said...: Very nice. I just love old books. I like the way they smell and the velvety softness of the worn pages. I can almost feel a connection with the untold eyes that have read the very same words so many years ago. Precious!

Michele sent me,

Mike; 8:30 AM
RC said...: I also love old books! My favorite old book was from ian Fleming, You Only Live Twice. Not sure what happened to it, just glad they made a movie!; 11:00 AM
RC said...: I forgot!

Hi, Michele sent me!

It's still me, just going by real name now in my profile.; 11:02 AM
Pat said...: beaver face: weldome! Are you trying to confuse me? All the men I have known seem to like Ian Fleming and his hero!; 11:48 AM
Carolyn said...: 'Magnificently unprepared,
For the long littleness of life.’

I love that line! Congrats on your book find too :)

Here from Michele's today.; 3:37 PM
Pat said...: Hi Carolyn! that phrase resonated with me also - especially with regard to him.; 4:25 PM
utenzi said...: That's a beautiful cover, Pat. I've never read Brooke except in places like this. I had to look him up on Wiki and as soon as I did, I realized I'd looked him up a few months ago due to reading a post on him at another blog. Apparently he has lots of admirers despite his short stay on the mortal plane.

Michele sent me over, Pat.; 6:17 PM
Pat said...: Hi Utenzi!don't you think if you are cut down in your prime and are in the arts - that almost guarantees you some fame?; 6:57 PM