lördag 7 november 2015

Lördag med Gutenberg

 En perfekt gråtrist dag att kura ihop sig vid brasan med herr Gutenberg. I synnerhet som han kompenserar förra lördagens magra utbud med fler intressanta böcker än jag kommer att hinna läsa den här veckan.
 "The 'Look About You' Nature Study Books, Book 4 (of 7)", av Thomas W. Hoare är en pedagogisk lärobok som vänder sig till barn. 
 “We are going to have a peep into the inside of these twigs,” said Uncle George, as he laid some willow and horse-chestnut twigs on the table.
“First,” he said, “let us examine the outside of them.” He handed a small willow branch to Tom and a horse-chestnut branch to Frank.
“Now, Frank, tell me all you see.”
“I see the rings of scars which mark each year’s growth,” said Frank. “This year’s growth is at the top, above the first ring of scars. Below this is last year’s growth. Then comes another ring of marks, and below this again is the growth of two years ago.”
“That is to say,” said his uncle, “the upper part of your twig is about one year old, the middle part is two years old, and the lower part is three years old. Go on, Frank.”
“The upper part is light brown, while the middle and lower parts are dark brown.”
“Oh, it is studded all over with little oval marks like pits,” said Frank.“Take your lens, Frank, and look at that brown covering carefully.”
“Now, what about the buds?”
“The buds,” said Frank, putting down his lens, “are in pairs; and the stem is swollen where each pair of buds comes off.”
“Very good,” said Uncle George. “That is exactly what I wanted you to notice. The swollen parts of a stem are called its nodes. In every stem, buds and leaves occur at the nodes. Nodes are very well seen in grass and corn stems.”
“Then at the top of the twig there is a very large bud and a pair of small buds, one on each side of it,” said Frank.
“You have described it very well,” said his uncle. “Now, Tom, what about the willow twig?”
“I see some very tiny marks on it,” said Tom. “There are no rings marking the year’s growth; and the buds are not arranged in pairs.”


Vill du läsa om experimenten Frank utför, får du klicka dig över till Gutenberg — mig påminner det mig om flaskträdgårdarna som var så populära på 70-talet (tror att det var 70-talet), och jag funderar allvarligt på att leta fram några lämpliga kärl för att starta en eller två miniträdgårdar.
 
Jag skulle tro att de flesta, med mig, förknippar Dorothy Sayers med Lord Peter, i "Oxford Poetry 1919", en lyrikantologi, kan man läsa dikter av såväl henne som helt okända (för mig) poeter.

SYMPATHY
I sat and talked with you
In the shifting fire and gloom,
Making you answer due
In delicate speech and smooth—
Nor did I fail to note
The black curve of your head
And the golden skin of your throat
On the cushion's golden-red.
But all the while, behind,
In the workshop of my mind,
The weird weaver of doom
Was walking to and fro,
Drawing thread upon thread
With resolute fingers slow
Of the things you did not say
And thought I did not know,
Of the things you said to-day
And had said long ago,
To weave on a wondrous loom,
In dim colours enough,
A curious, stubborn stuff—
The web that we call truth.
                      D. L. SAYERS
      To a little house in oxford
Through the half-opened door the light streams out
Across the street,
And lays a path of gold on stones worn grey
By passing feet.
I catch a glimpse of flowers in quaint old bowls
Standing in gloom,
And many books on intimate low shelves
Go round the room.
                             K. MOUNSEY 

2 kommentarer:

  1. Ja! En sån flaskträdgård hade vi när Gro var liten. Minns inte vad som hände med den, förmodligen dog den av ensamhet.
    Det ser mysigt ut, hoppas det är det också!
    kram från Mette

    SvaraRadera
    Svar
    1. Mette,
      Minns inte heller vad som hände med mina - men de är ju inte helt underhållsfria, så jag misstänker att de tynade bort under sommaren, när jag var ute på vift.

      Jo, ja... det hjälper att bryta de invanda rutinerna - göra saker lite annorlunda.
      Margaretha

      Radera