Word of the day is 'nativity' and, by coincidence, today is my birthday.
WARNING:
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple."
A small and belated September update for 2024, where I am still, after many years' membership, on 365 Project, also now posting elsewhere but wanting...
@wordpixman Arthur, thank you for good wishes and wise words which I'll try to follow! (I find it very difficult to realise that the number that attaches itself to me actually is correct - never been too keen on numbers anyway!)
@Cherrill Thank you, Cherrill! No, I'm not so sure about the sobriety of youth either! This is the first time I've found all of this poem, usually only part of it is quoted.
@glenmoor Julian, thank you - it is a shame after two lovely sunny days. Ray heroically took Jinks out before it rained and before he went off on the ramble. I'm going for a nice warm swim soon and then we'll go to Mottisfont for lunch - but not for a walk around the grounds!
Hazel, I love this poem!! Have you learnt to spit yet? This is a great selfie, a really wonderful portrait of a very attractive woman, with bags of personality and a great sense of humour!
Thank you so much for your comments and good wishes. I had a lovely swim this morning and we've been out for a delicious lunch, now home and relaxing and Ray is making bread for tea!
@tishpics Patricia - it's the first time I've found this poem in its entirety and it seemed very apt. Thank you very much for your kind, heartwarming and enthusiastic comments. I think that 365 has developed my sense of humour and also that it's still quite selective as there are a lot of things that are supposedly funny which just leave me cold! I think learning to spit is going to be a challenge! (Ray took the shot as I can't smile just at the camera but find it quite easy to smile at him!!!! I call these shots non-selfie selfies....)
Er is er een jarig , hoera ,je kunt zien dat is zij. ( An old traditional birthday song in Holland
Translated : Someone have there birthday to day , hurrey , you can see that`s she .
The first what came to my mind about when I saw you great selfie , even before I read the lines , was this song. I `ve sing it for you now . Many congratulations . Have a great, wonderful and nice celebration
And what a lovely poem you`ve choose .
Hope you have had a lovely birthday Hazel. I went to our local library today to finish off one of the wise men and take photo of the nativity scene knit by our knit and natter group and forgot to take my camera!
I 'm going to go back in and do a catch up.
@purplehaze12 It's always a bit strange when I see 'purplehaze12' and then I remember that it is you and not me!! Thank you, Hazel, I've had a lovely birthday. I know that feeling of forgetting one's camera - hope you can get a good shot when you go back!
@pyrrhula I'm trying to match the English to the Dutch - with certainty I think that zien = see (from knowing German sehen)!! Maybe zij = she (German sie) Probably all wrong - I just like trying to decipher language. Thank you for the congratulations and good wishes. I think the poem is great fun!! A friend gave me a gift of a book of bird drawings - a little impressionistic, fun and with humorous text and bits of information of interest. The drawing of 'pyrrhula pyrrhula' is beautiful and it is described as 'an enchanting bird'........
All good/o.k. What a lovely friend you have
The drawing of 'Pyrrhula pyrrhula' is beautiful and it is described as 'an enchanting bird'....... Yes , that`s me.
@chrismarfil @darrenboyj @winshez
Translated : Someone have there birthday to day , hurrey , you can see that`s she .
The first what came to my mind about when I saw you great selfie , even before I read the lines , was this song. I `ve sing it for you now . Many congratulations . Have a great, wonderful and nice celebration
And what a lovely poem you`ve choose .
I 'm going to go back in and do a catch up.
The drawing of 'Pyrrhula pyrrhula' is beautiful and it is described as 'an enchanting bird'....... Yes , that`s me.
@mittens @judithg @nana2r @vickisfotos