Hyrum Home

Monday, October 1, 2012

We have had our house resided and painted this September, so I have had the camera out and about.  I shot  these photos of our yard and surrounding views in about 15 minutes.  I had some very photogenic and cooperative characters to snap pictures of...

Lovely Jane

Curious Myrtle

Dear Fern

Friendly CeCe

Elusive Jemima

Young Rooster, Dominick, testing out his new cock-a doodle-do.  

the neighbors' horses

Bossy Gabby

tooooooo many ducks

Mr. Pockets

 and finally, you always know where to find these girls. They have been sitting on their eggs for weeks on end, with no baby chicks in site.  They are patient beyond belief!

Christopher Hitchens - Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

     What I have been dreading for months, has finally occurred.   The last article of  Christopher Hitchens appeared in print.   Actually, it was published a few weeks after his death.  The topic was not about himself.  He did not try to leave one last mark fortifying his fervent anti-theist beliefs.  Instead, he chose the topic of Charles Dickens.
     For fans of Hitchens and Dickens, this final article is a bit of a present in and of itself.  For me, it was an emotional read.  Partly because in reading it,  the realization seeped in that  Hitchens spent some of his last hours that he lived, writing the piece.     Maybe he was making a statement?  That the enjoyment he had gotten from reading Dickens was treasured?   Surely an author's last printed words would be something they held dear.   It  made reading  it bitter sweet.

Christopher Hitchens

Here is the  link to the article.  In true Hitchens style, he did not sugarcoat the author but described him as he honestly saw him.
     The book David Copperfield by Dickens is my favorite book.  It has been ever since I first read it many years ago.       
    The opening line of the book is:   
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show."   

     What a nice line to think about.
     It is a semi-autobiographical story of a boy's personal struggle to become an individual he can be proud of--the hero of his own life. What could be more appealing, especially if it comes to pass?
    David Copperfield is one of the books of my life.  You know, one of the handful that leave their mark for all the rest of your years.  Dickens genius is in the details, in which he cleverly endears you to each character.  I am proud to be, as Hitchens states, "one of those who study Dickens, or who keep up the great cult of his admiration."     

  

Bustle and Sew

Check Out This Blog!

I recently discovered a wonderfully kind blogger from the southern coast of England,  in Dorset.  Her name is Helen, and her charming and whimsical blog is named, Bustle and Sew.   Her blog offers many downloadable patterns; many of them are free.  In her latest post, she has gathered lots of ideas for improving sewing and embroidery skills  and has compiled them into a free book.  here to download as a pdf file or here to read online.
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   All that she asks is- - - - - - - - - - -