I am an inveterate collector. Some collect stamps, some exotic cars, I collect commonplace books, as well as keep my own. A commonplace is a collection of oddities, pithy sayings, newspaper stories and all things which catch the author's fancy.
My favorites are the annual A Christmas Cracker published by John Julius, Lord Norwich, only child of Duff and Lady Diana Cooper, perhaps the second most famous couple in Europe in the immediate post WW II years. For much of his life, Lord Norwich has kept a journal of favorite poems, odd definitions, strange anecdotes and curious correspondence. Since 1980, instead of Christmas cards, John has printed selections of his findings and mailed them to anxiously awaiting friends.
Yesterday, I received the 2010 edition, and over the next few weeks will share my favorite entries. This tops my list. The more things change...
And I thought it was only me.
Toad
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2 comments:
Interesting...and there I thought it all started when the babyboomers had their children!
Hope you are having a great weekend!
This cheered me considerably today, and made X laugh as I read it to him across the breakfast table.
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