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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day




"Stories from a time when food, love and music were the essential parts of life ..."
 (Foreword Keith Floyd)



A rich collection of scandalous stories of love and passion
by
Carol Payne




"Doreen dreamt she lay in the Brassicas with her Gypsy Lover..."





"But today she was excited for she was meeting Bertie Floyd and they were going for a walk down by the Tidefork river.  He was going to show her how to tickle a trout..."





"Shortly after this event Betty was packed off to London to stay with her aunt..."





"Queenie grew up to be a smashing looking girl, a bit wild like her mother, a lover of life and men..."





"She came from a poor Cornish family, so poor that Amy was made to wear underwear made out of flour sacks, which were printed with red, bold letters 'THE FINEST FLOUR'..."





"She was a proud plump woman, well respected in the village..."

Have a most wonderful and special day
my dear Friends,

Gina


Book available from Amazon
Partial re-post , February 9, 2011






22 comments:

  1. What a use of postcards was great but unusual. You came up with a novel approach to a great Holiday. Come visit my sight, Pam

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    1. Hello Tea in Texas, What you see is actually a charming little book. I have had it for a very long time. Last time I checked it was still available at Amazon.
      Thank you for your visit and comment. Have a great Valentine's Day.

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  2. OMG - how fabulous are these illustrations…….how titillating those story leads! Do you actually have this book Gina? I see it's available (used editions) and I just may want to order one!!! Main reason is because I met Keith Floyd, a real character in every way, back in the 80's when he owned the Maltsters Arms pub/restaurant in Devon, UK - I was visiting home - he was very drunk! He was probably the best British TV chef ever - known for always having a glass of wine in one hand as he cooked! He opened many great restaurants around the world but because of his erratic personal life he ended up bankrupt and very ill. He died in 2009.

    Fabulous post for St. Valentine's Day dear - I especially love the last one with haricots verts, but the red-headed Queenie illus. and saucy words really got to me!

    Have a love-filled day tomorrow………..and may it last all year long.
    Love, Mary

    P.S. Don't think I'll be sowing the seeds yet - too much snow and ice!!!!!

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    1. Dear Mary, Yes, I have this book. I often leave it in our guest cottage but have to make sure that our guests don't leave with it. Yes, hurry and get the book. It is absolutely charming. I only posted a few (safe) illustrations and stories...there is more. It's a little book that will lift your spirits each time you hold it in your hands.
      How wonderful that you knew Keith Floyd. What a character he must have been.
      Did I tell you that I tested some of the aster seeds? They are viable. But you are right, wait until after your snow and ice melts.
      Have a lovely Valentine's Day. ox, Gina

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  3. Dear Gina - I think the title of the book - A Pinch of Rosemary, was meant for me - but not too sure about the country tales of love and passion bit.
    Keith Floyd was a larger than life character, a bon viveur, with four failed marriages behind him. That is probably why he died too soon - I think about four years ago now.

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    1. You would enjoy this book, dear Rosemary. It has just the right amount of sauciness and charm. Mary (see above) tells us a little more about Keith Floyd, who wrote the foreword for this publication, He must have been quite the character. It is the artist, Carol Payne, who wrote this book and painted the illustrations who must be just as colorful.

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  4. The illustrations are adorable - so scandalous! Happy Valentine's Day!

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    1. Hello Miss Mary, Even more scandalous when you see the book...but always charming and who would not like the beautiful illustrations.
      Thank you for your visit and have a lovely Valentine's Day.

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  5. STUNNING! The most beautiful illustrations, simply STUNNING!
    Wish you my dear Gina a lovely Valentine's day, sending my love and friendship,
    xxxkarin

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    1. Dear Karin, Mr G and I send our Valentine's greetings to you and Mr R. Have a very special day. Wish we were with you to celebrate. ox, G & G

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  6. And - my thought for today:
    "Die Liebe macht den Menschen besser, von welcher Seite sie auch kommen mag" (Alexandre Dumas, fils)
    In diesem Sinne, herzlichst - karin


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    1. Dear Karin, Genau! Liebe und Sonne und Blumen und liebe Freunde wie Du Zwei machen alles besser. Wir wünschen dir einen liebvollen tag. ox G and G.

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  7. Thank you for the post. I just purchased the book on Amazon. How adorable.

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  8. Hello Sandi. Thank you for your visit. If you liked my post wait til you receive your book. It is so very charming. I noticed that Amazon is running out of copies for this book. Those which I noticed had different covers.

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  9. Dear Gina,

    My favorite of these is "The Finest Flour!" I love the naivete of these paintings, some of which remind me of the work of Henri Rousseau. And Happy Valentines Day to you!

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    1. Dear Mark, It is also one of my most favorite stories. When I was a young girl, we unraveled flower sacks to knit our under shirts. It always had black spots where the print had been and always had lots of knots, not very comfortable. But we did learn how to knit complicated pattern because my Mother insisted that our little shirts were not ordinary.
      Happy Valentines' Day to you, as well.

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    2. When I was about five, my family lived in a part of Pennsylvania that had a large Amish population. (It was before the Amish were required to put modern reflecters on their buggies, and passing a Sunday line of buggies was like a very real time warp.) Anyway, we raised chickens at that time, and I remember that the grain came in sacks of calico, from which my mother made aprons and curtains — which eventually found their way onto quilts.

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    3. Dear Mark, What a delightful story!. I love It!. Wish I had one of those aprons.

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  10. Dear Gina,
    I saw this wonderfully illustrated book while perusing your posts of previous years, and was immediately persuaded to purchase not one
    but two copies. Maybe it was not the voluptuous ladies that I found intriguing, but the dark and mysterious man in the background...........
    To you and Mr. G. a happy and romantic Valentin's Day, Sieglinde

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  11. Dear Rosemary, So like you..."the dark and mysterious man in the background"! I'm glad that you purchased your books a while ago. Only a few books are now available. And, I noticed that they have a different and less colorful cover.
    Thank you for your sweet Valentine wishes. Hope you and Mr B had a wonderful day. ox, Gina

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  12. Oh, so wonderful, Gina! Happy Belated Valentine's Day! xoxo

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    1. Dear Georgianna, Have been enjoying your beautiful red roses from Paris. Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day. ox, Gina

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