Speaking of old books…
20 Sep 2011 3 Comments
in Ephemera, Food, Inspiration, Uncategorized Tags: bookmarks, Food, food blogs, inspirational, Recipes
I love when you open an old book or magazine and find a bookmark, or forgotten picture, or scrap of receipt or a recipe scribbled on a tattered old piece of paper. I found this little bookmark on a piece of heavy card tucked into the front of “Mysterious Japan.” I’m a little curious what the center roundel depicts. At first I thought it was a religious scene, the woman wearing a veil and kneeling in the middle of her… bedroom? Is it an allusion to an old biblical story or myth? It’s probably not from classical antiquity…not with those robes! There’s no poetry or quote on the back, and no publisher or printer marked on it either. Anybody have any ideas what or who this picture might depict?
I was surprised to learn there are entire websites dedicated to those lost bookmarks and 
recipes. The first is Forgotten Bookmarks. Their sister site, Handwritten Recipes, collects all the recipes into one place, and people are already testing and trying them out! There’s a recipe for “Pasta with Artichokes” that sounds absolutely fab(!!) and was tested by the ladies over at A Tale of 2 Kitchens. It was the first time I’d heard about their blog, and I’m taken by 
their ingredient-driven, seasonal food blogging. They’re definitely going on my to-read list! I think the first thing I’ll try making is their Warm Breakfast Quinoa. I’m always looking for another excuse to eat quinoa! Also new to my blog-list this week is the lovely Two Lazy Gourmets. The recipes are fresh, pictures inspiring, and there are also informative videos. I’m looking forward to reading more of their blog!
…. (a little bit later)…
I took a little break while writing this post to go through some boxes from my grandmother’s house. She sadly passed away about 3 weeks before I came home from Japan, and it was a real blow for me. While I was sorting through some things, I found another bookmark! The front has a scene from the Nativity, but it’s the poem on the back that really got me.
The poem continues:
How close he was the the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, -
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!
It’s kind of like my grandma is sending me a message – I like to think she’s watching from Heaven and cheering me and my family on!
~MS the Younger
Oct 19, 2011 @ 19:55:33
I love finding things in books too. I purchased a copy of Sophie’s World at Half Price Books and inside was a photo of a girl that could have been the character Sophie. I assume someone used the photo as a bookmark (as I did). I considered the girl as “Sophie” and that made the reading experience more fun.
Oct 26, 2011 @ 17:26:11
That’s awesome! I’ve never found anything inside that has been so closely tied to the story!
~MS the Younger