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Life in the Garden
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
29 posts | 11 read | 14 to read
The two central activities in my life - alongside writing - have been reading and gardening. Penelope Lively has always been a keen gardener. This book is partly a memoir of her own life in gardens: the large garden at home in Cairo where she spent most of her childhood, her grandmother's garden in a sloping Somerset field, then two successive Oxfordshire gardens of her own, and the smaller urban garden in the North London home she lives in today. It is also a wise, engaging and far-ranging exploration of gardens in literature, from Paradise Lost to Alice in Wonderland, and of writers and their gardens, from Virginia Woolf to Philip Larkin.
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merelybookish
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Pickpick

Spent my weekend in the vegetable garden (check out my potatoes!! 😁) listening to the tagged book. Lively considers various topics: gardens as metaphor, time and the garden, garden style, etc. I enjoyed some chapters more than others but can agree with her overall premise that a life in the garden does affect how we engage with the world positively.
It also inspired me to grow more flowers and so I ordered a bunch of tulip & daffodils bulbs. 🙈

Leftcoastzen Ooooooo, taters! 4mo
kspenmoll Yum, potatoes! The book sounds like a good one. Stacked! (edited) 4mo
Tamra 😍 4mo
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Ruthiella What a crop! I‘m impressed! 🍠👏👏👏 4mo
BarbaraBB Wow impressive! Looking forward to the flowers! 4mo
janeycanuck Whoa, good crop! We‘ve given up on potatoes, it never works for us. 4mo
sarahbarnes Wow, so impressive! Good work! 🌱 4mo
merelybookish @kspenmoll It was a good listen! 4mo
merelybookish @BarbaraBB Yes, fingers crossed the deer don't eat them. 4mo
merelybookish @janeycanuck Thanks! Potatoes are pretty consistent but that's about it. 4mo
merelybookish @sarahbarnes Thanks!! 😊 4mo
BarbaraBB So cool you have deer to eat them 🤩 4mo
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Soubhiville
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Thank you @CoffeeNBooks Harper for the birthday book! I‘m very much looking forward to reading about the author‘s gardens across the world.

Mine doesn‘t look like much yet, but I‘ve been slowly adding more plants over the last two weeks. I‘m most excited about the weeping redbud, I hope it‘ll do well.

Thank you for thinking of me on my birthday even with everything you‘ve been going through. You‘re so sweet. 💕

CoffeeNBooks I hope you had a very happy birthday! 3y
Bookbuyingaddict @Soubhiville happy 😃 belated birthday 🎂 hope you had a lovely ☺️ one 3y
54 likes2 comments
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Centique
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Just realised I‘m wearing pants that nearly match my book! Book lovers eventually come to resemble their books right?

vivastory This is the goal 👏📚 3y
Jeg 😂😂 3y
Nute I had to look closer at first. They go perfectly together!🙂 Hmm…what am I reading right now?😳🤣 (edited) 3y
See All 14 Comments
Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣 3y
LeahBergen Love it! 🤣 3y
CarolynM 🤣 3y
batsy Haha, love it! What @vivastory said *glancing worriedly at copy of Crime & Punishment* 😆😆 3y
Reggie Lolol 3y
vivastory @batsy 😂 *Nervously side eyes Collected Edgar Allan Poe* 3y
Centique @batsy @Reggie @vivastory there‘s a horror story starter for you! 😂😂 3y
Cathythoughts Very good 😂😂😂.... my Christmas book still didn‘t get to you .... soon 🤞 3y
Centique @Cathythoughts you are lovely to think of me 💕 the post is terrible because fewer ships and planes are coming down to NZ than before - But it will get here eventually! 3y
Crazeedi Cover crush!! 3y
readordierachel Love this! 3y
78 likes14 comments
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Cazxxx
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Pickpick

This was wonderful. Part memoir of the authors life, family life and their gardens. Partly an exploration of gardens in literature and writers and their gardens. Just beautiful and very relaxing. Highly recommend!

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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Pickpick

Couldn‘t sleep tonight so sat up and finished this one instead. Now it‘s 4 am and I think I best try for a couple of hours sleep before the day starts. Lockdown day Six!

LitStephanie Looks like your furball didn't have trouble sleeping! 😍 Was it a quick read? What did you like about it? 3y
Darklunarose @LitStephanie not one ounce of issue. He crashed right in front of the heater! This took me two weeks to read. It‘s the first book I have finished since we got really unwell a few months ago and my reading mojo disappeared. It‘s about gardens and gardeners, in art, literature and reality. I have become fascinated by cottagecore recently and it was a very cottage core book. 3y
LitStephanie What is cottage core? 3y
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Darklunarose @LitStephanie I‘ll attempt to capture it in words. It‘s a slowed down. Cottage lifestyle, think breaking break, long country walks, nature, painting, poetry etc. it‘s an aesthetic that became very popular last year and my daughter introduced me to the name this year. 3y
Darklunarose @LitStephanie that should say baking bread. 3y
LitStephanie Oh! Thank you for the information. 😃 3y
Darklunarose @LitStephanie you‘re welcome 3y
77 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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There is one heck of a storm coming in today. Followed by another front right behind it. The other day we had our coldest day in over 30 years. Hoping everyone in lockdown is able to stay warm and safe.

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Chrissyreadit
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Thank you so much Mitch! This book gave me the biggest feeling of care and joy from across the pond ❤️❤️❤️ I‘m sitting in this moment absorbing my life in the garden❤️😘

Ruthiella Beautiful photo! 😍 3y
BookishMarginalia That is a gorgeous edition and pic! 3y
monalyisha This picture (& the sentiment of the whole post) just feels like a deep, slow breath. 💙 3y
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Butterfinger Gorgeous!! 3y
Gissy Beautiful photo!👌❤️ 3y
Nute Lovely! 3y
83 likes7 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Treated myself to this rechargeable book light today! Now I can read at night in bed when I can‘t sleep rather then relying on my iPad and apps!

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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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At 0.30 am yesterday the state government called a 7 day hard lockdown with everything but essentials closed. I have supports coming in today and have a drs appointment for myself and two kids…then I‘m bunkering down. I‘m so grateful to live in a state that does things fast to shut this virus down. So far there are 6 positive cases of delta here. Fingers crossed we have contained it.

Avanders 😳 where are you?? 3y
sleepy.ash87 Yes, wondering where you are! 3y
LazyOwl I'm in the hard lock down as well. 👋 I'm finding Working from home is tricky 3y
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jewright Where are you? I live in the US and we just let Delta run rampant here. I‘m vaccinated, but my kids are still too young, so it is scary. 3y
Darklunarose @Avanders adelaide in south Australia. The total went to 12 tonight. First case was Monday. They don‘t play games in this state. Lock down swift and keep it minimal. 3y
Darklunarose @sleepy.ash87 adelaide south Australia 3y
Darklunarose @LazyOwl where are you located? Working from home can either work well or be impossible. Depending on what you do. Hopefully you‘re back at work soon. 3y
Darklunarose @jewright I‘m so sorry the us has been run with this 😔 here in our state we have only had 4 deaths since this de 3y
LazyOwl I'm Adelaide as well. I'm kind of finding my groove more today. 3y
Darklunarose @LazyOwl my god it‘s a tiny world! Glad we haven‘t had too many cases today but it‘s gonna be a while before we a 3y
Darklunarose @LazyOwl can relax that should have finished. 3y
58 likes11 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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We are in a lockdown that isn‘t a lockdown but is kind of a lockdown without the government using the word lockdown. Mum was released yesterday from hospital but I‘m taking her for an ECG this morning. Masking up as per regulations. Think this is the perfect mask

BookishMarginalia That is a gorgeous mask! Hope your mom is doing well! 3y
Darklunarose @BookishMarginalia still a bit to go but I‘m glad she is home and so are her cats! Hoping the ECG doesn‘t pick up anything to bad.! They found an arterial flutter the other day 3y
BethM Healing thoughts to your mom! 3y
CarolynM It's a beautiful mask😍 Hope your Mum gets a good report from the ECG. I am in Melbourne, we are not afraid to call it a lockdown😂 Let's hope we all get out of it soon. 3y
Darklunarose @CarolynM we went to full lockdown at 6 pm tonight. One case was commonly acquired and they shut it all down, which is good. 7 days full hard lockdown. Let‘s hopes it‘s enough but I fear we will be here a while. You guys need a break. You had enough lockdowns to last a life time. This is our third and the last was three days. 3y
65 likes5 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Unicorn donut! I just had to!

thegirlwiththelibrarybag This is so cute! Also I now would quite like a 🍩!! 😂 3y
Darklunarose @thegirlwiththelibrarybag my kid stole this one, I need more too! 3y
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wanderinglynn Too cute! 3y
RedxoHearts That's adorable 3y
Cazxxx That looks yummy! 3y
Darklunarose @thegirlwiththelibrarybag indeed! Next bakery trip I need another, that I shall eat before I get home! 3y
Darklunarose @wanderinglynn they were so cute! The bakery near me always does the cutest cookies and cupcakes, but this was the first time I had seen a donut like this. 3y
Darklunarose @Cazxxx my eldest nicked it! She said it was good! 3y
64 likes12 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Baby yoda and I are going to TRY and settle for a bit of bran space. I don‘t think I have managed more then 5 minutes alone at any given time since Tuesday night when mum went to hospital. This morning I insist, especially as we have two wonderful support workers in this afternoon. But that means a loud house and no quiet. Beginning to think I need a garden to escape into to, but alas our yard has ants and would have to be enjoyed from afar.

Clare-Dragonfly I hope you got some quiet time by yourself. That sounds rough. 3y
Darklunarose @Clare-Dragonfly managed about half an hour, which wasn‘t too bad. This morning I‘m up at 5am and praying kids sleep in. 3y
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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3 am, sleep is being an evasive creature this evening. I did manage a few hours earlier but now I‘m awake and no amount of tiredness is letting me get back to bed. So lounge with the heater it is. Mum is in hospital still with RSV, a supposedly mild cold like illness that usually effects kids worse, yet mum has lung disease and it‘s made her seriously sick. I don‘t think she will be home before Monday. She sounded a lot better today though :)

IuliaC May your mom get well soon! 3y
Ruthiella Glad your mom is sounding better. ❤️ 3y
Libby1 ❤️ 3y
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DaveGreen7777 Hope your Mom feels much better soon! 3y
jewright I had RSV when my kids had it. It was not fun at all. I hope she feels better soon. 3y
Darklunarose @IuliaC ❤️ she looked better today. They are wanting to do an ECG too so don‘t think she will be home till next week now. 3y
Darklunarose @Ruthiella ❤️ me too 3y
Darklunarose @DaveGreen7777 same. She seems a little brighter each day. 3y
Darklunarose @jewright not good! It seems to be the virus if the year too as there have been a few hospitalisation with it. 3y
bthegood Hope she feels better soon❤ 3y
57 likes11 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Currently sitting in the hospital with my mum waiting to see what‘s going to happen. She took a breathing attack earlier and I think they will keep her. It‘s going to be a long night as it‘s already almost 2 am

rockpools Hope she‘s ok. Wishing her a speedy recovery, and you some sleep. 3y
Aims42 Prayers for you both!! ❤️ 3y
Elizabeth2 Hope your mum is okay! Remember to take care of yourself too. (I‘ve walked the same road and it‘s not always easy to remember that you can‘t care for your loved ones if you don‘t also take care of yourself.) ❤️ 3y
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NikkiM5 Sending prayers ❤️ 3y
TheSpineView Sending hugs and prayers. 💞 3y
Ruthiella Hope your mom recovers soon! ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
Darklunarose @rockpools thanks. I‘m thinking they will keep her in but we are still waiting. At least she has a bed in the hall where as we were ramped in the ambulance for ages 3y
Darklunarose @Elizabeth2 ❤️❤️❤️ the plan is to get mum sorted here then I won‘t sleep before you hear has an appointment I can‘t cancel then I‘m sleeping 3y
Suet624 🥰🥰 3y
Butterfinger Sending positive thoughts your way. Keep us updated. 3y
quietjenn Sending good thoughts your way. 💜 3y
Bookwomble I hope you're mum is feeling more comfortable soon 💗 3y
dragondrool Good vibes for your mom and for you as well!
3y
60 likes17 comments
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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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It‘s 5.30 am and pitch black. Sleeps being evasive so my little buddy and I are gonna share this lounge while I get some reading in.

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Darklunarose
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Hmmm, I‘m falling down the rabbit whole that is cottagecore at the moment. And my books are reflecting that. It‘s an aesthetic that really rings true to me. The slow life, the nature, the peaceful pace, and my god the clothes! I‘m hoping this book has a cottagecore vibe. I think it will, in the least the cover is gorgeous! And yes that‘s my cats paw, this morning he is my reading companion!

BookishMarginalia That is indeed a gorgeous #cover! 3y
Clare-Dragonfly I love the cottagecore aesthetic and I think my lifestyle has always been pretty cottagecore… but I don‘t know if I would like a cottagecore book! Too slow for me! 😂 3y
Darklunarose @BookishMarginalia it was so gorgeous I couldn‘t leave it on the shelf! 3y
Darklunarose @Clare-Dragonfly I think mine has too, baking, wanting to be in nature, long strolls, and animals! Life is so fast pace in this house though, we have 7 support workers and several therapists each week in so I think I‘m longing for super slow pace. 3y
61 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Simona
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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My current audiobook is about lushness of green, vibrant colours in gardens, blooming, growing ... but apparently winter in my part of the world is back. It's been snowing all day ☹️

squirrelbrain Bbbrrr 🥶 5y
Simona @squirrelbrain Last week I was in👚 and now this... 5y
61 likes2 comments
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RowReads1
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

readordierachel Lovely edition 💕 5y
batsy So pretty! 5y
34 likes2 comments
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PlantyLibrarian
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Pickpick

From grand palatial gardens to quaint window boxes, from literary inspirations to suburban hobby, gardens have been part of the human makeup for centuries. Penelope Lively takes her shrewd eye and turns it onto our flowers, fruits, and veggies and reminds us that gardens inspire us, they sustain us, and that humans have an innate need to get their hands dirty and watch their gardens grow.

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perfectlywinged
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Enjoying this look at Gardens in literature and what they symbolize for us.

erzascarletbookgasm What a pretty cover! 6y
6 likes1 comment
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beaconhillbooks
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Pickpick

This is one of my favorite covers ever. I really enjoyed this novel. It‘s just over 200 pgs and broken into a few summarized categories like gardens in art, gardens in books, fashionable gardening etc. I think gardeners and readers would enjoy this book. Intrigued by Moon Tiger now...

ns510reads I would definitely recommend Moon Tiger! Might just have to check this one out myself 6y
beaconhillbooks @ns510reads awesome just got it from the library! 6y
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MagdaRosol
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Gardens!

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beaconhillbooks
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Love these chapter pages. So far the two chapters I‘ve read have started with Woolf and du Maurier 👍🏻

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catebutler
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Yesterday I started, Penelope Lively‘s memoir, ‘Life in the Garden‘. This time of year always makes my green thumb itch, so this is the perfect read at the moment. Lively discusses her own gardens throughout her life as well as those talked about in literature, from ‘Paradise Lost‘ to ‘Alice‘s Adventures in Wonderland‘, and of writers and their gardens, from Virginia Woolf to Philip Larkin.

#gardening #memoir

JanJan This is a beautiful photo! 7y
AmyG Pretty book cover and lovely photo ! (edited) 7y
peacegypsy Oooh, I want a sip! Great picture! 7y
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EvieBee I‘ve been wanting to get my hands on this one! Look forward to your thoughts. I like gardening books too and was considering OLD HERBACIOUS. Lovely pic, too! ♥️♥️ 7y
catebutler @JanJan Thank you, Jan! 7y
catebutler @AmyG Thanks Amy! A good table at a favourite café does wonders for a photo. ? 7y
catebutler @peacegypsy They have the best lattes! 7y
catebutler @EvieBee I have a feeling you‘d love it, Eve! I have ‘Old Herbacious‘ sitting on my nightstand. It has been recommended to me so many times. Can‘t wait for both of us to read it. 7y
57 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Questionablepotato
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Is it spring yet?

ofclumsywords I wish it was!!! It seems to be taking its sweet time more that usual! 7y
Questionablepotato @Ofclumsywords It so feels like it! I just want to plant my little container garden. 7y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 💐🌼🌻🌺🏵 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!!! 🎊🎉🙌🏻📚 7y
11 likes4 comments
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GlassAsDiamonds
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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Cover buy that is proving delightful and snoozy cat (this is our rescue cat, cat integration continues. They‘re still separated and Puffs still scared but she‘s no longer terrified to be in the same house as Dash and they can be within a foot of each other (separated by a wooden screen or carrier) without her having a complete meltdown so I‘m counting it as progress!). #catsofLitsy

Tanzy13 🐱 7y
AmyG You‘ll get there. ❤️ 7y
Zelma 😻 sounds like good progress. 7y
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Soubhiville So pretty! Cats are tough to integrate, but it sounds like you‘re doing well! (edited) 7y
DebinHawaii Progress is always good! 🐱❤️ 7y
SandyW I hope you get there. I'll be in the same boat later this year, so fingers crossed for all of us! 7y
GlassAsDiamonds @SandyW Jackson Galaxy has become our guide and it does seem to be working! (But we had to have them see each other through the screen because a whole bunch of random circumstances). Still, we‘re about to go to feeding closer and closer through a closed door. Check out his YouTube but I‘ll let you know how it goes! 7y
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GlassAsDiamonds
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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I love this concept, of storing away colours in memory to help later on 😊😊 (and in writing this, I‘ve been jumped over by a cat who could very easily have gone around... the chaos continues in case you were wondering 🤦🏻‍♀️😂🤦🏻‍♀️).

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CarolynM
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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batsy 😍 7y
31 likes1 stack add1 comment
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GlassAsDiamonds
Life in the Garden | Penelope Lively
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It‘s a slight cheat but #NovemberByTheNumbers for the 26th is .... 26 Books I would have bought in a heartbeat but for the fact my luggage is already stupidly full...(and given I‘m currently trying to pack said stupid luggage, I am slightly glad I resisted but only slightly!!!). 😊😊😊
#26
#twentysix