Thursday, December 8, 2022

Old reading, new learning and treats at the door

Today's walk turned up an array of oddly assorted figures on a neighbor's porch.  Reclining nudes, lions, Victorian children, what?

Home again, and a treat arrived on the step




I have sampled the sampler, and it's very good. Thank you, dear e! It is in a good home, and some will be shared with Handsome Son. 

It's that time of year when I like to get ahead of winter by taking on something new. Last year it was the Sock Ministry, now the Sock and Glove Ministry, and a fixture in my life.

This year I fancy learning something new, and since I've been very aware lately of Islamic art and current Arabic news slogans, I plan to learn the Arabic alphabet for starters. 

I've studied other alphabets before, years of classical Greek, some Russian, but this is the first experience I've had of writing  which runs right to left, and it's beautiful.



here's lesson one. Now I will find a notebook to practice in.

And here's the current reading, another historical novel from a favorite writer, newly downloaded, ready to plunge into the seventeenth century.



Along with a piece of embroidery from an earlier period, to remind us of the textile sophistication of the era.

 
And while I'm working on my Arabic and 17C history, here's a modern puzzle


Happy day, everyone, follow your own path of learning! It's all good.



31 comments:

  1. I'm glad it arrived and that you will share and enjoy!

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  2. Learning new is very brain healthy.
    The fun about alphabets is that learning the letters doesn't mean when I spell the word, I understand the meaning.

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    1. Yes, first I need to learn the shapes and sounds. After that we'll see.

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  3. Fruitcake, eh? Your British roots are showing. :)

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    1. It's a vanishing taste, judging from all the people I know who don't go for it.

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  4. Oh my goodness! Claxton fruitcake! Such a childhood memory for me! Enjoy them- how sweet of e. to send those to you.
    Yes. My curiosity is piqued by those statuettes.
    Leave it to you to begin learning Arabic! You are a inspiration, as always.

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    1. I didn't realize how iconic this cake is. All the better.

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  5. How cool to be learning the Arabic alphabet! You will create some beautiful calligraphic art with that!

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    1. It's wonderful to watch people just writing it. Such beautiful shapes, no matter what they're saying!

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  6. I love Claxton fruitcake. That is very southern! When I was a kid we used to drive through Claxton on our way up north every December and I remember seeing the fruitcake factory off the highway. (Or maybe just signs for it...hmmm...I'm testing my memory here.)

    I learned the Arabic alphabet when I was in the Peace Corps in Morocco, but I never learned the language itself -- so I can sound out the words but I have no idea what they mean! (I spoke a different Moroccan language, a Berber dialect.)

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    1. That sounds like my current grasp of classical Greek! I did know the language once..but that was then.

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  7. Arabic! You are an inspiration. I have trouble with English : ) That is a strange collection of statues at the neighbor. Could be an interesting story, or just an odd assortment. This is a very nice thing e. did. Enjoy them.

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    1. Yes, I wonder about the neighbor! I may have trouble with Arabic, we'll see.

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  8. Replies
    1. Yes, good thing we have yt. Locally I don't think there's any teaching outside of Princeton university, of Arabic. And that's limited to serious scholars.

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  9. Wow. Really challenging yourself. And here’s me trying to make socks lol
    Thank you for your inspiration

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    1. I'm always up for new learning fun. Like the socks.

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  10. mmmmm, fruit cake!! I will watch your arabic journey with interest.

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  11. Hmm that’s a brave decision you’ve taken - best watch out you don’t get any knocks on the door accompanied by ‘please explain’ questions.
    Like Angela ‘socks’ and also ‘hats’ in the round will be my ‘learn something new’ for 2023.

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  12. And I thought I was the last person on earth who ate fruit cake.

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  13. Fruitcake lover here too, as long as it includes real dried fruit and not ghastly citron (hope I'm not stepping on too many toes there). Especially with New England hard sauce.

    That's quite a project you're undertaking, Boud! It will work your brain in many ways.

    Having just learned how to download audiobooks to my phone, I'm there with Angela and Cathy with beginner fingers picking up knitting needles.

    Chris from Boise

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    1. I hope you enjoy your knitting adventure. You're in good company.

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  14. Looking forward to your report on Tidelands. I liked it, but found it hard to get into. and, wow! Arabic. I have a student who is showing me his alphabet, Farsi, and it is beautiful but, oh my! complex. Luckily he is quite conversant with ours, as long as I print.

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  15. The southern fruit cake looks very unusual to a Brit.

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    1. Not to this one. This is the light sample. The dark one is very much like my Yorkshire mom's Christmas cake, minus the spirits she added at intervals.

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  16. I must admit I wouldn't be partaking of the fruitcake - have always disliked it. Don't like mincemeat either.
    Can't imagine learning Arabic but good for you for trying it. Speaking of writing, I ran into the first high school student that's come through the system and not learned cursive writing. I signed (with cursive) my name and she couldn't read it and asked me to print it. Guess the new generation will be quite mystified by 'our' language.

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    1. My son's 55 and they never taught cursive writing in his school. He learned it for himself.

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