Swinging

Lily has been all about swinging lately. 

And if Elsie gets someone to push her, she refuses to budge from the swing. 

Which has made me think of this poem. (I apologize for childish poems. They just happen to be part of the soundtrack of my life.) 

The Swing  

Robert Louis Stevenson

How do  you like to go up in a swing, 

Up in the air so blue? 

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall, 

Till I can see so wide, 

Rivers and Trees and cattle and all

Over the countryside   

Till I look down on the garden green, 

Down on the roof so brown   

Up in the air I go flying again, 

Up in the air and down. 

Gyo Fujikawa's illustration of this poem.

I love Gyo Fujikawa illustrations.

Hilda Boswell's illustration

I just discovered Mom and Dad's copy of A Child's Garden of Verses illustrated by Hilda Boswell. When they lived in Alaska (39 years ago, starting today, their anniversary!), Mom babysat a little girl called Christina, who apparently changed Mom's mind about not wanting children. All eight of us kids can be thankful that Christina was a well behaved and delightful child instead of a whiny, spoiled thing. Otherwise, we might not exist. Anyway, when Mom and Dad moved back to Pennsylvania from Alaska to have Clover, Hilda Boswell's A Child's Garden of Verses was one of the books Christina's family gave them for baby Vaughan. And I love it! (I have a very large weakness for mid century illustrations with clear colors.) 

Have a gorgeous May weekend!