Time to live

Recently I’ve been re-reading some of my children’s books, among them Pollyanna. I’ve discovered that she’s not at all the saccharine creature I remember (probably from the film – was it Disney?) but instead drives everybody mad by inadvertently wrong-footing them all the time.

My battered 1969 edition of Pollyanna (with cover illustration by Shirley Hughes)

Having been orphaned, she goes to live with her starchy aunt. Aunt Polly outlines Pollyanna’s new schedule: tidying her bedroom, reading aloud, cookery lessons, sewing lessons, music lessons.

    ‘Oh, but Aunt Polly, Aunt Polly,’ Pollyanna cries in dismay, ‘you haven’t left me any time at all just to – to live.’

    Which brings me to the original reason for this blog post – an explanation of my profile picture, ‘Summer girl daydreaming’ by Margaret W Tarrant.

'Summer girl daydreaming' by Margaret W Tarrant

As I’ve explained before, this picture was given to me by my aunt, Annabelle, when I was four (and she fourteen). I’ve always treasured it, partly because it was such a grown-up present to receive and partly because it reminds me how important it is to make time for doing nothing.

    I mentioned the picture to Annabelle recently and she dismissed it as sentimental. I’m sure it is, but I still need it.
    I'm more Aunt Polly than Pollyanna, which is probably why I found the book so funny this time round.