Making the Moments Count….”One, two, buckle my shoe…”

99 Replies

I try to make the Moments count; each and every one of them.

Tick Tock from the Gifted Clock

Tick Tock from the Gifted Clock

but, oftentimes, they are an unruly lot, skilled in mayhem and the art of  teasing me most mercilessly.

If you will step in to my parlour … I promise not to be mean like the Spider to the Fly

Will you come in to my parlour?

Will you step in to my parlour?

…and I will instruct  you in the shenanigans of my misbehaving Moments.

Let’s begin…pay close attention!

One, two….

three, four…

Five, six….

Seven, eight….

Nine, ten….

Ten, nine, what’s your line?

It’s Play-

Time to play!

Time to play!

Time

Play time?

Play time, fun time?

Do you get the picture? Perhaps the lesson to be learned here is that I should LET the Moments count. Much more fun, all round,  than trying to MAKE them count : ).

If you would like to read the  true story  of this rhyme ,”One, two, buckle my shoe “, that my Moments and I have toyed with, take some time and enjoy a look through one of my very first books, a Collins Rainbow Colour Book,  dated about 1950, illustrated by E.W.B, author unknown.

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[E.W.B appears to have done quite a lot of work for Collins but I don’t know who E.W.B is. If anyone has any information on the illustrator E.W.B. I would love to hear it :).]

© silkannthreades

99 thoughts on “Making the Moments Count….”One, two, buckle my shoe…””

  3. Pingback: In other news….of caterpillars and kindnesses | silkannthreades

    1. Gallivanta Post author

      The clock was given to us this Christmas. We can’t have chickens for real, but we seem to have collected lots of chicken ornaments etc…and now a clock! Do you have any pieces from your grandmother’s collection?

      Reply ↓
      1. 메간 Megan

        My grandfather hasn’t parted with most of her collection, which is quite extensive. She was so cute about it all. I do have a small ceramic rooster that she gave me when I was little. It’s nothing expensive or fancy, but it means a lot to me.

        Reply ↓
        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Oh, that is a very precious little rooster then. I have a few little things like that, too, that I have had for ever and are cherished deeply.

  8. ordinarygood

    I’ve had a search for the elusive E.W.B and while prolific, the illustrator remains Anon.E.Miss.
    The style of book rings bells for me from that era.
    Nostalgia swept through me earlier in the week when I read that it was Paddington Bear’s author, Michael Bond’s 87th birthday. I had a spot of marmalade to honour the occasion:-)

    Reply ↓
  10. Sheryl @ Flowery Prose

    I hadn’t thought of this rhyme in years; it was included in a large treasury of nursery rhymes and stories that my Mum read to my brother and I when we were children. Not sure what happened to that book – I know Mum tried to find additional copies of it when we were older but it was long out of print. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to remember the name of it; I will have to e-mail her and ask. Who knows? – maybe it’s available somewhere on e-Bay or something now.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Amazon or e-bay will be sure to have it. It absolutely astonishes me how many of my really old books are available on sites like those two. Let me know if you locate it. I would love to know more about it.

      Reply ↓
  11. Tracy Rhynas

    Jeez, I haven’t heard that rhyme in a very long time – I wonder if parents still teach it to their children? I don’t think I would have got further than five, six……after that I would have had to start making it up! I rather like your back to front version 😉

    Reply ↓
  12. BEAUTYCALYPSE

    that’s really cute BUT the power-duo schnauzer+snoopy win it all.

    btw did you know numbers make great abstract poems?

    23, 99, 27
    25, 31, 63
    33, 55, 47,
    15-15, 8-9, 103
    sounds like an elegy, right? but you could make a limerick or anything else really 😉

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Power-duo, lol. The schnauzer part of that duo is absolutely powered -out at the moment after his big afternoon run. He’s out for the count, totally. Mmmm…the 103 certainly has a very satisfying sound to it. I could get used to the idea of poetry by numbers 😉

      Reply ↓
      1. BEAUTYCALYPSE

        powered-out or not, he’s got ze power of cuuuuuuuute!!!!11

        I have more of those noted somewhere. don’t know where actually, but had played around a bit when I was bored. worked all classic rhyme schemes with numbers.

        Reply ↓
        2. BEAUTYCALYPSE

          it can be great fun. she can try and make one for your 2014 christmas cards. you know, rudolf the red-nose reindeer, santa baby… “santa baby” could go like so “1-1-7” 😀

        1. Gallivanta Post author

          I have to wonder about that. I tried to post an image on one of my comments (as you taught me), the other day, and I failed 3 times in a row. I think I need to swot up on your lessons again!

        2. Ralph

          It’s easy.
          Copy and paste into your comment.
          Choose your photo in your dashboard media library. Click edit. A new page opens. Right click on the file URL code. Select all. Copy and Paste into between the inverted commas.
          You can write text and put more photos in the same comment using the above method. 😀

  14. Mrs. P

    I remember this poem…except our did not have the backward variation to it. Ex. two, one, let’s have fun; By the way…what is that lovely object/toy? I have never seen one before.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      The backward variation is my own version prompted by those misbehaving moments 😉 The toy ?….a friend gave that to me but I am not sure where it comes from. It’s like a puppet; when you pull the string underneath, the hens’ beaks move up and down and peck at the board. It’s ever so cute.

      Reply ↓
  15. Leya

    Lovely lesson! I will try and remember about time counting itself. I am often obsessed with the concept of time. It’s so different in many cultures – how they count it or use it or think of it. In western countries we see it as a line from left to right, but others can see it as a line growing upwards. Others again see it as a circle.
    Rhymes there are in Swedish as well, but yours is familiar too. Love the pictures from the old book.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      It intrigues me that there are so many different ways to look at time. A few days ago, a friend of mine visited the Royal Observatory at Greenwich,

      Clocks, a Rock, and the Cutty Sark


      which gave me another look at ideas of time. When I was young, my family listened to the radio a great deal. The BBC news and a British voice saying “Greenwich mean time” are an indelible part of my childhood.

      Reply ↓
  16. KerryCan

    What an inventive and fun take on that old rhyme–it seems to me you’re feeling pretty frisky! But that distinction between letting moments count, as opposed to making them count, is serious business! I’m going to have to give that some careful consideration . . .

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      I was feeling a trifle ‘silly’ but, then, the original rhyme is a trifle nonsensical anyway! My mother was a pre-school/kindergarten teacher, so I was exposed to kindergarten stories and rhymes a lot more, and for a lot longer, than most children would have been. Also, as a youngster, I had the pleasure of being chief reader to my much younger sister, so, again, I was over-exposed to the nursery rhyme/children’s literature genre. Don’t think it did any harm.????…just gave me some fun to dwell on in later life 🙂 🙂

      Reply ↓
      1. KerryCan

        No harm, indeed! Just seems to have sparked happy memories and fun writing! My mom taught first grade so I had my share of time spent with rhymes and stories, too.

        Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you. Cute with a bit of nonsense on the side. Hope you enjoyed my chachkes; at least, that is what I think you would call my clocks and wooden toy…or are the clocks just kitsch?

      Reply ↓
  25. ladysighs

    What a cute post. I love how you always develop your theme. One never knows where you are headed and we are always pleasantly surprised as we scroll down. I know for sure nobody ever gives you a quick LIKE. lol
    Never a wasted moment reading your blog. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      One never knows where the post is heading….myself included! I take it moment by moment. If I were very brave, I could have I sung this song for the post, as well!!!! What would Meme make of that, I wonder?

      Reply ↓
  26. Travelling Kiwi

    Yes, I remember that rhyme – no doubt read to us by your dear mama. I am full of admiration that you had the foresight and carefulness to keep your childhood books in such good condition. I have very few from my own childhood. Most of the children’s books in our house are from my children’s youth – kept carefully in case grandchildren should ever appear.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      I expect she read from that very book! I am not sure I had ‘foresight’ re preserving my books. It was mostly Mum who kept them so carefully and ,somehow, I have ended up with them ,and managed to hold on to them despite our travelling life. They are gems to have, I must admit. Some are more battered than others which I suppose reflects how much each one was loved and read 🙂

      Reply ↓
  27. Mike Howe

    Good lesson, let the moments count, I shall try….looks lovely and summery there, I’m quite jealous…oops there goes me missing the point of the lesson already 😉

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Today, the weather was lovely. It’s not often good enough to have the verandah door open, as in the photo. Missing the point? Goodness, were you one of those students who loved to look out the window and daydream ? 😉

      Reply ↓
      1. Playamart - Zeebra Designs

        i read this last night, but the connection was too slow to load/send a comment or like! the like is still absent, but consider this liked!
        i laughed at the comment above – i certainly was one of those students forever caught in on out-the-window daydream til the teacher asked me to answer the question! (Question?)

        just read a great article about ecuador that was published in NZ Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=11184352

        Reply ↓
        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Thanks for the link to the article. Ecuador is the place to be! Now, where would we be without our daydreamers? No magic carpet rides, flower drops, wonderful art…….Would you believe that at my high school the lower portions of the windows were opaque so that we couldn’t look out and daydream? HA! They couldn’t stop us looking through the window in our heads though 😉

      2. Mike Howe

        Do you know, I left school with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever because that is exactly what I did for my whole school career, daydream and wish I was elsewhere. It wasn’t good and I had to start all over again. How very perceptive of you 😉

        Reply ↓
        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Perceptive or lucky guess! ….But our world needs day dreamers, and I hope schools/education cater for them better these days than they used to.

  28. utesmile

    I only learnt this here in London as we don’t have this rhyme in Germany, well we have others but I don’t remember them. The English ones I do remember more as I used them with my children. Make every moment count, it is important to live noe nad cherish each moment we have. It will not come again. It sounds so final, but it makes us live more consciously and happily.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Your comment makes me wonder if I only remember this rhyme because I kept the book from my childhood and then read, and said, the rhyme over and over again to my children. Reading the book today did help me focus on the moment/ live in the moment, which is what the very young, and animals, know how to do so well. Cherish each moment of your day, Ute. I know you will. 🙂

      Reply ↓
  29. cindy knoke

    There is indeed two lessons to be learned here (all I am capable of learning I guess).
    Number 1: I still want to come to your home. It (read you) are so inviting.
    Number 2: You are way-way clever.
    Which leads me to number 3: (I didn’t know I learned this).
    I want to come to your house more.
    You rock ma deah~

    Reply ↓
  31. tiny lessons blog

    Time seems to be counting itself just fine, but sometimes it feels that it’s counting a bit fast 🙂 I love the old counting-out rhyme. And your modern rendition of it was very enjoyable!

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you 🙂 Time does seem to count just fine by itself but when I get mixed up in it, it’s a different story. It seems to me that the more clocks I have about the place, the worse my time management is 😀 Do you have a similar counting rhyme from your childhood that you would like to teach your granddaughter?

      Reply ↓
  32. Clanmother

    I love how you bring the past into the present. Just returned from a few days in Calgary Alberta where the weather was minus 25. Now, I have a cup of tea beside me and I’m looking forward to catching up with your posts!

    Reply ↓

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