4.21.2008

A little lupine to start your day

This photo was taken at the Rhodes Park butterfly garden in Southwest Harbor. Lupines forever remind me of one of my favorite children's books (and I've read a lot of them so it's hard to choose!) Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. The story follows a young girl, Alice, who decides that she wants to do three things in her life 1. travel the world 2. live in a house by the sea and 3. she must do something to make the world a more beautiful place. After travelling to all kinds of exotic locations, working as a librarian (can you see why this book resonates with me?) and retiring in her little house by the sea, she still needs to find something to make the world a more beautiful place. After having to spend a winter in bed due to a back injury, she looks out her window to see lupines that have self started around her house. Inspired by the joy she feels at seeing the flowers she decides to make her town more beautiful by spreading lupine seeds all throughout the town and she becomes "the Lupine Lady." The story ends with Alice telling a young child that they too must do something to make the world a more beautiful place. Does it get better than that for children's books?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Those goals really do seem to follow with your own goals in life

Lauren said...

I know...
1. want to travel around the world
2. want to live by the ocean
3. try to make the world a more beautiful place
plus being a librarian?
I think I was strongly influenced by this book as a child!