>ex libris
>
Well, my hope that writing a first entry after my hiatus would “break the seal” was clearly unfounded. The good news is that as well as keeping up with work, I’ve also finally started getting stuck in to our personal unpacking and sorting out our new house. There are various hurdles still impeding progress, but we’re gradually getting there.
One of the hurdles is a lack of bookcases. Frustatingly, I do actually own enough bookcases for all my books, but the ceilings in the new place are much lower than in my previous flat, and so the tallest ones no longer fit. Add to that Tom’s book collection, which he doesn’t have enough bookcases for either, and we’re a bit stuck. We’re going to make some to size, but that means we can’t unpack our books until we’ve had time to do the DIY. And as any fellow book-lover will understand, the place just doesn’t feel mine until I’ve unpacked all my books.
The good thing about the wait is it’ll give me time to print some “ex libris” stamps or labels, so our book collections can be combined and organised alphabetically without getting mixed up for all time. Not that I’m expecting to have to separate them any time soon, but you know, they’re my books. It’s the principle of the thing.
All of which is as good an excuse as any to post this startlingly hot birching picture:
Thanks to my friend J for sending it to me. A bibliophile after my own heart. ❤
New URL: www.pandorablake.com 
Karl Friedrich Gauss said,
June 17, 2010 at 12:13 pm
>Looks like the girl in the picture is going to get the corner of that book all wet… although maybe that's her way of "marking" which books are hers. Though that'd be a rather long process if she has as many as I suspect you have.As well as your OWN books, you should definitely have your own BOX, in which you keep an assortment of curious artifacts. And you should tell your housemates NOT to open it!
Franklin Derr said,
June 17, 2010 at 12:55 pm
>That is hot! It turns the librarian fantasy on its head. I take it in probably a lot librarian fantasies, "mousiness" becomes sexually aggressive, verging on dominant. I love the birch lines. I'm really fascinated with birches – so much pain with so little effort in the swing. I think many of us in the States are envious of you in the UK, imagining birches abound 🙂
Pandora Blake said,
June 18, 2010 at 9:31 am
>Karl – Yeah, the book's not quite going to be the same again. But then, I'm a "rough love" sort of book-owner. My books get read and loved and carried around, their spines get cracked, they get steam-crinkled in the bath and dog-eared around the edges. I'm not allowed to borrow D's books because he likes to keep his books pristine. (One could extrapolate from this to our opposing response to marks and welts, but that might be fatuous).So yes, the book will end up sticky, but that's okay. If I had a book that big and sturdy, with nice leather ridges on the spine, I might be tempted to do something similar…As for my box, I already have one of those, and Tom is MORE than welcome to open it!Franklin – I don't know, this doesn't say "librarian" to me. More the hapless ward or servant of an eccentric lord or lady, with an occult library in a rambling house in the middle of the woods…You have loads of birches in the USA! Including one called the Canoe Birch, which is way cooler than any of the European varieties.
Charlene said,
June 18, 2010 at 1:34 pm
>I'm on the second year of trying to get my books in order. I need five more five shelf cases to get them all shelved, and am saving for that purchase.I take the same view as you on books; read them, lend them, carry them around. The idea of an electronic reader is so odd.
Anonymous said,
June 19, 2010 at 12:04 pm
>I too love birches. And all other evil twigs.But this is not a birch in the picture! It is a martinet or flogger, with 6 thongs.
sixofthebest said,
June 20, 2010 at 2:23 am
>Thank you for the nostalgic spanking drawing, and thank you for your blog. You've have put a lot of good thoughts, and work into it, and it shows premier class. "Six of the best to you, from me, on your voluptous bare bottom, wearing suspender-belt and stockings"
iwasrobert said,
June 20, 2010 at 4:43 pm
>Thank goodness for Twitter, else one might have assumed that you had been consumed by the move & new business (or eaten by killer zombies, whichever takes your fancy…).
Mike said,
June 21, 2010 at 9:22 pm
>Hi Sweetheart, I hope you and Tom are wellJust wanted to let you know I uploaded your South-West Police Station episode on SIU. Did you get my emails? I don't have Twitter anymore.Warm regards from Holland. Mike
Caroline Grey said,
June 23, 2010 at 6:25 pm
>Darling, have you read the essay they are talking about here: http://beedrunken.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-kind-of-book-lover-are-you.htmlIt's one of my favourites, but I haven't thought about it since becoming my kinky self, and now there's so many parallels. They talk about courtly book-lovers vs carnal book-lovers. I am, of course, a carnal book-lover. ie:"To us, a book's words were holy, but the paper, cloth, cardboard, glue, thread, and ink that contained them were a mere vessel, and it was no sacrilege to treat them as wantonly as desire and pragmatism dictated. Hard use was a sign not of disrespect but of intimacy." Ha!
Ludwig said,
June 28, 2010 at 8:26 am
>A hot birching picture indeed, I am glad to hear that you are gradually getting settled in at your new house, and please, could you check your email when you have a minute?I regret having to clutter up the comments thread, but since my paranoia does not allow me to use Twitter, this is the only way for me to "nudge" you.
Franklin Derr said,
July 8, 2010 at 12:39 pm
>Pandora, I had never hear of the Canoe Birch. It seems to be a Northern tree, closer to where my wife is from :-)From wikipedia:"UsesPaper Birch barkBetula papyrifera has a soft, yet moderately heavy, white wood. It makes excellent high-yielding firewood if seasoned properly. Its bark is an excellent fire starter, burning at high temperatures even when wet."Soft, yet moderately heavy… I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some and start trimming down and smoothing some switches to bundle. Thanks for the tip!Regards,Franklin