Thursday 18 August 2011

Procrastination ...

It isn't a wonderfully sunny morning so the incentive to get out of pyjamas and into the wild open doors just isn't kicking in (yet).  A little trundle along to an Antrim coast beach might just be on the cards ... later!
Meanwhile the camera has been busy with "this and that" ... mostly Eliot!
The series began when I decided to pick some fresh flowers still covered with last night's rain.  The rest is history ...
Sweet pea and cornflowers ... two of my favourites and the perfume fills the house.
 Now ... how to get my dog to pose with the poesy?
 Answer: peanut butter!  I was munching toast and peanut butter for breakfast while this was all happening so a little bit of his favourite treat on the edge of the garden table and ... there he was!  Happily unaware of the camera and licking away to his heart's content.  Isn't that a lovely expression?  His heart's content!  Complete inner satisfaction!
I had to see if the origin of the phrase is known and it appears that it may have been created by none other than Shakespeare himself.
This from "the phrase finder", an on-line source:

Henry VI, Part II, 1592 - Her grace in Speech, Makes me from Wondring, fall to Weeping ioyes, Such is the Fulnesse of my hearts content.
The Merchant of Venice, 1596 - I wish your Ladiship all hearts content.
It is also found in a letter Shakespeare sent to the Earl of Southampton, as the dedication of the poem Venus and Adonis:
Right Honourable, - I know not how I shall offend in dedicating my unpolished lines to your Lordship, nor how the world will censure me for choosing so strong a prop to support so weak a burthen: only, if your Honour seem but pleased, I account myself highly praised, and vow to take advantage of all idle hours, till I have honoured you with some graver labour. But, if the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather, and never after ear so barren a land, for fear it yield me still so bad a harvest. I leave it to your honourable survey, and your Honour to your heart's content; which I wish may always answer your own wish, and the world's hopeful expectation,

 Snapping a dozen or more shots I was delighted to see this very calm pose ... you'd not know that he was looking expectantly at the slice of toast ...
As soon as the hope of treats had gone so too was the dog!  It was fun while it lasted.

3 comments:

ROBERTA said...

This photo shoot makes me think twice about whether what I see is really what I think I see!

Rev Elizabeth said...

Oh yes, think at least twice! I usually confess to "doctoring" and bribery ... but with digital imagery ... anything can happen. In the photograph that I use of the church building for advertising I've removed a lamp post and huge metal box from in front of it!

lesleyc said...

Beautiful flowers and a very handsome dog!