They say seek and ye shall find. We went to our favourite city of Lichfield this morning, and found the elusive candy canes almost straight away in Hawkins Bazaar, who'd have thought it? Then, across the road in The Works, boxes of 'em at 99p a box so I am well stocked, and well pleased. You'd think there was a war on... now for the miniature photo albums....
Having no furniture is one thing, we are adapting. But not being able to buy a few traditional Christmas items is quite another. Thinking we had better try and do something towards Christmas whilst we can't sit down anywhere, we have worn ourselves to a frazzle over the silliest things. For instance, I took it in my head that I would like candy canes for Christmas tree decoration and for putting on our parcels as the Americans do. Every year since I can remember, BHS have sold 12 in a box for £1.99 or thereabouts. This year, there is not one in sight in BHS, M&S, House of Fraser, garden centres, supermarkets, Cosco or sweetie shops, not one bl...dy Christmas candy cane. Where are they? So, I thought, I'll try another idea, I will look for very small Christmas photo albums. 
Not a lot to ask for, WHSmith, the biggest stationers we know, sent me to Poundland, they also sent me there for bookmarks which no one has either. This is a Catch 22 situation. The shops tell you they don't stock it because no one buys it, and no one buys it because they dont stock it. Is it me, or them? Bring back Woollies, all is forgiven! Help....
How your life can change so easily. We have only had no furniture for two weeks, but, in this fortnight, our leisure time has changed dramatically. We have found that we have nowhere to sit together to blog, do our family tree, Christmas shop on line, e-mail friends, quilt, read, make music, watch a good old movie or entertain friends and family. All these things we have obviously taken for granted and boy, do we miss them when they are taken away. Our furniture is being reupholstered. They took it all in one go and have now decided that it will take longer than they told us before we will get it back. A lesson to be learned here is to always appreciate the things you do day by day and never take
anything for granted whether it be small or large as you do not realise how much they make up your lives until they are gone. You may wonder where we are writing this but we have found an old deck chair as Molly has taken the best seat in the house loaned to us by Terry and Yvonne as they took pity on us. The other lesson we have learnt is to never take anyone's word, but to always get it in writing. The days when a gentlemen's word was his bond have truly passed. We can now take pity on Terry and Yvonne who have ripped up their kitchen and hall floors awaiting their new one and have just been told that the man is starting the job at least half a day late. Good luck with that then!
It's no secret that my brother and I are tree huggers. When autumn arrives, each of us goes around picking up the reddest, goldest leaves we can find, I press them in books or my flower press. I don't know what Terry does with his. We try to find tree places that have the best displays to ooooh and ahhh over. This weekend, Bri and I went to Shugborough, nothing grand 
there, but today on our own doorstep, in Sutton Park I found an enchanted spot in the woods by Henry VIII's old hunting Lodge at Bracebridge. I also found the reddest holly berries by the side of Blackroot Pool. Our Park has so many hidden gems in autumn and, in winter, jewels of a different kind, frosty spider's webs, watching the ducks skate on the frozen ponds in fact, lots to look forward to.
this is a quote from Jan Struther's Mrs Miniver, it is about her return home after the summer has finished and winter is arriving. I love this book, it is almost poetry in her wonderful descriptions of daily life in the late 1930's. On turn - the - clocks - back -Sunday I appreciate it even more and always read the bit about tea. It is cosy comfort on a page.
Hooligans come in all shapes and sizes and mine are no different. We had Molly two years last week so I decided to take a photo for posterity, a nice one I thought, one that shows her true nature I thought. Well did I get a surprise when I looked more closely. There she was sticking her tongue out at me as she leaned over the edge of next door's trellis. Was this a coincidence or was it the real Molly? I will nev
er know. The other little hooligans that came in from the cold was twelve little one meal sized pumpkins from our plot. I guess they are called hooligans because, although the seed packet says they are mini pumpkins the vine itself sprawls all over the place and I couldn't control it... Now to cook these little gems you just take the top off, scoop out the seeds, pop 'em in the microwave for four mins and then fill the centre with butter, cheese and bacon bits, just like a jacket potato, but apparently they taste nutty. I will let you know.
Yesterday, when we went to the plot to do some tidying up and check on our mini pumpkins and squash, I had a nice surprise as Julie (second best in Bham) had kindly brought me some pink rock back from her trip to Barmouth. She has even offered to do this on a regular basis from the famous Barmouth Rock shop (pictured) am I looking forward to that ..thanks Julie, rock on!!!
Bri, aka Ramblin' Robbo, has decided that listening to, reading about and playing blues is not enough so he is on a quest to change everyone's mind about blues music being sad and miserable. I have to say 
after living with it since I was eleven and hating it, even I have become a convert up to a point. I really like country blues. I hope you will give his new site a go, it may be just up your street and you didn't know!!! There is a link to his new blog in our blog list.
I can't believe, as I am sitting here with the smell of Christmas wafting through the warm house, that we are already into October. It was so cold yesterday, that we decided to put the central heating on early and start our Christmas cake which is cooking as I write, so it will be well fed by December, which, at this rate, won't be long.
gpies who are busily digging them up again. Our resident hedgehog is getting fatter by the day ready for his long nap and the low flying geese who have made their long journey, plus our dear Molly, who we have had two years this week, asking for the fire to be switched on. I want to know why the months are suddenly passing a lot faster - are there still thirty days in September?
There are certain days that just shout out to remind you of a certain time or place and certain things that go with those days. For me, it is a day like today; overcast, still and quiet. It shouts TOFFEE APPLES. When I came out of school on an October or November afternoon, there used to be an old man selling toffee apples at the gates and for an old three pence he wo
uld sell me a wonderful dark golden crack toffee apple. I saved my crisp money for this treat and it was always a grey day. These days are known to me and my family now as 'Toffee Apple Days'. I love 'em toffee apples and quiet, still, grey days such happy memories come to mind like soon to be bonfire night with woodsmoke filling the air...
knees, to the nearest shop to buy me a bag of the lovely crispy sweet candy. We never walked to get any at any other time. I think it was an excuse to go out in the snow. I love snow and still buy Butterkist but I can't be trusted with a big bag...
nd it has to be pink. He doesn't seem to have memories to go with it he just loves the stuff. When he text Yvonne to say R O C K spells rock, he got a text back saying T E E T H spells teeth, our dentist can't believe his luck that he still has almost all of his teeth.
. This is a real treat for both of us...
