Attractively sticky countdowns

It's Monday after the snow and as I said at FA I had rather been expecting things last week to arrive like my Christmas Cards and given the season we are moving into, something else!

That Bear from deepest darkest Peru gets everywhere and this year he's counting down Christmas here with a chocolate Advent calendar.

Kinnerton's ones are by design nut allergies safe which for some of us is a absolute most.

Thursday strangely enough saw me dressed in a kilt skirt which as warmer than you might think said this cat with dragon's blood and enjoying it.

You just have to remember things like where your hands go, how to bend when your tape box falls off and needs picking up from the floor and that although it's not super short.

It may not be twenty ten but I'm slowly getting out of the fog since you-know-what started in March last year.

Tidying up week

This week I've been continuing sorting through some of my older tapes, redoing a few that the sound was a bit intermittent on due to wear or they sounded a bit dull on newer tapes of which I have several boxes of.

I do tend to check on their condition especially any that bought in batches having had some bad instances of them having had problems brought on by incorrect storage. 

 

We've been clearing out the freezers of bits of stuff frozen and then promptly forgotten like clumps of mixed veg or last years bits of turkey ready for this years stuff as with current conditions it's a matter of getting stuff while its still in stock.

As well, bits of things like cardboard boxes, letters and the like are being gone through and removed from around the dining room and front room as with any look we may have a few people come unless things change unlike last year. 

Paying our respects

I'm recovering here for being a bit pawley this weekend, today isn't good so I guess I'm not really missing much but I do hope Sunday turns out fine.

This last week is always a bit special cos that's when my thoughts go back to those who served this country and those who got caught up in the conflicts as warfare has moved beyond the battlefields since WW1.

Thursday was Armistice Day, the very day, month and hour we mark the end of that conflict and Sunday does happen to be Remembrance Sunday where events will be held across the UK not least at Whitehall, London.

It is important to think about what happened to all those who did serve, those who died and those who returned some with physical and mental scars serving our country.

Lots of people were involved during WW1 and 2 people who kept things running while the men went to war, boys and girls in scouting who helped with message relaying or doing countless other things to help. 

Beyond reflecting, there are other ways to explore what it means and to pay tribute as this Scouts and Girlguides from Bridgnorth, Shropshire did with art  apart from much excellent material being made available by the Scouting movement to explain to children and young people what it was like and understand how war affected children like them at that time.

Like many I'll be paying my respects too.

The littlest spooky affair

As explained previously whenever something happens over a few says there is a week long delay in the publication of a post about on here and that's why this week we're looking at last weekends fun.

Never has that one word seemed more apt given that we'd missed what would of been last years Littles Halloween Party thanks to you know what and for some people actually it was the first time they'd seen each other for near enough eighteen long months.

Even though I had been able to get to littles camp in July and had by the skin our our teeth's made February 2020's I'd not seen the totally awesome Sammy and partner for that long.

For me it was an early start as I had to meet with the organizer who themselves was going to busy so I had to be up on time with my stuff including contribution to the evenings buffet for a taxi which both arrived a few minutes early and was much cheaper than expected to the best railway station in the Northwest Midlands.

I arrived at GHS Central and after just missing each other for a moment made my way towards Miss Green in the pouring rain (that thankfully cleared up later on) to meet with Andi for a lift in her car to the venue.

In time everybody started to arrive so we had a bite to eat, beefburgers with onions much appreciated given I'd last eaten at five in the morning.

As we entered the afternoon our first scheduled event, the Treasure Hunt took place outside where we had to find some eighteen packets of Jaffa Cakes of different flavours well hidden.

I managed to find three which wasn't bad going.

Then it was time to start making our Lanterns from Pumpkins, to save carriage Miss Green had picked one up for me so across a couple of tables and armed with cutting plus scooping devices we worked on them. I kept to plastic tools as I need adult supervision!

Here are a few in various stages of completion.

By this point tealights had been inserted ready for being placed on a wall.

Sandwiched, good pun eh?, between the first half of the evening buffet comprising of things bought by all of us and the second which had deserts, we went outside to see the bonfire lit roaring away.

Then it was the turn of Miss Green and Andi to light up a most amazing set of fireworks although one catherine wheel didn't want to behave firing up ones tail with excitement as an array of different colours and shapes emerged before ones eyes.

By then it was time for the second half of the buffet as I went for a cake and pink blancmange before the great 1971 Year of Decimalization quiz in which I did get 19 points which wasn't too bad given I missed a chunk of grown up programming back then.

We then chatted to Ghoulish background music from three cds - forget playlists! - until about 1 where I took up cat position opposite the coal fire. 

Needless to say we all got up later although naturally I was up first quietly changing the outer fur and washing the paws in time for a smoked bacon sandwich at half past nine before we got read to go up the road to a pub for a meal.

Obviously some restrictions still apply so naturally we entered with face masks until we arrived at our table to place orders with myself having a Turkey Roast with Sticky Treacle pudding with cream.

Naturally this was punctuated with much talk but a common theme was just how long we'd missed being together where upon a most unexpected and highly generous act of one in paying the entire bill lead to the conversion of a contribution to the drinks bill being converted to a tip for the staff for excellent food and service.

Return as people departed was complicated by a combination of engineering works around the Trent Valley and storms with heavy rain leading to cancellation of services so my part way rail replacement bus turned out to a coach all the way to the rail station and other had to pick a totally different route!

I arrived although some people waiting for taxis were not following the proper rules about who gets picked up next snatching cabs as they arrived which delayed me a bit.

The weekend showed very much what we needed and had missed this eighteen months.

Thanks to everyone not least Miss Green for assistance at the station and sorting the messy transport out ad Andi.

Boo!

Well I may be up to writing something later on but I'm resting right now cos it's been a busy weekend way with some ghostly goings on and almost as many bangs as Boos!

The other thing is that it does take time to write a blog, typically todays would be written at the weekend  at the latest but I'm not here this weekend and a fair bit of week has been taken up with preparations like sorting my clothes out, packing my case and ensuring I do get the sleep in I need for an early start on Saturday morning.

In a way it's good that we are cos last year with the never ending changes to restrictions we never got to do this cos for one thing you couldn't have strangers stay over apart from anything else but a change in routine does effect other stuff.

But it's worth it!