Halloween.

Do you know what a 'guiser' was?

The tradition of Halloween goes back to the Middle Ages, when on All souls night, it was believed that the souls of the departed returned. Poor folk would wear costumes or masks (disguises) to 'copy' the evil spirits, or placate them, and would go from door to door offering prayers for the dead.

With them went a turnip lantern...long before pumpkins had come into England.

In return they were given food and treats.

Even Shakespeare mentions the day, in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, referring to 'a beggar at Hallowmas'.

Apparently it was not until 1911 that guising was recorded in America.

Sadly the tradition seems to have become aggressive in England, and people do not generally answer their doors to a knock. There have been so many unpleasant incidents of threats, of demands and of older folk being terrorised.

If this is the sort of costume then I would be terrified too!

Our church puts on a Light party for all the local children in the neighborhood, whether or not they are church goers. It is a much safer option than dressing up as a ghost and wandering around the streets.

Etsy shop.

One of my favourite hobbies when we lived in France was to collect lovely vintage linens.

I hoarded them, used them, had no real motive for keeping them. They were just things...treasures, to enjoy.

Now, with so much less space, I am having to let them go. I can't do with any more bags and suitcases in places where I need space.

So I decided to open a small Etsy shop.

It's a bit of a 'pop-up' shop as it won't be there forever. I'm not a 'professional' seller.

Prices are low for that reason.

Look at this dear little French cotton baby smock! With its lace inserts and cuffs it would grace any baby (or dolly!)

Below is one of the many lovely square pillowcases that I found, lace trimmed and embroidered.

Many of these items would have been made for trousseaux and tucked away in a drawer.

In rural France it was the tradition to make everything for a future wedding.

Not being a very experienced shopkeeper, I am still stocking my 'emporium, but it will soon be full of pretty French vintage linens.

I have no idea how to add the link (see my inexperience, help, help)

But the shop is called 'Mostly white'
.https://www.etsy.com/shop/mostlywhite

Because that is what it is.

Storm.

We were warned that the storm would be a bad one.

I don't think anyone realised the damage, the horrors that would ensue.

People have died. Trees have crushed cars, homes and buildings.

Houses have flooded.

A boy was swept out to sea .

We in the far West have not had the devastation, although strong winds have blown through our gardens.

We can only pray for those who have suffered.

Beautiful soup.

When Autumn arrives, so our thoughts turn to Soups. Thick, steaming soups that seem to give heat and energy to the body. I love making soup, and even with few ingredients to hand you can still make a heart- warming soup with the addition of a few red lentils, some croutons, a handful of frozen peas.....

 Unlike some of our younger family, I don't have all the smart gear for soup making.

I don't use a blender like this one. I just chop my vegetables, which is quite satisfying.

Neither do I own a soup maker. 

I'm afraid I prefer the old traditional way!

 But I do have my trusty stick blender, bought in a French supermarket many years ago, which I use when everything is cooked, to make a smooth soup. Sometimes we just leave it chunky.

I like to look for new soup recipes, but I think my husband's favourite will always be what my children used to call 'Bonfire soup', as we simply had to have it on Nov 5th, our firework night, held in chilly hands around the bonfire. Actually, it is a simple minestrone, full of vegetables and goodness.

What soups do you like?

Cats at Large

There is a report in the newspaper to day of a village in Gloucestershire that is under siege.

A fierce and aggressive gang is storming into houses, eating food, stealing.

The Cat Gang have come to town.

Apparently up to thirty or so cats have banded together to find food. Some are feral animals.

Can you imagine their planning meetings?

Are they armed?

Terrifying!

Bits and pieces.

Such a happy face...generated by the fact that our insurance company have 'looked again' at our claim and agreed to pay the costs. It restores my faith in big organisations!

We had a wonderful evening at the production of the opera Aida last week. Held at our City Hall , there wasn't seat to spare. The costumes and music were superb.

Our decorator starts in the sitting room next week, which will be a relief. At the moment the walls are bare, there are no curtains and it looks sad. New paper and a coat of a pretty colour called Timeless, and it will feel much better.

I have done some Christmas shopping, trying to get things before the ghastly rush begins. A couple of parcels are wrapped and put away, a gift voucher bought, some things made.

It helps financially if we spread the costs over a time.

Have you all done your present buying? And wrapping?

A night at the movies.

Our village hall has been given a Lottery grant, and will , by next year, hopefully look like this arcihtect's drawing.

Many activities take place here, ranging from Painting classes, Choir, Pilates, Flower arranging, and, once a month there is a film show.

Somehow they seem to get many of the new film releases, and last night we went to see 'Les Miserables'.

It's a very social occasion, and about 50 people go every month.

Tea and coffee are served before the film begins, prompting my husband to recall the days of ladies with ice cream trays hanging from their shoulders.

The film is shown on a very large screen, and the seats were comfortable....for about the first hour.

One or two sensible ladies brought their own cushions, sensible as this was a long film of two and  half hours. It was certainly spectacular, but so full of misery and angst.

I thought Anne Hathaway was excellent, and also the little girl who played Cosette as a child.

We'll see what is on next month maybe.

Kindle versus book

I've had a Kindle e-reader for over a year now, and originally bought it because we were going to be in Austria for two weeks. I knew there wasn't much likelihood of getting English books there, so loaded up the reader and found it just what I needed.

But...do I love it in the same way as I love a book?

Never.

When I have a 'real' book I start at the beginning. I read the title page. I look at the date of the book. I flick to the back to read something about the author. I hold it in my hands, feeling the weight of the words, words that I'm going to read, chapters that I can turn back to to check what I might have missed. If it's a new book it has a certain smell...of new book, waiting to be discovered.

A Kindle is for convenience. I'm grateful to have one.

But it also needs charging at the most inconvenient moment. 

A book just is.

There is no contest for me.

What do you think?

In answer to......

Thank you for your comments on my last rose.

It is indeed very similar to Compassion, but it is a rose called 

Dr Jo.

As to my plan for a new rose...hmm, I would love to have Shropshire Lad, but it is a climber,

so maybe I'll have a browse through the catalogue to find something more suitable for a small garden.

I'll let you know......

Rose

It's almost the last rose of Summer.

How lovely this bush has been, and the scent is filling the kitchen just from this one flower.

Now I have cleared the garden beds, and cut back and weeded, I can see a space where a new rose might just fit. I can't resist them!

Apples etc.

It's that time again. 

I wonder how many posts I have written about Apple Jelly. 

I was given a basket of Bramleys by a kind friend, and they do make good jelly,it's  just not the lovely pink of Crab apple jelly. But the taste is good!

I've also stewed some for the freezer and made a delicious apple pie, which I can't show you as it was so good to eat.

I still have a few apples left.

I wonder if other people have seasonal traditions as the harvest is gathered in? My grandma always made Apple jelly, and I seem to have continued, making it every Autumn.

Just a little update on our house'repairs'.Barclays Insurance services have, as we expected, in spite of our huge premiums, managed to find a way out of paying for anything, despite the local Bank Branch manager weighing in on our behalf. We won't be renewing our policies with them.
I don't do Facebook, but wouldn't it let everyone know!

The hall floor is now relaid, the pipes are replaced, and all is well (except for our purse!)

Jonah.

I think you can guess which Bible story was part of Open the Book today?

See the whale?

We have had such positive feedback from the children and staff this term. They live in anticipation of the next exciting episode!

Time for Spring bulbs

On a lovely sunny day it was time to clear these shaggy, end of Summer pots.

It's always sad when Summer is officially over.

But, time to start thinking of Spring bulbs.

Once all the pots are clear, I shall replace most of the compost with new, scatter a bit of Growmore and then decide which pots are having which bulbs.

I like a mixture of the delicate Tete a Tete daffodils, deep blue Grape hyacinths and some tiny pansies around them.

Prepared hyacinths will go in a Spode china bowl for indoors, and more daffodils and tulips in the beds.

It's a busy time getting ready for Spring, especially as it isn't quite Winter yet!

In my house.....

In my house there was a plumber, sitting Buddha-like on the hall floor.

There was a hole, hitherto mentioned, in the hall floor.

There was an electrician who has now finished.

There was also a decorator engaged in removing more acres of the old fashioned Anaglypta paper from the sitting room walls.

There was no heating.

We had a runaway.

We had been invited to a lunch and Reunion of the Blind Veterans at the Lanhydrock hotel, about 45 minutes away. We stayed the night. There were no workmen or holes in the floor, such a relief!

En route back home today we passed some time in the glorious Lanhydrock House, a National Trust property. Originally built in the 1600s, a fire decimated the house in 1881, and very little of that period is left. the rest is Victorian, and very lovely. I'll show you more in  a later post.

Now we are back.

They are all regrouping on Monday.

Sigh.