A touch of Christmas magic!

This John Lewis advert just makes me happy!

It's pork delivering season and as much as it is a very sad time, it's also lovely that our customers are very excited about receiving our home grown and delicious pork. This time we delivered half a pig to No 1's best friend's family. Charlotte's Mum had made me a gift of an owl. I thought about putting it on our Christmas Tree (which I can't wait to put up this weekend) but I think it has to be out all year round.  Charlotte also showed me some of the other bits that her Mum had been making. She is clearly very talented...

Christmas light switch on

We just love going to see the lights being switched on. I have missed it the last couple of years through other commitments,  but not this time! I was really impressed with BHS, they offered customers 20% off their purchases and 40% off the restaurant prices. They also provided drinks and nibbles and there was a fashion show too! The picture was taken once most of the crowd had gone home, not the best of photos because the lights were much prettier than it shows.

 

 

A weekend in York

This weekend I went to York for a girlie weekend. After ditching our cases at the hotel we walked into the city.  We walked past the Minster, a beautiful sight against the autumn sunshine.

We tried to walk past the fudge kitchen but we were beckoned in and quite honestly it would have been very rude to ignore these lovely people (oh and the lovely samples!).  We stayed a while and watched some fudge being made.

We didn't stay too long because we were on a mission.  We were on our way to Betty's. Although we queued for an hour to be seated the time quickly passed. We chose to be seated downstairs with the gorgeous wood panelling and lots of atmosphere. I chose the afternoon tea with pink champagne!

It was rather indulgent but we deserved it!

 

Once we had eaten we started our shopping spree. We had no plan so wondered about just enjoying York. We met Moaning Lisa who was very entertaining!

We continued into 'The Shambles' and looked in the windows at all the quaint little shops.

Admired the handcrafted hat...

 fell in love with the rotund robins...

 and the wreaths..

across the road we then visited Duttons for buttons! How cool is that name?

 Further along we found Cath with a vintage Christmas window

 Then we walked back to the hotel before changing and heading back to the City for dinner before walking back and finally hitting bed just after midnight!

 

 A lovely, lovely weekend that is going to be, we hop,e the first of many!

It's all in the foundations...

Yesterday when I was In Asda I noticed that they had a sale.  I scoured the rails but to be honest there was nothing that I either wanted or needed! Then I found an all-in-one-suck-you-in-lift-you up kind of undergarment in nude colouring.  Yes I thought to myself, I've watched Gok and understand it's always important to get your foundation right, so I'll give it a try.  In my mind I was going to look like a size zero with a wash board stomach and pert bosoms that any young woman would be proud of.  Instead I ended up looking like Mrs Doubtfire in her body suit...

It's not too early for Christmas is it?

It was another one of our craft workshops this evening.  For various reasons we had struggled to get a date. Anyway, tonight was the night! We made some Christmas tree baubles with sequins.  They are very time consuming but they are gorgeous when they are finished and catch the light beautifully.

 

 

We didn't all finish them this evening, I think only two of us did. Since I have come home I have been sent this photo.

 

I love it!

Autumn

I am feeling the love for Autumn, the colours are always so lovely. Maybe it's having red hair that attracts me to the autumnal colours.  This house looked gorgeous with all the different colours so I very cheekily knocked on the door and asked if I could collect some from school. Well they are going to drop very soon anyway!

So I collected quite a few and was very pleased with them all.

A pile of leaves always needs a little friend to hibernate amongst, so I duly set about knitting a little hedgehog.  Just the right size for little hands to squish!

I also wanted to talk about the berries on the trees and shrubs at this time of year.  One little boy likes to eat anything and everything that he finds so real berries were not to be. So I made some!

I also took in the little robin that I made previously so that I could explain that berries are for the birds!

As part of this mini topic we went for a walk through the woods.  We were so lucky with the weather as it there had been torrential rain for a good few days.

The remains of a Halloween trail could still be seen... 

How lucky am I to have such a wonderful job?

We will remember them.

My glittery poppy (apologies I can't seem to turn it around)

Buy a paper poppy. Take it apart. Apply a covering of pva glue and then sprinkle generously with glitter.

When dry glue the pieces together and hot glue a brooch fitting onto the back.

Then wear it with pride whilst remembering our fallen heroes.

Pheasant plucker

I must say that whenever I have a pheasant to pluck I'm always reminded of a song...

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's son

I'm only plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucker comes.

Me husband is a keeper, he's a very busy man

I try to understand him and I help him all I can,

But sometimes in an evening I feel a trifle dim

All alone, I'm plucking pheasants, when I'd rather pluck with him.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mate

I'm only plucking pheasants 'cos the pheasant plucker's late!

 

I'm not good at plucking pheasants, at pheasant plucking I get stuck

Though some pheasants find it pleasant I'd rather pluck a duck.

Oh plucking geese is gorgeous, I can pluck a goose with ease

 But pheasant plucking's torture because they haven't any grease.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, he has gone out on the tiles

He only plucked one pheasant and I'm sitting here with piles!

 

You have to pluck them fresh, if it’s fresh they’re not unpleasant,

 I knew a man in Dunstable who could pluck a frozen pheasant.

They say the village constable had pheasant plucking sessions

With the vicar on a Sunday ‘tween the first and second lessons.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's mum

I'm only plucking pheasants 'till the pheasant plucker's come.

 

My good friend Godfrey is most adept, he's really got the knack

He likes to have a pheasant plucked before he hits the sack.

I like to give a helping hand, I gather up the feathers,

It's really all our pheasant plucking keeps us pair together.

 

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's friend

I'm only plucking pheasants as a means unto an end!

My husband's in the forest always banging with his gun
If he could hear me half the time I'm sure that he would run,
 For there's fluff in all my crannies, there's feathers up my nose
And I'm itching in the kitchen from my head down to my toes.

I'm not a pheasant plucker, I'm a pheasant plucker's wife
And when we pluck together it's a pheasant plucking life!

What to cook for tea?

We are well into the football season now, so every Saturday is spent shouting words of encouragement from the side-line at No 4. It was cold and wet today, so instead of calling at the supermarket for something for tea, we came straight home. Which left me with a dilemma...what to do for tea. Please don't think for one minute that my cupboards are bare, nothing that we had inspired me.  Then there was a knock on the door and our neighbour had brought some lovely potatoes that they had grown.  Woohoo! Then as we went to shut the animals in for the evening another neighbour called with a brace of pheasants. Woohoo! Woo!

So this evening we have had pan fried pheasant breasts in butter with added cream and brandy with rustic chips. And I must say it was delicious!

Calling it a night

Call me a light weight but at twenty past nine on a Friday night I am off to my bed.  Goodness me if I'd listened to my inner voice I would have been there ages ago!

Good night!

Another Swap!

I did this swap last year and was partnered with the very lovely Kezzie.

Click on the picture below to join the swap!

Finally have learned how to use my new phone to blog with! Woohoo!
This week has seen Halloween. I didn't decorate the house like I normally do. I only put a poster on the bathroom door. It has been up for a week and not one person in my house has commented! You can hardly miss it so eventually I asked if they had seen it. The answer was yes but you always do mad things. Oh.