Handbags, Cake & The Fickle Finger of Fate

These beautiful handbags are made from paper and card, beautiful gift bags, each one with a gift card and envelope inside. 

Perfect for the bazaar, and quickly snapped up.   

Someone else donated some delicious home made fudge.  People are so kind, these little gestures really help pad things out and sweeten the mix of things on offer.

The giant tombola stall is always popular, even though prizes ranged from toilet cleaner right the way up to champagne.

This beautiful cake was made by Miss Read's son and was then iced and decorated by Miss Read herself.  She raffles one each year.   I don't know how many years she has been doing it, but I do know that her raffle ticket sales add greatly to the final total; the cakes are as delicious inside as they look beautiful on the outside.

This was the main raffle stall, directly inside the entrance doors, the chilliest position in the hall.  It was run by 'The local Squire's' wife.

The two ladies who are buying their tickets are born and bred village residents.   They are always wonderfully supportive and appreciative, and very sweet, to boot.

Each year they shop until they drop, then they sit down and enjoy a pot of tea and some hefty slices of home-baked cake, chatting away until it is time for the raffles to be drawn.



I had a stall with a bran tub at one end, the Rudolph game at the other, angels and fairies in between,  including the raffle for the three fairies, though one has now grown pixie ears, so it was for two fairies and a pixie.

The hall was filled to the brim at times, even though only a small percentage of the local people turned out.     Angel and fairy sales went well, so did the bran tub - and the Rudolph game ensured that the hall was filled with the sound of laughter.     Participants and spectators all got the giggles. 

Miss Read kept forgetting about filling out raffle stubs and had much more fun watching the children play with Rudolph!

When things finally quietened down,  the main raffle was drawn.   These days we don't have dozens of small prizes, we tend to go for making up hampers and stockings.   This year there was a 'male' stocking, a 'female' one, a mystery wrapped hamper and the main prize was an enormous Christmas hamper.

It was filled to the brim with delicious eats, treats, drinks, crackers, toys, chocolates, a beautiful plant...

While the draw was taking place I turned my attention to the fairy raffle - checked the envelope with the winning fairy name against the entry sheet and saw to my horror that my granddaughter had written her name in the winning square for her £1 entry...without insider information, or access to the answer.

Hey ho!


Meanwhile, the large hamper prize was being drawn - " and the main hamper goes to XXX"...XXX being my granddaughter!

I decided that emergency action was required, after all I could easily make three special fairies for her....     Fortunately,  attention was then turned to the cake raffle.

I grabbed a pair of scissors and got snipping all the squares of fairy names and put them into a paper bag. 

The beautiful cake was won by the landlord of the local Tavern.   Then it was my fairy raffle.

I held the paper bag out for someone to draw the winning name..   Remember the photograph of the two women buying their raffle tickets?  I was delighted to see that the one in the blue coat had won the fairies!

She was thrilled, had the most enormous smile on her face and said that she wanted to give the three fairies to the little girl she had been standing next to when she purchased her ticket, because the little girl had really wanted to win, and had been telling her all about the fairies as she carefully printed out her name in her best handwriting, she is six years old.   

You guessed it, the little girl was my granddaughter!

Those fairies were destined to be hers and I shouldn't have tried to divert them, except that by doing so I made an elderly woman very happy, too. 

Madcap Ideas

At 8.45 am this morning, my daughter rang from school (she is a teacher) she was in full panic mode because there was to be a  meeting about the school's forthcoming Festive Fair, she needed a quick idea for a stall...just like that!

I was reluctant to suggest that she do crafts, because I knew who would have ended up making everything for the stall and I just don't have the spare time.   Instead, I suggested that she go for a game - how about Pin the Nose on Rudolph?

Then I was left in peace to make a cup of tea.   By 9 am my brain had kicked in and I was whizzing around, poking around in my cupboards, looking up on shelves, trying to see how I could make a quick version of the game to help pad out a corner of the village hall tomorrow.

This is what I ended up with.   I found a large unpainted canvas, quickly dashed off something approximating a friendly Rudolph, all the while wondering about how the game could be played.   Velcro, red felt, and dried peas came to my assistance.

I was quite pleased with the result and the good thing is that my daughter can then use it at her school fair in a week or two.

This afternoon a small handful of us gathered in the very cold village hall and set up tables, cloths, chairs, the Christmas tree, etc ready for tomorrow.       Everything is set and the hall is looking much jollier than it normally does on a dank November afternoon.

Everyone had a go with the Rudolph game, judging by the giggles and poor shots this afternoon,  I think it should go down well with any children who may come along.   Fingers crossed, anyway.

I will answer the comments from yesterday, probably the day after tomorrow, when things quieten down.   Meanwhile, thank you for reading and for all your comments.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, whatever you are doing.

Mid November in a Small English Village

Walks, crafting, foraging, chatting and the many small things which make up much of my life.

I have spent most of this week making, and attaching, angel wings for the pipe cleaner angels, fairies and pixies, as well as those for the everyday angels made from wooden clothes pins, with the occasional zip around a few blogs, reading more than commenting.   Then, after five minutes off for good behaviour, my inner taskmaster had me back to work with needles and thread, glue, wire, crowns and embellishments.

These three dolls are what I will be using as a separate fundraiser at the bazaar - a simple game, like choosing a name from a list, £1 a go to win all three fairies.      So if you have any suggestions suitable names (or a better game) which I can use for my pick list they will be gratefully received. 

I have brain freeze on pretty names and games  at the moment.   It has to be something simple and fun to winkle a few extra pounds out of those pockets - all for the good causes, not for putting into my pocket!!

 
I still get out and about with Toby, of course.   He's not into fairies or pixies, so our usual quota of fresh air and exercise has been maintained.   Most of our walks are along farm tracks and the old railway line.

Sometimes we cut through the village on our way home. 

The autumnal display is almost over and it is so windy today that I think most of the remaining leaves will be leaving the trees before long.   There have been cold dank days, but there have also been some gloriously perfect autumnal days with early frost, blue skies and lots of wonderful sunshine.

Nature has been at work.    I had stopped to take the photograph when I was suddenly anointed, bird poo, splat on my head! 

I decided not to take the route back through the village, we stuck to fields and tracks.   I had a large reddish brown patch of 'luck' sitting on the front of my white hair.  Guess what the first thing I did when I got home was - a clue, it wasn't 'buy a lottery ticket'!

I attended the monthly meeting in the little village hall - just six of us this month.   We made final arrangements for the bazaar, viewed and chatted about some wonderful old snippets and photographs of local history which a friend had brought along,  nibbled cake and drank tea.   The final half an hour was spent in a sing-song.  Oh joy!

Where could I  hide?   The cups and plates had already been washed and dried.   I had to join in.   We all joined in and made a terrible noise... only one person could hold a tune and it wasn't me.

However, we actually enjoyed ourselves.   We let loose on the old songs and had fun.   Unfortunately that means more punishment next month - Christmas Carols.   I wonder whether I dare secretly record a snippet or two...

More beautiful walks, this is the very edge of the ancient woodland.   It was also library van week and I came away with a dozen books, my arms were much longer by the time I had carted them all home.

I squeezed in a bit of crafting with the grandchildren, here we are making some special firelighters, I really dislike the smell of commercial ones.   I saw this idea in a magazine.      I have no idea whether they work, but I thought we would give it a go because they are simple to make and visually pleasing.

Last year I did some candle-making with the grandchildren, so I had the wax and wicks, but you could use melted tealights, stub ends of candles, etc.     I gathered some small pine cones from a local woodland, a few hawthorn berries and rosehips, a few sprigs of Christmas tree trimmings (a lucky find on one of my walks - a farmer had felled a few Christmas trees and there were some sprigs left behind) some cinnamon and cloves plus paper cases.

The spices went into the bottom of the case, then the wick to the side, followed by the wax chips, we worked as a team, one spooned cinnamon, the other counted cloves, and I placed the wick.    We put them into a fairly low oven, keeping a careful eye on them until the wax had melted, then the real fun began. 

Pine cones, berries and snippets of green pine.   The children loved it.   So did I.  They cooled very quickly and look fabulous.

Needless to say, the housework is suffering, there are simply not enough hours in the day, and my day begins very early, 5am.    It has to, otherwise I can't fit in a peaceful hour before getting breakfast organised for the grandchildren who come over for an hour before school.     We have them for two hours after school.    By 9pm I am struggling to stay awake, so that has become bedtime, although these darker evenings make me think of sleep by 6pm!

My own cocoon from the world, maybe.  Just because I like cosy and homely, won't talk politics on my blog, or your blog, does not mean that I am blinkered. 

Blogs only reflect those bits we are willing to share.   😐

ps Please don't forget those suggestions for fairy names, or very simple games for the bazaar.x

Flying Hooves on Saturday

My Saturday morning was quiet, some simple pottering, walking the dog, and a little sewing.  Gentle and enjoyable.  

Max continued working on the hen house extension.  

The extension is going to become a garage for Hector's little car, which will be a great improvement on the nylon car cover, which probably wouldn't survive another winter.

I decided to nip down to see Benedict a little earlier than normal as I wanted to go to the Little Bunting Bazaar and I didn't want to arrive there in my dirty old jacket and horse-grubby hands, although I am sure no-one would have noticed.

Because I was early Benedict was in the middle of the field, grazing.   As I went in the yard he lifted his head and looked across, then amazed me by whinnying and cantering over to me.

I didn't know that old horse could move so fast!    

He was all flying mane, tail and hooves.   It was impressive and beautiful.    He finished up with a playful (powerful) nudge of my shoulder, almost knocking me off my feet.

I think he was happy to see me!   Of course he associates my visits with food and company, a bright spot in his quiet day.    I hope he also feels some of the love I have for him, he certainly stands there stoically, as I hug him and murmur sweet nothings to him.

A quick nip home, to wash my hands and change into something a little cleaner, then I walked back along our muddy little lane (wearing wellies, one has to be practical!) and down to the village hall.  

All the windows and doors were closed.   They couldn't fool me though, I knew a 'party' was going on in there!  

I walked in and was hit by a wall of heat and stuffy air, almost turned tail and back into the bracing wind and finger-nipping cold outside.

The place seemed full, but this is a tiny village hall and twenty people can make it seem as though it is bursting at the seams.    Unbuttoning my coat I dug deep into my pockets, purchasing raffle tickets for this and that,  bought tombola tickets, a cake and a jar of  marmalade.     I didn't want to buy tee shirts, or ornaments, calendars  or rather dull books, so  I bought a cup of tea and a mince pie.

I had a dozen quick conversations with people I rarely see, then had a good long chat with Mrs Read who told me a few more snippets about her wedding and reception (Dovecote Dell, 1953) she also pointed out a relative newcomer to the village, to their mutual delight they had discovered that Mrs Read had taught her, many years ago.

She was sitting all alone, probably enjoying some peace and quiet, but I went and introduced myself anyway and we had a great chat and have arranged to do some dog walking together.  

Another flit around the hall, a few more pounds spent on tickets for things I hope I won't win, and then back out into the deliciously cold and invigorating air.   Bliss!

When I got home I was greeted by this lovely sight...

The best part of the day was the greeting that this boy gave me though.   Who would have thought he could still move like that?

Poppy and Miles, we'll be Skyping you later, love, Mumxxxxxxxxxxx