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

In the Attic Today

My nose is still firmly to the grindstone, hence the lack of posts, visits, and comments.     Sorry!  Too few hours in a day, especially with running 'breakfast and teatime clubs' for two of my grandchildren, five days a week.

I am enjoying myself, but I will be glad when my self-allotted task has been completed, the dolls sold, and my free time becomes my own.

I had to go into our nearest market town today, for a free flu jab.   It was a production line all very efficient.   The clinic was held in the Corn Exchange.      To reach it, I had to drive down West Street and turn into the Market Place car park.   Not so many decades ago, cattle used to be walked along this road, on their way to the cattle market, now a Co-op supermarket.

Alford is a small town, a bit run down and shabby around the edges, but I like it.   It has small shops, family butchers, newsagents, craft shops, newsagents, bakeries, supermarkets - small, a few charity shops, hotels, pubs, takeaways, a fish and chip shop, fruit and vegetable shop, a pottery, the windmill for flour and grain, and an infrequently opened library, doctors surgeries, solicitors, a dentist, plus tea shops and cafes, of course.

Best of all, in my husband's opinion, is the Handyman DIY Shop. 

The red brick building to the right is the Corn Exchange, where the flu jab clinic was held.   Arrows directed victims to go round the building to the back, passing this

attractive cake shop.   I wonder how many people are seduced by the call of 'freshly' baked goods - delivered in a large van...

I entered the back door of the Corn Exchange and found myself faced by three receptionists each armed with a printout of names and a highlighter pen.   

"Name please."

"Elaine xxxx."

"Read this, then take off your coat and roll up your sleeve.  Catherine will see to you."

Immediately behind the receptionist, Catherine waited with her pile of vaccination syringes, plasters, etc.    No chair.   A quick hello, an even quicker jab, a slight pause because my arm bled a little, then slap on the plaster and move along.

I was in and out of the door in less than five minutes!

I did a (very) little housework, and then got back to work in the fairy factory.

There are glitzy ones, homely ones, and these pixie ones.    I have a few more to finish off, then they can go into the box, along with the assorted peg dollies, a range of Japanese dolls, the little nutcracker dolls, snowmen and a couple of reindeer.      Around eighty items.   That should be plenty, to raise funds for the hall and the church in the next village along.

I need to stop working on these soon because I have lots of crafts I want to make with my grandchildren before Christmas.

Then I plan to go into hibernation.

x