Too busy

I've been far too busy this week to blog, mainly because we finally collected our little pony, a yearling colt currently going by the name of Murphy. He is at a friends' yard at the moment, there is the small matter of gelding before he can live with our mare Maddie.

I'll be back next week (fingers crossed), I've loads of things to share with you including a little giveaway I've been planning.

The one about the apple pickers and the wasps

Yesterday my boys went apple picking with friends.

They hadn't been picking very long when one of them felt something crawling in his ear

and the next moment they were descended upon by a swarm of angry wasps.

They ran down the road and round the corner with wasps in hot pursuit all the way to

Nicovitch

and

Madeliene

who of course didn't see the wasps off, for there were only one or two left by this time,

 but they did offer sound advice,

"Back to the orchard  you go and next time you come and see us bring us an apple or two!"

So off they went and they picked lots and lots of apples.

Footnote:

3 stings one on the chin, one on the back and one on the leg

Nicovitch & Madeliene got their apples later in the day.

September Reading

I've recently finished The Angel Who Pawned Her Harp by Charles Terrot -

"On a certain Monday in May, business was very slack in Mr. Webman's second-hand store. Just before closing time, however, there came into the shop the most beautiful girl Len Burrows, the assistant had ever seen. Beside her stood a full-sized harp. Was she an angel? She looked like one and behaved like one, but here she was in Mr. Webman.s East End shop apparently trying to raise a loan, and on her harp of all things! Nor did she seem too scrupulous about how she came by the money. yet it was curious, as time went on, the effect she had on people, the way ahe brought out the best in them, the way in which, in the end, she showed them the way in which their happiness lay."

and I was completely and utterly charmed by it. I've since found out that there is a 1950's film of the book starring Diane Cilento which of course I'm now quite keen to see.

Next on my reading list for September is going to be a 1957 copy of The Oakhill Guide Company by Felicity Keith it's a vintage children's book published by Blackie. I love children's books don't you?
Anyway this one sounds like quite an adventure -

"Amid great excitement, and even some misgiving, Pamela went to Oakhill School. Oakhill is a happy place where one has many kinds of games, pleasant excursions and a care-free life. But above all, Oakhill has a guide company. Pamela becomes one of the Cornflowers.
Then comes trouble. The patrol Shield goes missing, and its disapearance almost coincides with the time of a burglary at Oakhill, when sundry valued trophies are stolen. These hapenings naturally arouse the dective instincts of Pamela and her chum, Margaret, and a mysterious cupboard takes on a new importance. When Pam and Margaret have gone only half-way through their investigations they realize how important the cupboard really is."

A mysterious cupboard, sounds marvellous doesn't it?
I can't wait to get started on this one.

But first I've simply got to, got to read the latest Matthew Shardlake adventure by C.J. Sansom, Heartstone. Set in Tudor times these are my all time favourite historical, murder mystery, thrillers. I've been a huge fan since the first Revelation and can't recommend them enough, if you like that sort of thing.

And lastly, I'm hoping to get some time to dip into Miss Read, I just love Miss Read's Fairacre stories. Actually she is an authour only recently discovered by me, to think I used to pass her books by thinking they were for old ladies! But they are not, they are just wonderful and I can't get enough of them.

Anyway that's my reading list for September, what if anything are you reading? Do share.

This weekend's favourite find

My favourite find this weekend was a vintage tin.

Why?

Because it's full of buttons

like these.

They need a bit of a wash but I'm really pleased with them

(More on last weekends favourite find coming soon,

there is a little matter of electric fencing to sort out first..)

This weekend's buys

Taking shelter from the rain in a rather depressing looking charity shop full of cheap resin toot

I did manage to find some treasure amongst the trash.

That early 20th century religious print above, The Guardian Angel and

this little brass owl.

We also bought this little chap

but he wasn't from a charity shop.

Wet, wet, wet

So far this week seems to have been all about rain and today has seen the worst,

unrelenting rain, grey skies and not a glimmer of sunshine. I don't mind it really -

it's just the mud I hate. Deep sigh....

(Illustration from 1950's children's book The Musical Umbrella by Friedrich Feld)

Martin Clunes Horsepower

My youngest son and I have just spent the last hour watching Martin Clunes

Horsepower

It was quite simply wonderful or in the words of my son awesome!

And there 's more next week.

Photograph via telegraph.co.uk

Say it with flowers - Thank you.

Flowers from my garden

as a big thank you

to all of you who kindly left me a welcoming comment

and to those who are now following this blog.

Thank you

I want a blog

So I want a blog of my own and you wouldn't believe the angst it's causing me, the number of times I've sat down to write this first post and the number of times I've deleted it. But then maybe you do understand, prehaps it's the way new bloggers feel, a bit like the first day at a new school, a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Anyway here goes ...

My name is Carol, I'm married with teenage sons, we live in a 1920's house on the edge of three counties, we're not that far from the sea. We share our lives with dogs, cats, horses, ferrets, chickens, quail, an assortment of  other birds and a tortoise. I'm self employed and as well as being a partner in my husband's business I'm trying to get my own little flegling vintage business started and I'd really like to meet some like minded people...

(Photograph is from an advertisement for Hamley's toy shop found via Tumblr)