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..)