Happy Halloweeeeeeeeen

Saturday afternoon we drove to Slindon which is well known locally for its displays and sale of pumpkins. It had rained all morning so when the rain stopped in the afternoon, the crowds came out and the village was very busy. There were ornamental gourds, patty pans, a mountain of the traditional orange pumpkins and the display of a traction engine, which was as eye-catching as always. If you click on the word display it takes you to a gallery of pictures from the pottery and pumpkin man. We purchased a medium orange pumpkin and then a small orange pumpkin and fridge magnet from the pottery.

On our way home I took a photo looking across the valley from Amberley, the sun was peeping through the clouds and just picking up a group of autumn colours on the opposite hill. You can see it better if you click on the picture to enlarge it.
This afternoon Em carved the pumpkin with a little help/interference from me! well I couldn't let her have all the fun - and it was the first time we had ever carved a pumpkin. Em was delighted with the finished face which we had found on the internet - it is her favourite character Jack from the movie The Nightmare before Christmas. Happy Halloween, Jane, Tony & Em

Half Term

This week is half term for us, so we've been to Dorset and visited my family. We walked around the village stopping so Em could do bark rubbings and photograph natural forms for her art homework. We visited Charmouth in the quest for some fossils, but Uncle Tom Cobley and all were there and the fossils were hiding although we found some possibilities.

We've been up to London to visit the Docklands museum for the 100 Years of Guiding exhibition which was brilliant, but if you want to go you'll have to be quick because tomorrow is the last day! If you do go don't forget to ask for your free badge if you are a member of Girlguiding.

We went to the Sea Life Centre in Brighton yesterday; as its a few years since our last visit we noticed lots of changes to the displays. It was very good and we loved the trip on the glass bottomed boat, the turtles were amazing. Em was delighted to be able to collect a piece of Broccoli to throw to the turtles. Today we are hoping to visit the Pumpkin Farm at Slindon so I will post some pictures later. Jane

We've been busy changing the main home computer. Our old one died two weeks ago and we have been learning our way around a Mac. It is a re-furbished G5 hopefully more reliable than the last machine. Very pretty in appearance but at times a touch frustrating whilst we re-acquaint ourselves with new ways of doing things. We've had a Mac before but it was an older model and although we still have it and it still works it has a tiny memory and can't be upgraded.

Autumn is showing in our little garden, the spiders have been busily spinning their webs across the paths and doorways. The Pyracantha or firethorn is laden with berries and the mini Asters are edging the border with beautiful mauve flowers.

Cross stitching has ceased on the Christmas sampler, but there is a little halloween stitching on the go instead.

Rangers spent last Wednesday having an American evening and inventing their own line dance to Cotton Eye Joe, which they performed for the Guides at the end of the evening and had a lot of giggles and laughter along the way. Hope you have a good week. Jane x

Too Long Gone!

The last few weeks have passed in a blur of work, Rangers, family visit and a picnic with the Rangers which was great fun. My parents came up to Sussex for a long weekend as they had a special dinner/function to attend. On Sunday we went to the beach for lunch at the cafe and then walked along towards Ferring in what felt like the teeth of a gale. They had a lovely evening out with friends before returning to Dorset.

Last weekend Em and I went to a picnic which the Rangers had arranged at the local beauty spot. The weather was beautiful and sunny, we sat on our picnic blankets and lunched on mini pasties, crisps, corn chips and salsa dip and finished off with donuts and chocolate fingers washed down with pepsi or water! Then they played rounders, ran up and down the hills and burned it all off. Our Centenary duck Gertie accompanied us and was delighted that some of her friends had also come to the picnic, Ranger Bear x 2 and snowy the polar bear.

Meanwhile last wednesday we spent the evening scrapbooking, the Rangers made a scrapbook and then began to fill it with photos from our centenary year. We used the template I found on a scrapbooking site the Maze Scrapbook. The original pattern is for 12" x 12" scrapbook paper/card but being on a badget and unable to find plain 12 x 12 I adapted the measurements to 28cm x 28cm which can be cut out of A3 paper. the lines for marking were then placed at 7, 14 and 21cm the resulting scrapbooks were well recieved. The one most useful tip I would make is watch your folding lines - be very accurate.

On the crafting front I have been knitting as the cross stitch mojo has temporarily deserted me, a key hole/ Miss Marple scarf in blue which is a gift for a friend. I have also started a feather and fan scarf in some self patterning sock yarn which looks good too.