Well I swear I’ve never been so cold in all my life. Even the lavender and lemon balm liquid soap on my kitchen windowsill has iced up. And you know why? Because for all intents and purposes it is Bonfire Night and someone in parliment rings up God on Bommie night and insists that he brings on Winter pretty damn quick so we can all shiver in snuggly gloves as we waft sparklers about, eat cinder toffee and watch the world explode.
In Alison world, it has, I must admit been a scrummily (yes I made that word up!) delicious kind of Saturday, not without mishap or the occasional bout of toddler misery but yummy all the same…
As is his peculiar wont on a weekend, Finley slept in this morning and we woke to a toasty warm house, had maya gold hot chocolate, toast and tangerines for breakfast, and then layered ourselves in thermals and braved the world outside our door. The very frozen world outside our door: a car with iced up windows and early chamelia buds delicately frosted with the kind of air you can see turn to ice in front of you.
We got going: Robbie being rude on my stereo and Finley chirping on about Doctor Who in the background. All seemed well. And then I ran out of petrol. As you do. Because I am irrationally girly about petrol stations and avoid them with my life. So I got out, carried the baby, the petrol can, my
In a world is my oyster kind of way I wandered off the beaten path to buy titchy little pain au chocolate in a local farm shop, and a bundle of dried lavender in the gloriously gorgeous lavender farm I’ve been meaning to visit for a lifetime. Then drove to Mecca (Waitrose) to load up a trolley with delicacies nobody needs, had a vanilla latte in a snuggly coffee shop, and then got back in the car to drive to the Squirrel reserve to feed squirrels too stupid to have gone into hibernation yet, and to Finley’s delight, roll down leafy hills and then run back up them as fast as we could. Still in silly shoes. With a blue snotty nose and the numbest toes in the history of feet.
Then it was Mummy time. A quick whizz up the motorway and we were in Border’s grinning in delight as the man behind the counter winked at me as he shoved seven complimentary bars of Green and Blacks milk chocolate into my two carrier bags full of magazines (Oh the joy of December Vogue!!) and the first Christmas present I’ve got round to buying this year.
And then home. To a bowl of steaming hot beetroot and ginger soup and a Scooby doo cartoon, snuggling in preparation for freezing in front of fireworks for the rest of the night…
As soon as it goes dark, I will wrap Finley up like a baby Michelin man, take a tray of hot milk and slices of Kaths Dad’s apples dipped in cinnamon chocolate into the garden, with some blankets and a whole lot of candles and shiver with Finn as we watch the neighbours spectacular firework display, hands over our ears and eyes wide with wonder.
And then in for bedtime stories and the peace of the childfree zone that is evening time. A plate of black pudding and chorizo. An aloe vera salty bath, and then into clothes warm and glamorous enough to slip back into the garden and join the grown up’s at the bonfire for toffee apples and warm red wine, before coming home to snuggle up in a quilt and stare in wonder at the unspeakably lovely, fiery Autumnal bouquet of
Bonfire night bliss.
(Lordy was that my diet we just saw go up in smoke??)
The Summer Sale Is Here! 
The Brocante Round-Up! 
The Brocante Round-Up! 
The Autumn House
That sounds like a wonderful day (empty gas tank excluded.) I really enjoy hearing of your adventures. Take care and have a happy weekend.
oh I love guyfawks at this time of year, enjoy it! 🙂
Oh, that sounds really lovely. I'm used to fireworks in the summer (writing from the US), but it sounds very festive having them in the cold, just as the holiday season begins.
Oh, that sounds really lovely. I'm used to fireworks in the summer (writing from the US), but it sounds very festive having them in the cold, just as the holiday season begins.
Your shoes sound lovely! And yes, I do believe that was your diet that we heard, mine went up 2 whole weeks ago!! Happy Full Moon sisters!! Clean tubs and hot cocoa all around the world!
Your shoes sound lovely! And yes, I do believe that was your diet that we heard, mine went up 2 whole weeks ago!! Happy Full Moon sisters!! Clean tubs and hot cocoa all around the world!
Oh, Alison…what a lovely evening!
I'm also from the US, so the tradition of fireworks in the winter sounds snuggly and like a great excuse for hot autumny treats like warm milk and wine. Yum!
Here in Texas, we set up an outdoor movie screen at a friend's home in town. We arranged a mini-film festival for the neighborhood kiddos featuring "Return of the Were-Rabbit". I am very firm about giving out candy. There has been a very unfortunate trend of children NOT wearing costumes, roaming from door to door, shoving out a bag, and demanding candy. No costume, no 'thank you's….just "Give us candy". So….If you went to the trouble to at least tie a towel around your neck and pretend to be Superman, you get a big, fat handful of sugary goodness. If you didn't you get a pencil. That's right…a crappy, measly pencil.
Now….on to your scrumptious autumnal boquet. Who Oh WHO sent them???? Can we be privy? (in the states, that means 'included in the secrecy', not 'toilet')
Is there a new, semi-permanent beau we can hear about? Oh, DO dish! We live vicariously through you, you know! I hope it was someone spectacular.
Your website cheers my every day. Truly.
Happy late Halloween,
Laura
Oh, Alison…what a lovely evening!
I'm also from the US, so the tradition of fireworks in the winter sounds snuggly and like a great excuse for hot autumny treats like warm milk and wine. Yum!
Here in Texas, we set up an outdoor movie screen at a friend's home in town. We arranged a mini-film festival for the neighborhood kiddos featuring "Return of the Were-Rabbit". I am very firm about giving out candy. There has been a very unfortunate trend of children NOT wearing costumes, roaming from door to door, shoving out a bag, and demanding candy. No costume, no 'thank you's….just "Give us candy". So….If you went to the trouble to at least tie a towel around your neck and pretend to be Superman, you get a big, fat handful of sugary goodness. If you didn't you get a pencil. That's right…a crappy, measly pencil.
Now….on to your scrumptious autumnal boquet. Who Oh WHO sent them???? Can we be privy? (in the states, that means 'included in the secrecy', not 'toilet')
Is there a new, semi-permanent beau we can hear about? Oh, DO dish! We live vicariously through you, you know! I hope it was someone spectacular.
Your website cheers my every day. Truly.
Happy late Halloween,
Laura
Oh how lovely. Must look magical and enchanting on a crisp autumn night when the sky is cold and clear and already filled with stars*~**~*~**~~**.
Annabelle ~^..^~ xo
I so used to love Guy Fawks? night when I was a child, but it is banned now in Australia and you cannot buy firecrackers. What a shame, that some silly person probably put a bunger where they shouldn't have and now the tradition is gone. Sounds like you had a lovely time and do spill the beans on who the yummy bouquet was from!
I so used to love Guy Fawks? night when I was a child, but it is banned now in Australia and you cannot buy firecrackers. What a shame, that some silly person probably put a bunger where they shouldn't have and now the tradition is gone. Sounds like you had a lovely time and do spill the beans on who the yummy bouquet was from!
Well its firework night tonight here in freezing cold Newcastle!I like the sound of your apple dipped in cinnamon chocolate! please,please share the recipe!
Who cares if that was your diet? What a spectacular day. And, um, yeah… no fair to hint and not tell about the lilies… Sounds wonderful, whether from belle or beau. Never did the bonfire thing, but fell in love with it through your genius author extraordinaire, Thomas Hardy. How I loved Return of the Native, Tess, and Jude…
Who cares if that was your diet? What a spectacular day. And, um, yeah… no fair to hint and not tell about the lilies… Sounds wonderful, whether from belle or beau. Never did the bonfire thing, but fell in love with it through your genius author extraordinaire, Thomas Hardy. How I loved Return of the Native, Tess, and Jude…
Sounds like you had a marvellous day! AND flowers too! what more could a girl ask for?
Sounds like you had a marvellous day! AND flowers too! what more could a girl ask for?