Sweet Tooths

On Saturday I bought four of these Mediterranean cakes from the Turkish stall for a mere £9:90!  I wish In had the money to buy more!  These are wonderful cakes which I first tasted in Israel years ago and are found all over the Middle East (covered in dust in Syria mind) or so I believe.  Wonderful things to eat, a great variety of fillings, not sure what this one was but the others had walnuts and sticky sweet stuff.  Almost anything that grows can be found as a filling which occasionally makes them very heavy, he sells them by weight rather than individual price!   
I managed to avoid eating them all in one go and adding a stone to my fat and allowed them to go down individually day by day.  Now the stalls have gone and nobody near here sell such things.  I think it is time they did!  Maybe one of the craft stalls can come up with this idea and we can have another special craft day?  
Sounds good to me and my weight problem.

There I was happily finishing off the Christmas cards this morning, only a few to do and check all the names on the (short) list.  Happily I began to pack them into their specified order for posting ensuring each of the girls had the Gift card in the Christmas card when I realised I had one more niece than I thought!  Disaster!  Now instead of grinning evilly when mentioning my Christmas has been done I have to go out again and find yet another Gift card!  More expense!  Still they prefer Gift cards as it makes it easier to choose what they want rather than what I give them.  It is easier for me when it comes time to post them and above all I am really pleased 'Poundland' do these Gift Cards now!

Twas Christmas Day in November...

Saturday saw the museum join with the rest of the town centre for the Christmas shopping lights switch on!  Dressed in my Top Hat and Victorian outfit, the ladies dressed in suitable blouses/dresses etc, we invited a million people to visit the museum for FREE and take their opportunity at the stalls available.  Several hundred did just that.

Of course it did not go smoothly!  It never does with me.
Having woken early enough to press the trousers into a less grubby shape I fitted my imitation cravat (none of the charity shops stock them) and wore my purplish waistcoat and my aged black jacket and almost looked the part.
Once in the museum I accepted the compliments from the ladies, I usually do, and went to the locker where I had placed the Top Hat the lass had obtained for me.
Once there I discovered I had forgotten to swap money and keys from the grubby jeans into my almost pressed trousers!  Where is the key to the locker?  On my keyring!  Where is the spare locker key?  On my desk!  Where are my spare house keys?  In the locker!  Why am I hitting my head against the wall...?
One hour later a somewhat bashed and bent locker gave up my spare keys and loaned Top Hat.
Sweat dripping from me I eventually joined the throng muttering words that may embarrass a sailor! 

Stalls laid out ion the main hall were enticing for those who like hand crafted goodies, including Christmas cake and Indian samosas!  The sample of cake from The Little Fairy Cake Bakery was superb!  I found £5 in my now somewhat bent locker and made use of it by eating a couple of Samosas and an onion Badjie (?), wonderful!  

Other stalls sold the usual woolen goods, fancy cards and gifts and such like.  Several stalls, some women doing this as a hobby that makes money, others possibly trying to begin a business.  A wee bit difficult that one unless you have a specific much demanded item.  

Luckily I had no wallet and was therefore able to avoid the china teacups filled with smelly candles that some women of my acquaintance would like.  Many customers called but I failed to ask the price.

One or two children, with parents, called into the activity room where they happily spent hours making Christmas Cards and other things.  Many had left when I took this picture and you cannot see the ones hidden behind the door.  The girls running this were worn out by the end of the day and I suspect much wine was downed later on!  The kids were happy and enjoyed it greatly.  Did we enjoy doing this when young?  I vaguely remember having this at school but it does not fill my memory.  I can remember some what is now called 'Craft work' activity but not much.

Around half one the boss threw us out to hand out leaflets in the town centre.  I wondered what the reaction of my Top Hat and her outfit would be.  However once we wandered out some folks looked but most did not notice as so many stalls were parked around, so many people dressed in odd outfits as so many adult men and women wearing hats with faces on them anyway that we looked almost normal in comparison!  One or two families did come into the museum because of the leaflets.

 I am not sure if he had his face painted or whether he always looked like this...?

His sister had certainly had her face painted and looked very good indeed!

Others merely wondered whether they could do the work intended.

Back on the street I was impressed with this Pizza Van!  That's the way to sell Pizza!  However having no money I could not take advantage which is just as well.  Victorians rarely ate Pizza, most probably never heard of it.  All this for a small town event bringing folks into town to entertain the kids on the activities on offer, listen to bad music form two ends of the High Street, and at five in the evening get a celebrity (who I have never heard off) to switch on the towns lights.  
I missed that bit!

  
I sauntered back through the shopping centre where another billion people were slowly shoving each other about while queuing for fattening Turkish cakes, Turkish Delight or on the other side Roasted Chestnuts at £2:50 a bag!  
Me?  I crawled home to bed....

Friday Flippancy

You and I may think it is still November but the people who make money plan such things consider this the right time to start the Christmas shop!  Last night the nearby 'Outlet' shopping centre had some famous person I had never heard off switch on their Christmas lights (hooray).  Tomorrow the town lights will be switched on so the centre of town is being prepared for the event.  Several stall have appeared in the centre, I expect many more tomorrow, alongside children's funfair attractions and ten thousand people.  The museum will be open and we too have stalls and activities.  The stall shown has lots of Greek eatable's.  On the right hand side lie lots of those Mediterranean sweet cakes filled with figs, dates and other luxuries. I love them but last time he was here I spent vast amounts fattening myself up as I just ate them all one after another.  This I must avoid this year although now I mention it I begin to fantasise about them, help!!!

I will be there, eventually, attempting to dress as a Victorian!  My top hat is secured at the museum and the girls have a variety of Victorian clobber to wear.  All I have to do now is develop Ricketts and expire before I am five years of age.  With FREE entry (the manger must be having a fit) we ought to get hundreds through the door and mush of the goods on sale ought to go tomorrow.  The shop has been prepared with appropriate kids stocking fillers and much else, especially candles, candles appear to be what women wish for these days, smelly candles.  Possibly this has something to do with the smelly men they live with...?

The weather ought to be tolerable for the switch on but later the sun will arrive and spoil the fireworks which they insist on having each year.  With November the 5th just past the days leading up to and after it the area was like World War 3 at times, we need more of that tomorrow.  I will be abed by then however but the sound will crash all around.  I suspect a good time will be had by all but the Christmas Spirit is alive and well, Christmas shopping spirit that is, people walk into you rushing here and there ignoring others, bless them....

I have almost completed Christmas!  As always I missed out some people, four to be exact, just how many nieces can I have exactly?  Someone has added one or two when I was not looking.  So tomorrow before anything else I must finish that and then little has to be done.  I am convinced you are all in the same situation as I.  What?.....oh!

Trapped...

Wednesday Mix

Today was a do little day except when wandering in the park to catch some of the late sunshine.  I was tempted by these yellow leaves hanging in the said sunshine, they brightened up the whole area and reflected the sun well.  Warm sun in November?  Trump fails to recognise Global Warming yet here it is in Essex!  There again he fails to recognise anything that does not lead to money.  The more I think about him I wonder what is inside his head?   Is he a weak man who needs to make money to fulfill himself?  Is power what matters, power that gives him position and plenty so he can feel secure?  Whatever he will not be as important to me as that leaf shining in the sunshine and lasting only a short time. 

Computers are marvellous things however they can be a bit of a bother.  I had several local war memorials on a link, memorials I had investigated.  I printed them of and found a copy in the museum yesterday in the correct folder.  I cannot however find the links!  This means that I simply have to investigate all of them once again!!!  Nothing better than a trawl through the CWGC site then through Ancestry for family info.  I spent two or more hours on one man today, very interesting and all that, but over two hours when I could have done something useful like clean the sinks!
Maybe I will do four hours tomorrow....

In case you did not realise it CHRISTMAS is almost here!  On Saturday the museum is having it's Christmas Shop and we are dressing up as Victorians.  Quite why we feel the need to make every Christmas a Victorian thing I fail to understand, Charles Dickens I suppose but it leaves me wondering if I should develop Ricketts or get myself transported to Botany Bay?  
So tomorrow if I can get the energy I will finish my Christmas shop, do the rest of the cards, check who I have missed and then gloat while everyone else runs about daft worrying about their shopping.  I am convinced you lot have done all your shopping already and are happily sitting around drinking red wine and laughing at the rest, am I right?  

I came across a blogger that those who like really good photographs must investigate. Suza Is based in Germany and takes the most fantastic pictures with her mobile!  You must investigate this site as it is brilliant!

Another Day of Joy and Happiness. Bah!

Life was hard enough today.
Weary after running around for a couple of days yet ended up all day at the museum.
People off on a 'Jolly' and too few left to hold the fort on a very busy day.
To cap it all as I tried to photograph the new shop setup the camera failed - the battery was dead!!!
I mused on murder but decided this was not acceptable...

The day got worse.
Three members of staff, there are only four, were out today at a trainign session, three at one time!
This left the manager who is not up to organisigthings he rarely organises. 
Jn did come to help, but was grumbling like a sinking sailor about it all.
My replacement did not know she was my replacement so went to the hairdresser so she did not arrive.
Over eighty people did however for our very interesting talk, eighty!
Had I gone at one as I ought there would be no-one to man the till.  
Had Peggy not remained until three we could not deal with all the folks arriving, and arriving all at once as they do!  She worked late, and very well, but I had also to help organise the things forgotten for the talk, chairs, tea, etc.  
Then in the middle of it all it appears a woman collapsed and an ambulance had to be called.
This is an elderly generation of visitors and they understood the sudden ending and knew it could easily have been them!  So they went home (eventually).
I got home late, tired and lacking interest in life.
Because of the battery I got NO FOTOS!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Monday Post...

Remembrance 2016

Remembrance 2016 has been well and truly dealt with today.
In the morning the church had a special Remembrance service, as Anglican churches do, and we read out some names of the fallen, four I had provided then others offered the names of their relatives or known friends.  I read out the Binyon piece, aided by a young lass and the two minutes was observed.  It appeared more like three to me!

 
In the chilly windy afternoon the Royal British Legions main District Remembrance Service was held as it has been annually since the War Memorial had been erected in 1921.  The crowd gathered rather slowly today, the wind chill, fussy sergeants, and lots of parading kids probably to blame.  The crowd arrived, the dignitaries shivered into place, the troops paraded, the Sergeant cried "At Ease!" and so the Vicar began the service.

Unlike St Paul's I felt this service somewhat 'religious' and 'British.' That is there were no names read out bringing it home to people and the words here were rather supporting 'our glorious dead' rather than all dead.  Our curate touched upon sacrifice as he would but never in a jingoistic manner. Rather he clearly showed the difference between soldier sacrifices and the sacrifice of Jesus himself for our sin.  He did not limit  himself to 'our dead' but 'all dead' and looked to Jesus rather than a bland religious offering.  After that this vicar hear appeared rather dismal to be honest, I was disappointed. 

  
In most remembrances these days it has become common to remember all war dead not just ours, and we are aware of the bad amongst the good, and desire less war than some appear to desire.  A bringing enemies together is uppermost.  This service today did not mention this and was similar to those I saw as a child in the 50's when a forgiving attitude was harder to propose.

Several men who attended in the past were not there today, the aged soldier is fading away.  At one point I attempted to speak to one but his hearing had gone long ago and his hips were following.  Poor old lad was struggling up the road and I wish I had offered some help, I do not know if he would accept this of course, old soldiers are still soldiers, and he may have had a car waiting.  The others I wanted to speak to had run.  We need to speak to these old men before it is too late.

The people gather and I wonder what they think of the names on the memorial?  Do they consider them or just their namesakes or relatives?  They must have some regard as they turn up in cold dreich weather to attend this meeting.  On the other hand with 40,000 population, at least half adults, why do only a few hundred show up?

 
Amongst all these faces I recognised a few, but only a few.  Where do all these people come from?  It never ceases to amaze me that a crowd shown on TV at a football match in the town or in the local paper always contains 100% total strangers!  Twenty years I have been here and nobody I know wishes to be famous!   

Next to the Memorial stands a separate memorial to HMS "Kite" a Sloop sunk while supporting the the 'Arctic Convoy.'  Two torpedoes hit the ship and she sank in a ball of flame in 90 seconds.  A handful of men were picked up.  The U-Boat that sank the ship was on its first patrol and the next day aircraft from the accompanying Aircraft carrier sunk that submarine.  Such is war.

 
In our minds we have an image of the Great War and a differing image of the Second World War.  These images vary sharply from the minds image of wars in other lands today.  While we will consider actions in which 'our boys' have participated, Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq etc we keep an image there in our minds.  That image differs sharply from how we see Syria or Democratic Congo today.  Those wars do not interest us and we would rather be free from them and the affects thereof.  People die, civilians suffer, while the weapons are more effective the situation changes not for those suffering.  However we see these wars as different and wish to be free from them.  Sadly war will continue because human nature never changes.

Fair Drookit!

As soon as I rose and greeted the dawn (long gone) it began to rain.  It has not stopped since trapping me inside with the heating on.  How unfortunate as I wished to spend money today but have failed in that endevour. 
I glance at the news and find nothing new, a bomb in Pakistan killing 30 and another in a US base in Afghanistan kills four but neither appear in the 'Daily mail' for some reason.  A few slappers do however and the usual crew of minor crime, serious crime and attention seekers that fill the paper.  There was even something about remembrance but that has moved down the page in the 'Online Mail.'  'Lego' those folks who make the wee plastic bricks that you find when wearing no shoes have  ceased advertising in the 'Mail' as it offers too  much 'hate' and incites 'racism.'  Those are my words not theirs but we know what they are saying.  'Brexit' means 'Lego' will increase in price and few will buy the goods and as 'Lego' is based in Denmark we will be losing them once the grasping Tories get to work.
I will have nothing to play with...

When I first moved south a lifetime or two ago I spent a long time walking the streets of London with my head hanging down.  I had been told the streets were paved with gold but no matter where I wandered I never came across those streets, litter, leaves and puddles aplenty certainly but no gold that I could see.  Some people have all the luck, or maybe they just lied to me.  
Our street has just ran with leaves and water, with added litter, today.  The poor birds will soon have no cover in the trees and will face the winter unprotected.  The Starlings will do all right however the brutes have spent today emptying the feeders as if they had been starved for days.  Maybe the cold weather makes them hungry?  Whatever several times they have squawked at the window fighting over the feeder.  One big happy family and all they do is push one another aside to eat, I know a few families like that.

Time to 'hit the road' not that I will in this weather...

Armistice Day

Being the eleventh of the eleventh this Friday saw a commemorating two minutes silence in the town.  I wandered across to see if the memorial had been dressed up as it usually is but nothing was done this year, so far.  The town had the Legion standing in the centre, ex WW2 men and some from later 'end of empire' wars, no less dangerous for those involved.  There are no memorials for such as they who fell in Israel, Korea, Malaya and the like and few seem interested in those who fell in Northern Ireland, Iraq or Afghanistan, maybe it is time we remembered them also?

The first of what is usually a dozen crosses appeared today at least.  This one was there last year also and you note it commemorates a member of the Canadian Forces.  He was one of three thousand casualties, out of five thousand who participated in the 'Dieppe Raid' in 1942.  This was a foolish project, badly organised and badly led, which in part was to show to the inexperienced US generals the impossibility of making a landing in the Continent during 1942.  The rather daft idea was put in its place when this shocking event occurred.  It has yet to be explained where the Americans were going to get the boats to take their 'green' troops over the channel but the idea was dropped when they realised, eventually, just how badly the Canadians had been cut up.  Those who headed up this event were put on to work more suitable.

Wandering around the damp and rather dreich Gardens I found these Fungi growing happily.  Quite what they are and whether they are edible I know not, someone will know, and they just intrigued me for some reason as they were the brightest thing outside apart from the Autumn leaves.  

I must confess I had a lot of the Great War today, more to come on Sunday.  I have just asked for a three day pass...

Non Political Blether

I spent the day in the Great War!
Researching info for the museum handout for schools I have no made the one page handout three pages long and have nowhere near finished.  It was interesting to remember things forgotten and helpful for what I scribbled down however it may not be what the boss woman wishes.
Add to this a short search for info on four men for a remembrance service, which probably will not be used, and altogether I ahve spent much of the day wasting my time.
No change there.

The boiler plays up.
It will not switch on, at least it switches on and goes off.  The thermostat is never at the right temperature for the brute and I keep fiddling with it and waiting, and waiting, and waiting until something happens.  I began at ten past seven this morning and it finally lit up around one!!!
We shall set it again tonight and see what occurs in the morning - frostbite and chilblains I suspect. 

To get warm I went out, it was warmer in the wind than inside.  
I went to 'Poundland' (actually I think ours is a 'Poundworld') for cheap feed for the Starlings that squabble at the feeders.  They are chomping away good style at the moment, I wonder if the cold and wet is making it hard for them to feed elsewhere?  There is usually plenty of places for birds to feed around here but I eventually got what I wanted this morning and before I shut the window the brutes were arriving.
'Poundworld' is full of cheap Chinese trash, ideal for my Christmas shopping!  I usually send gift cards up north, I wonder if they do them...?
I also searched charity shops for a waistcoat for  'do' at the museum coming up soon.  We are supposed to dress up and the women always do it well but I have nothing to suit.  I may have to travel in the zimmer bus tomorrow as the charity shops here are stocking only winter stuff now.

The TV news is full of the election still, I turned it off.  
It's over, the mistake is made, President Putin has him under control, the world is safe.
I bet the secretaries are worried mind! 

Today I began the Christmas shop.  One or two cards, I don't need many, and planning what to buy. "Don't buy for me," they cry, meaning "I am not buying for you!"
Why can't they be honest?
I wish for nothing but to give to them and what I wish for they canny give anyway.   Still it has begun and I will have mine done by next week, all posted on the 1st December and just my fat slob stuff for Christmas to buy.

Tsk! What a Mess!

I slept well last night.  
Climbing in between the gray ex-army blankets (marked WD 1940, I think Dad acquired them) I snoozed away listening to the BBC's over the top coverage of the US election.  At one point I changed channel to find both R4 & R5 offering the same thing so put on a cassette tape (ask your dad) and slumbered away.  
The morning brought the same programme still full of loud Americans denouncing one another and speaking without listening but in between I realised the Trump had won.  Dearie me, what does this mean?  I am convinced Trump stood for the Presidency on the basis that he would be soon rejected as a self seeking liar and now he has ended up as president!  The UK had a similar game played recently between the Public Schoolboys and two of them have departed yet one remains in the foreign Office.  Dearie me, we vote for such as this and they vote for that!

Trump, famed for tax dodging, bullying and lying in his teeth was selected as their man by the evangelicals in the Midwest.  This adulterous liar was seen as better than Hilary?  How come?
Even Billy Graham, famed for supporting all Republicans even though their character was clear to all, Nixon, Regan and Dubya  gave his support to Trump for the sake of America, because of the 'All American Image' he proposed.  Unbelievable!  
The Evangelical side of US Christianity failed here.  The 'Good News' is replaced by a US myth and at the root of that myth is false freedom and the love of money.  It is self and self alone that is worshiped, greed is good while care for others is ignored.  We only have to look at the relations with Blacks (oh sorry, African Americans) or the residue of the Indian nations (oops, sorry Native Americans, I love the way white liberals change the names but don't actually change their prospects) and the millions living in real poverty and without adequate health care throughout the States to see how Christianity has been replaced by Republicanism and white Republicanism at that.
The Book of Amos ought to be compulsory reading for those 'evangelicals' who backed Trump.  I suspect however they do not have that book in their book!

How a woman who accepts abortion and gay sex as normal can be opposed while an adulterer and four times married man can be accepted and supported beats me.  Both are wrong and both ought to be opposed.  Far better for the church in the US to stand up for Jesus instead of looking for worldly goods and myths.  Far better to attempt to change the political system and seek a better one that was fair to all that perpetuate one that has failed so blatantly.  However they did not oppose they merely took sides and ensured a disaster for the world.  Those that have the book must read it and put Jesus words before their own social background and its many myths.  
Trump may not be the worst ever President, he may even do some good, however he ought not to have been there.  What a mess and the only one happy is President Putin!   Today he begins his assault on..well anywhere he chooses now...

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,

 but see to it that you are not alarmed. 

Such things must happen, 

but the end is still to come. 

Matthew 24:6

Zzzz For Me!

Tonight I sleep!
Too many long days and too much energy wasted along with a touch of something has left me weary and those light migraines are bothering me again.  One arrived last night and another this morning when I was trying to explain something to a woman visitor.  Not nice when the vision is impaired and you are pointing to things on a map!  
Not enough sleep I say so I am following the advice of the cat. 'Sleep at every opportunity.'  Seems good to me.