panto season...

Oh no it isn't! Oh yes it is!!

At least it is in our neck of the woods! Or rather was - today was the last day of the 3 week run of the local am dram production of 'Mother Goose' and we went along this afternoon with R's cub pack for the annual dose of very Local fun and entertainment. Terrible jokes, inappropriately placed songs and some seriously dubious acting! But there is something incredibly endearing about the familiarity and ritual of the panto - the same characters appear each year and the ad libs are always topical and intelligible only to those who live in the vicinity so there is a certain sense of belonging. And it is impossible not to laugh so you do emerge (after 3 hours seated on the less than luxurious church hall chairs!) with a feeling of having been uplifted.

Ridiculously, it also made me feel decidedly emotional - I seem to be prone to tears at the slightest provocation these days and I can't even really say what it was that set me off today! Maybe the enthusiasm and commitment of everyone form the ladies that manage front of house to the teeniest of the dancers? Maybe the fact that I can't quite believe that half of the cast are now young people that I can remember hearing read when they were 4 and 5 year olds in reception? I don't know... but all in all an enjoyable afternoon.

I have to just show you this...

I am aware that this might appear to be something of an obsession but I just can't quite believe that at last I have something that might be beginning to be an established Snowdrop Clump! I am up to a grand total of 10 now! Not much, I know, but more than 3 times any previous year!!! Wish I had a better camera, this in no way does then justice - they are really pretty little flowers with delicate green tints to the white petals.

And these...

...were my little treat for the weekend. The light today has been dreadful again so these are in the light of the halogen bulbs in the kitchen which alter the colours somehow, but they are truly cheerful. I am actually feeling quite pleased with myself because the tulips were half price and the chrysanthemums and carnation were 'recycled' from last weeks bunch! (This is me trying to justify flowers which R is not convinced count as an Essential - I disagree!)

We are doing our best to do Frugal Living for a bit - this has meant living out of the cupboards as much as possible (apart from fresh fruit and veg) and has been remarkably liberating. To my surprise, the significant reduction in meat consumption has barely raised an eyebrow and the men in my house tucked willingly into lentil dal tonight with what I can only describe as enthusiasm! Whether tomorrow's kidney bean lasagne will be so well received has yet to be seen... Personally, I could happily live without eating meat at all but I can't be doing with cooking different meals and don't feel I can deny my meat lovers all the time!! I am hoping that if we are a bit careful for a few months we might get back on track - a combination of a few big car bills, extra gas bill (we have no mains gas and LPG is soooo expensive - cold weather not good for so many reasons) and expensive Christmas and New Year (lovely houseful of people but they all wanted feeding and watering!) has rather left us scraping the barrel in terms of cash flow.

I am currently waiting to go and collect son 3 from the 'post-panto' party and trying to resist the temptation to whack the heating up - its frosty out again tonight and a bit chilly indoors now the heating has gone off. I have been enjoying the cosiness of my growing big ripple blanket...

It is slowly growing and big enough now to add a bit of warmth while I hook! I promise the colours don't look so dingy in reality.

I am also resisting the temptation to indulge in a little sloe gin...

Doesn't that just look inviting?!! I have made sloe gin in the past but this was some given to me by a lovely lady that I used to look after and is a gorgeous ruby colour. This was last night's little tipple and was lush! Its probably a rather bigger 'tot' than I should use for sloe gin... but I love this old glass, and it was Friday night and end of a mad week...

One last look at my flowers before I go to collect son 3...

I do LOVE flowers!

Til next time...

Sx