Make way for the new

I'm excited about securing a new (1950's) counter which should arrive at the end of next week. It should compliment the set of drawers I already have. Some rearranging will have to be done to make room for it. The shop is going to look a little different.

Some of these settings will stay and some will go. They have already changed as things got sold and replaced with more treasures.

The dark afternoons have made an impact on the shopping habits of my customers. None of the rush hour commuters seem stop to visit me anymore. I was closing at 6, but I close at a more sociable 5 now. The year is marching on. I didn't grow any pumpkins this year, so I had to buy them in! The shop was open for Trick or treaters and facepainting on halloween and I remember thinking it wasn't getting dark quickly enough to make our pumpkin lanterns look their best.

I remembered to plant some forced bulbs and made a note to myself in chalk on the stairs that they in in the cupboard below. The paper whites are nearly over now. I love their scent and took one pot to the shop and kept one at home. The hyacinths under the stairs will need to come out into the light soon and should be ready for christmas to give as gifts or keep. They are great as last minute gifts to unexpected visitors. I've put some in water in hyacinth jars. I found some vintage jars at a boot sale and they have coloured frosted bottom halves so the roots shouldn't look too freeky. Actually I think I'll go and check on them now........

October's over

October's over and I didn't make a Christmas cake, plant forced hyacinths, make rose hip syrup, brew wine....I guess Christmas is cancelled! I've finally been persuaded to put the heating on and most of the computers in the house are next to radiators, so I might spend some time listing the mountain of vintage fabric I have to clear. I don't want to part with it, but I'm happier selling fabric on eBay than pottery that might break in the post. I took the plunge and gave away a large amount of accumulated packaging items to a nice lady on freecycle.

One thing I did get around to this year was growing pumpkins for Halloween. They actually grew themselves. This is a tradition in my garden. I throw the pumpkin guts from the jack-o-lanterns in the garden and by next Halloween I have another set of pumpkins.


My pumpkins are never ripe in time for Halloween. They would be if I started them off indoors and protected them from the slugs. I will next year, because it is best not to grow the same crop in the same place too many years in a row and I haven't worked out where they are going next year.

At this time of year number-one-son gets excited deciding what to dress up in and counting down the days till his birthday. Pages of designs for pumpkin carving are drawn up and the scrolling sign comes down from the attic. Trick or Treat scrolls in bright red lights like a beacon in his darkened bedroom. Mc kept quiet about the whole thing maybe he muttered things about a German Saint and pagan festivals, but he did go out and cut and bring in the pumpkins before having to go home to get something done.