Bag O' Bits

After doing the doc/shop/chemist run I took myself OUT of the task related arena and sped along to the charity shop, where a Glenda Jackson lookey-likey manned the till.

Wasn't in there long.
But long enough m'dears to find'n buy

1 squashy cream coloured cushion with apple green foliage detail. Perfect for resting my head as I sunbathe on the new bench. Will seat two though. Mustn't hog it. 50p

1 pair of unused Pretty Polly Hold-Ups in Black. 50p. Packet creased, contents flat as a pancake. Can't wait to wear.

1 pair of beige evening gloves. Long with ruffles. Decadence for 50p.

1 pair of Calvin Klein Boxer Shorts. For me to wear when feeling sporty. Could prove interesting given time and opportunity. 50p.

1 small box of Lavender Bath Salts. 20p.


And as Glenda Jackson packed the gloves into the pants she secreted away an info leaflet about Hawkwell Baptist Church.

"£2:20 for your bag of bits" said smiling Christian Glenda

"Many thanks" said bad bitch I leaving the shop feeling well satisfied.


Cooking today:

Odds and ends.

Hello All

Blustery.
Didn't stop me dashing like a crazed whippet in and out of charity shops...

Yellow flowered tea pot. Very old fashioned. One my nan might have used when having Aunty Kit around for tea and goss. £3:95

A pair of tasty size 10 jeans from 'Next'. Perfect condition. Unused possibly. Original price tag intact. Snug fit. Felt rebellious. Loved it. Perfect with....

Blue striped shirt. From tailor in Jermyn Street, London. Stunningly well made, can tell by the stitching. Made for 'Women'. Just beautiful. £3:50

1960's Pyrex casserole dish unfortunately minus its lid. Veggie pic as decoration. Spindly carrot and huge marrow. 50p.

Plastic basket type Peg holder in apple green. 20p

T-shirt. With writing....Malibu mish mash. Colourful Picture also, of young girls and boys getting in the groove with microphones and fruits. Daddyo. 30p

Amazing necklace. Rectangular wood with oblongs of differing woods stuck on. Chain made of yellow amber and brown beads. Will look fab with anything I wear. A real talking point. £1:50

3 bottles of Lavender bathroom essentials. Bath creme, body wash and body creme? Whatever happened to 'cream?' Lush though. Will carry the bod creme about my person. Will smooth it in on in cars.

Being cooked tonight:

Large Homemade Devon Baps which will be home for juicy homemade Hamburgers.
No pud.
But will indulge in milk chocolate Easter egg (s) Probably.

A Tree, some sweet peas and a cake book...

I was overcome with Springtime joy this morning so I drove to Hockley.

There really is something in the air right now, well there is around me at least. So bonkers am I with just about everything that I'm even leaning against railings talking to men on phones..More on that later...

Two charity shops and Four Acres garden centre was on my Hit List today so off I sped, window down hence frenzied hair. Loved it.

In my first shop I chatted to lady-on-till the caravan owning 65 year old Pauline, she's the one who wears leather waistcoats and has her mum in a 'home'. Anyway as she bagged two books, 'CAKES' by Barbara Mather and 'GROWING SOFT FRUIT' by the Women's Institute I looked out of the shop window wishing I could bottle how I felt. Right then, right there. My little grey head was stuffed full of good and excellent things like the weekend when I'll be doing not much with anything or anyone, Easter when cakes will be baked and guests will be kissed. So much to look forward to. And so that is why Pauline had to ask twice for the money, the 75p.
"Oooops in a far away world " I beamed
"Hahaha" noised white haired Pauline as she dropped my cash into her till.

I left feeling a million bucks.

And so as I passed the Homeopathic centre, and boutique of a thousand bad bags I wondered if today could get any better.
You betcha.

Next stop the other charity shop, the one rubbing shoulders with the Co-Op, which I hate.
I entered, nay, galloped inside wherein I drifted from books to bric-a-brac to...bags where I halted transfixed..by a tan tooled leather shoulder bag, shape not dissimilar to a barrel with a plain sturdy zip and no interior pocket for mobile phone. The bag was THAT old.
It was instant love, instant satisfaction I knew I had to have it. And as my fingers stroked the beautifully soft leather I thought I would faint.
'How can' I thought, 'a little secondhand bag do so much for me?'
Quite simple really I fancied it and it was within my power to have it, mmmm what a feeling.
And then as I approached the 200 year old woman manning the till thoughts of outside activities crept into my mind...
More on that later too...


In the shop run by a coven of overly made up ladies I also found a watering can, rather pretty in eau de nil with pencil like sketches of flowers stamped on thereabouts. Immediately imagined me in straw hat watering roses.
Anyway I bought that too, along with a stunning small crystal jug, just made for cream...
I paid the lady, mumbled something about the weather and left.
So an excellent hour was spent with very little monetary outlay...

Talking of money...Before all that I saw an ad in a shop window, a local 'professional' couple needs a Domestic, so, like I said up top, I leaned against the railings outside the building society and phoned Eddie. Answerphone. Bugger. Message left...

On the way home I didn't want to come home so I did a detour and once again strolled like a lady poet around Four Acres, stopping frequently to talk to Tinkerbell the dog. After stroking her and chatting to the man who runs the place about fat pets I dreamily wandered between overladen tables.
And then, over in the corner, past the baby conifers, lavender and hydrangeas I spotted something a bit familiar.

And as I approached the willowy green thing my heart suddenly boom boomed. It was, the label said, a MAGNOLIA. A MAGNOLIA! And the picture on its label had me quivering almost doing a jig. I've seen many MAGNOLIAS on my trips to the post office only I didn't, and you have to forgive my gardening ignorance here, I didn't know they were MAGNOLIA TREES. But now infront of me stood one, well several actually but the one I wanted I already had my hands on.
Didn't want much else (apart from Alpine Arabis White, some Sweet Peas Spencer Mixed and Lupin Russell, The Pages) anyway I hugged the tree walked round the many tables and laid it ever so lovingly on the proprietor's desk.

And so after talking to Tinkerbelle, I paid up and the very kindly owner, with the hands of a nurturer placed my tree in my car.

The End.

* By the way Eddie phoned. The position has been taken. Blast. But knowing a thing or two about women workers and how fickle and ill they can be I decided to sell myself well, blah blah Henry, blah blah, WRVS blah...I finished by telling him not to forget me and that if it all gets too much for the other bird, then he's to give me a call:)
He laughed.

The End.

Really.

Chatting Like A Parrot

Decided to pop out after promising myself I wouldn't.

Down to see the refurbished charity shop in Mansted Gardens and a pleased-as-punch Joan. What a laugh we had.

As I staggered from rack to shelf to dump bin and then back to rack, old Joan, and she is old, shouted to me about: Men. Elastic. Thongs. Holidays with husbands. Boredom. Vicars and excessive weight in the hip area.
Laugh? My head fell upon her mighty shoulders and we laughed like a couple of drunks. And then I handed over my purchase. One seriously bright red jumper. Price £1:25
We then giggled about all things red.

After paying for the jumper she tried to persuade me to buy some of the stuff which was in the window but I said she couldn't have any more of my money on account of my needing to buy a lettuce for John...
She laughed like a drain then grabbed me, squeezing my shoulders till I thought I heard them crack.
She's lovely is Joan...
I wonder when her day off is:(

I then bought the lettuce of love and walked home very slowly in stunning midday sunlight.

Before I make a cake and curry I simply MUST have a word.
Dodged out this morning for an orange jelly and lemon flavoured mineral water and whilst out I thought I'd pop in Joan's shop. So glad I did.
Here's what I bought.
Four old heavyish blue and white cups and matching saucers. Got N.H.S. written on the base. £1.20
A tallish tea light holder. Frosted blue shade and silver coloured base. £1.20
A cute jam pot. Honey coloured with flowers. 40p

Now I must wash my 'new' cups and make a nice pot of tea. Then I cook.

Ok before I fall on the settee I must log today's charity shop buys:

1. A small white jug with a couple of delicate flowers painted on 30p
2. 4 yellow handled dessert forks 40p
3. A bone china mug for mum 3op
4. 4 long, red, rose scented candles. Gift boxed. £1
5. Big bright yellow vase complete with three tall sprigs of white flowers. £1.20

Now a microwaved sweet and sour chicken. Half price special offer just £1.25. Then paid a taking-diabolical-liberties £1.20, for some icing sugar.
Win some lose some.
All in all I think I won today.

Nuns, Hats and Incompetant Line Managers

Feeling low I tend to lose myself in the past so...

As a follow on from yesterday's post here are pictures of moi taken, I think in 1972 and 1973, I was 16 and 17. The clothes were bought as they are now, from a charity shop. First pic:The jacket was light blue faux velvet, the gloves real black leather, the woollen beret candy pink and the octagonal glasses had olive green lenses. Looked cool in the July, idiotic in December. But I was a fun colourful kid!

The other picture and I'm in a silky smooth silver two piece suit which comprised of a sleeveless calf length dress and a waist length jacket with a nipped in waist. I think it was 50p. I remember wearing this with white sling back sandals and red tights. The hat was deep red and the jumper pale blue angora. Again quite colourful. I remember feeling quite warm also. To accessorize perfectly I always always used huge handbags and these were bought mostly from jumble sales. One bag I had was so huge it was ridiculous, it was black and as stiff as a board and looked like a legless table. But I thought I looked chic as I walked down Talbot Road to buy doughnuts from the little dairy.

I still love large bags, and occasionally use small ones but I do get in an awful flap when I can't find me keys. So I tend to stick with big ones.
I'll write about handbags one day and you won't believe any of it.

I thought I was to be on my own again today but due to yet another major cock-up in John's hastily re-arranged work schedule (don't ask...) I've got to have a hot dinner on the table by eight. So I'll be making storecupboard Spaghetti Carbonnara with garlic bread and sweetcorn, a useful standby when one is at the behest of incompetent line managers.

I also have to pick up my arthritic prescription today otherwise I won't be able to bend over.

Now interior design.
I've redded up the kitchen by the addition of a red checked tablecloth, various red cushions and red flowered coasters. Looks very welcoming, bit like a brothel run by Doris Day. The living room has been freshened up by the elimination of autumnal colours and the addition of a bit of summery white. White floral cushions, white doilies and two seven inch candles. A bit churchy but I like it.

That reminds me, when I was a kid I was frightened by the nuns of The Poor Clares, they seemed very authoritative to a nine year old and always appeared ten feet tall when standing by huge wooden tables selling daffodils in large tin pails. The clip clop of their dull shoes in the cobbled courtyard of their convent was not unlike the clip clop of Miss Poppins shoes.

What is it about me and women in black?

Toes, TMJ and Beef Pie

Went for a brisk walk this morning. Wanted to feel my heart pounding just to remind myself I'm still alive. I walked all along the Ashingdon Road up to the Post Office, where I spoke to two elderly ladies about multi-tasking and Christmas. Then into the Pet shop next door, where a disabled Lassie dog was having his back wheels seen to.
Then after gazing across a field I limped down to the charity shop in Manstead Gardens. I say limped because my toes and jaw are hurting. Anyway in there I bough a pale blue and white spotted butter dish, petrol blue salt and pepper pots. I won't use them, they're just for decoration. I will use the butter dish though because it's a stunner.
Came out and stood on the corner thinking whether or not to go into the bleakest shop in Essex, Somerfield. I decided against it. Too depressing.

I think I know why my joints are aching it's because on Saturday I went to an X Factor party in Southend. I didn't dance but I did talk a lot and wore toe pinching shoes. I have had jaw trouble for a few years, Temporo Mandibular Joint Dysfunction it's called, and it plays up when I've yakked excessively. My toes are just plain annoying, they're arthritic and made worse by idiotic shoes. Anyway, after eating my way through lots of good food, (the lemony olives being a particular favourite) I sat in the car at 2 in the morning vowing to myself, my husband and God that I'll never have another Port. Until Christmas day.

On the menu today: Beef and Beer Pie, a newly discovered recipe. I'll have it with a couple of potatoes and the rest of Sundays cabbage. For pud, something very simple, a Queen of Puddings I expect. Very light and so ideal after a pie.
Now I have to get going on account of not having made the pastry for the pie yet, and I do like it to rest before I roll it.

Just had a plate of spaghetti bolognaise.
Didn't have garlic bread with it because I've run out of butter and making garlic butter with margarine is an awful thing to do. So no garlic bread. But I did have a naughty treat afterwards, had a pain au chocolate with a cup of tea. Oh yes...

Went to my favourite charity shop today in Manstead Gardens, bought a few good bits and pieces:
2 tall glass storage jars with red flowers imprinted on them. Very Christmassy I felt.
A box of 18 gold straw Christmas tree decorations. More Christmassey even.
A fake diamond brooch with two stones missing, it's a bit battered, Mum will like that.
A faded black t shirt with some fancy embroidery round the neck, could look ok tarted up with glitzy jewellery.
A box of stationery called 'I Love You'. 10 envelopes but only 8 sheets of paper. Obviously someone has told of their love so now doesn't need any more paper.
2 silver coloured candlesticks with a mosaic effect all over. They are now on my mantelpiece with a tall white candles stuck in the spikey thing. Hope Monty doesn't take a liking to them.

Came home via Brays Lane because I wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet. Home to the compiling of a shopping list, the making of a cake, the cleaning of kitchen window. Then it rained.
Tonight I'm expecting company so I'd better clean me teeth and get the cake on a doiley.