Ideas For Thifty Presents And A Small Extra Income

     I'm always on the look out for ways to save a bit of money as I'm sure lots of people are. We have an allotment but last year it was rather neglected due to a lot of family illness. It has two lovely apple trees and a pear tree on it which are very old and last year we had so much fruit we were distributing it to all our neighbours and Tom was taking bag fulls into work to give away rather than see any of it rot. We have also planted lots of fruit bushes, which once we have built a cage round this year, we hope will also add to the fruit yield.
    Although I know I should be planting lots of vegetables as it helps to save money my real love for growing and planting is flowers. I come from a long line of gardeners and people who would rather spend hours in a greenhouse than in front of a TV and nearly all my presents to family are gardening themed whether it's plants or garden centre vouchers. So this year I have decided to grow as many presents for family as I can on the allotment and maybe try and sell surplus plants and later in the year fruit. I could also add eggs from our hens and ducks.

The fruit trees on our allotment last spring.

     When I told my plans to my family they all roared with laughter. "This is London not the countryside Mum" they said "An honesty box wouldn't last five minutes." Well I have more faith in our neighbours than that and I think I shall aim to try later in the year. I know this is maybe a bit ambitious but I would love a stall like this in our little front garden. 

A Full House And A Rabbit Who Thinks He's A Dog

   We have had lot's of activity in the house during the last couple of days as my eldest son is staying for a few weeks whilst he looks for somewhere to live in the area. He has lived on the other side of the country for a few years but has decided he is too worried about his grandparents whilst he is away as they have been unwell and he wants to live nearer to be able to help. It is hard for him as where he lived he had a nice large house, but with London prices will only be able to get a flat for the same price. He is very resigned to this as his mind is made up and he has missed his home area.
    It has been lovely to have him home and last night we sat up until 1 o'clock in the morning laughing and talking. My eldest daughter visited today as she is off work following a knee op and to have all the family in one room when it is not a special occasion is an absolute joy. I can't say, despite all the worries lately, how happy I felt. Our three dogs have been so excited at all the activities and even Louis our house rabbit joined in.

I think maybe it has all been bit tiring for Louis as at seven years old he is not in the first flush of youth but there is nothing like a nice warm fire to snooze in front of when you are a rabbit who thinks you're a dog!

1950s School Days

Although I wasn't at school in the 1950s but in the 1960s I bought these photos in an album at a car boot sale recently and they did take me back to my school days. I don't think I was particularly happy in my early days at school as I was taught by nuns who were very strict and I was very shy but typically I only think about the enjoyable bits and block out anything I don't care to remember. These photos were taken in 1958 at Earlsheaton Nursery School in Dewsbury. I wonder where these lovely little children are now?

Playing Shop. I remember it well.

No health and safety concerns in those days. I'm sure they are real hammers!

Starting a life long love of reading I think.

A Love Of Jumble Sales

   My post yesterday about finding a lost sixpence brought memories of another found sixpence which I can honestly say started my love of jumble sales forever. I'm sure I'm not alone in looking at crowds queuing at large shopping centres, running to get the latest expensive wide screen TV or fashion item or some other overpriced item they don't really need and feeling annoyance. Then I feel a bit mean because maybe their love of shopping centres is the same as my love of jumble sales, car boot sales and definitely second hand book shops.
    Standing at the entrance to a large field on a Sunday morning looking at cars in the distance I can't help but feel a surge of excitement at what I may find. Even if I don't find anything nice, the thrill is in the search for me and I have found some wonderful treasures over the years. But my big love is Jumble Sales. It's something about the wait outside and the doors opening and that feeling you have a limited time to find the bargains and in my case constantly trying not to be rude and pushy as it was drummed in to me as a child to always be polite! I've lost count of the amount of times I apologise when people push into me. The thing with Jumble Sales is £5 and you feel like a millionaire, who needs to be a lottery winner.

A Local Jumble Sale

   I can pinpoint the moment my love of jumble sales started. I was five years old at school and our teacher told us tomorrow there would be a Bring and Buy Sale that we could attend at the end of the day and we could look round before the parents came to pick us up. I had no idea what a Bring and Buy Sale was but it sounded exciting. The next day my Mum gave me a three penny bit to put in my little school purse and off I went. I can still remember how I felt as I looked around the tables of goods that day. I couldn't believe I could possibly afford any of these beautiful items with just threepence and was too scared to speak. One kindly Mum who was serving asked me if there was anything I liked and I chose a little bead purse. She asked me how much money I had and when I told her threepence she said that was just how much it was. I was overjoyed.
     I can remember clearly skipping all the way home with my Mum regaling the wonders of Bring and Buy Sales to her. When I got home I ran upstairs to examine my wonderful purchase. Inside the purse there was a little zip pocket. I unzipped it and inside was a shiny sixpence. I couldn't believe it a beautiful purse and a profit as well. That was it, I was hooked and still am. Our house is full of fantastic (I think) finds, in fact we probably only have about ten new items in the whole house. That's it, just writing this post and I'm off to search out the local paper and see what local jumble sales are on next week. I feel more cheeful already!

Not The Best Start To The Year But A Lucky Find

      I have to be honest 2016 has not got off to the best of starts despite all my high hopes. Serious family illness has left me feeling stressed and exhausted and running back and forward to the hospital means all my organisation with not spending money has gone out of the window as despite stocking the freezer, I keep coming home to finding them munching through take away pizzas! I'm determined to try and stay as positive as possible though and keep on top of things.
      I'm not a superstitious person at all but I did find something the other day that I think I will keep as a good luck charm. I was putting the ducks away just before it got dark and was hosing down their run. As I watched the water running down the flower bed I noticed something washing along in it. I was too intrigued to ignore it so rescued it from the mud. I saw straight away it was a dirty old coin, at first hoping it was Roman or something, I realised it was an old sixpence from 1961, the year after I was born.

     As well as not being superstitious I also have a pragmatic view of ghosts, I nether believe or disbelieve but am sure if they do exist they would not hurt us, The day we moved into this house 11 years ago one of our neighbours came round and took great glee in telling us, whilst we were carrying in boxes, the previous owner who was an old man, had died in the house and they had to break in as they hadn't seen him for several days and found him dead. I'm not sure if he was trying to scare us but he was out of luck as we are all made of much sterner stuff than that!  I looked up the local records after we moved in and found the same family had lived in the house since before the second world war and Horace was one of the sons who didn't marry and stayed at home with his parents eventually living in the house on his own.
    We all feel so sad for him going from a full family home to dying all alone and I often think of him. Strangely sometimes I can smell cigarette smoke even though none of us smoke and when the house is quiet we all have heard what sounds like someone walking down the stairs even though there is no one there. Even our border collie stands up when we hear it looking towards the stairs and wags his tail. Border collies are incredibly tuned in dogs and I always say if he likes the ghost that is good enough for me!
    I wonder if the sixpence belonged to Horace, dropping out of his pocket when he was out gardening. It has lay there for so many years until I found it. I'm going to polish it up and think of it as a good luck charm. There is such a nice feel to this house despite what happened, if Horace is watching us I'm am certain he was the kind of man who is hoping things go well for us and a dog lover as well!

A Nostalgic Christmas

I always think Christmas is a really nostalgic time of the year. A time to remember people and happy memories.  This was my first Christmas in Liverpool in 1960. I can't remember it but it still looks happy!

I can however. remember this Christmas even though I was only 3 years old.

I keep telling myself that these are the Christmases that we and particularly our children will be feeling nostalgic for in the future, They won't remember the over cooked sprouts (I hope) or the parts of the day that aren't perfect, They will just remember the love, the happiness and the laughter as I do. 

I really hope everyone has a very happy Christmas and makes the most of the good bits and doesn't get too worried about the stressful bits.

Thoughts On Presents And A Christmas Rescue!

I have never been an organised Christmas shopper and often spend more than I should in the few days before Christmas in a panic that I haven't bought enough for people and I will appear mean. I'm trying very hard this year not to fall into that last minute run to the shops for extras.
    I keep reminding myself about my piece of volcanic rock. My eldest daughter is very generous and when she is away she is always buying presents for people, which I keep telling her she needn't do.
     Last year she went to Italy and found it very expensive, spending more money than intended and had none left to buy presents. When she came home she very apologetically gave me a piece of volcanic rock she found lying on the beach that she thought was very pretty. I was genuinely thrilled. I have put it on my bathroom shelf and every time I dust it I think of her walking on the beach in Italy picking it up and bringing it home for me. I couldn't love it more if she had spent £100.
    While I am not naive enough to think every one would be thrilled with a lump of rock at Christmas, I keep telling myself that the people who really matter won't mind if I give them a plant grown from a cutting, a little cross stitch picture or a jig-saw bought at a jumble sale (I counted all the pieces!) as they are all given with love. So no last minute rush to the shops for me this year buying expensive extras with money I don't have but I will make a point of writing a card with each present telling people how grateful I am for all their support and how much I love them.
    I did spend a few spare pounds today though that I just couldn't stop myself from doing. Every day I walk past our local charity shop and admire their Christmas window with a display of penguins in the snow and there is one I just couldn't resist. There is a sign that says penguins are not for sale until 22nd December and I think to myself I will be there at 9.30 on the 22nd for him. Today when I walked by the sign had been removed. Could this mean they weren't for sale any more. I dashed in and asked if they were still for sale on the 22nd. "Oh you can have one today" the assistant said "I'm sick of them." So here he is, ready to be centre of our Christmas mantelpiece. Just £3 spent and he has brightened my whole day. I am so easily pleased!