November News

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A November mystery! Cue Agatha Christie. How did all these balls of yarns get into such a mess?

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I put them back.

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Later I found the culprit! Archie.

He has been living with us since my father died on the 1st November. My sister wants him but her boyfriend wont let her have him in her flat, so he is with us for up to 6 months until they have found a house together.

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Thank you Ulla for the beautiful flowers. Their scent was wonderful to come home to after all the trips to clear my father’s house. They lasted ages, ( just as long as they were needed)- one of those minor miracles.

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A surprise parcel came from Simone.

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Archie watched me open it. He is into everything and even bin dives!

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Thank you Simone for the teas, chocolate hot chocolate, mug, coaster, pens, soaps, pattern, brooch, crochet hearts and a sweet cherry pin cushion. How did you guess that cherry is my fav fruit flavour? It’s certainly the season to think of cherries in kirsch, black forest gateau, and cherry pie so the cherry tea fits right in.

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Along with Archie, we now have a hog nosed snake called Alfonso- well Son does. I held him -so soft and gentle. Alfonso is at least 7 years old and full grown.

 I am selling some of Dad’s things on Ebay to set up a fund to support Archie as his knees aren’t covered by insurance.

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We’ve been seeing so many sunrises on our 3-6 hour trips (depends on motorway traffic) to Oxfordshire

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Frosty grass some mornings.

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The A40 in Gloucestershire heading east.

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Autumn colours and frost on the grass in the shadows.

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The River Windrush is in the valley.

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This roadside pub probably dates from when drovers used the road for taking sheep to market.

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The Romans built their farmhouses in this landscape over a thousand years ago.

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To me though this landscape is home.

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We stopped off in Burford 

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For more lardy cake for the freezer- another Huffkins branch.

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You can find the recipe here Deb. My ancestors were in Burford as far back as 1122 for a christening.

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I loved this view as a child with the river meandering, and the colours changing with the seasons.

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I took comfort in it as an adult returning to clear my father’s house, bracing myself  for whatever set of memories would surface or problems to deal with. My emotions had to be switched off to get the job done, so I hadn’t any words to share here for such a long time.

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My Uncle P. lent me a trophy which belonged to the softball team he was the pitcher for, and my father was the catcher. It was the first English team to tour America. I never knew that.

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 Uncle P helped a lot with organising the cremation.

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This has been the greatest treasure- a photo of my grandmother who brought me up, as a young lady in the late 1920s at a guess. And there she was telling me off for being on the back of a motorbike as a kid because it was too dangerous! 🙂

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I am overjoyed to have a little bit more of her with me. I still miss her even after 23 years. It is outstandingly wonderful to see her as a vibrant lady. I only knew her as an infirm elderly lady.


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