One Little Man Unlocked So Many Memories

When I was a child and living in Hong Kong, I was given my pocket money on a Saturday morning.   It always burnt a hole in my pocket.

I was given $4 HK.   Half was put into my bank account, and I was free to do as I wished with the rest.   It would have amounted to 2/6d in old money, 12 1/2 new pence...but then I am going back 50+ years!

I had to put some money aside for my weekly Bunty comic, but the remainder was almost invariably spent in a small, local, Chinese shop.

Most of my purchases would be stationery, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, crayons.

The stationery gave me countless hours of fun as I filled notebooks with stories.  I was determined to be the next Enid Blyton... this was shortly before I just knew I was going to be the next  Pat Smythe  (a showjumper) ... which was followed by the period when I decided that I really needed to combine the two.  I would write equestrian stories, like the Pullein-Thompson sisters.

Occasionally I was tempted away from stationery and bought little china figures, cats, or horses.

They cost very little - or I wouldn't have been buying them.   

I would have one final purchase to make.  During the season I would buy a mango.   Then, with the aid of my fingernails, I'd peel the soft, yellow skin back and bite into the sweet, juicy flesh.   I have no doubt that I must have ended up as a sticky mess.


Recently my aunt decided to throw away a lot of clutter and was about to discard this little fellow.

I had to intervene, and offer him a home.  I couldn't bear to let him go to the charity shop.  After all, I can practically remember purchasing him all those years ago.  He brought back lots of hidden memories.


These days I still love buying new stationery and I still love eating mangoes.

However, I think the last china figure I bought was this chap.
I don't plan to buy any others.

A Boy in the Butterbur

The sun was not shining - it was cold and dull, rain was threatening to fall - but we decided to go for a walk anyway.

Arnold was waiting in his paddock.   He was looking very well, someone had given him a good grooming session - just a little mud marred the perfection.

He was keen to check out my pockets,  to track down his treats.  When I was a little slow in getting them out he gave me a helpful nudge.

Treats finished, pockets were checked (by Arnold) just in case there was a little something.  Disappointed, he remained close, but stared off into the distance.  I was dismissed!

A visit to the the fish ponds and the rickety-rackety bridge (it isn't, but we pretend that it is)   resulted in  a game of poohsticks ...

Just across the bridge I found these pretty purple flowers...

I almost lost Harry in the jungle of Butterbur leaves - he loved it, of course!

Eventually we headed home - Harry to run around and have a good time, while I got on with the gardening.

I am, of course just showing you the prettier sections, like this little side garden, one of my favourite areas.

Things are starting to grow in the vegetable garden - we have to protect the young plants from the hungry jackdaws and crows, hence the wire cages.  The plants in the polytunnel and the greenhouse are growing well, but they will form another post.

A newly mown lawn -  the daisies, dandelions and buttercups will soon be decorating the lawns again,  all will return to normal - but just for a brief time the lawn looks pretty good.  The sky is so dull that the poly tunnel is almost invisible.

I'll post about the poly tunnel later in the week.     Some raised beds have been built and everything is much more organised.

If the promised good weather happens, a lot more plants can go outside, which will please George.  He has more plans for his poly tunnel.

Sisterhood Pudding

I have had the pleasure of wearing and using the Traveling Susan Apron for the last couple of weeks.

The time is nigh for me to send it on to the next recipient.

Who should I send it to?

I put that decision to the back of my mind and had a baking session instead.

I made:

Sisterhood Pudding

This recipe comes from a book which is about 90 years old a time when food was rather stodgier than that which we favour today.  

Nevertheless, with a name like that, how could I resist? 

I don't eat meat suet, so I substituted a vegetarian alternative.

 I didn't have apricot jam - so I substituted blackcurrant jam.

I wonder whether this could be one of the reasons I am no great shakes as a cook!

Perhaps if I stuck more closely to the recipes...

It was quick and easy to make.

It came out of the oven looking pretty much as I expected.

It is a pudding more suited to cold winter days, but George enjoyed it served with a generous helping of  custard.

It is said that the apron chooses the next recipient itself...

I confess I was sceptical,

but

by the time I had finished cooking I knew who should have the apron next

.........

drum roll

.........

SCARLET, of  TALES FROM BEYOND THE NOOK

Well done Scarlet, I hope you enjoy wearing the apron as much as I have.

I am also pleased to tell you that I managed to keep it clean!

I want to say a huge thank you to two marvellous women:

Susan of My Mothers Apron Strings

who made this beautiful apron 

and

Meggie, of Meggie on the Prairie

She was awarded the apron by Susan

and generously decided to send the 

apron off for a year of adventure,

to draw people together, to create, and cement,

friendship right across the world.

THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING SUSAN APRON was born.

Enjoy your turn with the apron, Scarlet.

I know it contains some magic.