Super Scrumptious Day

What to do when it is cold and rainy, and you have a day stretching out before you? Why, go visiting of course! And what a scrumptious visit it was....thank you NaNa!

Because I am still tiring easily, I treated myself to the bus into town rather than my usual trot. When I got in, it was cold but dry, and I remembered that my Mum and Sister were probably going to be in town, and lo and behold, they were! So we shared coffee in Marks and Spencer, and then oohed and ahhed over the Christmas Wrapping paper! Yes, Christmas, I know! And I am torn. You see, for me, starting to organize now makes it so much more enjoyable for me come December. But, then I do make all my own Christmas cards, and quite a few of my gifts. And while I love to look at papers and craft items at this time of year but I HATE to see shelves PILED with mince pies and things that will go off before December! And really, do we need to buy Advent Calendars in September? And why are so many of the things in huge groaning big jumbo sizes? I would like to think it was for families getting together and visiting, but I wonder if it is just a little bit of seige mentality? But really, I am not a Christmas Scrooge, I am not. I am eagerly scanning the magazine stands for the Christmas issues....but only because they show us how to make things, and making things take time!)

But, I have digressed, I am afraid! After a lovely cup of coffee, I hopped on a bus through to Maldon, where it was warmer, but raining, ugh! Happily, Sally Greens, the most delightful greengrocer is just next door to the taxi rank, so I scurried in to buy a jar of blackberry jelly (to be enjoyed with scones for Michelmas!) and thenceforth into a taxi which took me off to visit my lovely friend, who lives in a scrumptious house in the middle of the countryside.

I wish, wish, wish, you could take a peek with me. Maybe one day you will get to see, as my lovely friend is thinking of maybe starting a blog too....but let us say that her home is a haven of vintage scrumptiousness, and her and her equally lovely husband have put so much work into rennovating the home, that they have really earned the scrumptiousness of it all! Really, you have to love anyone who will make you a cup of tea on their fabulous aga, and then offer you not one but two cakes, and not make you feel in the least bit guilty for accepting readily!

It was such a lovely way to spend a day, and time sped away all too quickly. When you have a friend who you are really in accord with, time does just seem to disappear. And oh, I must tell you about the goodies she gave me! Lovely wife that she is, she had gathered some 'new wife vintage housekeeper' goodies for me! All done up in pink rustling tissue paper....a clear spatula, with little red hearts! A fabulous washing up brush, all pink with a great big flower on it! A tea cozie and matching peg bag! A just-the-right-sized mixing bowl, in fabulous blue with cream insides! A floral mug that is the twin of hers, so we can have a cup of tea together when our housework is done, even when we are not together! Oh, and a jar of utterly gorgeous rose petal jam! I felt ever so spoiled, and I am looking forward to getting home tonight so I can spread my new treasures about our little flat.

You will be pleased to know that I did not arrive empty handed myself. I took a baby sock bouquet that I had made. Now I know it sounds a little strange, but really, it is rather fun. You take some baby socks, and fold and roll them so they look like (a rather stylized!) rose bud, insert a florists wire into the back of the rose bud, and cover with florist tape to secure. The idea is that new Mums often get given lots of flowers, but they die, and here are some flowers that wont die, and can be dismantled and put through the washer to yield half a dozen pairs of socks!

I hopped on a bus back from the countryside to Maldon, another one from Maldon back into town, and then the bus back from town to home again, and settled down with a nice cup of tea to think about what a lovely day it had been, before making some dinner. The more I think about it, the more I think that visting, and being at home to visitors is just a lovely, scrumptious thing!