Day 330 - November 26

Nothing exciting happened so Sean helped me out for a photo by deciding that one of today's popcorns looked like a dog and set it barking at one of the evil corns that didn't want to pop... Don't I just love him??? (And yes, we deserve each other - we aren't really fit for the world...!)

Day 329 - November 25

And then there was the delivery from the organic veg company - I'd chosen several different squashes to try out what they are like and if any of these might be worth trying to grow in our garden. When they came and sat there together I thought they looked pretty and worth a photo!

Day 328 - November 24

Here I had to resort to a news article again: when I went to the chiropractor on Tuesday there was police all over the carpark, and the receptionist was quite upset - apparently, there had been an armed robbery in the jeweller's next doors and they had all been questioned at length by the police. I could see the forensic team and the smashed shop windows, but didn't have the guts to go and take a photo of it. Still, I decided I want it in my 365 album, so the article must do...

Day 327 - November 23

This was a bit of a shock: this is a mushroom in our BATHROOM! I couldn't believe my eyes! Okay, I admit it's a bit damp in there and nothing we can do about; but not really very much so, not compared to some other bathrooms I know. We sometimes get a bit of mildew in corners which I can get rid of with vinegar - but we never had a mushroom before!!! This one sits at the back of the toilet stem and I suppose I should really remove it... Not to sure how to tackle it... It's the Year of the Mushrooms, it seems - first they were all over the garden like never before, and now this!

Day 326 - November 22

Today we had a bit of a shock - there has been rather heavy rain here in the UK - more in the North of the country where there was terrible flooding, and also quite a lot in the West. But when I looked at the BBC headlines on the Internet today there was another flood-related headline which said "Canoeist Died in Swollen River" - and when I checked it out I found that a) it was somebody we knew, not closely but close enough for him to be a Facebook friend of Sean's and b) it was on a stretch of river that Sean paddles regularly in winter and I have paddled, too, although in easier conditions. Chris, the dead canoeist, was an experienced paddler, too, and of Sean's age. It is scary to think that it could have been Sean...and sad in any case. Such news is always so much harder if it is somebody you know...

Day 325 - November 21

Sean enjoying his popcorn. He has totally taken to making himself a bowl of popcorn every day as a snack at some point - just plain, so I suppose it's the healthiest snack he ever had! One day I complained that he always did it when I wasn't around and didn't share, so yesterday he came upstairs with his bowl in hand and let me have some! So sweet!!!

Day 324 - November 20

This is the crossing by the station here in Chertsey, about 3 minutes walk from where I live, on the way into town. I usually walk into town (it's only 10 minutes) so it wasn't a problem for me, but this lot of drainage tanks had the place well bunged up and cars reversing away from it on all sides! They were clearing out the gutters and drains which are always getting blocked with fallen leaves at this time of the year.

Day 323 - November 19

Chestnuts from a big tree in FIL's garden. Sean and I both love chestnuts, and they are so much nicer fresh from the tree. These are probably the last for this year, so I thought I'd better take a photo because I'll need one for one of this month's BOM challenge LOs, too - watch the space on my digi blog!

Day 322 - November 18

When we got to bellringing practise, Malcolm our Tower Captain announced a "solemn occasion" - and presented me with my certificate of membership to the the Diocesan Guild of Church Ringers (Guildford). I've been ringing with them for two years, but since it is a Guild it must all go through the proper channels. The certificate is dated in March but was given to Malcolm at the recent AGM.

Day 321 - November 17

Totally uninspired photo: these are the seed beans I left to grow for next year's planting - harvested this weekend and finally shelled and set out to dry... These beans (a French bean variety) are called Cherokee Trail of Tears and the story is that the Cherokees liked them so much that they took seeds of these beans with them on the trail.

Day 320 - November 16

This photo (although in my album for today) was taken at the same time as the tree - remember the photo of the wreaths laid at the War Memorial? Well, this is Malclom (our Tower Captain) and Sean after ringing at church, trying to rearrange and retie the wreaths that had been dislodged (and some of them tattered) by the wind. It was a real sisyphus job: while they worked on one end the wind whipped up the other side again. In the end I had to go and help, too, holding the front row in place while Malcolm and Sean tied up both sides simultaneously...

Day 319 - November 15

The high winds continued. The photo doesn't really express how bad it was blowing. It blew all kinds of bits in our garden and driveway over, amongst them the window that Sean meant to use for the cold frame (which still hasn't progressed). Of course all the glass went to smithereens - that's what you get for procrastinating! We spent at least 1/2 hour picking up shards and trying to brush together the tiny bits so that Chiefie won't tread them into her paws...

Day 318 - November 14

There was a wedding in our church today (who wants to get married in November in England???) and we were ringing for it. I managed to sneak this picture just after we stopped. The bridesmaids had these lovely stunning red dresses! But how some of the women could bear to sit there with bare arms I don't know - I was wearing three layers, and with the exercise of ringing!

Day 317 - November 13

This is a tree down the road from our house which is still looking very pretty. However, I think it will soon be gone because today the weather turned horribly rainy and windy, and is forecast to get worse!

Day 316 - November 12

You may not recognise what is shown in this photo - this is one of the big church bells up in the tower, and the clapper is half-muffled. We ring on Remembrance Day and on Armistice Day (one was on Sunday, the other on Wednesday when the wreaths were laid) but with half-muffled bells, so you hear one sound clear as normal but the other dull. So this was the "day after", when the guys went up to "un-muffle" the bells - I asked Sean to take this photo for me as it's the only way to document this special ringing...

Day 315 - November 11

Today is Remembrance Day here in the UK - the laying of the poppy wreaths at the War Memorial is always on 11/11 at 11am, but I didn't go to the ceremony and only sneaked a photo after dark when I happened to come by...

Day 314 - November 10

We've started handbell ringing practise for the Christmas carols - one carol only needs a limited number of bells, so I had a chance to stand back and take a photo! Sean is on the far right ringing the two lowest bells, while I'm on the far left when I'm ringing, the two highest bells.

Day 313 - November 9

Our corn has dried now and this was Sean making the first popcorn from his own cobs. He put in far too much which burnt a hole in the bottom of the paper bag - well, live and learn! Then we had this big bowl full of popcorn - we've had several smaller ones since!

Day 312 - November 8

Something really annoying happened: Sean's van got vandalised in the night, in our driveway! One mirror was completely ripped off (see photo) and on the other side, the frame was still there but the mirror part inside was gone. Sean has taped a mirror inside now so at least he can drive the van, while waiting for the right parts to fix it.

Day 311 - November 7

At the big church bonfire party at the Vicarage.

Day 310 - November 6

My (belated) birthday dinner at my friend Eve's - just the four of us: Eve and Duncan, Sean and me, plus Harvey the cat of course (can be seen between Eve and Sean on the sofa!).

Day 309 - November 5

5th of November - also known as Guy Fawkes Night in the UK. It refers to a historical happening when this guy Guy Fawkes tried to blow up parliament on the 5th of November 1605. Apparently, the people were then encouraged to commemorate the occasion (or better said the King's escape!) with a celebration every year on the day, and it became a tradition that included bonfires and later fireworks. Officially, it all happens on the 5th but of course if that's a weekday you also get big parties with lots of noise and a definite sulphury smell in the air on the weekends before and after. Still there are always some fireworks around the neighbourhood on the night, too.

Day 308 - November 4

This was at the farewell party for one of our bellringers who is moving down to the coast for his retirement. He's cutting the cake with his wife!

Day 307 - November 3

Tonight ,we had our monthly bookcrossers' meeting at The Crown, one of our local pubs. The silly moos were hiding behind their books!

Day 306 - November 2

I went out with my SIL to a play at church in a neighbouring town. It was called "Origins and Lemons" - the title refers to an English nursery rhyme about church bells in London called "Oranges and Lemons" (you can find it here if you don't know it). The play was superbly done with constantly changing costumes and props but as you can see, no big scenery. It was a professional company called Riding Lights who are doing Christian plays all over the country and at the moment they are touring with this one which is about Genesis upto the Babel story (the latter scene being the photo). It was witty, even funny, and very thoughtprovoking - mainly about the "Science versus Religion" debate.

Day 305 - November 1

We had a big Service of Light for All Saints at church, with lighting of candles for lost loved ones. The photo is one of the trays of lighted candles (the one in which my candle sat).