The Last Day Of November ……..

An air of excitement seemed to pervade every single portal of The Towers this morning, ‘twas the last day of November, heralding the first day of December tomorrow, our most favourite and wonderful month of the year.

Nigel and I knew the drill, we were to go up to town to mooch a little and treat ourselves, curtesy of Darrell, to a humungous sliver of Red Velvet cake and a seasonal latte, with instructions not to return until we got a text from Darrell to say that the festive titivation of said portals was complete and we could come home!  What are we/he like?

He did us proud, despite him donating a vast quantity of his twiddly bits to our charity shop of choice back in January, after deciding he needed to downsize his Christmas frippery as he, and I quote, said that he “Wasn’t  getting any younger”!  He said that although he loves all the putting everything together, the festive bump when he/we know we have to put it all away again for another year was not only exhausting, it also made his heart sad at the start of a New Year when he/we should be feeling quite the opposite, all buoyant and upbeat for the year ahead.

So this year, though still magical, it’s much more of a pared back, less is more affair ……… which should be easier and quicker to put away and store.

However, there has been one new addition, in the guise of a brand new, king size duvet set found by his good self in the Salvation Army shop for just £8 a couple of weeks ago.  Well, it would have been rude not to, wouldn’t it?

And ……. we wouldn’t want our bedding to be found in any way wanting by Father Christmas on the big night would we?

Once again, the boy “dun gud” and we are now truly Yuletide ready ………. let the festivities commence.

Nigel’s Considered Festive 20p Purchase.

Yesterday, Nigel returned from a mooch round the charity shops  flushed with pride and success,  bless his little cotton socks.

He was already robustly aware that Darrell had all but completed his  incredibly detailed spreadsheets and plans for  his festive shelf displays, but when you’re faced with an absolute “steal”, that would just look plain rude to turn your back on, what’s a young monkey to do …….

……….but make a considered, if everso slightly hesitant 20p purchase, knowing that he’d have to run it past Darrell’s exacting taste monitor the second he got home.

Admittedly, Darrell did go very quiet and serious for a few seconds after Nigel showed him what he’d bought, but then he broke into a huge smile …….. two exquisite, ceramic, Santa tealight holders for just 10p each, still in their original boxes, the little fella “dun gud”, very, very gud, excellento in fact!

Darrell would certainly find them a prime position in among his festive tut shelves and they would be used for the intention they were made, with appropriate, seasonally scented tealights placed inside them, to be lit in the evenings to add to the festive ambience of The Towers.

Nigel was soooooooooo proud, it was emotional, very emotional. 20p? That boy has a gift for mooching!

A Festive Ritual …….. But Early

With the festive season tantalisingly almost upon us, Darrell, in time honoured style, decided that rather than tackle his traditional festive oven cleaning in December, he’d start a new one by doing it in the last week of November instead, saying that said month really ought to be filled with much more pleasant and exciting tasks.  “December had no place for wielding a foaming Brillo!” he announced.

Now, it has to be said that as Darrell has been trying to use the slow cooker, hob and microwave a little more in an effort to save on fuel costs, the oven wasn’t in too bad a state ………..

……. however, all the trays, racks and shelves were still consigned to the mahoosive Dr Magic oven cleaning bag to soak in their juices in the bath overnight ……….

……. while Darrell tackled the insides and door.

The finished results were …….. a joy to behold. The oven almost looked brand new and while Nigel and I stood and admired the fruits of Darrell’s pre-festive labours ……….

…….. the “man of the hour” – well several hours, took to the sofa for what was left of the afternoon to recover.  What is he like, but our true mean, cleaning machine hero!

Chin Chin ………

Darrell came back from a little light mooching in town as pleased as flipping punch, a huge smile spread across his little face. His last stop had been at the charity shop at the end of our road, where he’d spotted two, small, pink cocktail shakers in the window, well, let’s just say he was in there like the proverbial shot ……

….. as he’s been after something exactly like this, Bertie sized, to teach his beloved nephew and protégé the art of making non alchofrolic, yet full bodied cocktails for our sleepovers.

Said shakers were marked up at £1.99 for the two, but Darrell cheekily dared ask the lovely lady in the shop if she’d consider selling him just one for £1 as he didn’t really need both of them.

However, when she looked at them a little closer, she decided that they weren't in as pristine a condition as she had first thought when she’d  put them in prime position in the window. She thought one looked a little rusty around the top and told Darrell he could have them both for a pound! Well, it would have only looked rude not too, wouldn’t it?

When he got home, the rust turned out to be just a bit of dirt and was easily removed.  One of the tops was a little on the tight side, but again nothing a gentle bang with a hammer and a little lubrication couldn’t fix.  Darrell was one happy bunny ……. now, let the shaking and stirring commence, happy days!

Roll On 21st December ……… (After Which The Days Start To Get Longer)

It goes without saying that Nigel absolutely loves the school run, but now the clocks have changed he’s not all that keen on the long walk home in the dark afterwards, bless him.

He’s OK walking along the main road with all its shops and muse provoking posters, it’s turning the corner into our long road that gets him. Now and again he’ll nip into the Kebab Shop just before said turning to avail himself of a small carton of chips just to break up the journey and alleviate some of the boredom, justifying himself that it’s also an excellent way to help keep his hands warm on a cold night.  What is he like?

Nigel very rarely sees another living soul as he toddles along the road that is completely devoid of a single point of interest for him to ponder and muse …….

……. even the first row of cottages he passes are behind a tall wall with their backs at the front (a weird set up, but they’re old), so there’s not even the surreptitious opportunity for a quick peep to see if anyone has put their Christmas trees/fairy lights up early.

Then at the end of the cottages there’s nothing for another hundred yards or so, except for the allotments, trees and brambly hedges, before he gets to our bridge and then a few yards later our estate ………  and home sweet home.

So to help Nigel fill these dark, unforgiving walks Darrell has installed a star gazing app on the little fellas phone…….

………. as Darrell said, who wouldn’t want to know when Uranus is clearly visible!  Oh good grief …….. I give up!

One Of Many Considered Purchases To Be Made

I feel I need to apologise, just a tad, if in the coming few weeks our posts seem to be leaning heavily towards our rootling about in some of Evesham’s finest charity shop establishments ……… there’s no getting away from it, they are!  It’s now officially the festive season, December being our favourite month of the year and amongst all its many wonderful pleasures there are presents that need the considered purchasing of, please bear with us.

So, without further ado ……. yesterday, Nigel managed to find the most prefect present for Hugh, Darrell’s best friend and mentor of all things tut but kitsch. I mean, who wouldn’t want to find  this exquisite, handmade, crocheted and knitted combo, crinoline lady mouse, toilet roll holder in their stocking?

Admittedly, her whiskers are currently on the droopy side, giving her top lip a slightly dark and hirsute type appearance, but it’s nothing that can’t be easily fixed with a quick zzhuh of Darrell’s spray starch!  And, at just 50p it would have been, well, rude and remiss not to bring it home to be wrapped with care and love!

I predict that Hugh’s immediate reaction on opening Nigel’s present on Christmas morning will be emotional, very emotional, very, very emotional, followed by, when composed, much deliberation as to which bathroom it should be put in prime position, for all to share in all its glory.  Ooooooooooooo happy, happy days!!!!!!

Darrell’s Strikes Gold For Hugh

What on earth do you give your best friend and mentor of all things everything, who also wants for absolutely nothing for Christmas? A problem akin, perhaps, to what Camilla, the Queen Consort must also go through every year, pondering what to pop into her cherished husband, King Charles’s royal, bejewelled stocking! 

Poor Darrell has spent so many hours online he’s almost gone cross eyed, not to mention pounding the streets of Evesham looking for that “perfect something” to no avail, until this morning that is, when he returned home absolutely triumphant …..

….. holding aloft something that just wasn’t even in his head until he saw it, to wit a knitted wreath kit, that he, himself, personally was going to make for his beloved friend, who loves nothing more than a hand knitted article of any description, made even better if it came from a charity shop, thus benefiting all manner of needy causes ……..  

Now, it’s been quite a while since Darrell has picked up his needles and never ones quite as mahoooosive as these, but as he says knitting is like falling off a bike, you never forget how to! 

It all looked pretty simple and each stitch that was cast on and off, purled and knitted was done with great love.

Perhaps the getting it on to the ring and then sewing up was a little more, how shall I say, challenging, hence no photos, but bless him, Darrell persevered and got there in the end.  No pain and a few choice words without gain I suppose ……..

……. making adding all the extra frou frou afterwards all the more delicious, when Darrell could really see his gift slowly coming together.

Finally satisfied, a quick try on our front door to make sure it all looked ok and balanced and then said wreath was carefully packaged up ready for Darrell to take down to Hugh’s just before the start of the festive season, and where he could help Hugh choose the optimum spot for Hugh’s “Man What Does” to hammer a select nail from which to hang it.

A true gift of love, that will hopefully continue to keep giving over the next few years   No doubt there’ll also be a couple of other bits and pieces to add to Hugh’s stocking now I think Darrell is finally on a gift finding roll.  Happy, happy, happy days …..