Remembering November and a Few Friends.....

~ November silently sneaks up on us, catching our senses by surprise......

There is no shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, no fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds.

Outside, silvery grey shafts reveal a familiar landscape stripped of pretence.

Behind closed doors, glowing amber fires shed light upon the Real.

Like a woman who has found her authenticity, November radiates beauty from within.....

~Thomas hood.

Taken from Simple Abundance.

Hello and welcome to November.

Did you have sparklers, squealers and skies full of blasts last evening I wonder?

We enjoyed a small 'Sparkler' or two at my sisters home, washed down with very hot/spicy home-made soup and then yummy pie and peas! (the best bit)

It's always a family affair 'bommy night' for us, ever since the children were small, we have always got together and celebrated.....

My kittie cats weren't so happy though.

No-sire....

I always feel sorry for animals on this night each year, mine sneak away under the beds, not to show their faces till the commotion is all over and done with for another year!

courtesy of Google.

I can always remember 'Penny for the Guys' on street corners at this time of year, when I was small.

The guys always stuffed with saw dust and made from old clothes, waiting to be thrown on the top of the bonfire after a few pennies had been made!

Thankfully this seems to have faded out and bonfire night doesn't seem to be quite as spectacular, as once was....

Later in the week I have my son, Dean, home.

Ooh the Olympics and Paralympics seems a while ago now!

He is visiting home for a couple of days to do a presentation for the Cumbrian sports awards here.

He has also been asked to visit local schools to chat to the children about London and his Paralympic début.

~ All good things and it will be lovely to catch up with him and his laundry!

I may have mentioned that Patrick (husbando) is also a local running coach here and recently came home with lovely news about two young new members that had recently joined up.

Nothing unusual I thought as he started to tell me, people do join all the time.......

"It's splendid though," he said, "as these two boys both have disabilities and were inspired to join and take up athletics, after watching the young man from their home town who ran in the Paralympics in London"....

That warmed my heart a little...

On to the house work now...

Look who came out of the closet when I should have been dusting and making beds up!

I do get side tracked whilst sorting and cleaning...

Why, Bramwell Brown of course, can you remember, old bear and friends story books?

Now I know only to well he isn't too vintage just yet, unlike some special Teds that have been on your lovely blogs, but he has been loved and enjoyed very much by my children and I must admit I had forgotten all about him....

We did start a little collection of the various bears for the children when small and it was lovely to see them again...

'Rabbit' making a showing here for the group shot.

I  loved 'old bear stories' and tried 'jolly hard' to get, Jolly Tall for my children, but alas he was never reunited with the gang here....

Little bear was Olivia's favourite, as he was pocket sized and fit just perfect in her hand when small....

But I was always fond of 'Hoot' the owl who lived quite happily on top of a wardrobe inside a knitted woolly hat for a nest.

It was lovely to dust them down and see them again.

Now I wonder which box those Sylvanian families are stored in?

That will have to be another post....

I will close for now dear friends, but once again thank you for your thoughts and comments and for always taking the time to visit me.

I do enjoy your blogs very much.

Keep warm and keep posting!

Brrr it's cold outside.

Love Maria x