This weekend there were some interesting pumpkin recipes in the weekend papers. I went out today to buy a pumpkin and there were none to be found. Where do they go ? Last week the supermarkets had incredible pallet loads of pumpkins, now they're gone. My theory is the Great Pumpkin comes and takes them all home to the promised pumpkin patch.

I love the romance behind this story, even if it is contrived. A forgotten unknown who dies days before she is 'discovered'.



Vivian Maier

Fame is but a fruit tree. So very unsound. It can never flourish 'til its stock is in the ground.

All the fifty years of conscious brooding have brought me no closer to the answer to the question: what are light quanta? Of course today every rascal thinks he knows the answer, but he is deluding himself. ALBERT EINSTEIN

I've no idea what light quanta are, in fact, I've never heard of them but I do like the use of the word rascal. It's my new favourite word. Thanks Albert.

Found these in the drawer of an old office desk.


An 1980's empty booklet of stamps from a vending machine. Vera Lynn looks like Kate Winslet.





Not sure this machinery service company really thought too much about their logo.

If you believe, they put a man on the moon... then you've probably been joining in the moon landing celebrations. It's been stalking me - tv, radio, newspapers, even google. The only safe place would have been the moon, preferably the dark side.

I am disappointed that this song has not been played anywhere so this is my contribution to the moon media frenzy.

I bought these today at a steam rally. Alongside steam engines, steam rollers and vintage cars were stalls selling, what seemed like, little bits of everything. An ancient View Master tempted me but unfortunately I only had a pocketful of change. These were 10p, each.

Like this journal, I thought Morse code had become forgotten and unused but in the last seven days I have come across it twice. The first in the film 'Let the Right One In' and then in Slone Croasley's short stories 'I Was Told There'd Be Cake. Yesterday I read a review of 'Emergency' by Neil Strauss who thinks the world is going to end. I imagine Morse code would be quite useful post-apocalypse so maybe we should all be learning it ?

I've been casually collecting Agatha Christie paperbacks with cover artwork by Tom Adams for a long time. This is my latest find and my favourite.

The French farmers market came to town, an excuse for foreign traders to charge twice as much for food that is half as good as ours. Ah, but it's all good fun. I bought some Cross Ants, ostrich salami and dates stuffed with various colours of marzipan.

Me: "Is this marzipan ?"
Frenchie: "It's r-mon pest" (trans. almond paste)

Cue much suppressed giggling.

I think the ostrich salami was probably horse, or donkey.

Here's a song sung by a French girl,

I found a bag of Russian badges from a school trip I went on in the 1990's. There were a pair of these so I made them into cufflinks.


click..big

I found this chocolate at the supermarket.

It made me laugh. It's made in deepest darkest New Zealand, probably by hobbits.





bloomsberry.com

It reminds me of Damien Hirst's 'Last Supper'.

I broke the handle off of my favourite mug. It's pretty much useless now, I'm not going to risk sticking it back together. What I want is a clear plastic cradle with a handle, something like a cafetiere cradle, that you could mould around a broken mug. Could someone invent one please ? You'd probably make a fortune.

I bought an old jacket today and found this crumpled receipt in the pocket. I love it. It's the last day of the last century and instead of partying 'like it's 1999' this person bought milk and a newspaper. End of the century vs. business as usual.


Click for detail

( and another one )

Love this song

Went to a farm sale this week. The only thing I bought was a bacon roll and a cup of tea but it was great to look around all the old sheds and barns full up with a lifetime's worth of junk. There were so many bits of old rusty machinery we called it a scrap and crap sale. This time next year it will all be luxury homes.



flickr set

Yesterday was The Grand National (forty or so horses race 4 miles, jump a lot of big fences and everyone bets on it). A flyer fell out of my newspaper and landed conveniently next to a wartime booklet with the same title.

Went to see the racehorses at Lambourn today. All good fun.

I finally got lucky buying cufflinks from charity shops. This pair cost me £1 and I later discovered they are made by Scholz & Lammel, German, 1960's. They are selling on eBay for £50.

Don't be alarmed but I'm in hospital. I poisoned myself. I ate what I thought was an onion but it turned out to be a daffodil bulb.


The doctor says I should be out in the spring.


Everyone's so depressed and it seems the world is going to end. Corny jokes have become a lifesaver.