Wednesday 24 October 2007

Autumn Days


Autumn days when the grass is jewelled
and the silk inside a chestnut shell
Jet planes meeting in the air to be refuelled
All these things I love so well

So I mustn’t forget
No, I mustn’t forget
To say a great big thank you
No, I mustn’t forget.

Clouds that look like familiar faces
And winter’s moon with frosted rings
Smell of bacon as I fasten up my laces
And the song the milkman sings

I went to Fred's Harvest Festival the other day and nearly cried as I listened to all the little voices singing this song. I'm sure we used to sing it when we were young too. It is such a poignant and heartwarming song and we've had a lovely day to match it today!


The children and I went up to Chopwell wood with our friends S and P and three of their children plus two of their friends. Fred was in seventh heaven as four of the boys were teenagers and spent a lot of the time throwing a rugby ball around - and including HIM in their game! He was so delighted to be a big boy with them and they were absolutely sweet with him.

We stomped our way through the woods, losing the path, getting lost, slipping down slopes and generally being intrepid explorers and the weather was absolutely beautiful. There were also some amazing sculptures in the woods.

At one point we found a circle of trees and played the game "Budge-it!" I've never played this before but what you have to do is choose a tree each and then one person is it and has to tag another. The person being chased runs to the nearest tree and yells "Budge It" so the next person has to leave that tree and be chased, so they run to a tree and yell "Budge It" and so-on until someone is caught and becomes "It".


We had our picnic at a wonderful spot with a view across the tops of the trees. Fred gradually wriggled along so he was sitting in between two of the big boys! Ahhh!




The amazing coincidence about this walk was that it occured just near The Fat Quarters - my local-ish patchwork shop - pretty impressive considering I hadn't chosen where we should go! I have been wanting to take S for ages as she was keen to get some batik fabrics and I knew Kim had a good range. So we had a good look around and both came back with some goodies. I also let the children buy some fabrics. Dorothy and Daisy got a little pack of scraps for £1 and Fred got a 10cm strip of dinosaur fabric - he wants me to help him turn it into a cushion (NOW!)

While we were there I finally managed to meet a fellow blogger, Helen of Piecemaker. We have very nearly bumped into each other several times but today we actually met! It was lovely to put a face to a name - she felt like she already knew the children and even when I introduced them by their real names she said she would always think of them as Dorothy, Daisy and Fred!

I've just been over to her blog to get the link for above, and seen her entry about today - apparently I look like a pumpkin!!!! thanks Helen :o)

P.S. J has just noticed that somebody has stolen our door-knocker!
Can you believe there is a knocker-knicker out there? Bizarre! And it wasn't even our next door neighbour who normally plays daft tricks on us like this

7 comments:

Mrs Moog said...

That looks like a really special place for a lovely day out. Isn't it great seeing your little boy be 'one of the lads'. My Sausage Monster gets a big deep voice when he's with the big boys and they love it 'cos they can boss him around.
Are you going to show us pictures of your new patchwork fabrics? - not that I need fabric envy right now with my overflowing stash ;)

Monkee Maker said...

Looks like a fun day was had by all - especially Fred :)

I checked out your pumpkin likeness .... funny, I never saw you as a red-head.

And careful how you say Knocker-Knicker, and now I think of it, mmmm reminds me of Knicker Bocker Glories from my youth .... delicious ice cream sundaes on Paignton sea front. Delish!

Thimbleanna said...

Well, I must say, you are certainly a VERY attractive pumpkin LOL! The kids look SO cute and what a wonderful place to visit (Hey -- I mean the woods, not the fabric store!) I see you're rearing your children well -- got them buying fabric at an early age! Excellent!!! ;-)

Yummers! said...

I'd go on a hike and slide down a hill if there was a Fat Quarter shop at the end of the trail.

You're such a good mom,Lucy!
Love,
Joni

dottycookie said...

We sang that at my little one's harvest festival too - isn't it great?

And thanks for the Budge-It reminder - we used to play that on the drainpipes at my primary school!

Leanne said...

Sounds like a great day was had by all. I have now put you in my memory bank as a pumpkin Hee Hee.

Anonymous said...

Like a Pumpkin eh! Well, we could have great fun carving you this week and making you into a nice big plump pumpkin pincushion - only trouble is my children would think it great fun to use their aunty as a real pincushion - what do you reckon?

With regard to the walk has Pedro got competition? Will Fred not follow him around everywhere now that he has new teenage friends?