Pre Halloween edition

For most people Halloween has been and and gone although I'll be off at the weekend so I don't think they'll be an entry here on Friday as I'm gonna be rather busy getting sorted ready for an early morning start.

There weren't so  many little people at the door on Saturday dressed up looking for candy although the weather was more reasonable than last years so I have some spare candy and I believe at least another one of us had the same experience. Around here I know the families of them well.

That kind of leads us into a kind of a theme because of one of things about about that weekend is about re-acquainted  with people you love having fun, the weekend despite some problems with pulled a  leg muscle and badly jarring my neck yesterday also was about that but in a different way as I encountered a few people I hadn't seen for a while.

 

Piano music is a favourite of mine either solo or in the form of a concerto with other instruments typically a full orchestra and Beethoven wrote a set of five such concertos for piano and orchestra which remain hugely popular even today.

This is the third in series of I have that were recorded around 1961-3 for the first time in stereo by the acclaimed pianist Wilhelm Kempff with accompaniment from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by  Ferdinand Leitner.

The whole set came on four lps, and this like the others is an original  with the "Tulip" logo on the record label.

Given they are over sixty years old, I gave them a very thorough cleaning to remove anything that in that time had worked its way into the groove which helps as there are a good many very quiet passages that don't like any intrusions of dirt and other debris.

That's the rear and it does also show the more usual thick spine with title wasn't commonplace back then as this doesn't have nor do Decca albums of the same era although I have to say the more modern spines with titles are much easier when hunting for your recordings when in racks.

As for the playing, the orchestra is a full on with modern instruments that won't impress those who favour using replicas of eighteenth century instruments but the playing especially the piano just sweep you along in their romanticism which to me is most apt as you just focus on the playing.

It's a set that although there have been a number of great modern accounts  that may offer modern musical scholarship and digital recording you just find yourself very much coming back to.

Jo and the Aunt (fiction)

Halloween is coming up and indeed I'll be away this weekend which creates all manner of blogging challenges but anyway picture the scene.

You didn't get on that well with your Aunt, perhaps she tended to remind you about your manners rather more than you cared to hear, to get into the chair properly so you din't flash your knickers or pull your falling down pereline socks for the seventh hundred time

Seeing it was halloween, you thought to yourself you'd get your own back on the Olde Witch and sneaked up on the 31st with this massive spider and put it right in her front garden knowing she goes all in a faff if she just sees a small garden spider in the bathroom.

She wakes up screaming and phones your Mom who just happened to find your tablet on the very Amazon page that carried a entry for it so she calles you down and orders you to show her the Orders page.

 

Right there in front of her it shows YOU did order it and when asked why you just have to tell the truth lest you get in even more trouble.

Your aunt is called over later on the day to witness you confess that but it wasn't all now was it?

No, while only the three of you are in, you are ordered to  bend over you mothers knee for a spanking, feeling her hand folding the back of your gymslip over your back as she begins to take a hard slipper to your bottom before inviting your aunt to pull your knickers down and spank you some more too.

This Halloween is one you'll never ever forget where you paid a high price for your naughty prank.

Fun and Games edition

Seeing it's the annual Greenland's Bonfire and ghoulish weekend to which a number of my friends are attending, I thought I'd add something from a far as a contribution in kind to that magical spirit.

Pumpkins will be carved making them into lanterns, food will no doubt be consumed and finally that there bonfire will be lit which I think is a British tradition.

It was a bit late finishing Saturday night so we weren't in bed until Sunday morning but then we lost an hour with changing back to GMT which really affected my "spoons" later on.

We did go before people departed for an enjoyable meal at a local gastropub which was extremely tasty and also relatively inexpensive

 

Meanwhile all the stores are gearing up to Christmas time getting new stock  in and starting the promotions for toys and games which kinda reminded me of one we used to play both at school and at home.

The great thing about Junior Scrabble the word based games is there are two tways of playing.Younger players can begin with the exciting, ‘Words and Pictures’, a game expressly created to help with the recognition and formation of complex words. 

someone has mastered that there's ‘Rainbow Scrabble’, which is the more challenging version intended for younger players of age seven and upwards. 

The scoring system is identical to the ‘grown-up’ version, yet far easier to use and keep track of. In a clever move both games are also conveniently located on each side of the board, making it easy to swap from ‘Words and Pictures’ to ‘Rainbow Scrabble’.

The Ghouling years

Last weekend I was away at our littles Ghoulish party to which the full account of can be found Here as those things are published on the littles blog.
It's interesting to reflect on how it has been in the last three and a bit decades the way we mark this time of the year has changed because over here in the UK Halloween as such wasn't marked but people did hold All Hallows Day parties with guising and toffee apples.
The more recent custom of Trick and Treat isn't native to the UK but an import from the States a good number hold the children's tv program  Blue Peter responsible for doing a feature on in the early eighties that then spread like topsy.
Into that the participates created outfits to which people rewarded with candy and it wasn't long before as in the States commercial outfits became widely available even if face paint and the like obviously was hand applied.
In this country it cuts into the Guy Fawkes season where we mark the foiled attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament with effigies, bonfires and fireworks in 1605.
For that ear muffs may help as some fireworks are really loud!
One thing that has changed in recent years is I am more focused on my behaviour at least as far as it may impact on others from knowing when not to get into conversations that are not really to do with me, taking turns well and being safe such as with using sharp knives for pumpkin carving because the increased use of physical and non physical chastisement  that can be used discretely such as a smack out of sight help me to keep those traits in check more which makes being out with people more enjoyable. 
For me then, this weekend was  a great one.

Getting ready for off

This weekend I'll be away where no doubt they'll be an account at some point on the other blog so this week I'm tying up loose end of that, sorting out clothes as I'll need something more "Muggles" as we'll be going out where those not familiar with the world of littles will be so it's best not to wearing that turn heads.

 It's getting cooler so my thicker coats and socks are coming on so they'll be with me when I'm away as we'll be outside for quite a bit of the time.
Actually I just love being out of doors anyway in all but the most inclement of weather conditions  walk in and around the open countryside, taking in the autumn sun and fresh air and most probably have a camera on me as we may go for a walk too.
That was what I loved as a kid and still do.

A Ghoulish Affair

This weekend last I was away for what is a highlight in littles life, parties, and in particular the Halloween one staged by a friend here in the Midlands which for me meant a short train journey after a bus ride and meeting with them as they dealt with some other business in town before picking me up.
Although compared with certain other events I attend this was comparatively short in terms of days away, obviously bringing things to literally add to the party soon takes up space so I needed a full complement of tote bags and case.
Having arrived back, the first task was to get the fire light and a brew on because three more people were staying overnight on the Friday after finding a good spot tm to put my stuff as with fourteen of us being here for Saturday and Sunday space in the front room in particular would be at a premium.
Some things I brought for Saturday's buffet  were taken out and the Pumpkin the host had brought for me saving trying to carry that on the train was paid for.
As well by prior arrangement I'd be sleeping in their so it made sense to put what I needed at hand but not in other folks way.
I sorted out my advance Christmas card pile for folk and got out my Hello Kitty white and pink plushie.
It wasn't long before the first two guests arrived which as our host was otherwise  detained I let in and by the time the last one of the day had made it it was time to get some food going.
We had a big pork chop with well cooked rind, roast potatoes from the garden which I washed for the host and Andi helped with vegetables.
The remainder of the evening was taken up with much conversation punctuated with bangs from a local firework display.
Come Saturday morning I was up fairly early in a grey jumper and wine coloured pleated skirt ready to take my pills and fix a spot of breakfast after rounding up stray cups and glasses.
 As people were coming later on, I had a few things to do of which one was to help out - it's 2018 and I'm expected to do something(!) - and that involved converting Gingerbread persons into Gingerbread Girls by decorating them.

I used eatable cake icing to add eyes, tops and skirts for them 

I made a number of variations on a theme which included one as a girl soccer player.
By about 13:00 hours most people had arrived so our Host and Andi set on making Burger with fried onion and to which another and brought salad together with sauces to add to suit your own taste.
By about 14:25 the last four guest had arrived in time for theirs.
Soon it was time for Fred and Florence's Exceeding Good Food Hunt which was a kind of treasure hunt out of doors where you had to find one item for which there was a prize which then lead to clue for the next and so on until we got to the last one where everyone had something - for me it was a caramel filled chocolate bar.

The next event was also out of doors, namely Pumpkin Carving to which several people had brought various tools to get into the pumpkin with and most of us remembered first time to save the top we'd cut out ready for the tea light to be fitted.

Finished mine looked a bit like this.
We went indoors to clean up and otherwise get ourselves ready for the cold buffet that included Pizza, pork pies (drools), salad and a home made trifle with cream.

By just after 19:00 it was time to put on warmer attire as it was time for our bonfire to be lit a safe distance from us which was a good idea as it turned a bit breezy. I had my Puma trackpants on.
It roared loudly with much crackling as people held sparklers waving them about.
Then we started our firework display oohing and aahing to the vibrant colours and sounds.

The display ended with two fireworks dedicated to members of our group who'd passed away.
After a short break it was time for the music quiz which had food connections where a tune was played and you had to guess the answer. Sammy won a cabbage for it!
The was much lively conversation until just before one in the morning when I got to bed.
I was as ever the first up and dressed this time in a green jumper - our host likes green apparently - ready to take my tablets and have a cup of tea as gradually everyone got up and about.
We had a bacon sandwich  to keep us going before we went to a gastro-pub within walking distance for a meal together before we all set off as some people had three hours or more to travel and it is a nice way to end a weekend together.
I had a turkey roast with trimmings and sticky toffee treacle with cream which arrived very efficiently given it was really busy with diners plus regular drink trade.
Upon arrival back at our hosts venue, everyone said their goodbyes before we meet again next year and Andi kindly took myself and another to the local rail station to make our ways home which for me included a taxi straight home as Sunday buses are infrequent and in any event don't run to our estate on that day.
I'd like to thank our host for a well put together party with fun events, everyone who helped out in various ways and for just being a gas to spend time with.

Happy Halloween

Yes's it's that day in the year where the ghouls all come out and I stock up on candy to dole out.
Happy Halloween people!

Some of us can't get enough Fairy Tail!