Mondays mutterings

Hello, my second visit of the day, did you like the doggy story, I've a pile of wet tissues here. 

On my way  to the chat and craft this morning I passed numerous plastic boxes full of  tins and glass awaiting the recycling collections, all left on the kerbside. I'm such a nosey sod I peer in to see what people have been eating and drinking. There was one box full of coca cola cans, full to overflowing . Either 25 people have two cans each, or one person has a serious addiction. Many of the sturdy plastic boxes look in a disgusting state, with sticky gunge splattered all over them because people can't be bothered to swill their empty containers out before they toss them in. Yuk, revolting. I pride myself in my clean box as I put it out on the front. Jars and tins are washed and separated to make the job easier for the operatives who travel in the back of the truck and have to sort them into the correct bins while the vehicle is moving. They must stink to high heaven when they get home from a shift, splashed by the gubbins which inevitably finds it's way onto their clothes. Well done to our bin men, they do a grand job.

Passing through the churchyard on my way to the village hall I came across an enormous dog turd next to the footpath. Yes even in our lovely village we have morons who think it's ok to watch their dog crap where ever it wants to, then walk away and leave it. I wanted to draw attention to this pile of poo so I picked up a few sticks that had blown down off the trees, and stuck them in the ground in a circle around it. I don't suppose it will make a blind bit of difference to the person who left it there, if they happen to be passing that point and see it, but it makes me feel better. I think I'm going to make some little flags and mark out all the piles of poop I see, and hope that those responsible will think again. Probably wont, I don't think there is much chance of that happening, unless pigs learn how to fly. 

After the crafty club I walked round to the mobile library which is parked next to the medical centre. Stan the man was on today. With all the council cut backs we are down to one van and one man, which is usually Stan unless he has a day off or is on holiday. At least they haven't cut down on our visits, we still get the van twice a day every Monday. 

Stan is a friendly sort, in fact he is a very nice man and if he wasn't already snapped up I might be interested. We always have a natter and a laugh. He talks to me while I am choosing my books. The non fiction section is not very big so I go along the rows reading titles out to him, and he tells me if it is new or not. There are always lots of cookery books, so we had a discussion about food. He said he doesn't eat out very much because of the small portions you get, he likes his plate full. I tend to agree with that. We have a very posh award winning restaurant not too far away and the portion sizes are minuscule. You've probably seen something similar, stack up a few bits of food in the centre like a balancing game, and leave a trail of drizzled red blood sauce swirling around the rest of the plate. I reckon that if the food is of the high calorie stodgy fattening type then that's all you should be eating anyway, but if it is the go straight through you in half an hour  vegetarian type, than you can eat as much of that as you like. Pile it high, that's what I say. Stan seems to be eating the right food anyway, he looks quite fit. 

Right, onto the pics. Four more small bowls I've made, for the crafty stall at our Christmas Fair. They are  covered in shimmery organza.  

 If anyone is making these, it is easier to get neat corners if you use felt for the backing.

This is a bigger one. The backing is a piece of red cotton sheet which needs a double hem.  

Going round and round in ever decreasing squares sometimes make the fabric pucker a little, it's important to try and keep it flat while sewing.

Hey, look at me, I've got an early Christmas prezzie. New fingerless gloves hand knitted by lovely reader Shabana. Thank you so much, they are perfect. I am mighty chuffed.

That's enough of my ramblings for one day. I am seeing some comments from new readers, or maybe you have been reading for a while but haven't commented very often. I try and remember names. Thank you to those who told me the name of the exotic fruit, I knew you would know the answer. Tonights dinner was the rest (5) of those chick pea patties, with steamed potatoes, brussels sprouts, and parsnips.
Toodle pip