Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt for the week ending 12/11/2021

 

This week's word chosen by Astrid is 'Apple'.  This surprisingly was not an easy one for me.   B does not like cooked apples so I don't have lovely pictures of gorgeous home made apple pie or have an apple tree in the garden.  So after wracking my brains I suddenly remembered a couple of pictures I could use.   

I was given by a Lovely Lady a big bag of Crab Apples to make jelly.  I have never made it with Crab Apples, just Guavas which grew all around where we lived in Natal, South Africa.  I checked recipes for quantities of sugar etc and followed the instructions.  When it came to straining the cooked pulp and liquid through a muslin cloth I needed somewhere to hang the bag.  B came to my rescue, as usual, and lent me his mini workbench.  It worked very well.  We clamped two pillowcases filled with the cooked crab apples onto the bench and put two bowls underneath.  

                        

and then added sugar and this was the result!!  It was delicious.  We used it instead of red current jelly.

My next apple picture is of a brass apple made by B and our son.  It is part of a set of fruit in a leaf shaped bowl. There is a pear, banana, plum and the apple, all moulded from real fruit.  I used to find it fascinating to see all old bits of brass being put into the crucible then watch it melt and eventually be poured out into the prepared sand moulds. 

Our son and his wife have the set in Scotland where they live so I urgently messaged them asking for a photograph.  So this is not one of my photographs but taken by J. 

And finally....................a simple bowl of English Gala Apples. Delicious. 

Now to check and see what delicious apple pies (my favourite pudding, covered in custard)  others have posted.  

Astrid's Photo Treasure Hunt for the week ending 05/11/2021

 

This week's word chosen by Astrid is Bonfire.  November 5th or Bonfire Night, is a famous date here in the UK though sadly being overshadowed by Halloween.  But I'm sure others will remember how important it was to us.  I still remember seeing two young boys some years ago here with a sort of stuffed Guy figure on a Go-cart with a sign reading 'A Penny for the Guy'.  Though thinking about it, they must have written '1p' for the Guy, though it doesn't have the same ring to it!

For any American readers of this blog, Guy Fawkes,  or Guido Fawkes as he was known while fighting for the Spanish, was a member of a group of provincial English Catholics who was involved in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.  This was a conspiracy to assassinate King James VI and members of the Houses of Parliament.  

A farm just down the road always had a growing pile of wood in a field for Bonfire Night but not this year.  Maybe the farm has changed hands or the children grown up and left home.  Our local town  has a public fireworks display each year and when we first moved here in 2001 we could see them in the distance but trees have done what trees do, they have grown taller  and we can't see the display anymore  but we do enjoy a show someone has each year on the hill opposite us.

I don't have any pictures of bonfires for this week's post but I do have a lovely set of photographs taken by Katie at a bonfire night at their home in 2007.  

  

I see Parliament are considering a debate on whether fireworks should be banned here to all except for public displays.  It will be sad for those who buy sparklers and a few crackers for their children and perhaps a harmless Catherine Wheel but considering how much the noise and bangs frightens cats and dogs and the harm they do to ponies and horses in nearby fields it maybe a good idea.  

Just typing 'sparklers' now has brought back memories of the year we had some sparklers left afterwards and B lit two for the grandsons when they were very little.  He held them out for them to take and somehow they both grabbed them too high up and they burnt their little hands.  There was much screaming in pain and tears afterwards and a very remorseful  Grandfather but the boys (and their mother hopefully) forgave him. 

Now off to see if others have a more successful search for 'bonfire' pictures.   Have a safe Bonfire Night and take lots of photographs in case we need them again!!! 

Astrid's Photo Treasure Hunt for the week ending 29/10/2021

This week's word or words chosen by Astrid is Halloween or Choose  Your Own.  I have searched my archives and don't have a large selection to use for Halloween so have decided to add an amusing set of pictures as My Own Choice.

First a selection of carved pumpkins taken over a few years.  The first two were carved by B and the third by Katie. 

This is a neighbour of Kate and Himself really getting down to the bare bones of the occasion.  He really glowed in the dark.

Now for my own choice.

I have finally managed to get my sewing machine working again.  I found a very willing local sewing machine mechanic who came to our house and serviced and sorted out the tension problems I was having with my old machine.    As usual I was using my late mother-in-law's old sewing needle case and as always smiled as I did so.  Let me tell you why.

It is a lovely old good quality red  leather case, the cloth insides are getting a bit thin after years of use first by my mother-in-law and then myself.

Many years ago my husband, when an 8 year old boy living in present day Zambia, wanted a piece of leather for his homemade catty as children called their catapult, he looked around to find a useful piece.  He tells me that boys at that time usually used the tongue of a shoe but he could've find any to use, so being very resourceful he did this......

He says  he was in such trouble, and I'm not surprised,  I would have been furious, especially remembering that at that time living in Central Africa things like this would be very special and hard to come by.  To make matters worse, it was too small to use so he threw it away.

Little boys....................

That's my lot for this week.  Now off to see what others have done.  Have a good week.

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt Challenge for the week ending 22/10/2021

 

This week's word search brought up so many pictures that I could use for 'Costume' and next week's Halloween that I have had to just select a few or I would have none left for next week.  

The first picture is of our son and daughter-in-law's dear Roxy being 'cool man, just cool' in her cowboy hat and shades. 

The next picture is of a fabulous Viking warrior in an annual Garden and Scarecrow festival in a local village.  Such a lot of work has been done making this costume.

Papier-mache on balloons was used to make these Viking helmets.  The things I did for my grandchildren when they were younger.

What a wonderful headdress this is.  This is our son-in-law wearing a fantastic costume for one of their many Halloween parties.

A tradition started some years before had the men dashing down the hill late at night on the grandsons scooters, wearing their full fancy dress costumes.   This is not the local vicar but a friend wearing a borrowed cassock. 

Warming up for the big scooter challenge.

Unfortunately I do not seem to have a picture of 'the local vicar' in full flight down the hill as well but here is this brave warrior at full speed with his robes flying out behind him. 

That's my lot for this week.  Now off to see what other fantastic costumes others have found to use. 

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt for the week ending - 15/10/2021

 This week the word selection is 'Purple'.  Not a problem I think, I have masses of 'purple' pictures, mainly of flowers.  So I decide to be clever and make a collage out of some of my flower pictures.  I have been sitting here for well over an hour trying to make one type of programme where my pictures are stored co-operate with the different collage programmes but except for managing one boring effort of four flower pictures I got nowhere.  So I have given that up till our next visit from Youngest Grandson who always manages to sort out my problems.

I love African Violets but lately have not been growing them.  I did not realise how good mine had looked years ago before I killed them off somehow.  Maybe I must try again.   Anyway, there is plenty of purple to be seen here.  

Then there is purple knitting.  The first picture was of some very tiny, one sided dolls/baby clothes I knitted for a washing line Kate was hanging up as part of a Yarnbombing she was organising at her local community centre as part of a Yarnival weekend.  They were only about 10 inches in size. My idea of knitting, quick and easy.

This is a picture of a beautifully soft and snuggly shawl Kate knitted for me.  I used to always think only old ladies wore purple but as I wear a lot of it these days I suppose I must admit to falling into that category.  Oh dear!!  

  

This was a patchwork knitted coat I saw someone wearing and I asked if I could photograph.

Why must florists artificially colour flowers.  It spoils them, they are beautiful enough without any help.

I was actually photographing the horse and trap at a tractor run through a local village.  I didn't notice the purple car until I was trawling through my photographs and my eyes were attuned to looking for the colour purple.

Purple on a this witches' dress in a lovely shop  at Witches Galore in Newchurch-in-Pendle also caught my eye.

This Streptocarpus Blue Frills has been the most wonderful little pot plant to grow.  It has come into flower in spring and keeps going till October each year.  I have had it since I was taller than Eldest Grandson when he gave it to me and that was years ago!! 

The next two pictures I have used before but I feel they belong here as they truly are purple.  The first was taken in The Shambles in York (my nose would itch) and the second is a little Christmas Heart Ornament that Kate made for us a few years ago and I love it so much.  It is amongst my favourite that I have kept now we have downsized to a much smaller table top tree. 

Finally, remember this........It was a extra birthday present for our son-in-law.  His birthday always comes in autumn when the main camping weather is over.  For the last couple of years we have given him his birthday present much earlier in the year so it can be used when they are out and about in their van.  In spite of his objections we always give him a little extra to open on his birthday and this year was no different.  The Lemon Bonbons were a suggestion from Youngest Grandson.

That's my lot for this week.  See you next Friday.  Keep well (we have both been triple Covid jabbed and had our flu vaccinations  as well so hope we will be fine) xx

Astrid's Photo Scavenger Hunt for the weekend - 08/10/2021

The chosen word this week is 'Candy'  which goes with the ongoing theme this month of Halloween.  I don't have proper candy pictures as I have never taken pictures of toffee or fudge that I have made so I have had to think outside the box, far outside the box.  So here goes!

My first candy picture is of candy stripes.  This was some wrapping paper used by our daughter-in-law one birthday some years ago.

and here are more 'Candy Stripes', this time on some Christmas bed socks that caught my eye in our local B&M store. 

A while ago I got involved knitting 'Twiddle Muffs' for dementia patients for our local hospital.  The idea is that there are all sorts of things to fiddle with, mostly inside the muff.  Some had zips in revealing more fidgety things. Texture and colour was important.   They were fun to knit and the brighter the better.  In case you are interested or know someone who would benefit from a Twiddle Muff  HERE  is the link to the pattern.

Look familiar??

Humbugs - delicious!!

I do actually have some edible candies to show you - our favourite has to be Cadbury's Milk Chocolate. This was a picture that I took of some in our local post office ages ago, I can't remember why, but it has come in useful today.

This is a picture I had downloaded for myself as an idea to make at Christmas. So it is a bit of a cheat.  

Finally here is a surprise lot of candy.  I will reveal all next week.  

Astrid's Photo Hunt Challenge for the week ending - 01/10/2021

 

Astrid has chosen very topical themes for this month of October - Halloween styled headings, the first being Pumpkin.  I am fortunate that over the years Katie has carved many lovely pumpkins and I have pictures of some of them.  So here goes..............

A Scary Face

Scary Cat

and finally my favourite, a knight and castle

Some crocheted and knitted pumpkins and together with a couple of pumpkins makes a very attractive display for a Halloween party.

Lastly one I pinched from somewhere a while back ....(can't remember where) ..... a very topical picture.

That's it for this week, short and sweet.  I have had a very busy week,  had internet problems and just realised it is Friday afternoon so have quickly put these few pictures together.  

Off to see what others have done this week.