The Pumpkin Harvest

I don't know what it is but I am feeling really 'itchy' this week.  Not in the scratching sense of the word but an 'itchy feet' feeling, time to move on, look at new things, change direction sort of feeling.  Maybe because the children are definitely getting older and I compare my life at their age to their own.  At their age I used to jump on a bus or train and go into the centre of London to see the sights, shop and generally hang around.  I look at my two and yes, they have a nice safe environment, countryside, a reasonable school, but as children transform into their teenage years they need the hustle and bustle of a real city.  My Bex is very much like me at her age, testing, inquisitive, arty and thoughtful but her social life is very much 'on line' when she isn't at school.  My Luke spends a lot of time with his dad fishing, walking and going to nature reserves.  Two very different children and in need of more nurturing.

I am looking forward to my break at the end of the month to start on my living room and dining room to freshen it up, but I don't want to go overboard as I intend to have the house on the market in a year's time(itchy feet!). 

I don't want to give it a typical makeover to get the place sold, the bland impersonal wall paint, no personal items on show etc - I can remember looking at houses when we wanted to move from Essex and the amount that looked the same with their bland boxes for rooms, the same leather sofa, the same art work on the walls, the same blinds at the windows, and, oh dear, the same UPVC windows!  No individuality at all, no nooks and crannies, no quirkiness at all.  The amount of door to door salesmen that knock on the door to sell me their 'wonderful UPVC windows'...and their look of shock when I say I have wooden double glazing thank you and I HATE plastic windows!!  I like a house to breathe, I like to hear the occasional bird song that manages to make its way through the glass, that's what living in the country is meant to be about...isn't it?

But anyway, enough of this meloncholy, I have had a day off today to continue with the 'Winter clean' while the children are at school.  My windows are sparkling and the house looks immaculate (let's see how long that lasts?!!).   It's also time to get the bulbs in for the spring and plant my potatoes for one of mine and my Luke's Christmas morning jobs before everyone gets up (we like to spend some time together pulling up the potatoes and washing them...strange but true!).  One of my favourite places in the house is at my kitchen window and to mark the harvest season I have bought a small pumpkin to keep my rooster happy.

And now, to an annual event that happens in Spalding.  Everyone knows of the famous flower parade with the floats decorated with tulips.  Well another parade that takes place on the first week of October is The Spalding Pumpkin Parade.  There is a pumpkin grower in Spalding, Bowmans, who sponsors the event.  There are stalls in the market place all selling something to do with pumpkins, and then the parade itself.  Hundreds of men, women and children, a lot in fancy dress, all walk through the town with lit pumpkins and other paraphernalia  led by the Tulip Time Princess in a carriage.  It all rounds off with fireworks from the top of South Holland Centre.

Well myself, my Luke and my Mum decided to go again this evening.  It looked as though it was going to be dry but a bit chilly, so on with the coats and off we set for Spalding. (sorry the photos are not the best).

Oh, and found a wonderful site called Ravelry, for all those who love the woollen stuff!!  I am on THIS LINK.  I am just going to get my photos together and put them on.  I still need some time to work it all out, but it looks absolutely wonderful!