Nigel Feels Haunted By ....... Hedgehogs

Poor Nigel returned from town this morning claiming that it's all getting a little bit weird for him, because he pretty sure he's currently being "haunted" by ...... ta dah ......

.......... hedgehogs! They seem to be everywhere he looks, including at Christmas, when there had been quite a few on our Christmas cards, but then, it seemed quite cute and magical at the time, however, now he says, they've started to impinge on his charity shop shopping and  its just getting a too spooky even for him.

He said, there he was in the Salvation Army shop, innocently flicking through the linen rail, looking for the odd, vintage tea towel for Darrell, only to be greeted by a hedgehog infused duvet set!!!!!

He says "something" is going on, he's sure he's being sent some sort of subliminal message, if only he could crack the code!  I've told him it's just pure coincidence, but I don't think he's going to swallow it!  He's convinced he's being used and channelled as a spiritual vessel!  WHAT on earth is he like? 

https://www.centreofexcellence.com/hedgehog-spiritual-meaning/

A Baptism Of Fire For Alice!!!!

Well, Alice has finally made it past all the whistles, bells, flutes and hoops to become a helper in school alongside with Nigel.  We and he are sooooooo unbelievably proud.

Yesterday was her very first day, it was, not reading, but sewing art book folders with Nigel and his beloved 4 Teme. Even Nigel was a little daunted on hearing of the task a week or so ago, being almost a stranger to the  art of the needle and thread, but, after a couple of lessons from Darrell, he was feeling a little more confident.

However, they still both embraced the challenge with aplomb, armed with an ample supply of needle threaders (courtesy of Darrell's sewing basket) and got well stuck in.

Nigel says the little ones were totally bedazzled by the ever fragrant Alice and hung on to her every word and she in turn was gentle, patient and above all else, encouraging .........

....... but took no messing, especially when the usage of pointy, sharp implements was involved!  

It was a triumphant, all be it an exhausting one, with thirty odd, beautiful, hand sewn folders completed and justly admired.

It was a baptism of fire, when expecting her first day to involve the adventures of Biff, Chip, Kipper, Wilf and Wilma etc. and the giving out of her new, carefully chosen, reward stickers, but she said, she wouldn't have had it any other way .....

...... with her now champing at the bit for her next day in school, which really will be, she is assured, listening to little readers alongside her mentor, Nigel, happy days.

Soup, The Ultimate Comfort Food

January, until at least mid March, are not months exactly seeped with the preparation and eating of salad, no matter how delicious .......

...... it's more a time for hunkering down and getting all cosy with some good, honest, comfort food once all the chores are done, the blinds are down and the day ebbing  .......

...... and for that reason Darrell has gone all gung-ho with a spending splurge via Ebay, adding a pile of new soup books to his ever burgeoning, culinary reference library.

I think with the festive leftovers he has carefully categorized and stored in the freezer and said new books, we can embrace all the pleasures that soup has to offer for at least the next 2 years, without a break, if he were to make every single recipe there within!

Not that I am complaining in any way, shape or form, because Darrell does make a most exceedingly wonderful soup, be it with or without the aid of a recipe book ........

...... his pear and Roquefort combo last night was an absolute triumph, with second, third and fourth helpings very much requested!  What are we like, if not little soup dragons! 

Darrell Tends To His Household Duties

He's put it off for long enough now, so this morning Darrell got down and dirty with a spray can of his beloved Mr Muscle, in order to get our oven back up to spec following all the rigours that the festive season put it through.

It's a job Darrell always likes to do before Christmas and then again after (a little delayed this year), as the oven really does take an almighty hammering, meteorologically speaking, when Darrell's in yuletide Nigella mode!

Fortunately, it wasn't too onerous a job this year, thanks to some robust usage and tactical placement from Darrell's industrial sized roll of Bacofoil, to help protect against all unavoidable spits, splats, splashes and accidental spillage over the holiday period.

Trouble is, once everything is all clean and shiny again, Darrell is reluctant to mess it up, so there follows several days of him thawing and microwaving some of the meals he'd prepared earlier and frozen, just for such an eventuality ........

...... and then, when they're all gone, well, it's back to business as usual, although I have to say that since he's mastered his Ninja, it's taken quite a bit of the burden away from said oven. What is he like, if not extremely fastidious about the cleanliness of his cooking receptacles, bless him!

Oh No, No, No, No No ..........

Oh no, oh no, oh no, no, no ........ more physic inclinations (see 6th January) and ......... the return of "Hedgehog"!

Nigel, on a walk this morning, decided to explore under the railway bridge which has just been resurfaced, much to the relief of the whole estate, because previous repairs have been a disaster.  Long story short, we've had to endure the blocking of drains, the scattering of debris all over said estate and on the whole, looking a complete mess, amidst many, many complaints!

Everything has now been tarmac-ed to an inch of its life and a new walkway/railing put in place, although the huge puddle remains under the bridge, but, the ducks, Nigel thought, would still appreciate it when the weather is completely inclement and if it ever gets really bitter and freezes over, well, perhaps the estate could make use of its very own, covered, ice rink facility!

However, it was what Nigel saw on the sides of the bridge that had his poor heart and usually buoyant spirit plummeting to the ground .........

On the one side was the infamous, foreboding tag "I know Hedgehog" and on the other ........

....... oh good grief, Hedgehog now seems to have teamed up with .........  a Panda??????? 

Now, not condoning the wanton act of graffiti in any way, shape or form, but, if I were the "artist" (a title, in this case, to be used in the very loosest of terms), perhaps, since your panda is instantly more recognisable than your hedgehog, you should concentrate on getting your hedgehog(s) right first!

This, and all other of your "hedgehogs" are an embarrassment to all, real life and fictional hedgehogs (including poor Mrs Tiggy Winkle), perhaps a few "life art" lessons wouldn't go a miss before, heaven forbid you decide to unveil yet another one. You sir, are no Banksy! Questions really need to be started to be asked in Parliament! 

Hints Of Prophetic Prophecy?

Something spooky is going on, we think we might be turning a little bit physic, of a late, great Derek Acorah (RIP) type nature, because something we had  whimsically mulled over in a post on Wednesday (8th January), has actually now happened in real life!

So, in the post we mentioned that we (but mostly Nigel) very occassionally find an old tyre or the odd abandoned shopping trolley down our road  .......

...... and then ....... low and behold, what does Nigel come across this morning? Only a said shopping trolley (the identity of supermarket, as of yet, unknown).  Nigel said it gave him the willies, as he's no sure he can handle, and I quote, "the responsibility of soothsaying and clairvoyance, so early on in the year!"  What on earth is he like?

As the abandoned caravan has still not been moved, I wonder if it's worth putting another note on the window alerting them to the trolley, then, with it gone, perhaps Nigel can quickly put aside all fear of any un-earthly, prophetic powers that may be currently emanating The Towers! We shall see ..........

On the Ninth Day Of January ......

Nine days into our Bucket List Calendar of 2025, and Darrell bought flowers for himself, tulips (tick) ......

.... and then promptly presented them to the ever fragrant Alice. Let's just say, it was erm ..... emotional!

And, with Easter eggs already permeating the shops .........

...... Nigel thrifted himself a new charity shop mug (tick) to embrace the oncoming spirit of the season ......

....... well, he reasoned, it would be rude not too and in boys scouts tradition it's always best to "be prepared"! 

Nigel and Alice have also gone for a few brisk morning walks, despite all the mud on the river bank at present (tick) ........

...... and it seems that, just like Easter eggs, the catkins have already sprung!

For my part, I have framed a couple of memory packed photos from last year, using thrifted frames (tick) ........ so four out of fifteen ticks ain't bad and we've still got twelve days to go!