Sprouts - The Most Wonderfully Seasonal Name For A Grocery Store

I don't think Eric could think of a more seasonally appropriate name for a large grocery store he spotted on a nearby retail park, when he and Alice were running hither and thither!

Sadly, on this occasion, due to their hectic schedule, they didn't have a single second to peruse any of Sprouts produce, to see what other natural, organic, seasonal, festive fayre they had to offer, apart from of course, Eric's much beloved Brussels.

However, it must be said that as much as the ever fragrant one is also very partial to the odd sprout, let's just say that because of her undeniable reputation for wafting delightfully wherever she goes, she has to restrict her intake of said gas producing vegetables to just one or two very small ones, lest her reputation, following Darrell's always tres magnificent Christmas lunch should be sullied later on in the afternoon, need I say more?

More Head Messing In Foreign Climes For Eric and The Ever Fragrant One.

Yesterday, Eric and the ever fragrant one ventured to explore the heady delights of the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs ..........

..... a poignant and particularly romantic and oddly familiar type harbour town in Florida for Eric and Alice, where courageous Greeks immigrated to build the sponge industry in the early 1900's, making it the sponge capital of the world .......

 ....... and still remains the largest Greek community in the US.

Eric said it was all rather confusing for his poor head to take in, because visiting Tarpon Springs really was like stepping, seamlessly, into any one of our many Greek Oddities. It looked like Greece, sounded like Greece, even tasted like Greece .......

And well, it would have looked rude, not to mention remiss, not to have availed themselves of Tarpons Springs famous Hellas bakery and cafe for a coffee and cheeky box of pastries to take home for tea.

Again, Eric had to keep asking Alice to pinch him and vice versa to actually believe they were still actually in the US of A .....

....... even the shops were Greek to the absolute letter, selling products we've all perused (and occasionally bought) so many times before.

Then, things took on an even more surreal turn when Eric and the intrepid Alice went on to explore one of the back streets  of the town .......

....... for Eric to demand that Alice kick and pinch him even harder, as they stumbled upon a small hostelry proffering, freshly cooked Loukoumades for their delectation,  ONLY Eric's most favourite Greek pudding of all Oddities and time.

Whatever their itinerary, it all came to a very abrupt halt, while their whole world stopped for said delicacy ........

....... which I believe DID NOT disappoint. Again, they were both transported to Greek holidays past (and hopefully future), amidst much nomming. Never in their wildest dreams did they ever imagine eating their beloved loukoumades on this adventure ever, ever, ever,  what a memory to lay down!

Once their plate was licked clean, Eric and Alice continued their visit, however, due to all the unfettered excitement, quite a few photos were forgotten to be taken, they really were living in the moment ......... all those sponges and not one recorded, what on earth are they like? However, I understand several choice sponges were indeed purchased, along with some rather fragrant and reminiscent Greek recipe soaps, with Eric declaring after, that he didn't need any photos, the memories of that wonderous day will live with him forever and always!

Goodwill Hunting and The Wonderful Helen

Helen, Eric and the ever fragrant Alice's chauffeuress for their Goodwill Hunting leg of their adventure has proved an absolute dream, Eric and Alice both adore her already.

Not only has she managed to sort a non stop itinerary of ten Goodwills for each day they "have" her services (two days in total, from 9.00am to 5.00pm) .........

 ...... she has also made sure there is a most ample supply of nutritious snacks and drinks on the back seat for them, accommodated for the odd bathroom break and plucked time, seemingly from the air, for pitstops introducing them to fast food establishments they had, until now, never even thought of availing themselves of ......

..... not to mention becoming their font of all knowledge of every day American life, answering all those little questions that they might usually have been afraid to ask for fear of looking ignorant or just plain silly .......

...... for example, all the little flags on the grass they were curious about are not left over from various local celebrations, but are in fact markers to indicate where various underground utilities are, well I never!

Anyway, Helen, even after collecting them from the airport and one day of Goodwill Hunting is a definite keeper, it's been, according to the little fella, quite emotional!

I digress, how was their first day of actual Goodwill Hunting, was it worth two years of building anticipation and planning?

A thousand fold yes, according to Eric, perhaps the ones they have visited so far haven't been on the humungous scale of some they've seen on YouTube, but none have disappointed in any way, shape or form .......

....... he's already managed to find a rich seam of vintage Christmas stockings to replace all our run of the mile, mundane B & M Bargains ones at the behest of Darrell.

I believe a small festive or otherwise trinket has been duly purchased from almost all the Goodwills they have visited so far .......

........ but what Eric and Alice hadn't quite anticipated was the continuance of Eric's "haunting" by hedgehog, especially in the land of the free and Uncle Sam!

However, when faced with some particularly beautiful examples .........

..... it would have been rude to reject them and not avail oneself of at least one such souvenir of their adventure .......

........ finally accepting, it seems, that whatever country Eric finds himself in .........

....... said creatures just cant help being inextricably drawn to the little fella, perhaps one day we might find out why!

Too Romantic And Heady For Words

 The beautiful, red sunsets in Dunedin are legendary ........

 ....... not to mention, of course, incredibly, incredibly romantic .......

...... and as such, it has now become habit for Eric and Alice to go down to the waterside by the marina at around 5.30pm (before their tea) to watch it quietly together ........

....... embracing the moment, laying down memories that will last a lifetime, in companionable silence, wishing desperately that Darrell and I could be there with them .........

 ...... and last night was all the more magical ........

.....as they caught The Piper On The Pier playing some very beautiful and evocative tunes, that seemed to float through the air, adding an other-worldy element to the moment, that had them a little overwhelmed and welling up! 

It was emotional, very, very emotional ......each lost in their own thoughts .......

Although, both had to admit that the heady combination of lilting bagpipes, while surrounded by palm trees and the gentle lapping of waves, broken by the occasional, alarmed, leaping fish ....... 

........ did sort of mess with their minds ....... just a bit!  What are they like?

Where's The Green Cross Man When You Need Him?

Now, as you know Eric, after goodness knows how many years on the nursery and school run, the crossing of busy roads holds no mystery for the little fella .......

........ but in America, to wit Dunedin, it puts the absolute fear in him! On quieter roads in town you can cross in your own good way and time, but where there are buttons, lights and crossings concerned, it's a whole different story ........

...... you MUST press the button, if you can work out which one to press .......

...... and when the red hand goes up you are told to "WAIT" in a very commanding voice you wouldn't argue with, every five seconds or so and according to Eric you just wouldn't even dare put a single toe over the verb while this is all happening.

Then, when you are given the all clear to cross, there's an equally stern countdown as to how quickly you need to get across. Eric says having to use such crossings puts the absolute fear of god into him!

What on earth is he like?   

With Eric and the ever fragrant one in the good old US of A during what we always say is the most wonderful month of the year .........

.......... we were in a bit of a quandary as to how to proceed with our daily posts, Eric and Alices further adventures or our Christmas prep back home?

After a little debate, none heated, in the end we decided that after umpteen years of getting ready for Christmas we really are creatures of great habit .....

....... so, back at The Towers with just Darrell and I, it is very likely that it would all appear to be very same old, same old, while with Eric and Alice everything would be all so new, different and at times tres exotic ........

....... sooooooo we've decided to continue with their American adventures, especially as it seems it's getting very Christmassy over there too if called "The Holidays" instead.

They should be back for the Big Day, fingers crossed ........

.......... stockings will be hung and then straight after (the day after Boxing Day) we'll all be off to the sea, to wit Christchurch, a new holiday tradition started last year because we've always, always, always yearned to be by the sea during some part of the festive season.

As someone famous or not so famous once said (Mr D?) plus ca change ..... so let Eric's and Alice's adventures continue to roll just like those cattle trucks of the old west ......

..... and what better way to continue but with a little Christmas shopping at Darrell's festive behest ........

...... to inject new memories and taste sensations into his festive fayre this year, what is he like?  ......

 Top of his list, Lucky Charms for breakfast or exotic snacking in the evening ......

 ....... Goldfish of all persuasions and varieties .......

...... plus any other type of savoury snack type comestible of an unusual and different ilk or amusing name  .......

...... however the crown of all festive crowns goes to Eric for actually finding the Dolly Parton cookie mix that Darrell up to now could only dream of! Yes, he makes the most wonderful "biscuits" from scratch but to be bestowed with the gift of making Dolly's very own cookies was almost too much to bare.  Let's just say several boxes were duly purchased and several huge tears shed across the pond! Heaven help us all!