The Ever Fragrant One and Eric Florida Orange Bound

When you next see these two beloved and precious characters, they will be a million miles away in Clearwater, Florida, in the seaside town of Dunedin to be precise .......

...... on their once in a lifetime, Clearwater Tour of as many "Goodwills", the size of which we just can't comprehend, compared to those here in the UK, that they can pack in, not to mention a cheeky Antique Mall or two plus the odd Dollar Tree and Dollar General! It's a trip that has been two years in the making, after being a looooooooooooong felt want of both of them for a very long time.

There will also be plenty of time for sightseeing, including a boat trip to watch dolphins and perhaps even a shark or manatee (one of Eric's most favourite aquatic creatures of all time), strolls and paddles on the local beaches and near-by towns to explore with their romantic museums, churches and parks, not to mention local breweries and hostelries to sample typical American fayre. Then perhaps, a little line dancing, comedy clubbing, local markets etc., perhaps even a garage/estate sale and visit to a beauty parlour for the ever fragrant one! 

To help them get around, we've booked them two days with a local chauffeur lady who will be at their beck and call, heaven help her, Dunedin will be their lobster.

They have an apartment for their stay because they want to "live" as typical, real life, ordinary Americans ordering in pizza, watching Dr Phil and having Lucky Charms for breakfast!  What on earth are they like?  Well, it was this or Dollywood!!! Each to his own I suppose.  

So, we've checked their cases a million times as well as their passports and ESTAS, Darrell has slipped in our traditional, good luck charm, travel snack of choice, to wit a Twix apiece to enjoy when they are cruising at 40,000 feet.  

It's all soooooooo very, very exciting, hopefully they'll be back by the time we are on the cusp of our most favourite month of the year, December, but if they run over, as oft our adventures have a tendency to do, they should be back for the big day itself!!! Anyway, I'm sure until some time tomorrow we'll all be waiting with baited breath and tenterhooks to hear that the eagles have landed and made contact with their chauffeur lady Helen ........ happy, happy and tres exciting Americano days!

The Holy Grail Of Charity Shop Shopping

It's funny now how we're all become very much invested in Eric's hedgehog "stumbling upon" adventure ..........

 ..... although it's very much the spotting, rather than any purchasing, otherwise I think we'd be totally over run by the creatures by now .......

 ...... however, although Christmas (our very most favourite season of the year) is still a while off yet, I have still set myself a target of finding, in my eyes, the holy grail and pinnacle of hedgehogs findings as a present for Eric .......

  ...... to wit, drum roll please .....

..... a vintage, hedgehog key holder (both practical and decorative).  The chances of finding one are, I know, absolutely infinitesimal, but it'll just be fun looking and if it's something that remains elusive, I'm sure I will find something hedgehoggy to pop in his stocking, if not quite as  erm ...... unusual and strangely alluring!  What am I like? 

It's Nice To Natter To Natter Is Nice!

Yesterday, young Eric spotted something he'd never spotted before, goodness only knows how  .........

..... to wit, a small plaque inviting you to have a chat with a person you might also find availing themselves of said bench.

Well, you know Eric as much as we do and he just LOVES to natter with anyone about this and that, everything and anything, nothing complicated, technical or controversial,  just a gentle shared musing and ponderage.

What a lovely idea! Eric, to be honest, is never short of anyone to talk to, but he is aware that although some people might be out and about town, if they live on their own, they may not have spoken to anyone "properly" for few days, saying please and thank you in a shop doesn't really count ..........

So, he's promised himself that when he's got a few minutes to kill when he's "up town", he'll sit there for a while, perhaps with a few suckie sweets in his pocket and strike up a conversation, especially in the weeks leading up to Christmas, when it's a time that can feel even more lonely for some people, a time when we are truly, truly blessed in much more than a Hello magazine type way. Bless his little woolie winter socks. We await and look forward to hear his tales from/of the bench ........ what is he like?

Rising From The Ashes, Big Things From Little Do Grow ????

Yesterday, Darrell spotted something that you don't really see very often, to wit "Nature," he said, "begetting nature", or words to that effect!

Right by Lidl (again) there is a small, sapling tree growing slap bang in the middle of the old gnarled, hewn truck of another.  It was, he said "Emotional!" ......

...... adding, amid much poetic musing, it to be "A truly beautiful wonder to beholden, almost a miracle in fact, life begatting life, in the face of adversity" ???? 

Sometimes, Darrell's thoughts go a little over my head ......

..... but I have to agree, that it is a small marvel, nonchalantly walked passed by so many people each and every day, the miracle of new life going almost totally unnoticed.

However, Darrell has a plan, with the festive season being so tantalisingly close, he is very, very, very temped to find a small set of solar lights with which to festoon this brave young tree, thus drawing attention to "its force of nature"  WHAT on earth is he like????? 

How Did Eric Possibly Miss These?

I think it's quite possible that the ever fragrant Alice has been stumbling upon/finding more free pavement "stuff" than even Eric, this last little while ......

...... and this morning was no exception .......

 

....... when she spotted these two rather splendid bar stools at the very entrance of our estate going gratis. 

Now, not that Alice knows a lot about bar stools (kitchen or otherwise, being a gentile young lady), but she did know that if the hydraulics didn't work, i.e go up and down smoothly, they wouldn't be much use, if, for example, they were on the dodgy side, unseemly accidents could occur if they, hypothetically, suddenly dropped without any forewarning, just as someone was about to take a bite of their toast etc. at the table/bar  ......

Sooooooo, it would have been rude and in a way, un-neighbourly not to try them out of a health and safety type nature.

Alice was impressed, they did indeed pass muster re: said hydraulics and glamour  as they matched her lipstick perfectly, however no one at chez Towers was texted as to their free availability because we simply don't have the space and then ..... goodness only knows what ideas Eric would come up with in order to try and emulate any number of fairground rides when sat on one!  We know him soooooo well! 

Another One of Evesham's InfamousLeaning Walls

It seems that Evesham has quite a few ominously leaning walls along our oft trodden paths ......

...... and this one is no exception, right by Lldl, on Eric's school run ........

.....so needless to say, the little fella treads very carefully whenever he goes by .......

..... as does Darrell, both allowing themselves ample safe passage, just in case any unfortunate fallage occurs at the very same moment of their passing, squished is not a position any of us would like to find ourselves in, especially in such a public and busy location, on the cusp of Bengeworth!

And, obviously any devil may care, carefree balancing activity is strictly on the verboton list!

Perhaps, if it was a quiet day in Parliament, a couple of quick questions, snook in, could be asked on behalf of the citizens of Evesham's safety????  What are we like?

No One Said It Would Be A Walk In The Park!

Following on from Eric's artistic leanings after finding a wooden wildlife set in a tin on the shelves in our charity shop of choice, Vale Wildlife yesterday ..........

..... he's been driving Darrell mad to help him make a special present for Alice, a memory box if you will, to reflect his recent hauntings by hedgehogs and their mutual (his and Alice's) love for a good charity shop mooch! 

In the end, Darrell, under such intense pressure, couldn't procrastinate any longer,  in the full knowledge, from past experience, that the little fella isn't the most patient when crafting ......

..... specially in the setting things out first and then allowing any glue to dry "properly" before moving on department !

I believe there were several "don't touch, don't mess with that, just leave it for a minute and LET IT DRY first" type moments, where I believe Darrell had to use his, not oft heard, stern voice!

But in the end they got there, using a simple, wood glue, because as sure as eggs is eggs Darrell wasn't going to let Eric anywhere near a tube of Super Glue, no matter how quickly it might have fixed things!

When they admired the finished results it was, as expected, emotional, although no tears on this occasion (though there may have been one or two shed behind the closed door of the bathroom from Darrell during said proceedings). There was just much standing back, admiring from all angles and sighing.

I have to admit the finished results are rather lovely .....

...... and I believe now safely put away until, according to Eric, Christmas, but to be honest, I don't think he'll be able to wait that long before giving it to Alice.  He says it's also inspired him to "recycle and create" some more ....... oh dear, heaven help poor, old, patient Darrell, what has Eric started?

A Veritable Feast Of Hedgehog Kind

Those pesky hedgehogs still continue to follow old Eric around whenever he is out and about charity shop mooching and yesterday was no different, they were out in unfettered abundance .......

..... when he happened upon a collection of some quality, having been housed and confined to "the precious glass cabinet", due to the great sums they'd been priced up at.

There were even more, on the other side of the cabinet, obviously from the same range, but Eric was a bit conscious of being watched as he was taking pictures, so you'll just have to imagine the "magical" antics those hedgehogs were getting up to!

BUT, there was more, in the next shop he visited, another veritable feast of pricklege awaited, but perhaps not of the same exquisite quality as the ones above. Sadly, when we find a gathering of the same thing, usually of an ornamental creature type nature, dans une charity shop we having a observational saying, "A little old lady must have just died" ........please, please, please forgive us if that's a little insensitive, but it's often the truth.  

Eric did admit to a little non purchasers regret with the holly eating (???) hedgehog, as a surprise present for Darrell, when he is carefully curating his festive shelves later on in the year, just to see his face as he tries to think of every polite reason as to why it wont exactly fit in to any of his Christmas displays!

However, on this one trip, a considered purchase of £1.50 was made (in Vale Wildlife), mainly because of the cute, family of wooden hedgehogs within this BBC Springwatch activity set.

Eric says he came over all creative and wants to make a framed "tableau" if he can find the right frame and Darrell will help him! I'll just leave that one there ........ we can only wait and see what he comes up with, heaven help us!

Eric Ponders ........

Poor Eric, sometimes even the simplest of things, at times have a habit of confusing the little fella, resulting in much more ponderage and musing than possibly need be .......

..... to wit, is this sign requesting that you use your "inside voice" outside where you are or your "inside voice" inside the building the sign was outside of?

Eric says that really our inside voices don't really differ that much from our outside ones, as we're not particularly prone to either whispering or shouting, as we much prefer to keep things on an even tone as far as our voice levels are concerned .......

but there again, Eric also says, that he always thinks of his "inside voice" as being the voice inside his head, when he is thinking.  You're confused?  Well, we're confused, so goodness knows how Eric must be feeling, if not doubly confused!  What are we all like?

The Ever Fragrant One To The Rescue

Oh my goodness, it's that time of year, the time when cold, wet, bedraggled, eight legged creatures are oft to seek sanctuary dans Le Towers, in particular the bathroom ....... 

...... and knowing Darrell as we do, I think you and I can both imagine the ensuing and frequent scenarios we are currently facing!

So enter the dragon the ever fragrant one whose fragrance and no nonsense attitude hold know bounds as far as such creatures are concerned! 

Darrell only has to whimper that oh so familiar whimper and she's in that bathroom like Flynn, armed with nothing but a glass and sheet of paper.

However, she says that she is only willing to come to Darrell's rescue for so long and if he doesn't "grow a pair" before the autumn is through ........

....... she's going to send him, touts suites, for an intensive course of acupuncture ........

...... plus hypnotism, to get rid of his fear of needles at the same time and NO arguments!  What is she and he like?