Mooning Around

Good grief! what a weekend we've had at the House of Marmalade ... i'm putting it down to the Full Moon.

On Friday night, Mr Marmalade and I heard a terrible commotion outside the house - we live next door to a pub - and presumed it was just a young man's brawl. Which it was. It wasn't until Saturday morning that we discovered the 'trail of vandalism' they had left behind - over 20 cars in the village badly damaged using keys or knives, and ours was no exception! It turns out that they were a gang from town who came here specifically to cause trouble ... WHY??!

On Saturday, more mindless carrying on as Mr Marmalade was called in the middle of the night to a fire - 50 tons of straw!! The 6th case of straw arson in as many weeks. Our Farmers are in despair! There is a straw shortage already due to the unfavourable straw growing weather of this year ... What is in the minds of these people? Do they even have minds?

Although crime figures do officially rise at the time of the full moon, the high energy ensures that lots of good things happen too, and so I am pleased to report that good things did come out top this weekend.

Jimmy started his first Saturday job - he walked into a car garage last week - unbeknown to us, asked for a job, and they gave him one! He is doubly pleased as the cars are "prestige" and like many boys of his age, cars are one of his favourite obsessions - so much so that I sometimes think Jeremy Clarkson has moved in with me, I hear his voice so often, then I realise it's just Top Gear on the TV .... again! We've had our moments with Jimmy over the last year, since he turned 'teen', there was the famous gin incident, 2 school suspensions the most shocking moment of my career as a mother to date - the time that he was brought home by police at 2am after having escaped from his room to meet some friends! But all in all, it's moments like these that make me know without question that there IS light at the end of the 'terrifying teen' tunnel and that with each teen horror, a 'bursting with pride' moment will be just around the corner. Thank goodness!

I also received a few orders from my website, so I've been busily packaging them up and sending them off!

And Val's seed swap arrived!! I say seed swap - I think she's sent me a garden!!! And the most beautiful beaded bracelet too - an unexpected surprise! The seeds were packaged in the most lovely little origami envelopes, which I have shamelessly copied to enclose the seeds that I am swapping with Ginny, as her swap partner dropped out. Thank you so much Val! I can't wait to plant all my new flower seeds next year. Most of them will go in the allotment as our garden is being re-designed (Mr Marmalade + new shed). Now I too will be wafting around with my trug and secateurs in a Sarah Ravenesque cutting flower manner. Hurrah!

I have really enjoyed the Seed Swap, to me it's an expression of the abundance that we can all share as a community at this time of year, the late harvest, not just food, but joy and beauty too. I hope to do another next year, so anybody reading this who wants to join in, remember to save some seeds!