Bwahaha!

LL and I spent some time Saturday carving a pumpkin in time for Halloween. I'm not sure looking at this image which one is more scary...

I think he might go out tonight with some little friends "Trick or Treating." Or "Demanding with Menaces" as perhaps it might more accurately be described. To be honest at his age it's just innocent fun and they don't go further than a few houses in the immediate area, where all the children are well known anyway but you get my point.


Have a ghoulish (and safe) evening everyone...

Big Bang

It's got round to that time of year again when the UK goes mad on fireworks to mark Guy Fawkes' attempt to destroy Parliament on 5 Nov 1605. The anniversary of this event is celebrated with fireworks and a bonfire on which a "Guy" is usually burnt.

As is tradition where LL lives, they celebrate on the nearest Saturday a whole week early, don't ask me why, so usually around Halloween. It seems to work and a great time is had by all. Here's a couple of images from this evening...

Great fun.



29 Oct Crystal Palace 0 - 0 Reading

Ta-Dah!

Here it is, as promised....

Don't worry- I did wash the holly first LOL.

The Smell Of Christmas*

Some readers may recall last year I had a go at baking a Christmas cake based on the Delia Smith kit sold in a well known supermarket. If you need to, you can refresh your memory here and here LOL.

Now if ever there was an example of how imitation is one of the best forms of flattery, may I present exhibit "A" below?

All that's missing from this image is 170g of unsalted butter.















At £10 (the same price Delia's was offered for last year) you can understand that I couldn't refuse the chance to give it go. And in fact it requires fewer additional ingredients; how can I go wrong? It's in the oven now and should be finished after 3 and a half hours at a relatively low heat, so a couple more to go. There's whole almonds in the mix so I'm thinking this year perhaps I might leave it totally plain and adorn it with some holly from the garden...

Either way I might post an image later as it cools. Do check back soon to see how it went.


18 Oct Reading 2 - 2 Derby
22 Oct Reading 1 - 1 Southampton

* Don't you just love the smell of spices and mixed fruit that has been soaked in a generous portion of Brandy? I know I do LOL.

Extra

Extra minutes and extra teeth.

LL has been feeling very much under the weather this weekend, complaining of headaches and a sore throat. It seems the route cause is a number of adult teeth pushing through. As you see, at least some of the new ones appear to be a little off target...

Ouch!












Meanwhile yesterday the Royals travelled to Burnley and ended up playing an unheard of additional 9 minutes, in lieu of injury time. Substitute Jem Karacan managed to score the only goal of the match right before the final whistle (at 99 minutes), winning Reading a vital 3 points. Following their no-score-draw at home to Middlesbrough last Saturday (1 Oct), Reading's unbeaten run now stretches to 4 games but they remain mid-table at 14th out of 24.

P.Y.O*

Who would have thought the first day of October would see us out in the sunshine picking strawberries and raspberries? In fact at 29.9 degrees Celsius (about 86 degrees F), today has been the hottest October day in Britain on record. Wow.

Now where shall we start?

Did we pick enough?
















* Pick Your Own. Just so you know.