An ordinary weekend

An ordinary Friday to start the weekend? Nope. It was "Wear it PINK" day in aid of the Breast Cancer campaign charity. Even the staid blokes in the bank were wearing pink ties, and in offices up and down the country people donated £2 to charity to wear pink. Sadly most people in our office were on holiday, as it was half term for the schools. Still , those of us left put on a brave show (including Darren, who wore the pink feather boa for all of five minutes, and offered to take the photo so he wouldnt have to be in it!)

Thats me with pink hair at the front, in the Betty Barclay designer trousers and Thai silk shirt purchased from charity shops. I do not normally wear PINK. Those on the other end had compromised with just a pink top, and passed on the fancy dress.

I also persuaded the Friday night crowd in the village to do the same, and bless them, they all did. Even turned up with pink wigs too - and that was the men! We had pink food too - salmon and pasta bake, followed by blackberry and apple with pink icecream. A great evening.

On Saturday night there was a Halloween Evening on our village green, run by the Village News - our village magazine. There was a marquee, but the weather is still unseasonably mild and the rain held off. There were fairly lights and a barbecue, carved pumpkins, and loads of excited kids in fancy dress running about in the dark. (Thank goodness we dont get the problem in our village of trick and treating youngsters that they do in some towns. Not being an English custom, we havent got the traditions and behaviours that go with it, and it becomes an excuse for intimidating old folk into giving money with threats of violence)

Also there were two large bonfires - I wondered if someone organising it was a confused pagan and got Samhain and Beltane muddled up? But I refrained from comment, and also from herding my oxen between them to be cleansed.

The next day was an ordinary Sunday. I got up, and went bell ringing. Only to be greeted with an empty church, apart from Janet (the lady vicar) who said comfortingly "You're an hour early my love"

I had forgotten British Summertime (Daylight Saving) had ended, and hadn't put the clocks back! Heigh ho, at least I had breakfast and put the first load of washing out on the line before returning.

Later on, The Husband and I went to a food fair as part of Dorset Food Week. It was in the grounds of Parnham House (usually closed to the public) but I dont find the gardens attractive - they are very formal with lines of sculpted yew trees, and I find the garden boring, dark and intimidating - so we just went to the small marquee and looked at the stalls selling local produce - jams and chutney, cheese, meat, bread, wines, seafood, veggies and chocolate. We realised how lucky we are to be able to buy these on a regular basis at the local farm shops or the regular Farmers' Markets. These markets a fairly new but very popular happening, and do a lot to reduce food miles. Also most of the produce is organic or nearly so. But the marquee was very crowded.

So we came away with wild boar steaks for tonight's meal. These came from a farm just up the road in Yeovil, but I am not sure if they were reared or shot in the wild. Many of these animals have escaped and now live wild in West Dorset. I once saw a sow with a string of black and orange striped piglets in tow, crossing the road in woodland at the edge of our village. And if you meat (oops, spelling haha) meet one in the road, you give way. Not to be messed with.

We decided to have lunch at Broadwindsor Craft Centre two miles away, as the marquee was so crowded - all of the county set in Dorset had descended it seemed. The craft centre has not only shops selling hand made crafts, but a lovely place called Earth Design that sells minerals, crystals, jewellery and a good range of "New Age" books. I wandered happily around and left The Husband surprisingly reading through "365 Dalai Lama - daily advice from the heart" which we bought.

The journey back home is along one of my favourite roads in Dorset. It meanders up and down hills, often under beech trees, with lovely views of gentle green valleys and stately chalk hills. The sun had come out, and only the first trees are turning russet. The green leaves are hanging gamely on in the warmth and wet.

There is a lovely sunset right now, with stripey pink clouds stretching across a pale blue sky - but its only five o'clock! That means I will be coming home from work tomorrow in the dark.