No longer blue

I'm happy to report that I've solved my BSOD problem. I learned a lot more about my laptop and computers on my journey there and felt so satisfied when I resolved things.

So often in life we don't take care of things or notice them until they stop working. I hope I can pay more attention to the things that help my life to run smoothly. The old saying 'A stitch in time saves nine' is still relevant.

BSOD

My laptop keeps displaying the BSOD. Just when I wanted to get back to EBay.

I'm thinking optimistically. I've already learnt a lot from reading various things about dealing with a BSOD. I'm more likely to back up carefully and store photographs in other places. If I have to call in an expert I'll be allowing a professional to exercise their skills and might pick up some tips.

I'll be working on it this evening. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Vintage stuff

I'm completely thrilled to discover that a vintage fair is coming to town at the end of the month. After reading about such things in It's vintage, darling!, it will be marvellous to actually attend one. I doubt I'll actually buy anything though (although I do rather like the idea of a cloche hat).

I've become rather good at not buying things (particularly clothes). My purchases this year add up to tights, socks, flip flops (second hand) and boots. But part of the trick with this is not looking. Casual browsing of clothes, even when you have no intention of buying anything lead to spotting items that you might consider buying, even though you don't really need them.

I wandered into several charity shops last week. Partly because I wanted to try out some of the things from It's vintage, darling!, partly because I'm starting to think about Christmas presents (dear heart's music stand came from a charity shop and he was thrilled with it) and partly to visit the newly refurbished Heart Foundation shop.

I found myself seriously considering a pair of grey trousers for winter - this despite the day being sunny and my winter wardrobe not lacking grey trousers. If you don't look you can't want!
With Christmas on my mind, I'm planning on getting back on EBay and shifting some of the stuff taking up space in my study. I'll need to store the Christmas presents somewhere!

P.S. I visited Holland and Barrett midweek and they had Pure on the shelf. By Friday afternoon, there was only one tub left. It's obviously more popular round here than I ever realised.

Pure

What's going on with Pure margarine? I used to buy it from Holland and Barrett every week or two depending on how much baking I was doing. A couple of times they were out of stock, but it was the end of the day so I didn't think much of it.

I'm now struggling to recall the last time I saw it actually on the shelf. The Coop don't stock it (not sure if they ever did). The only alternative with no dairy is Vitalite (which only some Coops stock)

When did marg become a rare and exotic item that needed to be carefully sourced?

Something old, something new

I've got my new winter boots from Bourgeois Boheme and they are gorgeous (and they sensibly have adjustable straps to make them fit around my calves). I definitely needed new boots following the loose sole incident earlier in the year (see Pride comes before post in March).

Not only is the product really good, so was the service. This company has tried to make the experience as lovely as possible. When I needed to exchange ,because the boots I'd been eyeing up all year didn't actually fit me, it was no problem.

I'm thrilled to hear that Bourgeois Boheme will be at the Christmas without Cruelty fayre and have told Dear Heart that we need to go so that he can buy my Christmas present. Amazingly he agreed!

That being the new out of the way, I've been using something old - my Popeye lunchbox. It still has a label stuck inside with my name and class. I've used an insulated bag in the past but I like the more rigid metal container as it means things are less likely to get squashed. The flask is proving great for carrying soups without leaks.

Life is grand. I've had a marvellous week of early starts, evenings with cups of tea and early nights. Tonight I'm looking forward to a Whisky Sour (tried one at a barbecue last weekend- yum), but only one. I want to walk on Saturday morning and then engage in autumn type activities!

September

Isn't September a totally amazing month? You get the new start buzz of January but without the grey skies, depleted bank balance and general sense of gloom. There's enough of a nip in the air to make PJs, baked potatoes and hot tea an option. Yet it's still warm enough to venture for a walk without a jacket. The last of the summer fruit is still available but the first of the autumn stuff is coming in too.

The summer after I graduated I ran a B&B in a tiny isolated village in France. I had a marvellous time. However, I began to long for Autumn and particularly autumn in England. There were a stack of old glossies magazines and I lingered over recipes for stew and autumn fashions from a decade earlier. I also discovered an old paperback copy of September by Rosamund Pilcher.

So I'm happily cooking potatoes from my allotment, making soup and sorting out slightly warmer clothes to wear (not that this summer allowed for much skimpiness!). I'm happily snuggling on the sofa of an evening reading It's vintage, Darling! by Christa Weil and looking forward to my new boots arriving from Bourgeois Boheme. I'm considering the possibility of taking a days leave in October just to sort out my winter clothes. I can't decide it's a terribly sensible idea or totally friv. Would I be better spending a day making soup?