Thinking outside of the box . . .

Lidl had one of their periodic weekend sales of leftovers from the special offers they have each week. Whilst we didn't need cycling equipment, bike racks (yeesh, those bargers got in the way of searching), childrens' shoes/clothes, underwater cameras, pond set up equipment, we did snaffle up some bargains. The price range was 50p/£1/£3/£5/£10.

I was delighted to pick up two pairs of long (I can shorten 'em) white tab top curtains for £1 a pair yesterday - just what I needed for mum's flat. OH also bought a 3 LED light fitting to go over my counter for £1. Only today did we notice he had bought one that had a light bulb and cover missing. But hey, today they were 50p each and we bought two more to make up a complete one with spares! We also thought outside of the box a bit and bought 5 more lots of curtains (now 50p a pair) to use as curtain backings/linings or to back cushions etc. I have to go all the way to Swanea (a 50 mile round trip) if I want curtain fabric/linings etc now, so this was £2.50 well spent. We got two big chunks of good quality pond liner at 50p a time too, which my husband assures me he can find a use for - covering up his piles of maturing tree trunks I suspect! A box of wine glasses for our daughter in Swansea was the only indulgence, as they cost £3, but she asked us to look out for some and she will be happy that they are new (she struggles with the concept of 2nd hand, but she is young yet . . .)

This morning we had a wander round the car boot sale, which was just an echo of the size it was last week, when I had NEVER seen so many stalls or buyers on that site. Today I really struck lucky and my cosmic ordering machine delivered me a brand spanking new British-made (what a rarity in this day and age) old-fashioned design alarm clock for just 50p! I nearly bit the guy's hand off . . . It's a sort of clotted cream colour on the body, and is made in Towcester, which is where my mum's rellies came from, the lace-making ones.




Then we bought a cheap teapot, a solid brass big escutcheon thingey (OH will have a use for it I'm sure, he bought it), a beautiful little green glass dish for 50p that reminded me of a cobweb (photo to follow), and a solid oak (red-stained, ugh) candelabra for 50p which OH thinks he "may be able to do something with". My immediate thought was burn it, but what do I know? Oh, and for another 50p a book on Versailles. OH again. He only bought a book on Versailles a couple of weeks back, but this one is apparently "better" . . . I can see us having a good car boot sale next spring . . .



Anyway, housework calls, and so do the New Forest crab apples. I have some becoming wine, but need to do jelly with the red stripey ones. Right, up and at 'em . . .


I wish this was a computer which could waft you the exquisite smell of these wild apples cooking.


Now in the jelly bag overnight, and will be cooked up and potted tomorrow. The jelly bag, incidentally, IS scalded each time I use it, and sterilized with lemon juice too, but that does little to remove the blackberry and elderberry and damson stains . . .