Candles for the Christmas Hampers

 Sometime back in the summer I got a Kirstie Allsop candle making kit from a charity shop and wondered why I'm often tempted by craft making bits.

I've now made them for the Christmas Hampers....ta da!

I can't stand scented candles - some give me a headache and others make me feel sick  - but it didn't really dawn on me that making them would be just as smelly.

I had to put the extractor fan on and shut the kitchen door until they'd set.

I shall wrap them in cellophane - if I've got any - label them up and put them somewhere out of the way until Christmas.

Back Tomorrow

Sue

St Matthew's Day

Today, the 21st, is St Matthews Day .

 If the man who wrote the first Gospel in the bible is the same Matthew who became one of Jesus's disciples, then he had been a collector of taxes for the Romans working and living at Capernaum.

Matthew's gospel contains much that isn't mentioned in the other gospels - the story of the magi,the sermon on the mount and some of the parables.

The painting below of Saint Matthew is copied from my Calendar of Saints book and is by Rubens

(Tuesday afternoon and just editing in to say that Ang has let me know this isn't St Matthew! It's St Thomas!  I took the information from my book A Calendar of Saints and didn't check elsewhere because I assumed the book would be right - but it's Very Wrong!. The book was published in 1986 but my copy is from 1997 which means no one corrected it when it was reprinted. How strange. Thank you Angela for putting it right. I shall never take the Saints book at face value again!!)

Now this IS St Matthew by Rubens

Nothing is known about how or when Matthew died, although some church traditions mention him being martyred in Ethiopia.

There are several weather sayings attached to this day.............

St. Matthew's Day, bright and clear,

Brings good wine in the next year. 

 

Matthew brings on the cold dew.

 

St Matthew get candlesticks new

Maybe that last one relates to the Autumn Equinox which can fall on the 21st although this year it's the 22nd, the date when daylight hours start to decrease, time to buy candles for winter.

Some books mention the "key days" which were supposed to predict the weather for the months ahead. The 20th - 22nd September are said to predict the weather for October, November and December.

People have tried to verify this many times - tends to be totally unreliable! 

Back Tomorrow

Sue

Two-thirds of the Way Through

Regarding my Saturday post about the auction and that WWII sign I would have loved to own? It sold for £420!! Needless to say it wasn't me that bought it.

 As usual September is whizzing by, it's always a good month when I seem to get re-energised to do things. I'm sure it's a hangover from all the years when it was time for the 3 children to go back to school and I'd be home alone again with a chance to get things done and the harvesting and storing for winter urge re-appears.

A late in the year but first-of-the-year spot - Small Copper on the Coreopsis in the front garden last week.

 "Widespread and common" according to my Butterfly book, that's as maybe, but only if you are in the right place at the right moment!

I thought it was time to get the Autumn seasonal bits on display. No Mantel-piece so they are going to go on top of the bookshelves.

 The top of the bookshelves isn't as long as the Clay Cottage mantel-piece, so just a few autumnal bits - I like how it looks.

The only new thing is the plate and plate stand. You'll guess the plate came from a boot-sale for 50p and I sent for the plate stand from amazon so I can display those gorgeous Summer and Winter Villeroy and Boch plates that I found in August. It's the 5th year for the Autumn leaf swag - it's lasting well.The mushrooms on the right were a gift, the acorn  was made by one of the children when they were at Middle School in the late 80's, the other wooden mushroom thing and the jug from boot sales a few years ago. I've got some Halloween related bits to swap in for late October. 

 

The village yard/garage sales at Finningham didn't yield any treasures except these 4 books for £1.

 

 It turns out we have yard sales here in the village next Sunday - no mention of it in the Parish Magazine and I wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't seen a poster on the notice board by the postbox but I'm taking my entry fee to the school today to get included on the map.(It's a Friends of the Primary School Fundraiser) I've written a sign for out the front and will haul all my unwanted stuff out of the garage and see what I can get rid off. It's mostly things that got brought here and are now not needed.

 

I've brought in the last of the big orange dahlias to enjoy them close up this week. Not many

 flowers left to bring in now. There were no Asters and Sedums here, I've planted both but it will take a long while for them to produce enough flowers to bring any indoors.

The Launch of Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday night was a good programme. Lovely to see everyone so enthusiastic to get going and hopefully no painful to watch dancers although the way Dan Walker was 'moving' in the group dance he might be out sooner than later! But it's good to know my Saturday nights will be entertaining right through 'til Christmas. 

Back Tomorrow

Sue