I don't really love shopping. I don't hate it, but shopping for presents I find blooming hard. Everyone is so difficult. Not the children, they are easy. Small children want everything. Not one special thing, but any thing you might think of to wrap up for them, yep, they want it. Potato peeler, yep. That wrapper on the ground, yep.
But big people... what a pain.
"Mum, would you like a pair of gardening gloves?"
"Got 'em."
"How about plastic shoes for the camping showers?"
"Got thongs."
"A welcome mat?"
"Nope, got one."
"Well what would you like then?"
"A small plastic chopping board."
Wonderful.
You can see why I chose pumpkins.
I am worried about them. It's almost Christmas day and it's freezing blooming cold. I am wearing a pair of tracksuit pants. In summer. In Brisbane. It's been raining near on every day for months, and there is not a single surviving pumpkin on the pumpkin vines. We just saw the weather forecast and there's rain predicted for the next seven days. Welcome to the Soggy State.
They are trying hard, but it's so wet, the pumpkins are getting nowhere.
Is there any hope for pumpkin soup?
13 comments:
What a fantastice idea for the kids, a vegetable peeler, goodness you are just full of great ideas, the lolly wrapper I already had, and also the week old sticky lolly that was in it, I thought what the heck and wrapped that up as well.
I just went shopping for my mum, she said she wanted nothing, and that was hard to wrap...harder than a lolly wrapper. Amongst the goodies I finally chose were a shower cap..hee hee...a bright pink compact umbrella, and some handkies...desperate times call for desperate measures...I think she may well have preferred nothing..x
When life takes away your Pumpkins, pick Pumpkin shoots! Yep, they are *scrumptious*! Might as well get some mileage out of the vines. Now, you cut the shoots back about 6 inches, peel them with a vegie peeler, steam them. Either plain with whatever ... butter, olive oil, cheese ... depends what takes your fancy to go with Pumpkin. The Pacific Island way is to poach them in Coconut Milk or Cream. You can buy that in cans or powder.
This is another one of those un-considered foods which, once you've eaten it, you wonder how you ever did without Pumpkin Shoots. Leave the tendrils on, they cook up a treat ;-)
Elaine, you are a champion. Pumpkin shoots hey, who would have thunk it. I am off to my parents' for Christmas, I will take them some down and give it a go. Turkey and pumpkin shoots. I like it. Eat your greens people!
Suzanne, our parents never want us to spend our money on them, do they... I just can't see that happening with me, when they get older, my boys are welcome (and will possibly also be obliged) to present it up when it comes to their mum... I love shower caps. Nice choice.
A very lovely picture for . . . I was going to say a sad post but, having read Elaine's comment about pumpkin shoots - it turns out not to be sad after all.
Unwrapping things is great fun. If I were very poor, I'd still want to unwrap things at Christmas. I think I'd get my family to wrap up the things I already have and give them back to me and it would still be cheerful.
Hope the sun comes out for Christmas. I hurt my head this morning when I bumped into the oven gloves hanging on the washing line. Instead of drying - they'd frozen solid!
Esther
Ali, have you considered giving magazine subcriptions as Christmas presents? You could get subs to all your favourite mags, so that when their recipients have finished with them they could be passed over to you... There must be some good gardening and/or cookery mags available in Oz.
I have an aunt who says she tries to think like the person, then impulse buys. She says it's up to the recipient whether they like it or not, she did her bit.
Her gifts are sometimes unusual but are always great.
if you where to build a mini greenhouse over your pumpkins they would take off..mine are going insane and i have them in the green house(poly tunnel).
I HATE shopping..i do everything online
Missy, that's perhaps the best advice for buying presents that I've ever been given. And how fun to imagine you are someone else. I'm a 70 year old man with sore heels... or a 12 year old boy with way too much hair product. I really think this might work.
Mark, a magazine subscription is a good idea, I can see that working for my gardening father.
Esther, I agree that the fun is in the unwrapping. In fact I wanted to answer in all sorts of ways to your post, but all I can think of is the hazards of winter that I had not considered.
What a fabulous way to go, knocked in the head by your oven mitt.
I hope your head is okay.
I don't love my pumpkins enough to build for them FarmGirl, sad, but true. If it were the bananas I'd let them live in the house though :)
Do you have some pictures of your polytunnel? I'm going to go take a look at your blog.
Ali - thanks for clearing up why all my Pumpkins are coming to nothin' I was so excited when they all sprouted but now we get flowers then nothin'
grrrr rain, stop wetting my pumpkins
Oh no! Don't give up hope Jac, my neighbours have tons of pumpkins on the way. It's the tree at our house which is not letting enough sun through as well as the rain that's killing mine. Yours have hope.
And the neighbours have been warned, I am jumping the fence at night to pinch theirs when the time comes.
Ali, I'm savouring the thought of you jumping the fence! On the outward trip it might be OK, but coming back with an armful of pumpkins could be a little more challenging...
And I'm going to do it in a back ski mask! The pumpkin picker... I might even get into the local paper :)
Merry Christmas guys.
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