Pssst! If you are reading this via an email, the JOY PARADE might be a smidge too long for you to see all of it. If so, just click the title and it’ll take you to where you can read the whole thing with your eyeballs online!
OH HELLO!
RAIN UPDATE: Still nothing. I did see one small grey cloud waft over but it looked around a bit, sniffed dismissively, changed its mind and scudded off somewhere. AT SPEED. Probably to the top of a mountain. Or a Hebridean island. Lucky sods….
Now, first of all I must say an ENORMOUS thank you for your birthday wishes last weekend. I was so very touched by them all- what a lovely, kind bunch you are!
I had a jolly nice time - pizza, chocolate birthday cake, nosing around an old stately home, snuffling around an antiques shop like a truffle hog. Perfection!
But how are you all? Are you coping with the endless sun and heat? I’ll admit I’m flagging a bit. One evening there was that soft, deliciously woody smell of a garden bonfire drifting over from somewhere and suddenly everything had a Septemberish tint to it which was very nice. I’m not wishing the summer away of course, but I am excited for autumn.
A quick word about this week’s newsletter: I hope you all don’t mind but today’s edition is just a tiny morsel of a JOY PARADE because I’m officially out of my studio until Tuesday.
Fear not though! I’ve put together a little selection of things for us to enjoy, but I’ll be back next week WITH A BANG!
So let’s begin!
1. As per we’ll start with some BEHOLDING! and EXCLAIMING!
And today we start with PEARS!
Just look at them!
This is at an orchard I visited. Just row upon row upon row of charmingly gnarled and wonky trees decorated with dangly fruit looking like beautiful, chandelier drop earrings.
(That grass though… looks like sawdust!)
Also: COWS!
Seeing them under that enormous sky made me think of Alexander McCall Smith (no relations) and his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.
“What use was it having all the money if you could never sit still or just watch your cattle…”
2. This Instagram account showcases street photography that captures glamorous older Italians and I’m so deeply delighted by it.
Every shot is GLORIOUS!
3. I have become totally obsessed with this vintage goldfish charm.
It looks exactly like me whenever I’m in a YO! Sushi and am waiting for my Inari Pockets to finish their stunning high fashion moment on the moving walkway.
Avail. here!
4. Picture it. You are in the park and have just paid £8 for a 99 ice cream cone and then this comes around the corner…
TERRIF!
5. Cor! Look at this amazing embroidered gloves!
Imagine how thrilling it would be to peel one of them off to slap someone across the face with when challenging them to a duel!
6. Isn’t this Country Show gift wrap by Alice Patullo delightful? I love the colours and the theme and the slight Eric Ravilious-ness of it all!
Available here!
7. I went on a jaunt to Elderwood Books this week and bought a pile of books including this one. I simply could not resist it. The cover called to me like a siren song from the shelves.
Naturally, I am completely enamoured with the woman peeking in at the smoochers.
It’s exactly what my neighbours and I look like every Thursday morning when we watch the bin lorry go down the road ignoring our wheelie bins.
FINALLY…
We finish as always with a song and this week - what a treat! Here we have The Two Ronnies performing with a a full orchestra for our entertainment.
From the lyrics to the wrap-around pinnies to the hair curlers- PURE. JOY!
Thank you for reading this week’s JOY PARADE. I hope you don’t feel short changed by it being a mini one this week?
I hope you have a lovely Sunday. What are you up to? Do tell me because I’m wildly nosy. I shall be feeling a tad Back-To-Schoolish as I’m returning to studio this week and starting to write a new book (always a nervous feeling!)
I’ll be back next Sunday with (a proper FULL LENGTH EXTRAVAGANZA) JOY PARADE No.55. In the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed this JOY PARADE I would simply adore it if you were to prod the heart button ❤️ below and do please follow me on Instagram (I’m mralextsmith over there) and also subscribe to and share this newsletter to all your chums.
Thank you so much!
In Tearing Haste,
HEAD PIGEON.
This is smashing. My day has been a series of unfortunate events -
Fancied going out to breakfast with my daughter
Needed cash for the cafe - the first ATM was out of order
Trotted round the corner to the next ATM which wasn’t even there any more (literally a hole in the wall)
Walked past the cafe, and noticed the sign saying they were closed for the summer
Spent about 20 minutes searching online for another cafe nearby, open on a Sunday
Decided on McDonalds
Realised we were too flipping late for breakfast
Decided to go to our local Hungry Horse
Got there and they advised us that the kitchen wasn’t open until 12 (it was 11.15)
Checked online, the Frankie and Benny’s next door served breakfast until 12 - hoorah!
Walked next door, the place doesn’t open until 12
Ok, McDonalds it is (luckily all these places are within walking distance)
My Big Mac kept falling apart
After that disappointment, started on my mini McFlurry Cornetto and realised they’d given me strawberry and not chocolate (dislike strawberry)
Was scooping out the strawberry sauce and ended up getting up getting some lettuce in my ice cream
Maybe we should have stayed at home and had bloody Weetabix
When I grow up I want to be a glamorous older Italian. Present day I am more like the sneaky raccoon.