a country mouse confesses

OK, OK, the landmark birthday was my 40th. So far it's not been too bad: 3 birthday cakes and counting. We're having a big family get-together at my parents' house this weekend and I have high hopes of getting cake no.4.
My husband writes me a little poem every year for my birthday. That is not as revolting as it sounds as they are always very cheeky and insulting. This year's effort:
The big forty comes the big forty goes
Aches and pains will follow.
Your mind says you can
But your body knows best
Better rest for a while
Between dishes.
He pointed out that as we met when I was 21, I have now known him almost as long as I haven't known him. Aaaaaaargh.
While I still can, before my elderly body quits on me altogether, myself and a friend plus our little ones went for a little walk in the woods the other day. I was busy taking photos of the trees overhead when a very large dog rushed up to the girls, barking and slavering right at them while they screamed in fear. No owner to be seen. Country mouse was over there in one mighty bound, adrenalin pumping and ready to boot that dog to kingdom come if need be, when the owner appeared, without a lead, failed to recapture her pet, and proceeded to give the girls a bossy lecture on how not to behave when a dog is barking at them. And then my friend stepped in dog poo when strapping her son into his car seat. Apart from that, we had a lovely time and the girls played at being ducks, laying eggs (stones) in nests, and dogs, trotting along beside me on leads made from corn stalks and twigs. My daughter was Lucy the Dog and my friend's daughter was Woof Woof Ziggy the Dog. Lucy and Woof Woof Ziggy set a good example to other dogs by enjoying their walk without terrorising small children or doing their business in the car park.

Above, The New Shoes. Oh, I love them. It's a struggle to get Little R to wear anything at all on her feet, and she considers either bare feet or bare feet in wellies to be suitable for every occasion. But she is happy to wear these amazing shoes which have little lights on the heels which flicker as she walks, and she will even wear socks in them too. I just realised my impulse there was to type Flickr. I am also finding myself reluctant to take photos if they are not going to end up on my blog. I think perhaps I need to get some perspective.

I bought 2 of these bowls and plates the other day in the charity shop for £2, with their appearance on this blog entirely in mind. They are made to look like canteloupe melons and have a glowing golden colour inside which is not showing up too well in this photo. Goodness knows when I will ever use them but I just loved the autumnal orange so am keeping them out on the worktop for ease of admiration. Another glorious orange glow emanates from this capsicum plant which is, so far, doing well on the kitchen windowsill. A country mouse's mind turns to thoughts of butternut squash soup...and how photogenic it might be.