October - Zoltar has spoken

 Hello m' puny pumpkins,

 

Well I think we're long due a catchup aren't we!?! Family health (of the ultra rare variety) and a sticky trap work situation have made for the toughest summer of my life. The garden simply hasn't been able to console me on this occasion. At least going through the motions have provided fresh air and exercise.  


This past week has been lovely though. My littlest's child played in her first brass band concert, which was followed with the finest tea & home made cake. As per usual, it rained on Bonfire night, but we got a good view of the fireworks from the back window. Yesterday I had a giggly road trip with my girls  - details to be shared in my next post. I also finally started my new job. For the first time in months I am feeling relaxed. The autumn mists have restored a calm, 'can do' attitude.


As I've been away from Blogland for a bit, I'll try to keep this post short. I'd very much like to catch up on some of your blogs. 

Here's how the garden looked in October - a tangle of nasturtiums, verbenas, river lilies and dahlias -


 
Spot my teeny tiny home grown pumpkins? A grapefruit was laughing at the smallest one.




The succulents were tucked into the greenhouse before the wet of the storms arrived. 

I have a profusion of chilies this year-

Monsieur & I celebrate our wedding anniversary this week. Although we married just last year- we have been together for over twenty years and I've known him even longer than that. 

 

Towards the start of October, we took our girls on the super long train journey to Eastbourne for a Granny's surprise 70th birthday. It was so lovely to be back in East Sussex. Monsieur & I met just down the road in Brighton - which has the same beach smells and sound of shuffling pebbles, the same quintessential English seaside kitschness, if not a little more 'hipness'. 

 

 
 



After a day walking up and down the parade, the film 'Lost Boys' seemed to be the perfect find on the TV that night. It could only have been trumped by the film 'Big', having made wishes with Zoltar on the pier - 

 Eastbourne seems to have the most entertaining buskers (for all the wrong reasons). One particular talent had his lyrics on auto cue - ipad on stand. He nonchalantly took puffs on his cigarette in between his indecipherable crooning. 

 

I hope that you had a good October. Please send gossip.

Lulu xXx


Thank you for visiting!

Most recent posts can be found here -

https://longmizzle.blogspot.com/

YouTubeyness here - Long Mizzle Garden on You Tube


 

 



Location: Eastbourne Pier Grand Parade, Eastbourne BN21 3EL, UK

Comments

  1. Winter Peach Photography12 November 2023 at 03:06

    Hello Lulu, I'm so sorry to hear you've been having a tough time of late. Sometimes there isn't a fix is there? Sometimes we just have to endure and hopefully emerge the other side. Good to hear that you are keeping busy and are feeling a little calmer now.
    I've never visited Eastbourne. I really enjoyed looking at your photos and very much approve of your film choices. I introduced our son to Lost Boys recently. Any initial resistance soon melted away. He loved it. Have you heard the Bat for Lashes album Lost Girls? It's a little more "pop" than her usual offerings, but has a real 80s vibe and was inspired by her time in the US and the old, abandoned piers and fairgrounds she passed on her road trip along the coast.
    You've inspired me to go along and visit our own local Zoltar now. xxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu12 November 2023 at 04:55

      Thank you Claire x We watched Lost Boys with our twelve year old daughter. She thought it was hilariously cheesy but loved it. My favourite scene is Saxophone Guy - I still believe ;) I haven't heard 'Lost Girls' but I do know Natasha (aka Bat from Lashes) from Brighton University. My house mates had a major crush on her - they worked in the same bar. When I heard her first album I was knarked & joked that she had stolen my sound (well she did come to my exhibition and come to one of our gigs!)! The last thing I heard was 'Joe's Dream' & 'In God's House' from The Bride - which is absolutely GORGEOUS xXx

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    2. Winter Peach Photography14 November 2023 at 01:20

      Saxophone Guy! Oh my goodness, his steroid consumption must have been on another level!
      Well I think Natasha has a lot to thank you for then! What an outrage! xxx

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    3. Lulu15 November 2023 at 09:06

      Saxophone guy still makes a living playing that song! Regarding my sound being stolen - I should sue but with AI on the horizon, it all seems old hack :) xXx

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  2. bahnwärterin12 November 2023 at 04:05

    i´m very sorry to hear that the last summer was the hardest for you!
    but i´m glad you came out of it and found calm & recreation...... good news about the new job!
    your garden looked lovely in october - beautiful flowers everywhere, esp. the dahlias...... at least you had pumpkins - mine only flowered and the plants stayed tinytiny.
    i do know eastbourne only from telly - brit crime series ;-D but it looks in your photos just as weird!
    zoltar is called zoltan here :-D
    xxxxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu12 November 2023 at 05:00

      Thanks Beate :) x The Pumpkins were such a let down. That will teach me to try & grow them on stony soil. I had a monster crop years ago when I grew them on an old compost heap. Hmmm, I wonder if that's a TV series we get here in the UK? Eastbourne although called 'God's Waiting Room' (assisted accommodation for the elderly) strangely has a lot of gangsters and money laundering cafes...or so it is said xXx

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  3. Vix12 November 2023 at 05:11

    Hello love! Sorry to hear of the health issues and hope things are improving. Great news about the job. Long Mizzle is looking gorgeous.
    Jon's mum used to love Eastbourne but I've never been. Love that grand looking pier. I think the closest I've ever been to a Zoltar is watching Big. I'd be straight into that emporium, it looks like a brilliant place for a rummage.
    Diwali's bigger than Guy Fawkes round these parts, last night was like being in The Somme!
    Take care, bab! xxx

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    Replies
    1. Lulu15 November 2023 at 09:11

      Thank Vix luv x Eastbourne has a fine a bandstand too but I wasn't allowed to walk up to that part of the seafront to photograph it (family had other plans!). I did have a good ol' rummage in one chazza and antiques shop on the same road as the emporium :) Eastbourne had lots of charity shops so I shall have to return! xXx

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  4. Ellie Foster12 November 2023 at 07:26

    Dear Lulu
    Sorry to hear you've been having a tough time. I hope things are settling down a bit for you now. Congrats on the new job too. The garden is looking wonderful.
    I like the look of the Emporium - did you have a rummage in there?
    Ooh, a Zoltar- I thought they could only be found in America but obviously not. I love the film Big - such a feel good story, but with a poignant end - perfect for this time of year. I also like Lost Boys - "Holy s**t! It's the attack of Eddie Munster!". Both are the kind of films that if they have started and you come in, you still sit and watch them.
    Have a good week
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    Replies
    1. Lulu19 November 2023 at 05:17

      Thanks Ellie :) The pictured emporium was selling new bits n bobs but there was a good chazza and antiques shop a few doors down. As I was with the family I couldn't do the usual ferreting around as they would have been very bored with me! I've had the Lost Boys sound track stuck in my head all week - so good! Fingers crossed Big will be on the TV this Christmas. I have a life long love of Tom Hanks that started with Splash ;) I am coming over to see what you've been crafting... xXx

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  5. Kezzie12 November 2023 at 10:22

    Oi, who are you calling puny pumpkin!!!!??!?!
    Sorry to hear that health issues have made the Summer difficult. Sending hugs! Very excited to hear of Youngest one's first Brass Band concert- what does she play?
    Your garden is looking lovely and and I am impressed at the size of those MASSIVE chillis!
    I confess to drooling over the sweets in the shops- in fact I am just about to go downstairs to find the fuzzy peach sweeties I have lurking in a rucksack- because of your picture!
    I went to Eastbourne once as a teenager to play a concert with the Salvation Army Symphonic Windband but didn't see any of Eastbourne itself sadly (I enjoyed the concert though!).
    News??? Not a huge amount to say though I have agreed to play in a performance of Holst's The Planets in December which I am pretty excited about!x

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    1. Lulu26 November 2023 at 01:52

      Hello poppit, thank you! Apologies for forcing you to raid the sweetie stash :0 :) The littlest plays cornet in a local silver band. As with the collier brass bands up north, Cornwall has a tradition of community bands by pits - albeit not quite on the scale of some of the Yorkshire ones. It was such a lovely little concert in a gorgeous old chapel specially bequeathed for the purpose of community music (thus saving it from being yet another holiday home). I can't wait for the Christmas one - there's nothing more Chrismassy than a brass band! Very exciting to be playing Holst's Planets. Wish I could watch it. I'm keeping half any eye on cooking breakfast whilst catching up on comments, so will have to come over soon to see what you've been up to xXx

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  6. Polyester Princess12 November 2023 at 10:36

    I'm sorry you've had such a rough Summer, Lulu, but I'm glad to hear calm has been restored. Congratulations on the new job and well done to your youngest on for playing her first brass band concert!
    Your garden is looking as wonderful as ever but I had a good giggle about the grapefruit laughing at the tiny pumpkin. Poort thing though!
    I loved joining you on your trip to Eastbourne and seeing its typical seaside tourist traps! xxx

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    1. Lulu26 November 2023 at 02:15

      Thank you Ann, it's so nice to be rid of stress and doing something different - even my hair had started to fall out :0 None of that this weekend as I sit scoffing pancakes and cups of tea. Pumpkin soup for later on I think (shhh, don't tell the pumpkin!). Thank you for coming along to the seaside xXx

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  7. Jules12 November 2023 at 21:47

    I'm sorry things have been so difficult lately, and I really hope you see continued improvement with your situation.
    Happy Anniversary! X

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    Replies
    1. Lulu26 November 2023 at 02:18

      Thanks Jules and lovely to hear from you. In true Monsieur-Lulu style we didn't do anything grand for the anniversary, but it was nice :) xXx

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  8. Elderberry-Rob12 November 2023 at 22:55

    So sorry things have been grim, but pleased to see a post from you (had been checking for ages in case missed), congratulations on first anniversary :) I would have hopped on a train and met you in Brighton - keep it in mind for a future opportunity. Pumpkins are so unpredictable, I have never been able to grow one until this year on t'allotment. Looking forward to seeing the next post of your day out. Hope your succulents are bedded down, we had a frost in sunny Surrey this weekend so am bizzy bringing in my tender plants. Betty x

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    1. Lulu26 November 2023 at 02:25

      Hello Betty love, it's a shame we couldn't have spent longer in East Sussex. Unfortunately we didn't have time to go over to Brighton. We found a fab little place to stay though so we'll have to return & give you a shout. The girls & I are quite keen on attempting to roller skate from one end of the promenade to the other. There were some eighty odd year old dudes doing it (with amazing legs!), so why not!?! Congratulations on your first allotment pumpkin. Frost! Ouchhheee. Stay cosy xXx

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  9. David Bennett14 November 2023 at 00:10

    I've missed your posts Lulu, sorry to hear things have not been very good. Your garden looks like it just kept going about its business and looks abundantly healthy.
    Congratulations on your wedding anniversary, I can't think it's a year since the lovely post about your wedding
    Popcorn has been poorly with a bout of sickness but it didn't stop him being mischievous. He's OK again now. My garden is all ready for winter, there have been times when only the garden & Popcorn kept me going, take care. David.

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    1. Lulu26 November 2023 at 02:31

      Thank you David, that's very kind. It's amazing how the garden just gets on with it. Good to hear cheeky popcorn is better. I hope you are having some lovely walks together. I will be heading over soon to see what's been a photographing.... xXx

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