Saturday 30 October 2010

Samhain and the Salem Trials.


Samhain is the Celtic feast of the dead.

There are so many customs, instead of boring you silly here are just a few things from Celtic tradition.

Soul cakes for deceased ancestors, a custom that has been transformed into giving treats to travellers who wander about on this night.

Samhain marks the beginning of the season of death which is Winter.
Fertile fields of Summer give way to the bare forests.

To celebrate this magical eve fires were lit on the sidh, or fairy mounds, in which the spirits lived.

A night of death and rebirth. Celtic tradition says that all those who die each year must wait till Samhain before crossing into the spirit world where their new lives begin.

I probably know more about the Salem Trials in America.

It all started in the Reverend Paris's kitchen, where Tituba a slave woman from Barbados, entertained the Reverend's daughter and her girlfriends during the cold winter months of 1691.( Soggibottom cottage was thirty years old. Spring Chicken of a cottage).


Are you sitting safely ?
Don't forget to be warm and cosy by the fire......


The girls asked Tituba, who knew methods of divination about their future husbands, a normal concern of most young girls.
In time the girls began to have fits, showed extreme moodiness, adopted odd postures and gestures and had visions. In Salem village this behaviour was interpreted by church leaders as the work of the devil.


Hearings were held over the next few months at which the girls and others who became afflicted with the same behaviour accused adult members in the community of tormenting them. (Teenage fad?)

As the winter turned into spring, natural misfortunes were blamed on the devil working through certain members of the village.
The theories of the day, the devil could work only through someone with that person's cooperation, someone who had made a pact with the devil. Someone who was a WITCH.

Accusations were made, people arrested, hearings were held. By Spring the jails were overflowing.

When the first real trials began Bridget Bishop was hanged after having been in jail since April.

In July Rebecca Nurse, Sarah Good, Elizabeth How, Sarah Wild and Susanna Martin were hanged.

August trials found John Willard, John and Elizabeth Proctor, George Jacobs, Martha Carrier and the Reverend George Burroughs guilty. All were executed, except Elizabeth Proctor, who was pregnant and given a stay of execution until her baby was born. (Good of them).

September sent Martha Cory, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Mary Esty , Margaret Scott, Mary Parker, Wilmot Reed and Samual Wardwell to the gallows.

Matha Cory's husband, Giles was pressed to death beneath the weight of stones. At the end of the gruesome summer over a hundred people were still awaiting trial and several hundred others had been accused.

The question is, were the twenty people executed and the hundred accused really Witches ?

Or did they just hold on to their Celtic roots......

I'll never know................ Don't think you will either, but HAVE A REALLY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN.

British Winter time begins tonight.... so you have to put your clocks back.

If you don't know what Divination is, reading Harry Potter will enlighten you.

Thursday 28 October 2010

Stonehenge in October.


Sometimes when things get tough, Frank keeps his eye's closed.
Soft, fluff ball. He could have washed his face before he had his pic taken.


Sorry guys, another pic of Stonehenge, I can never resist clicking when we go past.
As you see it was busy around the stones yesterday. It always is..... no puns about sheep this time..................... I'm tempted....... but I have resisted !
To say bah would be o.k. ................... follow like sheep for anyone who hasn't read earlier posts.

A huge thank you to everyone who sent their love and best wishes to our daughter Karina, who was sitting up in her hospital bed yesterday when we reluctantly left her to come home.
Not quite the usual run of the mill routine hip replacement.
We feel very proud of her........... one hip down, one to go.


Also a mention for her other half Jason. For never leaving her side.
Being there when we can't.

Tuesday 26 October 2010

How to Hibernate during the Winter


At this time of the year, many are considering whether or not to hibernate for the Winter.
There are pros and cons to sleeping through this period.
On one paw, it is nice to avoid the wet weather, icy winds and freezing temperatures.


It gives you a good excuse to have a huge meal to keep your strength up.
We all know how tiring a long sleep can be. If you are a squirrel you might like some of the walnuts we have that came from a French garden over the weekend.


Hibernating also gives you the chance to put off all the things you have been meaning to do.
Like knitting pink socks.

On the other paw, the cold winter weather is very good for refreshing fur or feathers.
If you are intending to stay awake over the winter, it is best to find yourself a comfortable place near the fire.
Not too near that you get scorched while you are sleeping.


The best plan for the winter is to compromise, sleep in October, wake up for Halloween and Bonfire Night, then sleep through November.
Wake up mid-December, make a quick dash to Harrods for a few presents, then return home to watch all the Christmas T.V. that you can.......

If only...................

I didn't knit Amie's pink socks by the way, she keeps slipping on the floor so we thought it would be a good solution to the problem. As you see she wasn't that amused, even though they had sticky grips on the bottom. There is still a chance to try them on Mew or Frank.



Another group we know won't be hibinateing this year.
Our three kids and our grandkids....
It was our eldest son's birthday yesterday, we won't say how old he is.
Karina on the left is at this moment having a brand new hip replacement.
Titanium is the very "in" thing.
One down and one to go Karina..... That's our girl !

Thursday 21 October 2010

COO TWITTER THIS.



I know who had the upper hand here.
After letting the pigeon walk all over her, under her, around her she even licked it.
It must bring a new meaning to feathered friends.
It also had a fair number of our chips.



We and Amie have had a busy week, from Amie sitting pretty on the way to the hairdresser.



To a good check up on her way to the vet the day after.
I know some of you know she hasn't been quite herself the last few months.
Old age catches up with us all eventually.
Pleased to say she is very well for a teenager.


Another busy day today, this time in Cornwall, for all those that have been to Padstow I'm sure you recognise the harbour,


also the shell shop.
There were shops, now how mean would we be if we never gave Amie the chance to show off her haircut around the shops.


Or have a good look in the mitt shop.


Fudge shop.


Then back to the car for the journey home.


Amie is very good at corners.


She normally digs her claws into the car seat and hangs on.


Atlantic Highway take us home......

Sunday 17 October 2010

Halloween bear


The year is passing too quickly.


How could Halloween have come around so soon, it'll be Christmas next.


Amie isn't that bothered either way, hanging on to Chris the boxer tight to make sure he is safe.
For anyone who doesn't know Chris the Boxer is Amie's best friend. Slightly dribbled on and a bit worn around the ears. Just like Amie really. Unlike Amie, Chris the boxer has been around inside the washing machine a few times.

The real news



I love my kids, they come home and then "teach" me something new...............

So to your right Soggibottom now has a real news channel.

I know this might not be the normal for a Soggibottom post, but I like it !

The only thing that worries me, it's not in English :-)xxx

Friday 15 October 2010

How to keep roses for Christmas Day


It seems unbelievable we still have roses out in the middle of October in Soggibottom's cottage garden.
Now is the time to cut and keep the buds if you have any. They need to be about this size.


The idea being that you put them in a tin and bury them in the ground.
The word unbelievable again, but it works.


On Christmas Eve you dig up the tin and then place the buds in water.
We tried it a few years ago, call us sceptical........ we didn't think it would work.
But it really does.
You might not want to go digging in the garden on Christmas Eve but think of all the fresh air you will get.


We still have strawberries outside as well as roses.
Although they never taste quite the same as when the sun is at it's peak in the Summer.


The weather has changed dramatically over the last few days.
Good to see there is still so much alive and kicking outside.


Steel grey skies above which seems to make colours more intense than normal.


California poppies in Devon in October, hardy little souls.


How can you not love colour.


Or strawberries.


Amie didn't have strawberries, she was sneaky and came from around the back of the plate before anyone could stop her. Well, it was ice cream !

Tuesday 12 October 2010

Eating and drinking


I have a faerie, snail, spider and a mouse on my kitchen wall.
My daughter painted this ages ago for our grandchildren's playroom.


Most of Karina's art is painted on large canvases, they need a large space.
This one is only small, it looked out of place at her house.
I promised to find a good home for it in the cottage.


This isn't my work either.


Karina's art work again.


It's fairly quiet at the cottage at the moment, there has been a lot of eating going on.
Especially between Mew and Amie with Amie's bedtime cookies.


Also with Amie's night time water.
Mew is cheeky, she pushes her luck sometimes.


As for Frank, well he is still around.
Here he is eating his second bowl of spaghetti.
He loves spaghetti, not something he has often.
But when he does he makes the most of it.

I wasn't going to add that he also had a dish of apple pie. BUT HE DID !

Sunday 10 October 2010

I have friends


I have my dear friend TIlly May........


I have one of my best friends from Sparky Brand................ Mark, Becca is there too if you follow Sparky Brand...... Love Becca ............



I have Kiann.................. love Kiann.............



Love my best friends.......................... Mark, Karina, Jason, Becca, Kiann, Jacob and Tilly May
All and every single one of them, because they love me...............


My very best best friend plays the fool and wears pink................



My real owner......................... she loves me the very best of all........................



Then it's time to say good bye and see you again soon.......


The best thing about best friends ............... one word......love ...................................