Thursday 23 March 2017

Raindrops On Roses - March

These are a few of my favourite things.


Candy Crush. We often play box games when there's any family gathering but I don't play so many online games. I occasionally play Scrabble but I often get my phone out for a quick blast of Candy Crush whenever I've got a few spare minutes, it passes the time if I'm waiting around. Actually, I must have been waiting around quite a bit as I'm now up to level 620! It can become rather addictive and they only give you so many free lives in a certain time period, extras have to be paid for, but I haven't succumbed to that.


Rachel Piso. If you don't know this blog I would urge you to pop over and take a look. Rachel lives in Pittsburgh and is documenting her life in cross stitch. Rachel's named her project her Tapestree and each little bubble is filled with a memory, something to do with current events or something that she's interested in, in other words, things to do with her life. I'm really enjoying following along and seeing each new little bubble being filled up. If you do pop over to take a look, please tell her that I sent you.


Frogspawn. I'm thrilled to bits that my little pond has been used by the frogs again this year. I put this tiny pond in my garden back in 2009, it measures just 84cm x 64cm but it attracts so much wildlife. Last year was the first time there'd been any frogspawn in there but it never amounted to anything so I'm hoping that this year we might just get some tadpoles. Wouldn't that be lovely?


Harry Potter. I remember reading the first four books in the series to Daniel when he was little but he read the rest himself and I never got any further with them. I decided that I'd like to read all the books, starting again from the beginning, so I put it on my 50 Before 50 list. Well, I've made a start this month and I'm really enjoying the first one, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I wonder if JK Rowling could have ever imagined just how successful Harry Potter would be when she started writing this first book.


Old fashioned sweeties. Weighed out by the quarter, or rather 100g these days, but still taken from large jars and measured out in to paper bags. These are Pontefract cakes and treacle toffees but it's always a big decision choosing from the large array on offer. It's good to see that so many of the old favourites are still available.

What favourites do you have this month? How about joining me and writing a post about them?

42 comments:

  1. Glad you are enjoying the HP books, i've read them several times and can't wait until Oliver is older so that I can read them again :-)
    I love the old fashioned sweet shops, it was always such a treat when my gran used to take me in there on a Saturday, do you remember the little cone bags that they put your 2oz of dolly mixtures in? I'm showing my age now, lol.
    I'm afraid i gave up on candy crush, can't remember what level i got to but i just couldn't get past it so gave up. I do play Bubble witch occasionally no though, they are addictive.
    I hope you get some tadpoles this time, we have frogs visit us because next door have a pond, i've seen a couple already in the leaves.
    Great post, thanks for sharing.

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    1. I watched all the Harry Potter film recently, I'd seen the earlier ones previously, and I really enjoyed them so I think I'm going to enjoy the books too. I do remember the little cone bags, and those pink and white striped ones too. I haven't played Bubble Witch but Daniel and Eleanor have lots of things on their phones and various electronic devices. I'm really hoping we get tadpoles this year, though we get little froglets in the garden every year, even though we've never had tadpoles, there must be another pond nearby. They're a nightmare when you want to cut the grass.

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  2. I've never played Candy Crush before but I know friends who do and it really is addictive. But it's all good fun and it passes the time, just keep resisting the temptation to pay for some extra lives!
    Have a lovely weekend and I'll check out Rachel Piso's blog. Her Tapestree is very interesting. x

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    1. I definitely won't be spending any money on Candy Crush but it passes a few minutes whenever I'm waiting around. I love Rachel's blog, her Tapestree is wonderful, such a lovely idea.

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  3. Hi Jo! You really turned my week around--how wonderful you are to link my project and say such kind things! I am truly grinning at work.:) Thank you very much for thinking of me.

    How lucky to have little frogs hopping about! Sounds like a dream. My favorite Harry Potter books are the later ones. Actually, perhaps the 4th is my favorite. But I do enjoy the ones after!

    Hope you have a lovely week and weekend!

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    1. You're welcome. I really enjoy visiting your blog and seeing each new addition to your Tapestree, it's going to be a wonderful piece of work which builds up in to something to be treasured. I've read up to the fourth Harry Potter book with Daniel and I really enjoyed that one, it's one of my favourites of the films too.

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  4. I have never played Candy Crush, looks like you are doing well with it though. Oh treacle toffees those are delicious aren't they, not so good for the fillings though!
    Fingers crossed for some tadpoles.
    Lisa x

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    1. Mick's very choosy when it comes to sweets, he's not bothered about most of them but he has his favourites, treacle toffee being one of them so I end up having to share, no bad think I don't suppose. I'm keeping my fingers well and truly crossed for tadpoles this year.

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  5. I'm not one for games, and as I don't have an iPad or anything like it, I don't even know what Candy Crush is, only when my friend from Canada was here she played it rather a lot - I couldn't see the point, myself, but there again, I don't like games, not even Scrabble and for a wordsmith like myself, that's some admission! But I love old fashioned sweets, and would love those treacle toffees and Pontefract cakes (when is a cake not a cake? When it's a Pontefract cake!)
    I also think I must be the only person in the country not to have read any H Potter book or even seen any of the films. There have been letters in the Telegraph recently about things which people haven't done ... my letter wasn't published, but added to H Potter books and films, I've not had an Indian takeaway, I've not been in McDonald's, I've not been in IKEA, I've not read an Agatha Christie novel, and I've not watched Game of Thrones. I don't think I've missed anything.
    Margaret P

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    1. I don't have an iPad or tablet of any sort either, I have my phone but have never even taken a photo with it, I'm not very technically minded. Eleanor downloaded Candy Crush for me and I enjoy playing it. I do enjoy games in general though, we've always played games as a family. It's something the whole family can get involved in no matter what age. Indian is my favourite food but Mick isn't keen so it's something I usually order if we have a takeaway, Mick can order something more to his liking and I can have my favourite. You're certainly not missing anything with Ikea, I've only been a handful of times myself and each time I wonder why I bothered. I can thoroughly recommend Agatha Christie though, you never know what you're missing until you give it a go.

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  6. When I unpacked my Harry Potter books, I thought it is about time I read them again. I first read about the books in a review in The Jakarta Post - the English language newspaper for expats in Indonesia, so I bought the first ones when I was back home. Oh - old fashioned sweeties, they look so good!

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    1. I rarely read books a second time but I read the first four Harry Potter books with Daniel when he was little and I'm thoroughly enjoying reading this first one again. I don't think you can beat sweeties weighed out in to paper bags, kids don't know what they're missing these days.

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  7. The Tapestree is a lovely idea. I did smile at Candy Crush. Does that mean you've played it 620 times? It would be fatal for me to download it. I used to be hooked on the computer's Solitare. The current machine doesn't have it.. probably for the best!

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    1. I think I must have played it quite a few more times than 620, I tend to get stuck on certain levels and it takes me quite a few attempts to master it. It's very easy to get hooked.

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  8. I haven't read any of the Harry Potter books - not for any real reason. I think it was just that my girls were older when they came out so we just didn't bother. I do like an old fashioned sweetie. As for fillings being loosened by toffees, I have been known to put them in the microwave for a few seconds just to soften them up. :oD

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    1. Daniel was at the perfect age for Harry Potter but he read the later ones on his own. I remember him queueing with a friend at midnight at the local book shop when one of the books was released. I haven't heard that tip about toffees before.

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  9. Bejeweled Blitz is my "go-to" game on Facebook and on my mobile phone.

    I used to love going to the village shop when I was a kid and asking for a quarter of... (usually pineapple cubes, rhubarb & custard, peppermint creams or bonbons, if I recall correctly!). Only our village shop used to put them in a little plastic bag and I longed for the paper bags!

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    1. I think I remember Daniel playing Bejeweled years ago, it's a similar sort of thing to Candy Crush, I like those kind of games. I used to love pineapple cubes, and cola cubes too. What a shame you got plastic bags at your village shop, sweeties always taste much nicer out of paper bags.

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  10. I'm afraid that I must be the only person in the world who has neither every seen Candy Crush or read a Harry Potter but we do have frogaspawn.

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    1. One out of three isn't bad, and at least you don't have to keep your fingers crossed that you'll get tadpoles, with your track record it's a cert.

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  11. Oh, how lovely, all that spawn, and from such a small pond too! I've always wanted a pond but it's seemed like such a daunting task - one that is less than a meter square, however, would be doable.

    Reading the Harry Potter series is on my list too. In fact, I have that exact book, which I gave to Joshua. I just finished my last read the other day so I'm in need of the next one. I think I'll give that one a go.

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    1. I think any amount of water in a garden will attract lots of beneficial wildlife, which is what you want if you're growing your own. I'm really enjoying reading Harry Potter, more this time round actually that I did when I read the first few with Daniel.

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  12. Our pond is also quite small, this year a quarter of it has been taken up by frogs spawn, we might be teaming with froglets with any luck this year.

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    1. Let's keep our fingers crossed that we both get lots of froglets this year, any help with the slug population will be very welcome around here.

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  13. I think I must live on another planet. I have never played or seen the Candy Crush game. A little part of me wants to now, must to say that I have. I have never read the books or seen any Harry Potter film.
    I have, however, eaten plenty of sweets! And an old fashioned sweet shop always holds an attraction - the sweet smell when you walk through the door! It's always Torpedoes for me. Along with a bag of something else of course. X

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    1. I think Candy Crush was very popular when it first came out, though I only know about such things because Daniel and Eleanor mention them. Oh yes, torpedoes are one of my favourites too, I try not to bite in to them until I've reached the licquorice.

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  14. Nice post and pictures. I hope that you get some frogs this year. I've never read any of the Harry Potter books and don't really have any inclination to do so. As for old-fashioned sweeties I'd take forever to chose what to buy. Flighty xx

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    1. I'm really hoping that we get some frogs this year, I had high hopes last year when I discovered the frogspawn but it wasn't to be. I think it's very hard choosing from the large array of old fashioned sweeties, I could spend hours in the shop making my choice.

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  15. I love Flow free, it's has many levels so my grandsons play at lower levels, they send new games each day, perfect for a fix. I love to read and will read almost any book I get my hands on. Cross stitch any and every design, but my real favorite thing is my sewing machine, I have owned one since I was 16, and love to sit and create.

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    1. I've never heard of Flow Free before. I'm so pleased that I got back in to reading when I did, I always have a book on the go these days and there's always more waiting in the wings too. I wish I'd learnt how to use a sewing machine, Eleanor's got one which we bought her for Christmas one year so I'll have to have a go on that at some point.

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  16. I love a good old fashioned sweet shop!

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    1. Me too. I don't think you can beat the old fashioned sweeties and they bring back so many memories too.

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  17. I played Cany Crush for a few weeks and took it off my tablet, I wanted to play it far more often than I should have so off it went. I LOVE Harry Potter and have read all the books twice. I am in love with the movies, it is a rare event to see a movie as good as a book and all of the movies are wonderful. Good luck with the tadpoles.

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    1. I can see how Candy Crush could become addictive, I use up my free lives and then put it down so it doesn't cost me anything, at least that keeps me in check. I've watched all the Harry Potter movies now but still haven't read the later books so I want to rectify that. Fingers crossed for the tadpoles.

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  18. Candy Crush is popular ... but it is not a game I've played.

    With one of the grandchild recently and I was asked to play 'Super Mario' ...
    Whoops! I didn't do too well but he didn't seem to mind and came to save me ... !!! LOL!

    Hope you've had a lovely Mother's Day

    All the best Jan

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    1. Computer games seem second nature to kids today, I have to say that I'm rubbish at them. I had a lovely Mother's Day, thank you.

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  19. Love that you have frogspawn!!! And that you have got to level 620 on candy crush.....I find games like that soooo very addictive too! Good to while away time when waiting or hanging around for a train.
    Oh...love Rachel's cross stitch! Will check out her blog!xxx

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    1. I think Candy Crush could become very addictive, especially if I were happy to spend money on it, which I'm not so that keeps me in check. Do pop over to Rachel's blog, she's added more to her Tapestree now.

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  20. What a wonderful idea to have a chronicle of life, like the old the old tapestries. Frogspawn, exciting, I do hope you get tadpoles this year xx

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    1. I love Rachel's Tapestree, it's such a wonderful idea and will be a beautiful piece of work when it's finished. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for tadpoles.

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  21. I don't play computer/phone games, they just don't appeal to me. Have read and seen all the HP book/films. Toffees and me are not the best of friends especially after a visit to the dentist this week lol. Hope your frogs stay in the pond and don't invade your sewing and knitting progress.
    (I've read both books and loved them, One Plus One did make me 'laugh out loud' in parts, I've passed them on now to another reader in my group - thank you xx)

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    1. Oh dear, I hope your trip to the dentist wasn't too painful. I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the books, I hope everyone who they're passed on to enjoy them too.

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