Back to the past

It rained today. I managed to finish preparing the soil in the extended kitchen garden bed. I would have planted it up today, but rain stopped play. I don’t mind gardening in the drizzle, but when it rains proper, the soil gets too sticky and my boots end up twice the size they started. So I had a domestic day inside. I made Barbapapa Bread.

BL discovered this book among some of my childhood boxes that were back at my parent’s home. She absolutely adores the story. I think she is attracted to the gentleness of the Barbapapa family and the way that they can change shape. We have read it more times than I can count at bed time recently.

I thought it would be fun to make some bread in the shape of Barbapapa. It tickled her. I should mention that my husband finds the book weird and very 70s. It did not put him off the bread.

This was published in the 70s, but the story is just as relevant now. Grow their own. Only eat fruit. No wish to harm anyone. The bulldozers destroy their home, so they move to the country and build their own house in their own special way. Then the bulldozers turn up again, but the family stop their new home being destroyed.

My childhood in the 70s is dogging me at the moment. A few weeks ago, I let the girls choose fabric from my stash for new skirts. They love the last ones I made them, that they are wearing them all the time. AJ chose this blue flowery fabric, which I have to admit, I don’t really like. I’m not sure why. Maybe it is too reminiscent of the 70s for me. Anyway, I wanted to add something to it, as I felt it would soften the pattern. I’ve tried all sorts of combinations, but nothing worked.

Today, I decided to cut the fabric and start making the skirt. As I was cutting it, I realised how thin it is and most definitely needed something behind it. I dug out an old blue sheet and tried it with the fabric. The combination worked, but was now a bit stark. Then I spotted some white ric rac. Hurray! Problem solved at last.

Do you know, I’m actually beginning to like the fabric. Now that is weird.

This has nothing to do with the 70s, except that there are probably about 70 of them…

… but I had to share. I was fascinated by these baby spiders and the brown triangles on their backs. They must have hatched over night and, maybe due to the rain, stayed put all day. I love the way that there are round drops of rain water among them. The surface tension keeping them perfect spheres among the circles and triangles of the spiders. Isn’t nature beautiful in so many ways?

4 comments

    1. Oh, that it unusual. A cuddly night light in the shape of Barbapapa. I bet if I showed BL, it would be straight on her birthday list. Thanks for the link.

  1. Oh wow I loved Barbapapa when I was a child..I’d forgotten all about them until I read this post! thanks for a great trip down memory lane.
    Em xx

    1. I always liked their “default” shape. For years I’ve seen the shape elsewhere and thought that it was a Barbapapa shape. I’m really pleased that BL found this book. I wonder if she is going to spend the rest of her life recognizing Barbapapa shapes!

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