Advent 20 - Viscum Album + where have they gone?

Something odd happening over on the followers pictures yesterday. It was 334 at the beginning of the day then later 9 people had un-followed  and it was down to 325 - very strange but Bye Bye - whoever you were!...........wonder what I said to upset them,surely not my mention of going to chapel?


 When we move I won't miss living near the pylons but I will miss getting Gridline through the post. It's the magazine posted out 4 times a year  by The National Grid to landowners who have pylons or wires on their land. It's free and also has some interesting articles in it.

This time there was  a piece about Mistletoe - Viscum Album. I always used to buy some each year but haven't done for several years now. When we had it I would always squidge some berries onto our oldest apple tree in the hope it would  start to grow there. Of course it never did. We rarely see any growing around here, it's probably too dry but it grows profusely in the old orchards of Herefordshire, Worcestershire,Gloucestershire and Somerset. Tenbury Wells is one of the main centres of growing and harvesting and they have a festival and auctions in early December each year. - Maybe another thing to add to the places to visit.
 Mistletoe was worshipped by the Druids as a symbol of fertility and because it was considered a pagan plant it was banned by the early Christian Church. It is poisonous if used in excess but has been used in herbal remedies for centuries and can still be bought as a herb tea - don't fancy it myself.

 Our elderly friend  was up at the second home across the fields to see the owners ( he checks the house when they are not there......... 40 weeks of the year!). It's owned by a lawyer from London. While he was there they had a Waitrose delivery for Christmas. They are staying there for 10 days before flying out to South Africa to see the cricket. The WHOLE van was their stuff!!
How the other half live!

Will You be the 1 millionth page view today?

Back tomorrow
Sue
(Hope no-one else vanishes from the followers bar)