Found the kettle, forgot the ketchup ...

Please forgive my laziness, we've reached the point in the holidays when it seems that we've all stepped down a gear. Lazy mornings, lazy days, lots of sunshine, lots of lovely food and Mr Roses at home have all meant that little time has been spent in front of the computer.
Last week we went camping again. Now I know you've all seen millions of our camping photos this past year and heard in great detail all about the highs and lows of the Rambling Roses exploits so not too many photos this time and fewer words. Suffice to say that we had the most wonderful time, having slept in yurts and in our own tent we plumped this time to hire a bell tent so that we could really take advantage of the little time we had there. Oh the joy of arriving and not having to put up the tent. To walk into a beautiful white canvas structure that has a properly fitting ground sheet, doesn't leak and has mattresses waiting for you ...




We meant to savour every moment - and we did. The only low spot was realising that I'd forgotten the ketchup! It seems that I'd become a bit too blase in the old packing department, leaving everything till the last minute. My goodness, packing for a camping trip for us must equal packing for a major expedition for most. We were hardly miles away from civilization yet the need to ensure all (and I mean all) our possessions have been packed is paramount. For me what was uppermost in my mind was the kettle which had gone mysteriously AWOL - life under the trees may be good, but without a cuppa in my hand first thing in the morning, wuuld be pretty miserable. Kettle located finally by Mr Roses under a pile of blankets, I breathed a sigh of relief and continued to pile up the possessions in the hall. Mr Roses has long since stopped trying to pare down the items that us 3 female Roses deem to be essential on a camping trip and quietly packed the car which had once again assumed its tardis like qualities for the trip.
So kettle found, holidays could begin in earnest. Except for the missing ketchup (and, it seems, anything else that came in a jar or bottle, as I somehow managed to forget opening the last cupboard door in the kitchen that housed all the culinary delights we needed to take). Normally life at home would continue quite blissfully without the addition of ketchup, here under the stars the loss of ketchup took on epic proportions. The peace and quiet of the tipi trail was punctuated by wails from the Roses' tent "I can't believe you forgot the ketchup", "How could I forget the ketchup".
Time to call for the cavalry ...Emma and her boys were going to join us for one day adventuring and running feral and she gladly agreed to bring the ketchup - phew, disaster averted.



We enjoyed evenings under the starriest of skies, the fullest of moons and the quietest of nights. Days spent playing rounders, reading in the dappled shade, swinging from trees. We had an awfully big adventure with Mrs Sew Recycled and her boys on the Bluebell Railway - thanks Emma for the most wonderful day - an Enid Blyton/Darling Buds of May kind of day that brings a smile to my face just thinking about it.



So once again we survived the camping, feeling better for it. A few days away and feeling a million times more refreshed on our return. I may have forgotten the ketchup and oh so many things in the kitchen department but I did remember one essential thing that must earn me rather a lot of points in the blogging world - if you're gonna go camping, forget the ketchup, forget the peanut butter and the jam, remember the kettle, but most of all, do try and wear shoes that match the campfire!!!!



And whilst I'm glowing in the warmth of that campfire moment, I did remember to paint ALL my toenails the same colour (ironically, a nice ketchupy red) but for some reason the big toenail on the right just didn't want to play ball - that would just have been too perfect ...