Crawling out of the woodwork

Yes, I've finally surfaced.  Whaddya mean you hadn't noticed I'd been away?  Cheeky.  It's all this going to bed early mallarky.  It leaves me no time to do anything.  Blogging included.  Yeah, I know, I'm such a saddo.  I need to get a life.

When I've not been an A1 dullard, I've been taking photos of my recent jumble sale spoils.  Wanna butchers?

Four of these blue dishes for 30p:

A cute Holkam pottery lidded bowl for 50p:

My new compost bin (50p):

Two single sheets and two pillow slips in this:

A handy jumble sale tip.  It's always a good idea to keep stalking the bric-a-brac table/s as sometimes, new stuff gets put out or you simply spot something that you didn't spot the first time round - often because it was lurking underneath something else.  Take this little beaut which I spotted on my second trawl around the bric-a-brac.  It was covered in cutesy animal figurines (they were horrid) and all I saw was this:

Once cutesy and horrid ornaments were removed and lo and behold, it's a fabulous glass covered tray with a Vernon Ward print.  A mere 30p.

Another handy jumble sale tip is don't be scared of grubby.  One of my favourite purchases, my large enamel colander which I use as a fruit bowl was, on first sight, not pretty. 

Scrubbed up a treat though.

Neither was this:

I'd been searching for a mirror to go into our not so newly wallpapered loo for ages.  Mirrors on ebay cost far too much especially when you factor in delivery and I really didn't want to pay a lot.  Anyway, this mirror was lurking in a box under the bric a brac tables and not only was it hideously grubby but it was sticky.  Readers, I'm not squeamish but it was seriously sticky.  Eeeewww!  So sticky and grubby in fact that I baulked at the 50p the helper wanted to charge me.  Well, Mr J and P was more than happy to pay 50p for it and after a good scrub, it's not half bad. 

We went away for a week over Easter to visit Grandpappy J and P in the Lake District and one of the topics of conversation was who was the most embarassing parent. According to Little Miss J and P, little old me is the most embarassing * shock horror*.  Mainly because I'm, in her words, "always singing and humming." In public too. Perfectly normal behaviour in my book.

Grandpappy J and P (aka Mr J and P's dad) was definitely the most embarassing parent according to his offspring. When Mr J and P and brother lived at home, Grandpappy frequently used to take himself off for a walk wearing his dressing gown over his clothes and clutching a cup of tea.

Mr J and P's bruv told me of the time that Grandpappy turned up at his school to some event wearing the shortest of shorts (as was the fashion in the 70s), a wide brimmed straw hat (probably a woman's) and smoking the stub of a cigar. Classic.

Grandpappy, I salute you.  After all, we embarrassing parents must stick together.

How about you?  Are you an embarrassing parent and, if so, why?  How did your parents succeed in embarrassing you?  Do tell.  I want to hear all the gory details.   xx