a visit to see Gene the Pumpkin man...

Last weekend we went to see Gene the Pumpkin man.

You can't help but love this man! "Since 1957"

The kids love pulling the orange wagons around.

His farm is about 30 minutes drive from our house on the M43. It's a really fun place as everything is orange or decorated with pumpkins! 

The younger kids love it but it's only small so you can 'do it' in about an hour or so.

Our kids loved playing inside the huge metal pumpkin.

And of course, Charlotte made a bee-line for the Princess carriage.

He has rows and rows of pumpkins - a sea of orange! 

Local friends - go and see him before Halloween. He does a great deal on pumpkins and has gourds of all shapes and sizes. I took a bag full of mini pumpkins home to glitter! 

And see if you can spot all of the other orange or pumpkin shaped things around his farm.

books that i've been reading...

I've been reading quite a lot of books recently and thought I would share them with you in case you were looking for some inspiration.

I read them all on my Kindle, so I can also access them on my phone. Which is great when I have 45 minutes to kill at dance or gym class. The books go everywhere with me (well at least everywhere I take my phone or kindle!). I don't have big chunks of time to get lost in a book, though I did read a whole one on our camping trip! So having them on my phone makes it easier to finish a book before I have forgotten who the characters are and have to re-read half of it!
I do love the feel of a real book and love having them lined up on a bookshelf. But we have run out of space on our shelving and I don't go to the bookstore that often, so the Kindle is just too convenient.

Here are some of them:

Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin

A wonderful and touching story based in South Korea it gives a real insight into life there and the complicated relationships that can be found within a family.

The Guernsey Literary Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows

This is a novel based on a true story, narrated through an exchange of letters. I wasn't sure how I would find this style of writing but I was pleasantly surprised. A post-war, heart warming story with it's fair share of drama and heartbreak. Based in Guernsey (again, surprise!) and London, I loved this book and did not want it to end! 

Where'd you go Bernadette by Maria Semple

A witty, easy to read novel based in Seattle. I read this in a weekend and loved it! The story line is a little far fetched in places but if you don't take it too seriously, you'll enjoy it! 

2030 by Albert Brooks

'The real story of what happened in America'. They have cured cancer but America is struggling through a huge recession then something happens that changes everything. Loved it! A fascinating insight into what could be and in a time frame that I hope to be around in. Do I think they will have cured cancer in the next few years? Probably not, but an interesting take on what might happen as a result. 

Let me know if you get chance to read any of them and what you think!