Weaknesses, Phobia's, and Sheer Horror

Mugs. My weakness. I said I wasn't going to buy any more - I have no room, and anyway, I can make my own! (Although I was toying with the idea of starting a new mug collection - mugs from all my favourite ceramic artists!) But today I saw these, and I just couldn't help myself...

a "Maynards Wine Gums" mug and a "Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts" mug
Do you have these sweets in the states?

Anyway, I decided I deserved a treat after my busy and distressing day. "Oh no, why was that Linda?" I'm glad you asked! I'll tell you why, because it is autumn here in sunny England - also known as the arachnid season. Actually, it isn't, I just made that up, but we do get rather a lot of them at this time of year. And they are my phobia. Now you know two things about me - my weakness and my phobia. So our conservatory has become one giant web and home to every spider in the entire country and my sister very kindly offered to vacuum it out for me because spiders don't bother her. Her phobia is rats and mice. But let me tell you, even she was freaked because there were so many and they were so big. I stayed inside, quivering and crying in fear.

Holy broomstick. It gets worse...

So then she goes to tackle the outside toilet (meaning attached to the house but the entrance is outside). I mean, whose idea was it to build outside toilets? What sort of a stupid idea is that? Who wants to freeze their butt off to go to the toilet? And who wants passers by to hear them straining to do a number two? Ok, enough with the mental imagery. I hate outside toilets because spiders love them. I have not set foot in that toilet the whole 12 years that we have lived here! So when my sister swung open the door we got a bit of a shock... the floor was covered in RATS DROPPINGS!!

(dramatic pause for effect)

Can you believe that?? I've been in shock for the rest of the day. I'm waiting to hear when the pest control man is coming round, but in the mean time I felt I deserved a couple of new mugs... and a couple of bars of chocolate... and a bottle of Bailey's. The back door is well and truly locked, and my poor sister was so traumatised that I felt the least I could do was to buy her one of those plug in things that deter rats and mice for her home!! Other wise she would never sleep again!

So that was today. In other news I have had a completely inactive, uneventful, unproductive, not worth writing about, summer. Which is why I didn't. Write about it, that is. I've not really been feeling all that grand, so I'm having some blood tests on Friday.

Also, my classes start again on Monday! I wanted to buy more glazes before then but I'm having trouble choosing!