Blossom: Day Five, Business and Pleasure

Blossom: Day Five, Business and Pleasure

Food is a weapon - don't waste it!

Friday  Frocktober

Outfit

• Reproduction day dress, black shoes, black beret, gloves (daytime)
• Reproduction suit, seamed stockings, black high shoes, hat, gloves (evening)

 Menu

• Breakfast - leftovers ... the mock chicken had to be finished (great for breakfast!)
• Lunch -tinned salmon and lettuce sandwich, fruit
• Afternoon tea - fruit, cuppa tea
• Dinner - FISH AND CHIPS, glass of wine, cup of tea
• After dinner - Horlicks

Mood

• Jolly hockey-sticks

What a lovely day! Today I was able to dedicate the daytime to Things Darling, and the evening to Things Social.

I had a lot of racing around to do, visiting banks and post offices and so forth, so I decided on a good, businesslike ensemble today. A neat dark red Darling Sisters reproduction forties day dress, worn with low brogues and a beret, and just for a touch of jolliness, spotty gloves. I felt wonderfully efficient but then discovered that even a relatively modest a-line just-below-the-knee skirt is a tricky choice on a very windy day. So of course I ended up doing the 'oh-my!' crabwalk with my large purse firmly clutched in front of my skirt.

Just as every other woman was doing, I noticed. Frocktober, the windiest month in Canberra. Hmm.

Business Blossom

Two big treats this afternoon. Firstly, a visit to the lovely Miss Viki for some hair attention, then an outing with my beloved Mum and sisters for some off-ration food. Hurrah!

I chose an outfit suitable for a public eatery in a busy shopping area. A dark green Darling Sisters reproduction forties suit (with the dearest peplum), a wonderful hat with bright red bows designed and made by Darla, seamed stockings and some sweet little black heeled shoes - every item from Darling Central (including my lovely big purse).

Off-ration food deserves a really cute hat.

Off I went happily, leaving the poor Captain to fend for himself.

He didn't seem to mind.

I was immediately glad I'd brought my big purse because my sister brought me a gift! Look, look at these!

The only thing better than a gift of eggs, is a gift of eggs from spoiled, happy chooks whose names you know. Thank you, girls! (Look at the size difference, awww.)

Eggs! A dozen lovely, lovely eggs from some very beloved backyard chooks, presumably grateful that somebody had brought Mock Chicken back into vogue. You're welcome, girls. Every lovely morsel off-ration. Mock Chicken for all!

Then it was time to eat. Even though it's only day five, I was embarrassingly thrilled to be eating out. As previously mentioned, eating out was enthusiastically embraced in the UK during the war because the food was off-ration. There was rarely a very large selection, and there were extremely firm rules about what you were allowed to order, and how much. But it was food, and you could get it, so it was good. And the women who were exhausted from working at the factory (check) or running the business (check) didn't have to cook it. And they could wear a lovely hat while they ate.

Since I first saw this poster, every single casserole dish I have used has borne an uncanny resemblance to Mr Churchill. And now it's going to happen to you, too. Take my word for it.

I got right into it. First I had a glass of wine.

Lovely, lovely wine. Gosh, this photo makes it look HUGE. It was just a normal size, worse luck.

Then I had my much-anticipated fish and chips.

WHAAAAAH!

I have to confess, at this stage, that I couldn't clear my plate. An arrestable offence, in the UK during the war. No, I'm really not joking, people actually went to jail if they were caught not finishing all the food on their plate.

However I can say with absolute confidence that in the UK during the war, you didn't get three big pieces of fish on your plate.

After that it was time for a cuppa. I managed to find some room.

I like a nice cup of tea with my tea.

And then, alas, the merriment was over and we had to tear ourselves away from lovely companionship and conversation and return home. It was a lovely evening.

I am now replete (not too replete for a last Horlicks before bed) and the tyranny of Carrots With Everything has receded a little. There are Happy Chook Eggs awaiting a hearty breakfast, and a day at Darling Central to look forward to tomorrow.

And nobody is going to bomb my house tonight (er, I assume).

Having quite a good war today, really.

Frock you later,
Blossom