Red Dye

They were in a bag of second-hand clothes that recently came my way and I almost threw them straight into the charity shop box.

Then I remembered dyeing.  I imagined them a different colour and they ended up in the keeping pile.

There's a bright red curtain across the door to the garden that has been drastically lightened by the summer sun on the side facing the door.

So guess what colour of dye I bought today at the haberdashery?

Bright red! One of my favourite colours.

The curtain is back to its cheery red self.

Now I have a lovely red dress and a floaty red top.

The only downside of the happy red onslaught is this...

Before dyeing, I threw the faded curtain into a regular dark wash so it would be damp for the dye bath.

Lefty and Righty's football kits were in that wash.

Righty's came out it's usual definitely English self.  However, Lefty's lovely green Eire kit now has a pink (instead of white) badge on the shirt and on the shorts.  Honestly, this is the first time I've coloured any laundry through a washing error.  That's quite good for nearly nine years of domesticity!

Autumn has slipped up on me this year.  The entire angle of the sun has shifted.  Was there some sort of major earth tilt that I missed?  Suddenly the sunshine abandons all but half of our back garden in the afternoons, and even then is only seen in a hazy way that speaks nothing of summer, but shouts autumn.

Slow down, Coffee Mama.  You're too busy to see what's going on right under your nose!

Once upon a time you noticed every detail in the changing of the seasons.  Pause while chopping those onions and wiping the fingerprints off that window. Stop. You can pull the baby out of the crayons she's been devouring in a moment.

Slow down and watch sky, trees, leaves change. Otherwise winter will be here and you'll have missed your favourite season.

At least I didn't miss out on the inherent possibility in a packet of tulip red Dylon!