Dashing through the Snough

Heathrow has been phoning the Mustard Seed for advice. 

 

How DOES the Mustard Seed manage to stay open - simply through the valiant efforts of stalwart septuagenarians - without even having access to the 47 Heathrow snoughploughs?

 

Is it all about giving our loyal customers the perfect little shop for all those perfect presents - right up to lunchtime Christmas Eve? 

 

THANK YOU for your continuing support - and a Blessed & Peaceful Christmas to you & family.

 

Sjoerd

On behalf of the Mustard Seed

 

P.S. The Nativity in the digital age : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA   

 

 

Bollywood comes to Town

One of our most popular lines is the authentic and delicious "Bombay Mix" (or - "Mumbai Mix" if you want to be politically correct according to EU directive AP/1x.zz ) .

The price is just £2.85 for a bollywood-sized tub. 

Nicely spicy, and also contains fat juicy sultanas - just as it would do in Mumbai. 

Yep - it's the real stuff alright - unlike some of the cheaper alternatives that just contain insects and straw - and we have it on good authority that Danny Boyle was constantly munching exactly this mixture when directing Slumdog .    No wonder it got so many Oscars. 

It's a real winner - in a fully resealable tub - especially handy when you want to offer really delicious nibbles to your guests over the Christmas period - rather than insects & straw. 

P.S.  In Myanmar it's called "Sarkalay Chee", which literally means Sparrows' Droppings. 

The Plural of Mongoose?

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat

Please spare a thought for the Mustard Seed so that

The farmers and their families will be celebrating too,

They’ll be thanking you and saying: may God bless you!

Christmas is a coming and the bells begin to ring,

The holly's in the window and the birds begin to sing.

You don't need to worry, and you don't need to fret,

When buying at the Mustard Seed it’s blessings that you‘ll get!

P.S. What IS the plural of mongoose?

Giraffes, Caraffes, & Riffraffes

One of our ilk ( or should I use the more seasonal "elk" ? )  spotted a clever justaposition of elegant necks in the Mustard Seed window this morning.

On the right of the window is a long-necked GIRAFFE  - and on the left is a long-necked CARAFFE .  Both beautiful, both looking at each other slightly confused (that'll be the wine) , and both wanting to tell you where you can put your leftover cooking RIFFRAFFE.

REPLACEMENT COMPOSTABLE STARCH BAGS FOR YOUR KITCHEN CADDY

*****************************************************

There's only two places in Faringdon where you can buy them  - and one of them isn't Budgens.

1. In the Mustard Seed.  Rolls of THIRTY, for £2.99    (10p per bag)

2. In the other place .  Rolls of TWENTY FIVE,  for £3.60  (14.5p per bag)

Wow!  Now that really IS something to talk about at parties - and to rush round to tell your friends & neighbours . What an ice breaker eh?  "Did you know that in the Mustard Seed ....      "

(And as if that isn't enough,  the Mustard Seed ones actually fit better too, AND they're better value than Tescos, Sainsburys, Waitrose...). 

Yep. The Mustard Seed: for all your giraffes, caraffes, and riffraffes. 

CCCXLIII

CCCXLIII is the clue.   Could it be  CCCP = USSR with one P ter the Less (cousin of Peter the Great) and few extra country-STANs added ? Makes sense.  Especially in the context of the FIFA decision awarding the world cup to Russia.  

But no - that's FAR too clever  - even for wise Baboushka .   

It's actually quite simple.

The link is Roman Abramovich.  OK - you're right - it DOES have a football link after all. 

But it's his first name that's significant here . Roman.  Roman numerals. 

CCCXLIII = 342 .  

In perfect time for your Christmas Shopping, 342 is the FANTASTIC special offer on children's books at the moment in the Mustard Seed.  342 .  Get three, only pay for two . 

And if that doesn't impress you:   342 = 2 × 3² × 19 = pronic number = Harshad number = untouchable number = The number of international appearances by Kristine Lilly for the USA women's national soccer team, an all-time record for the sport. There's that football link creeping in again.

Here's a picture of that bottom shelf in the Mustard Seed - by your footie - perfect browsing height for smaller dribblers . And here's a little more about our Russian Granny:

Baboushka is busy with her house...she has so much to do. The late night arrival of three travellers at her cottage door interrupts her domestic routine of cleaning and polishing. Although she gives them excellent hospitality, she is relieved that they plan to travel on the following day. The men explain that they are in search of a new born king. Baboushka wonders whether to join them, but does not want to leave the house in a mess. Only later, when she sees the star and hears angels singing does she realise she made the wrong choice. She hurries to take her own gift to the king but cannot find him. Tradition has it that she searches still and wherever she hears the sound of children in a house, she leaves a secret gift. This traditional Christmas tale from Russia warmly touches on the true meaning of Christmas.

There your go. That's one of the three books chosen for you. 

And it even has a football theme. It's a great Socker Filler. 

A TALL Story?

Dear MustardSeedoPhile,

 

Breeding Giraffes?  (try saying that in a Chinese accent.....    ) 

It seems so.  

And rots of ruvely flogs! (the jumpy kind) .

Why - you might well ask? 

Well, flogs jump because they feel vertically challenged when they stand next to the giraffes, and the giraffes have discovered that

M U S T A R D S E E D O P H I L E

C A M E L L O P A R D O P H I L E

have the same number of retters. 

Stretching this rather tentative vertabral link (tentative is something to do with camping I think) , the camellopardophile (Giraffe lovers) society (disbanded in 1934) have now decided to reconvene in our neck of the woods.

Just take a rook at http://www.onemilliongiraffes.com/  .  

That reminds me - when you next pop your head round the door of the Mustard Seed to choose your giraffe,  they (and the flogs) would love it if you also check out the beautiful silk NECKscarves & gorgeous handmade NECKraces . 

And for the smaller budgets, there's also SO many wonderful stocking filler NECKnacks .    

What NECKst  eh?