Very Random 'Post Christmas Blog Post'

The Oasis is and always will be, a totally unique aspect of Birmingham's personality. We offer everything from tattoos to tutus, beads to boots, and everything else in-between! 
The Oasis - Birmingham  As a kid in the 1980s this was my favourite place.  I would travel to Birmingham on the train and spend hours in this place.  I could buy clothes that I couldn't find in my home town, usually Kaftans imported from India with bells, mirrors, tassels and gold paint on them.  I could also buy beads and bangles, earings, groovy jeans, boots, incense etc.  I liked the eclectic mix of folks it attracted Punks with colourful Mohicans and alternative make up, rockers and hippy types.  This was and still is the place to go if you want anything funky, from hairstyles, to your anatomy pierced or tattooed, clothes and jewellery.  My kids had Christmas Money burning a hole in their pocket, Henry wanted to go to 'The Oasis' for his first time and Euan wanted to go to a specialist Retro and Nostalgia Comic Shop.  Visiting 'Oasis' for the first time in over twenty years as a 'Mom' was a strange experience.
   I find it quite an ordeal now to go to Birmingham with two kids in tow we decided to brave it.  I like to get up early and go before the crowds, needless to say that was the first mistake of the day, getting the teenager up early.  Phew was he a grump!  Euan was very excited about going on the train, he also gets quite anxious about it and worries about the platforms and missing the train and getting lost etc so he is quite hyper.

His brother was the opposite and barely awake.  Euan did not like Henry putting his feet on the seats and gave him a thorough telling off!  This didn't go down well but I backed Euan and explained it is not very community spirited as people have to sit on the seats and most people like to keep their clothes clean.  Grumpy teenager turned Sulky teenager.  They bickered for nearly the whole journey, policing each other, but I was ready for this:

  I made three on the journey there and three on the journey back.  I will take this opportunity to show you my beautious new hook:

Euan calls it my 'Death Hook'.  I love working with it.  Crochet does Grunge!
To be honest this little bag of Yarn saved my sanity today, all the bickering went right over my woolly little head!

Birmingham was not too busy today, I don't like crowds.  Henry did not like me taking photographs.  He said I was making a fool of myself and looking like a tourist!  I was not allowed to take too many and the ones I did I sneaked when he wasn't looking.  We had five minutes to wait for 'Oasis' to open so I admired the window displays.

You can't really see from the photograph but this cushion is machine embroidered.  Cool.

This Knitted Love and Peace Cushion is fantastic too.  I am a great one for seeing things and thinking I can do that!  I really think I could manage that!

Very cute Sesame Street hat and gloves.  May look a bit too silly on me though!

Inside the shop this bike caught Euan's eye.  Henry cheered up and found himself some 'Love and Peace' Bracelets, a CND studded belt and a Bob Marley T' Shirt.  He also got a very cool vintage black Levi Jacket.  I drew the line at 'The Middle Finger Patch' he wanted to sew on it!  Am I getting old?  I reminded him Bob Marley was a chilled dude and not crabby!  We paced around the entire three or four floors of the place at least twice!  Euan had great fun reading rude slogans on T shirts!
I sneaked a photograph of this Poncho - now I could do that!  I think Poncho's are hip and happenin!  I love the mix on this one of knitting and crochet.

I needed a Cup of Tea and a Pit Stop before finding the shop Euan wanted, again this incurred the wrath of Henry, he told me he would never come to Birmingham with me and Euan again!  He sulked a little bit more in the cafe...Euan and I slurped our drinks in oblivion!
Euan loves the comic shop and blew half of his Christmas money on Star Wars figures, he is loving them and playing with them now.  Henry is upstairs listening to Bob Marley.  He found some CDs in a Reggae Music Store.  We had lunch in the Chinese Restaurant that I went to for my 40th Birthday 'The Big Wok'.  It is an all you can eat Chinese Buffet.  The last time we went we all walked painfully back to the train station after sampling rather too much of the eighty dishes.  Today I did things in moderation, I only sampled about forty!  I made sure that included some healthy stuff like Tofu and mushrooms...we will forget about the deep fried stuff that I ate!  Somehow Euan had room for the help yourself ice cream machine too.  He did complain a bit on the train on the way home.

I sneaked this photograph of the Birmingham Rotunda.  (That is Henry's hat on the right.)  I used to call the Rotunda  'The Coca Cola Tower' as for years it had the 'Coca Cola' Logo all around the top.
We arrived at the station to see the back end of our train disappearing, much to Euan's dismay.  We explained there would be another in half an hour.  He spent the next 30 minutes asking 'How long is half an hour?'  On the journey home Henry retracted his statement about never going to Birmingham with Euan and I again.  I thought that was sweet!  They are both happy to be home with their goodies.  Apart from the six Granny Squares what else do I have to show for my day?  Not a tattoo, not a piercing, but:

I am definitely getting old aren't I?