First Snow

As the weekend's storm subsided, the weather became decidedly chilly and by Sunday morning the sky had turned overcast and heavy, a far cry from the bright sunshine we had been forecast. I was a little disappointed, having already planned a walk for the day but undeterred we set off anyway, determined to get out for some gentle exercise and fresh air. A few flakes of snow hung in the air but I wasn't expecting them to come to much, any hopes of a decent snowfall are often dashed, usually turning to sleet before even a light covering is settled.

It wasn't long before it became clear that the snow was here to stay and we were certainly not going to be heading up onto the fells any time soon. We couldn't even see them hidden beneath the heavy, low cloud. Never mind, we would take a walk round to the local National Trust property and through the nearby wood. But unfortunately we couldn't manage that either, as it was closed. Instead we walked a little way up the hill and along the lane. The snow was falling far heavier by this time and I was frequently being used as target practice for Lily's snowballs, when she wasn't on the ground making snow angels, that is. Any time I paused to chat with someone, she made sure to gather even bigger handfuls. Her aim is excellent by the way :)

Dropping down through the field we crossed the large stepping stones over the beck, being extra careful not to fall in. I didn't particularly relish the thought of a soaking in the icy cold water. Fortunately, the stones in the middle were flat and dry, it was on the ones closer to the edge where we needed to be especially cautious. It was lovely and peaceful there, not even a sheep to be seen. 

The final stretch of our walk took us alongside the river. The snow was falling much lighter now and the sun was trying it's best to break through the cloud. We gathered branches and pine cones, which had blown from the trees and onto the path. These will be used to make our festive door wreath at some time during the coming week.

It is the beginning of December tomorrow. Last year I posted a little something each day throughout the month. I'm not sure I will have chance to do that this year but I hope to at least post more often than I have recently.

J. X

Autumn Fading

 

It has been a quiet week for me. I have felt grateful for this, as last weekend went by far too quickly and I really cannot remember accomplishing very much at all. I made four more jars of blackberry and elderberry compote, and a batch of flapjack but I think that might have been it. 

The gloomy, damp days continue but the road gritter, which drove past me on my way to work this week, signalled much colder weather ahead. 

I think it's time for me to be making some firm Christmas plans. Gifts are being sourced occasionally, as and when inpspiration hits, and I already have a few bits and pieces in the cupboard. But I often do this. I get lulled into a false sense of security that I have everything in hand, when in actual fact I find myself rushing around with just a week or so to go, which is not something I enjoy. Much as I don't like starting to plan too early, I also don't like being last minute. I have booked the train tickets for our weekend away, at least, so that's one less thing to worry about. And I'm really looking forward to it, as it will be our first trip away in ages. I'll need to dust off my suitcase.

Here, the trees look very bare now. Many autumn leaves lie fallen on the ground, and once vibrant colours are fading into dirty brown mulch. Still, they are beautiful in their own way. It is as though the earth is gradually winding down into it's long winter's sleep. It won't be long before I'm eagerly checking the forecast for signs of snow. 

It feels to me like it's almost time. Time to offset the gloom with sparkle, fairy lights and festive magic. Candles that lend a warm glow to a room, hot mulled cider, and cosy woollen blankets draped over sofas.

J. X

November

 

The grey and gloomy weather has returned once again. Not so much pouring with rain but the damp drizzly kind that turns my already unruly hair into something that almost needs it's own postal address. I have an ongoing battle of wills with my curls, one which I don't expect I will ever win, and most definitely not at the first sign of any rain. I can only ever dream of hair that sits beautifully and requires minimal effort to style each morning. I suppose if nothing else, it does at least help me to appreciate the colder days when I can just keep most of it under control beneath a woolly hat.

And it was cold here on Bonfire Night. I had a lovely evening. All the girls were here and after 'feasting' on some pizza we headed out into the garden, where we made a fire in the chiminea. The slightly worse-for-wear pumpkins were lit, marshmallows got toasted and we made the most of watching  fireworks being set off nearby.  We also enjoyed some warming Winter Spice cordial, which might just have contained a rather generous glug of red wine. Oh, and there were some sparklers as well! Thanks to the very generous lady in front of me at the supermarket, who insisted we share the very last four packets between us. I was very touched. People can be so kind.

The following day we went for a walk in the woods with the local Wildlife Trust group. It had been a while since we enjoyed one of their sessions, dates initially clashing with other activities, then the meet-ups were put on hold because of the restrictions, so you can imagine how lovely it felt to see everyone again. It is a small, friendly group and we were soon chatting away as we walked along - usually about the children, isn't that often the way. The day had been forecast to be wet and windy and we had arrived prepared in our waterproofs, but fortunately the worst of the weather held off until we had finished our walk, even leaving enough time for a play on the rope swings and enjoy a drink of hot chocolate beneath the trees. I also took along some of my home made treacle toffee to share.

The woodland floor was a thick carpet of golden leaves and in some places it became quite tricky to figure out the direction of the path. We had a lot of fun trying to catch the leaves being blown from the trees, but the blustery wind meant they were travelling much too fast for us on this occasion. Perhaps we should count the one that landed slap bang in the middle of Lily's hot chocolate. She wasn't very impressed :)

At home, I feel like I could use another week off to catch up with everything that I've fallen behind with recently. Earlier this week I did, at least, manage to finally clear the wild flowers from the garden and ensure the bird feeder was thoroughly cleaned and filled, in anticipation of receiving lots of visitors over the colder months. I also managed to sweep all the leaves  from the porch, although I'm sure it will have filled up again by the end of the week. 🍂🍂🍂

J. X

Rainy Days and Pumpkins

 

Once again, thank you so very much for all your lovely messages. I cannot begin to express just how much it means to me knowing I am in your thoughts. I will reply to you all very soon, I promise. With each day that passes my heart feels just a little bit lighter. 

So, my time off didn't go quite to plan. For obvious reasons I cancelled our planned trip away. It wouldn't have felt right, and in all honesty I wouldn't have been able to enjoy myself. It was a shame really, as the weather on the east coast looked to have been much brighter than at home. To say it has been a bit wet here would be an understatement, and my heart goes out to those who's homes and businesses have been affected by flooding yet again. Wind and rain lashing against the windows has been the soundtrack to much of the week, standing water covered many of the roads and any unnecessary travel has been avoided.

Because of this I have been mainly hunkered down at home and unusually for me I've hardly ventured out, preferring instead to stay cosy and dry indoors. We did, however, go out just for a short while, so that we could choose our Hallowe'en pumpkins and I spent a very productive afternoon carving them. It never ceases to amaze me how I manage to do this without somehow causing myself serious injury, although I suspect it's very much down to good fortune rather than my knife skills. 

And I didn't let anything go to waste either. The flesh was quickly turned into some delicious spiced pumpkin soup and the seeds were gently tossed in olive oil before roasting them in the oven. They taste so so good, and are very moreish. If you've never tried roasting them before, I can definitely recommend it. Just be careful not to eat them all in one go. 

At the weekend, and during another brief respite from the unrelenting rain, we put on our boots and set out to enjoy just a small part of what autumn has to offer. The leaves are changing rather rapidly now and with the sun making a brief appearance it was wonderful to spend some time amongst the beautiful seasonal colours. I would like to say we enjoyed kicking through the crisp fallen leaves, but disappointingly they were far more soggy than they were crunchy - still pretty though, especially in the bright sunshine.

Last night we welcomed some delightfully scary looking characters at our door for Hallowe'en, and you know it really did feel so good after the quiet of last year. During the evening many chocolates and sweets were given and received. I always end up buying far too many but they never seem to last long in this house. 

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this here before, but Hallowe'en is also a special day for another reason. It is the day I officially adopted Mog! It has now been six years since Lily and I drove to the animal shelter and brought her back home to live with us. 

I think she's happy to be here. 

J. X