October Sunshine

 

It wasn't the best start to the week. Storm Ashley arrived, and we were battered by strong winds and heavy rain. Roads were flooded and branches were strewn across pavements. Having transferred my pots into more sheltered corners of the garden, thankfully, the only damage here appeared to be my poor second sunflower, which snapped at its base, even though it had been securely tied. Never mind, it had been lovely while it lasted. 

Besides the storm, it's been a quiet week, all told, mainly taken up with work and other uneventful happenings.  I've managed to settle into a new routine, clawed back a little time for myself, and as a result, I've felt much less stressed. On Tuesday, after a three week break, I went swimming again, which felt wonderful. I'm not a very strong swimmer, and I'm certainly not fast, but I managed to swim a mile, which is a great achievement for me. I'm going to try and keep it up as a regular activity now. I've already put in a request for some swimming goggles as a Christmas present. Next on the list will be a swimsuit that I actually feel comfortable wearing :)

Another activity, which I've been enjoying this week, is crochet. Yes, I've finally picked up my hook again, after what has felt like a very long time. Probably because it has been. With the help of an online tutorial, I've got my head around waffle stitch (thank you, Joy) and I've made a start on a baby blanket for a friend's grandson, who is due in January. It feels good to be doing something gently creative again, especially as it doesn't require too much thought or concentration on my part. I've no photographs to show you yet, but I'll be sure to take some for a future post. 

The clocks went back in the early hours of this morning, which is why I'm awake ridiculously early, and I'm trying hard not to think too much about dark, gloomy evenings. Instead, I'm focusing on bright cold days, filled with autumn sunshine. Since the start of the week, we've seen a great improvement in the weather, here, but it has felt unseasonably warm.

Later this week, it will be Hallowe'en. In a few days I will decorate the porch with cobwebs, spiders and bats, and our cauldron will be filled with sweets to welcome any scary visitors we may receive. To be honest, the cobwebs and spiders are often to be found there, but I'll add some fake ones for visual effect. 

There are still the pumpkins to carve, and although I often have thoughts of doing something a little bit different, I usually keep with tradition and stick to a regular, scary face. 🎃 And another thing I definitely shall be doing, is toasting the pumpkin seeds. Delicious!

At the weekend, we will be wrapping up warmly, and meeting with friends at a local bonfire and firework display. Still making the most of those moments, before my thoughts turn to those end of year festivities. 

Back soon. 

J. X