Saturday Again - Getting Ready For Winter

Wow, that week went by quickly! And what a change in the weather! It seems as if summer hardly began before the leaves have begun to drift down from the branches. Summer plants are almost finished and need sorting, there is plenty to do in the garden and the day light hours are decreasing. I don't mind this time of year though, actually I quite like the crispness of an autumn day. Walking at this time of year is a real pleasure and then coming home to a cup of tea and a warm fire. How lucky am I! I count my blessings every day.

One of the best things we have invested in, in our home, is our wood burner. It is simply the best thing since sliced bread. A few years ago, we had it installed and were surprised at the huge variety of burners available nowadays. Luckily we have a working chimney, and along with lining we chose a solid cast iron stove. It's a little bit traditional in style, but it fits in with our house and it's a joy to relax in front of it at the end of a busy day.

Logs are delivered and stacked (why does it always seem to rain on log delivery days!).

We are ready!

In the garden, our nocturnal visitor has been around again! We are pretty sure it's a badger and we're thinking of setting up a camera? Anyone have any ideas?

Comments

31st October 2024, I'm A Halloween Grinch 🎃

I don't like Halloween. It's origins or the 21st Century version. Right from it's beginnings it has been about death and spirits of the dead. I always say I'm not superstitious, but somethings shouldn't be messed with. Halloween, or All Hallows Eve, has been turned from a Celtic tradition to ward off evil and spirits, to a commercial nightmare. I know that many will say that nowadays it's just a bit of fun, but like my fear of spiders, its maybe instinct. Maybe its the near death experiences that TTP survivors have, a little too close to home. Winter in this part of the world brings darkness and cold, something that the Celtic people took seriously. If any misfortune befell them in the winter, they likely didn't survive. For a while the Christian form of All Hallows Eve became a time when the poorest folk would beg at more wealthy folk’s doors for food, in return for offering prayers. Now children are encouraged to trick ...

23rd September 2024 Apple Pies, Not Quite How Grandma Made Them 😉

I get a lot of recipe videos on my social media feeds. Many claim to be just how someone's Grandmother showed them. I often doubt it's true. I'm older, of course, so possibly I'm thinking of days from long ago. My Grandma, Nanny we called her, was born more than 100 years ago. She had a large family and undoubtedly did make pies, but I don't think they had desserts. She would have made pastry, she didn't have a fridge, and I have seen her cooker in a museum 🥰. Nanny had access to fresh veg because Grandad had an allotment and she kept her own hens and rabbits. She didn't leave a recipe book, but she left a healthy brood of children. The old apple tree in our garden has withered this year. Although it had buds, it didn't produce any blossom so no apples. We couldn't bring ourselves to remove it, and we'll give it another chance next spring. I do know it will be something of a miracle if it fruits again. My nei...

21st October 2024, Newcastle, Gateshead, Angel of the North

This weekend away was not my choice but my husband's. To be fair I've had my weekends away and it was his turn. Of course, it involved football. BHA v Newcastle. It's on his list of dreams. What would my grandfather, a supporter, think of us flying to Newcastle to watch a match? We flew with Easyjet, cabin bags under our seats, and limited amount of cloths. I've never travelled for a weekend before knowing that I would need to wash undies. My meds (not TTP related) took up more space than my toiletries! We arrived exhausted, but driving would have been so much worse. We ignored our own travel tip and landed after sunset. It's disorienting to land in the dark when you have no idea where you are. Flight delayed at both ends, we took the Metro from the airport to the city centre, it was delayed en route, and then we left the station by the wrong exit. It resulted in us walking more t...

Porridge for Breakfast, The Ordinary Life of a TTP Survivor

Search This Blog