Tuesday 30 October 2018

Late October








Our half term break passed by rather quickly, and since the clocks went back at the weekend, the shorter days are a reminder that we are now heading towards the end of the year. This morning we woke to frost in the fields, but accompanied with bright sunshine and a clear blue sky, it has been a beautiful autumn day. And as if I didn't need another reminder about how fast the days are going, Lily returned home from school this afternoon with a Christmas card order form. I know I'm going to have to get organised in that department, but it just feels a little too soon right now. I'm enjoying autumn and I'm in no hurry to rush the season.
I'm actually relishing the darker evenings. Being able to draw the curtains and shut ourselves away is really appealing to my slothful side. A form of hibernation. I'm changing into my pyjamas earlier and earlier each night.

The trees are rapidly dropping their leaves now and we've had great fun this weekend walking in a nearby deer park and kicking up leaves. The squirrels were playing a great game of hide and seek and the deer themselves blending into the background amongst the trees. The fresh country air helping to stave off the beginnings of a cold that has been threatening for the last week or so, and which I would much rather do without.

Our week at home was largely uneventful. There were health appointments to be kept, the car went for it's MOT and the gas boiler was serviced. We enjoyed some walks out, trips to the park and generally frittered our time away. We usually go away for October half term, so this was quite a contrast for us, but I quite enjoyed the more leisurely approach. The highlight of the week, however, was meeting up with Suzanne from Snapshots of Number 38. We spent a lovely few hours chatting together while Lily played in the park and enjoyed a walk along the seafront, followed by lunch. Suzanne very kindly gifted Lily some books and colouring pens in a beautifully stitched holder, along with some chocolate and stickers. They have been well used already Suzanne, and as you can imagine, the chocolate didn't last long at all. Thank you, again. I do hope you enjoy the reciprocal pebble and feather. 😆



This week, our cosy evenings have been enhanced by the warm glow from our carved pumpkin, or, as Lily would say, 'punkin'. This one has been for our enjoyment alone, but we have two more to carve, in order to welcome any trick or treater's which may be heading our way on Hallowe'en. Although we don't have any tricks,  only treats.
J. X

46 comments:

  1. Your jolly 'punkin' made me smile and has cheered up my morning. A splendid chap!
    xx

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    1. He's looking a little gummy now, Joy. Hearing Lily say 'punkin' makes me smile, so just for this year, I'm not going to correct her. X

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  2. you did a good job with your pumpkin :)

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    1. Thank you. I've since carved another and had a few near misses with the knife. I'm sure there must be more injuries from pumpkin carving than there are from fireworks at this time of year. X

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  3. Walking in crunchy Autumn leaves is wonderful. I love that photo.

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    1. I always enjoy kicking through the leaves. X

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  4. The schools here are on holiday this week, quite late this year. It's definitely getting colder now and the nights have drawn in with the turning back of the clocks, not my favourite time of year but I'm enjoying the less soggy days when we're still able to get out and about. How lovely meeting up with a blog friend, it sounds like you had a lovely time.

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    1. The bright, sunny days are my favourite. My outlook is never quite as positive on the grey, wet ones. It was lovely to meet up with Suzanne. X

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  5. What a lovely week you had :) We usually go away end Sept or beginning Oct for a few days, but not this year as Ginger isn't well enough :( We've been doing a bit of decorating, baking and not much else. We too enjoy cosy evening curled up on the couch :) Our car is also in for MoT and winter service. A walk in the park and kicking leaves looks like great fun, but the trees around us seem have skipped gold this year and gone straight from green to none! Best, Jane :)

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    1. It felt a little strange, not going away for half term, but it was good to get on top of a few things as well as relaxing at home, especially as it is now going to be a busy run up to the end of the year.
      Its a shame you've missed out on the Autumn colour. We're lucky, it's been glorious here. X

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  6. Autumn is a lovely time for photos isn't it? - I love the blue sky ones, and Lily looks like she's almost tree-hugging in that first shot :)

    I've been out with the dogs as much as I can recently, taking photos on sunny days to continue the 'Monday walks' theme - had a lovely time on Saturday exploring an ancient tower and a park that I hadn't previously known about but is just a few miles from home, and was out yesterday getting photos for next Monday's post.

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    1. It's so beautiful, especially on a bright day. As you can probably tell from the photographs, the sun gradually came out during the course of our walk. The tree in the first photograph is actually hollow, so Lily was just climbing inside it. We are not averse to some tree hugging, however, it is a regular occurrence :)
      I think I'm going to have to go in search of your blog. I'm not sure I'm following the right one. X

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    2. My camping blog won't be updated now until I go camping again, probably sometime next year, but you can see my twice weekly posts and photos about everything under the sun here, although I'm sure you've commented on it before -
      https://mousehouselife.wordpress.com/

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    3. Thank you Eunice. Yes, I'm sure you're right. I will add it to my follow list before I lose it again. X

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  7. My pj's are going on earlier too, its nice to sit warm and cosy with crafting in hand on the darker nights. It does have its bonuses.
    Your pumpkin looks great.

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    1. It feels a bit indulgent doesn't it? But ever so comfortable. X

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  8. It sounds like you had a really nice and relaxing half term break. I also love autumn and I don't like to rush through it. Christmas will be here before we know it, though. Our clocks go back this weekend and I am so looking forward to an extra hour of sleep and darker evenings. Your carved pumpkin is so cute! We carved ours over the weekend and it's ready for Halloween tomorrow. Have a great rest of the week!

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    1. We had a lovely break, thank you Julia. I now feel rested and ready for the run up to the end of the year. I absolutely love Christmas but all in good time. Everything can get so hurried if we're not careful, with no time to enjoy the here and now. Have a great Hallowe'en. X

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  9. I'm so happy that the early dark nights are here. Like you I love to close the curtains and get my jammy's on early and rather than light candles we now just switch them on....these LED candles are brilliant.
    How lovely that you met up with Suzanne.
    Hugs-x-

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    1. It's quite lovely to cosy in, Sheila. A bit like being wrapped in a nice warm blanket, which of course is sometimes the case too.
      The pumpkins are currently lit up by small battery operated tea lights, for safety reasons,but I will put real ones in them tomorrow, when I put them out by the porch to greet the trick or treater's.
      It was really lovely to meet up with Suzanne. I hope we get the opportunity to do it again some time. X

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  10. It's so cold here today and was -1 degree when I got in the car this morning. Good to hear your boiler has been serviced and you should have a trouble-free winter now. That's a scary looking pumpkin, good carving. Lovely to see all the children dressed up for Halloween, plenty of treats at the ready here too.

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    1. It has been a frosty couple of days here Eileen, so it was a relief when the gas engineer arrived to check the boiler over last week. I really don't want a repeat of last year if I can help it.
      Two more pumpkins have since been carved, which is a good job, as my small resident witch looks too cute to be able to scare anyone. X

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  11. Fast rolling to the end of the year...scary...and I suppose the scariest night of all is tomorrow...I do hope it's not too cold to have a go on my broom! x

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    1. I hope you've been practising your cackling, Jackie. X

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  12. Sounds like a an idyllic half term, enjoying each others company and the season. What fun to meet up with a fellow blogger. The nights close in so early now so we too change into our PJs earlier and enjoy toasting our toes by the stove.

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    1. We enjoyed quite a relaxing week and I must admit, even though we didn't get away, it felt good to get on top of the jobs which needed doing. It was lovely to be able to meet up with Suzanne. X

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  13. 'Punkin' is very cute. :)
    I too love autumn. It's getting cooler now after many warm months.

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    1. I love it Nil, although I'm amazed she's still saying it like that. I'm sure it will be different next year. X

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  14. Your photos are lovely! Just what autumn should be! It's going to be 85F here, today, and going up to 90F on Friday! :D That "punkin" is awesome!

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    1. Thank you Bless. That's very warm for Autumn. X

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  15. Your photographs are all so lovely, and it sounds like you had a really nice half term break.

    I do enjoy the Autumn months and get out and about as much as possible. I know Christmas is around the corner and have to admit I have already bought some Christmas Cards!

    Loving your carved pumpkin …

    Enjoy the rest of the week, and Happy November Wishes

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan, that's very kind of you to say. Autumn is really lovely this year and the weather is very agreeable to getting out for some great walks. Although, after this week, I will need to start thinking a little bit more about Christmas. X

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  16. It really is beautiful in your neck of the woods and I'm glad you've been out and about enjoying it. Your 'punkin' looks very happy too. Enjoy your treating! xx Susan

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    1. Thank you Susan. Our punkin has two more friends now, all ready to sit out in the porch this evening. X

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  17. I love the colours of those Autumn leaves. How lovely to be surrounded by them. I love the glow of your punkin!
    Meg

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    1. The leaves were looking gorgeous in the sunshine, as if alight. The trees will be bare before much longer, so it's good to enjoy the Autumn colour while it's here. X

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  18. wish I could have been there with you and Suzanne 😢
    gorgeous pics. Tell me, what is a Christmas card order form? that's a new one on me! I'm with you there, Autumn is still here, and while there is no doubting the fact that Christmas is thisclose, I still want to enjoy this beautiful and far too short season. Says the person who will be putting her festive lights in place next week, but you know what I mean!

    Happy Halloween. xx

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    1. Oh, that would have been just wonderful, Sadie, and it was mentioned :)
      The Christmas card thing is a bit sneaky really. All the children draw a Christmas picture, which is sent home to parents, who are then inclined to order cards, wrapping paper etc. in the child's design, in order to raise money for the school. I might have ordered some, but Lily's has been finished on a green background, which I don't find particularly festive. Just to be clear though, I will, of course, be supporting their other fundraising efforts, of which there are many!
      I'm with you on enjoying Autumn for as long as possible. I do love Christmas, just not in October. Be careful putting up those lights, Sadie; I hope you don't intend to use the ladders of doom. X

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  19. Love the pumpkin face. Having met Lily I can imagine her total enjoyment at being out and about kicking those Autumn leaves. I'm glad she liked the bits and bobs and you can tell her the stone is on my shelf at the van :)

    Thomas used to bring the Christmas cards home, I think I only bought one because if I'm honest he's not got much of an artistic streak in him lol. I can remember Amy's school having an art exhibition fund raiser. The children all painted a picture in class then a company came in and framed them to be sold. Which was all well and good but the frame was literally a plastic thing that you could buy for £1 from the shop. They were selling them for £10! We passed on that particular fund raiser especially as the school were only getting a fairly small percentage.

    Is it very sloth like to admit I ate my tea in PJ's last night? xx

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    1. I'm not sure who gets the most enjoyment from kicking through the leaves :) I wonder if I'll ever tire of it? I hope not. I'll let Lily know the pebble has pride of place.
      There are a lot of fundraising efforts at school this term and I always support what I can. This week it's bags for life! At least they will be useful. X

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  20. I always enjoy your photos. Sounds like a cosy time of year with you. Hope you have a lovely weekend. X

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    1. Thank you CT. We've enjoyed some cosy days spent at home, but when the weather is good we can't wait to get outdoors. X

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  21. Lol, Lily's comment reminded me of a time I was out with my small son in the early 80s when Punks were around. He pointed to one with very high spiky hair and said in a loud voice - "Look Mummy, a Punkin"!
    Your photos are always so lovely. Autumn is my favourite season (apart from the fact that it leads into winter). We used to take our children away for October half-term and I always loved the wrapping up, taking a walk and returning (with cold noses) to wherever we were staying for hot chocolate. Happy memories - and you are making lots of them with lovely Lily.

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    1. Thank you, Eloise. Your tale did make me laugh. Children do say some funny things don't they, and we remember them for years afterwards. I've always enjoyed the October half term, especially as it often brings with it some beautiful Autumn weather. X

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  22. I agree, too soon for Christmas Frenzy!

    And so happy to find someone else, who finds the earlier evening darkness, to be cozy! Yessss!

    Me'thinks your different Oct. plans, where lovely. Nothing like enjoying home area, at your leisure. Very restful.

    After all, the Holiday Frenzy will be trying to invade, soon. Rest/relax, while you can! :-)

    ✨🍁✨🍎✨🍁✨

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    1. I adore Christmas but just not this early. I don't understand the need to hurry everything along.
      I never used to enjoy this time of year but have recently discovered a new appreciation for the changing seasons. Each has something special to offer. X

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