Where does the time go?
No idea, is the short answer.
It's not the case that my days are filled with excitement and fun activities, quite the opposite. But I'm still here, still breathing, a year older (though sadly no wiser) and somewhat surprised that we're in the last quarter of the year. Tempus certainly fugits.
Three of us celebrated my birthday (well, the mister wasn't in a particularly celebratory mood but freshly picked flowers, cards and gifts more than made up for all the truculence). There was a picnic and meander round Mount Grace Priory, dinner in a new to us restaurant with a great vegan menu and the day ended with enormous slices of Boy-made chocolate cake.
I developed a cough and lost my voice. For almost a week. Boo and the cats cheered. When it returned, I sounded like a pubescent boy, switching from bass to soprano like nobody's business. Of course, I did the sensible thing and booked myself in for a covid test which happily proved negative.
The test centre was just down the road. Nevertheless, it was a little solo jaunt (which happen so infrequently these days) and I made the most of it. Hair was washed and eye liner and lipstick applied. Staff at the centre were so friendly and we had a good old chinwag. I really enjoyed myself and wouldn't be at all surprised if I received an invitation to their Christmas night out.
The eucalyptus tree in the back garden was finally chopped down. It was an all day job which provided a bit of outdoor theatre for people round about and culminated with an eye watering invoice for us. A big part of me was sorry to see it go but it had outgrown its space (a bit of an understatement) and the kitchen is now somewhat lighter (especially when the previously obscured security light on a neighbouring house wall flashes on and off continuously through the night).
Then the fish died. Turns out the sawdust from all of that chopping down, which floated into the pond, oozed eucalyptus oil which I (and the tree surgeon) only discovered afterwards is highly toxic to fish. I tried my damnedest throughout that night to save them as they gasped their last. It was truly harrowing. I couldn't stop crying and I still feel guilty.
A couple of neighbours, who I didn't know, stepped in and spent two days emptying and cleaning the pond and disposing of the bodies (the fish were koi carp so rather large). Amazing.
I've since tinkered with the idea of turning it into a wildlife pond but recognise it's one responsibility I can probably well do without given the situation here. So, next year (the landscapers are fully booked until spring) it's going to be filled in and the area paved. Or something.
I had a go at making granola, though rather wish I hadn't. It tastes so much better than the shop bought stuff and I can't seem to resist grabbing a handful from the jar whenever I pass it.
The granola making is part of the challenge I've set myself to eat 30 different plants a week, which apparently is good for gut health and a lot easier to achieve than you might think as herbs, grains, seeds, nuts and beans all count. Suppers of late have become rather green. And crunchy.
A much needed haircut was made possible by the Boy working from our dining table for a day. I was on the verge of hacking away with the dressmaking shears but common sense prevailed (actually, it was more a case of misplacing the shears). Roots have now been attended to and about 4 inches chopped off the back (for some strange reason my hair grows in a V shape). Interestingly, I go to the same hairdresser as a Dragon from the Den who is now a competitor on Strictly. We haven't rubbed shoulders yet but I did get to meet her best friend.
Books have been read. Standouts were The Kingdom, Plainsong, Tall Bones, Unsettled Ground (links in the sidebar). In preparation for Hallowe'en reading, I've ordered this which sounds promisingly chilling. I might also add this to the pile.
Autumn arrived, a significant marker as we head towards my favourite season, winter. Nights are drawing in (or as my dad used to say, it's getting late early) and candles are being lit. I'm enjoying the changing colour palette and the slightly cooler temperatures, though grateful that laundry can still be dried on the washing line.
The garden is crying out for a big tidy up but the plan is to chip away at the various tasks rather than tackling everything in one go.
Let's just see how that goes.