Midweek miscellany

One thing I've noticed with doing an ongoing weekly post is how quickly seven days fly by. We're hurtling towards the end of the year and these few months are always about festivities of one kind or another: Halloween (not something I'm usually into but children seem to like it, and I do buy and carve a pumpkin each October), bonfire night and then Christmas.

We have a few celebrations lined up by way of parties and Joe's doing his first Nativity play in December with his nursery. I'm so excited.

Also in the Miscellany: interesting tomatoes, picked up from the market and enjoyed by me and me alone. Nobody else will eat fresh tomatoes in this house. Strange, I know. These look pretty though and I've been dressing them simply with olive oil, salt and pepper.

It's always good to see what they've got at the market alongside the regular weekly fayre. More often than not there'll be one-offs like purple figs or bags of black peas.

There's the (diminutive) pumpkin ready for carving. I suspect it'll be fiddly trying to get my hand in and scoop out all the flesh but a glass of mulled wine should help things along.

The light's constantly changing at the moment: yesterday we were plunged into gloom by 3pm and the sky looked as though someone had pinned a thick grey blanket across it all. Today we had bright sun for a while. But so, so cold this morning - I'm now having to wipe the condensation from the bedroom windows each day when I get up.

Oh, and I treated myself to a new shopping bag because I felt like it. There were two designs but Joe chose the fish one.

Like I said, changing light. Bright sun illuminating the trees and plants with a very ominous sky behind.

It's half term this week. It shouldn't affect me as Joe's only two, but it does. Most playgroups close which means we've had to find other ways of amusing ourselves: visiting friends, walking, indoor activities when the weather's bad... Today we went to the park but the toddler bit seemed to be plagued by big children kicking footballs about and being a bit too rough and tumble for the little ones to play safely.

Tomorrow we'll head for the calm of the library and maybe a wander in the wind.

Jay and I really need a quiet weekend so I intend to get the housework out of the way before then. It seems we always intend to hibernate for a few days and stay local but you know how it is... we somehow end up entertaining and visiting and getting caught up in chores and before we know it Monday's here again. So here's to a bit of resolve. A Halloween party on Friday evening then - hopefully - a couple of walks, some good food and a bit of relaxation.

I hope.