Farewell October

Goodbye to you October. I won't miss you. You have been the most tumultuous month of the year. This is the month that Peppercorn's life was taken.

This is the month where I was tormented weekly trying so very hard to paint the folds in fabric.

It is this month that had snowfall for the first time in the UK in October for 70 years.

These are the fungi that have invaded my lawn tempting me to eat them with their sickly sweet smell. All the more beautiful for the frosty sprinkling. I would not be tempted though, especially in October.

I wouldn't tempt fate to eat them even if they were edible. Definitely not in October.

The berries are especially abundant this year. We could be in for a hard winter.

A fir tree in my garden has fruited for the first time ever. October sure has been a month of peculiarities.

As the night sky descends on this last night in October I am ready to put the month behind me. I am looking forward to a sense of calm for November. It surely can't be a worse month than October.

A Very Contented Cat

This is Gizmo. A somewhat undignified cat. I found him in this contented state after his hard day of work and play out on the town.

Look at that face. I am sure he is smiling or maybe having a chuckle to himself.

I didn't realise he practiced yoga. I'll have to spy on him more often.

Little Things Mean a Lot

Thank you for all your kind comments regarding my last post. I had intended that my blog would only contain the good things in life but I guess that post was just one of life's hiccups. I wrote it shortly after I had found her and my emotions were running high.

I try to keep a positive outlook in life and it is the little things that mean a lot to me, such as spotting this butterfly a few weeks ago. It was close to the roof of my house and I quickly got a shot of it before it flew away with an identical butterfly that was resting further down the wall.

When out and about I try to seek out small pleasures such as observing lovely front gardens or window boxes, or watching the antics of birds on roof tops. Today I walked back from the shops down a particularly nice street of terraced houses. There was an unexpected sight at the last house in the row. On the wrought iron gate there was lots of tiny rusty bells with even smaller ribbons attached tied randomly all over it. I had never noticed this before even though they looked like they had been there for years! I was tempted to open and close the gate in quick succession to hear the little bells tinkle but thought better of it.

Just seeing the gate with it's ribbon and bell embellishment really lifted my spirits. I think an Angel must live in the house.

Peppercorn R.I.P

How I hate this October day. How I hate the blessed sunshine and blue skies that made me feel that everything was going to be alright in the world. How I hate the fact that whilst I was happily having my lunch a fox took it upon itself to bite a chunk out of my hen's back and leave her dying under a bush. How I hate myself for thinking she would be OK for an hour to wander around the garden without the security of her run as she had done so for 3 years. How I hate the fact that I took my daily routine for granted and thought that she would be safe. I feel so shaken. The stability of my world is shaken. How do I explain to my 10 year old son when I pick him up from school today that my carelessness caused the death of our pet hen.

Practising Frugality

It seems we are in a time and place where practising a bit of frugality is called for. The tips listed below are the measures that I have taken in order to save a few pennies.

• Give up fabric softener
• Make porridge with water. Once cooked it becomes creamy anyway.
• Drink Herbal tea. Herbal tea doesn't require milk and therefore doesn't require a biscuit for dipping!
• Wrap the used wax from tart burners in cling film and store between tea towels and table cloths to add fragrance.
• Use a mid-priced range of shampoo and conditioner. They do the job just as well as top-priced ranges.
• Give up impulse buying.
• Visit some of the many 'Frugal Living' websites for hints and tips on saving money.

These hints and tips are pertinent to me and my lifestyle. Are there any areas where you could cut back and possibly cut out spending?