Celebrations

I love the Autumn festivals of Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night. They involve none of the major work and just-want-it-to-be-perfect stress of Christmas, yet they mark the passing of the year (and my favourite season) in a way I love. This year we spent Hallowe'en at the Winterbourne Gardens, where they had pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, mulled cider for the grown-ups, Edwardian servants sharing spooky stories and a hunt around the grounds for 13 black cats. The highlight though was the Gardens - the trees were aflame with shades of orange, amber and even deepest red. It was an incredibly beautiful sight. I've long harboured a dream to see New England in the Autumn but until that day comes, Winterbourne makes a good substitute. Later, when it started to get dark, there was trick-or-treating with little friends, then home to pumpkin soup, hot dogs and the gleeful raking over of goody bags.

Last night was Bonfire Night and we went, as we do every year, to our lovely friends. They provide fireworks and delicious bangers and mash and I take homemade gingerbread to contribute towards pudding. An evening packed full of fun and laughter, it was the perfect antidote to the drizzly, isn't-it-getting-dark-early gloom.

This morning I am awake first. I come downstairs and make a pile of recipe books, mail-order catalogues and previous year's planners. I settle down for an hour or two with this pile and a tray of tea and toast. It's time to start thinking about The Big One.....

Books etc.

I have been having such good book karma recently... everything I've read over the last couple of weeks, I've really enjoyed, even those random books that jump into the pile from the library. First there was Anthony Capella's "The Various Flavours of Coffee", the story of a Victorian coffee merchant, which was much more thrilling than it sounds. My next book was a just-can't-wait-until-Christmas-to-give-it-to-you-present from my Best Friend, "Diary of a Provincial Lady" by E. M. Delafield. Oh my goodness, this was wonderful, and what's more came in this beautiful Cath Kidston edition. Next was the new Maggie O'Farrell, "The Hand That First Held Mine", which is simply the best book about motherhood that I've ever read and - possibly - one of the best books I've read in ages. And finally, "Tortilla Curtain" by T.C.Boyle, an American novel about the lives of illegal Mexican immigrants - not at all easy to read but still a book I'd absolutely recommend.

To continue on the literary theme, I've been to hear two writers speak about their latest books too. First Best Friend and I went to hear Lionel Shriver speak. She reads brilliantly and speaks with such erudition and intelligence, I could have listened to her for hours. Then on Thursday Lovely Husband and I took the Beautiful Girl to hear Anthony Browne speak about his role as Children's Laureate. We met him afterwards and he was very sweet to the Girl, signing a copy of his latest book for her.

I now find myself in a strange state of limbo, having read everything on my shelves at least once and am at a bit of a loss as to what to choose next. What have you been reading recently? Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

Edited to add: I went with the new Lionel Shriver, "So Much for That" and I loved it. An incredible beggars-belief story, masterfully told. Highly recommended. The good book karma continues....

Too Much of a Good Thing?

I have a mild obsession with eating seasonally. This is less to do with a worthy high-mindedness about food miles and supporting local business - important though they may be - and more to do with simple greed. I like to eat food when it tastes best and it tastes best when it's in season. I would no more want to eat strawberries at Christmas than I would a shepherd's pie on a July afternoon. At this time of year my thoughts turn to soup - butternut squash, please - to pears and mushrooms. But principally to apples and to the pig. It was only when I considered what I ate one day this week that I wondered if I was becoming slightly too obsessive: for breakfast, apple and cinnamon granola; for lunch, a ham roll and an apple; and for dinner.... sausages with apples cooked in the pan with them. Oh, and a slice of homemade apple cake. Could this be considered Too Much of a Good Thing? The thought of the roast pork with crackling and apple sauce I am planning on cooking this weekend would suggest not....

Snatched moments.....

The combination of a meeting I'm attending finishing earlier than I expected (how often does that happen?) and the Beautiful Girl having a playdate after school, means I find myself in the city centre by myself with a couple of hours to spare. I decide to get an early start on the Christmas shopping then almost immediately give it up as a bad job. Instead I get my nails painted a luscious plum colour that makes me happy every time I admire them. Which is often.

Favourite things #5

I heard someone say once that the cello plays the sound of the human heart. It seemed to be both a beautifully apt and utterly true thing to say. After all, the cello produces one of the most perfect pieces of music ever, Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major".......

The Beautiful Girl has just started learning to play the cello and brought it home for the first time this week. Apparently it can also make the sound of a cat being tortured by a lusty warthog, at the bottom of a very deep well....

Blackberrying

Sunday morning. A walk along the river. Stained fingers and mouths. Later, after lunch, a crumble, with custard. Autumnal bliss.

Favourite things #4

One of the results of having much less time in the evenings, I've found, is that a lot of TV and Radio 4 has gone by the wayside. Other than the Today programme in the morning while having my tea and toast (what can I say? I'm a creature of habit) I've hardly watched or listened to anything while it's being aired. Thank goodness then for BBC iplayer. It's allowed me to listen to Murakami short stories and to Kathy Burke on Desert Island Discs (the Lovely Husband has been a little in love with her since her incredible performance in "Nil By Mouth". But after she chose records by The Specials, Joy Division and Frank Sinatra, I'm seriously worried that he's going to try and run away with her). It's also meant that I could catch up on the wonderful "Roger and Val have Just Got In" and on episodes of "The Great British Bake Off". Come to think of it, if the Lovely Husband does abandon me for Ms Burke at least I'd have iplayer to keep me company....