🍁 Tis the season for scented candles to come into their own, and I am burning through these little tins of smelly wax like nobody's business. I just love walking into a room and having a hint of something sweet, spicy and fragrant greeting my nose, it's homely and comforting and this particular Cinnamon & Orange fragrance mingles beautifully with the vague scent of wood smoke from the fire. Next on my list to buy and burn is "Christmas Spice", it's a red wax and smells delicious - not especially Christmassy really, but just a lovely warm fragrance for this cold time of year.
🍁 Last week it was half term for us here, and we had such a lovely, slow, restful break from work and shcool. The Little People were a joy to have around and seemed happy with being home. At the start of the holidays we walked through the park to the farm shop - this seems to be our Thing-To-Do-in-the-Holidays and manages to be just the right amount of outdoor activity combined with indoor indulgence. It's a lovely short walk at all times of the year (around a 20 minute stroll each way), with the promise of farm shop goodness at the midway point. We had coffee and cake in the café, purchased some fresh bakery bread, locally grown tenderstem broccoli and a scrumptious chicken, ham and leek pie for our dinner before slowly ambling home again. Next time I'm there I'll try and take some photographs inside the farm shop to show you as I'm sure you'd love it. It's that kind of photogenic place.
🍁 I am love love loving my hand knit socks on my feet right now, they are just so incredibly comforting to wear. I love the feel of them when my feet are cosied inside my boots (when it's not raining and there is no sogginess) and I love the absolute warmth of them (I wear them with crocs when I'm in the house, even though I'm quite sure I look like a weirdo).. But most of all, I love the look of them. It gives me such a huge amount of pleasure to look down and see these gorgeous colours at the end of my legs and know that I knitted all those teensy stitches myself. And cables too, I am ridiculously proud of my cable socks (cable sock details in this post).
🍁 I've been admiring the slowly changing colours of this long beech hedge for the past few weeks now, it seems to change a little every time I walk past. Soon it will be entirely made up of coppery brown leaves and the green and gold will be a thing of the past. I love the bright green May version of this hedge the best, but October colours aren't half bad.
🍁 Talking of October colours, this beautiful old brick wall caught my eye a few days ago with it's smattering of vibrant foliage. The wall runs along the back of a small car park behind the local council offices and I guess probably goes unnoticed by the majority of workers who park right next to it.
🍁 As well as being the season for scented candles, it's also the time when the slow cooker comes out of it's summer slumber. We've had some delicious slow cooker soups just recently, and some fabulously tasty curries too. The above ingredients (chili, ginger, garlic, onion, lime) were the makings of a fresh, zesty "Citrus Prawn Curry" which has become a firm family favourite.
🍁 I know I've said this may times, but I am so very grateful for the handful of local walks we are able to do right from our door without the need to get in the car. Walking through the park to the farm shop is one, and walking along the side of the canal into the woods is another. We pottered along here one day last week during a brief dry spell amidst many days of intermittent rain and drizzle, and it was so good just to be out of the house and surrounded by leafyness. The Little People have embraced our walking suggestions this holiday with something close to enthusiasm, and every time I have danced a private little jig of happiness inside my head.
🍁 What is this?? Can this possibly be...................b l u e sky?????? Yes indeed!! This was yesterday, a day of Autumn brilliance when the sun shone down and the sky was all kinds of perfect. We took ourselves out into the Yorkshire Dales to amble along the riverside and it was completely glorious. I took a shed load of photographs (the afternoon light and the colours and the overall atmosphere was sublime), way too many to cram in here so I'll show you them in another post entitled "Riverside Wanderings" or some such thing. For now, just know that the blue colour of the sky was lush and very much appreciated by myself. Incidentally, the above chimney is actually on the back of our house - it's not our main chimney but an old disused one that perches on the extended bit of roof above the bathroom. Kind of crazy to know it's up there.
🍁 Little B finished colouring his pumpkin after working on it for five days straight. He was so proud, and quite rightly so - his attention to detail was impressive and I loved hearing him explain to me all the many intricacies of his colour choices. We carefully cut it out and I'm going to ceremoniously laminate it for him so that we can hang it in the window. He's now working on a dragon.
🍁 During the past few weeks, J has taken to regularly going out on an evening walk with the Little People. He has a job which involves concentrated hours sat at a desk doing complex things with computers, so he decided that he would benefit from taking a little more physical exercise. He has an app on his phone which counts his daily steps, with an aim to making it to 8,000 per day for good health (which is around 4 miles). I whole heartedly endorsed this idea as a) I want him to live to a ripe old age with me and b) the Little People came home from these evening walks all rosy cheeked and oh-so-ready to settle down towards bedtime. One evening last week I decided to go with them, even though Little B moaned and said he wanted it to be Just Dad, the little tyke. It was surprisingly lovely to be out walking in the chilly dark, and the church bells were ringing their hearts out as they do every Tuesday evening when it's bell ringing practice (you can see/listen on YouTube if you fancy, it is pretty impressive and we can hear it all the way in the Attic).
🍁It's been back to school for us today, the return to routine and the start of a long eight-week stint now until we break for the Christmas holidays. Can you believe that in eight weeks it'll be Christmas Day??? That thought has just caused a judder to run all the way down my spine.
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How lovely to go for evening walks. I love that too. The church bells were lovely to listen to. Your youngest, little B has a wonderful sense of colour and design for someone so small!Such neat colouring too.
I used to like perfumed candles a lot until I learnt, from several sources, that they were very unhealthy to breathe in because of the artificial perfumes and colours. These days, I just add a couple of drops of certified natural essential oils to my burning candles and I know it won't hurt my lungs.
Posted by: Sandra | October 31, 2017 at 06:34 AM
Lucky you to live in such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing it with us! A real visit there is on my bucket list for sure, but for now the links you provide take me on virtual visits regularly! Love that I can stroll the streets and almost have a look into the shop windows. And to hear the bells....what a treat!
Little B's pumpkin is beautiful. He should be proud. It will be a treasure to display every year during the fall, alongside all your adorable little pumpkins.
Posted by: Linda | October 31, 2017 at 03:51 AM
Another lovely post!
Posted by: Linda Harvey | October 31, 2017 at 01:26 AM
Could almost smell that beautiful cinnamon and orange candle.Loving your Autumnal photos and activities.
Posted by: Shirley Flavell | October 31, 2017 at 01:17 AM
Best pumpkin ever!
Posted by: Sara | October 31, 2017 at 12:51 AM
Your half term closely mirrors ours! Candles, curry, slow cooker meals, walks, autumn leaves, hand-knitted socks, painting (a spooky churchyard picture here rather than coloured pumpkins) and lots of sofa time too....however I took maybe three photos in all - I'm so glad you took lots and shared them!! Hope you have a lovely quiet week with the Little People back at school :)
Posted by: One-oh-four | October 31, 2017 at 12:07 AM
I can see that Little B has your eye for color! His palette is different, but your influence is there- we’ll done, Little B!
Posted by: Cindy G | October 30, 2017 at 11:17 PM
Loved the farm shop and a must visit again next year when over there. Photos would be lovely to remind me how nice it is. Loved the photos here, love Autumn over there. Not quite the same here, (Perth Western Australia). If I want to see the Autumn colours have to drive to certain places as the have the right trees. Somewhere I've heard is a Oak Tree, I love acorns. I must try to find this said tree. One day I will pluck up the coverage to knit some socks, these are lovely.
Posted by: Jackie Farrow | October 30, 2017 at 10:55 PM
Love the photo of the church. I know that church very well but have usually gone home by the time it gets dark, so have no night-time photos of it. I grew up in Bradford, so the town was an easy bus ride away. I now live in Manchester so I still visit sometimes.
Posted by: Linden | October 30, 2017 at 09:42 PM
You're right about those pies Lucy. My hubby comes to Skipton on business about once a month and I always make sure he takes me with him so I can visit the fabulous farm shop and buy a couple of pies to take home...delicious!
I love Skipton and I've just taken up crochet so I really enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the good work:-)
Posted by: Tracy | October 30, 2017 at 09:27 PM
I visited the Yorkshire area for a week in 2007 & loved it. We’re planning to visit again but in the meantime I can “virtually visit” every time I read one of your blogs. Thank you for always sharing such lovely images & musings. Pat from Charlotte, NC by way of New Jersey 🍄🍂🍁
Posted by: Pat Mckay | October 30, 2017 at 09:23 PM
Love Little B's pumpkin!!! Fabulous use of color. I look forward to seeing the dragon. I would be walking every day if I had somewhere to walk like you do. I loved walking in Germany when I lived there eons ago. I like walking here in the States too, but really miss the old villages and the history to look at. As always your blog brings a little smile. And you really do have a great eye for photos. Take very good care!!!
Posted by: Lee Ann Predeau | October 30, 2017 at 09:20 PM
you always get such amazing photos
Posted by: Sharon The Reiki Cat Lady | October 30, 2017 at 08:53 PM