We woke up to frost this morning. It feels early for Greater London but after the searing heat of summer perhaps a freezing winter is next on the agenda. I dislike a mild winter, double figures on Christmas morning is not right when you live in the UK but my living room dropped below 16 degrees overnight and when you’re trying not to turn the heating on too much, that’s not ideal in mid-October.
I’ve been a little quiet while major change has been happening. That major change has been me preparing to start a new job, which I did yesterday. It all happened rather quickly, with me applying at the end of August and then taking tests and being interviewed. So here I am, back at work full time, into London a couple of days a week and working from home the rest of the time. It will be a great opportunity and the organisation and people seem very welcoming, but it’s tinged with sadness as I know my writing will have to take a back seat for a while. I’m hoping this blog will give me my regular creative outlet when I don’t have time for writing stories.
I also know I’m lucky. Our mortgage is about to double as our fixed rate will come to an end, and energy and food bills are soaring. But we will be ok. We’ll now have a second full time salary coming in and we have the means to make efficiencies and be sensible and frugal without suffering. That in itself is a luxury. I plan to turn my attention to how we might best help others who are less fortunate.
This is not my usual cosy nostalgic talk, but some of that cosiness comes from recognising the reality of the world and creating a buffer against the harshness. With that in mind, I’ve got some new cookbooks arriving to make the most of seasonal produce, cheaper more frugal meals, and one pot, slow cooked dishes so that we can continue to enjoy homecooked meals every day although I will have less time to prepare them.
Hopefully they are arriving today so I can share them with you, and the things I’m looking forward to making.
We visited Nymans at the weekend, one of my favourite NT properties in proximity to us. It’s always a beautiful day out and a great place to slow down and appreciate the change of seasons. Anywhere we go my daughter likes Dada to help her climb on logs and stumps. She knows what life should be about.
