Friday's Fave Five - 6/11/26

Well it's still Friday here but getting late so I need to get this post done.  Susanne reminds us each week to look back and remember what we're grateful for and then we link up here.  Thanks Susanne.

1)  Family time at the weekend - my Nottingham son and his family were here from late on Friday until Sunday afternoon.  We didn't see much of them on Saturday as they joined my daughter and her family for a Halloween party and then did some Trick or Treating near where she lives.  The grandchildren were all very excited.  On Sunday they were all here for a roast dinner.  We had lamb and pork followed by Eton Mess for dessert.  Such an easy dessert to throw together.

2) They love to play games and Top Trumps is a favourite.  The Nottingham boys had a new set - Minions.

3) On Monday Nathan and Ella had no school as it was a Teacher training day so they were here for a few hours.  Ella insisted on bringing quite a few soft toys and other bits and pieces with her but she entertained herself for ages.  

Nathan also entertained himself with his iPad for a while and then we played some games.  I love that they're close by and we get to watch them growing up.

4)  The first mince pies of the season - well not even the season yet and judging by the best before date I think these may well have been last season.  Anyway they came into the Foodbank from the supermarket on Monday evening but.....unfortunately they contain brandy and port.  We have a policy that we don't give our beneficiaries anything with alcohol in so anything we receive containing alcohol gets offered to the volunteers and of course it would be rude to refuse.

5)  A busy week of book clubs, knitting group, coffee with friends and today we got to meet baby Freya our great niece.

She was asleep most of the time we were there so we got to have long cuddles with her.

Have a good weekend all.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 4/11/26

Joyce provides the questions each week, we come up with our answers and then we link up here.

1. Our  November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you're grateful for today? 

My library.  We had our book group meeting there today.

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias...your favourite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year? 

Chrysanthemums would be my favourite but there's nothing blooming in my garden right now.

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

I need to sort out some space in my spare bedrooms for when we host family at Christmas so it will need to be done by mid December.  The beds and rooms are ok but I need to free up some cupboard/drawer space for guests.

4. Brussel sprouts...love 'em or no thank you? If you said love 'em how do you like them prepared? 

I don't love them but I do eat them.  Roasted would be my preference.

5. It's reassuring to know that my Christmas guests are just my kids and grandkids so nothing has to be perfect.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's turning out to be a busy week!

Friday's Fave Fives - 31/10/26

Susanne reminds us every Friday to look back on our week and find the things we're grateful for.  The link up is here.  Thank you Susanne.

1)  Well I'm a day late doing this but one of the things I'm grateful for is that, as I've got older and particularly now I'm retired,  I don't fret as much* about everything being perfect and having to meet deadlines.  I can look back on a day and think about what I did achieve rather than get stressed by what might still be on my to do list.

* I'm not saying I don't fret at all but I certainly do it less lol.

2)  Grateful to have got a few "admin" type jobs done this week including sorting out our kitchen window.  The double glazed unit has failed - it looks like a small creature has dipped their feet in white paint and walked across it - between the two panes of glass.  I contacted the company this week and after an exchange of e-mails and photos we have a date in November for them to come and replace it.  The windows were installed after we moved here so they are still under guarantee.

3)  1:1 time with grandchildren Nathan and Ella.  It's half-term break so we had Nathan here on Monday and then Ella on Wednesday.  It's nice to have that time with them and of course it makes life easier for their Mummies too.

4)  More knitting time.  I've tried to do a little bit each day although I failed to get to my Knit and Natter group on Wednesday.  I walked down and was almost at the venue when I realised I'd picked up a bag containing shopping bags rather than the bag containing my knitting.  I was so cross with myself but by the time I got home again I decided it wasn't worth going back so I did some knitting at home instead with the TV for company!

5)  Hubby clearing the leaves from the front garden.  They had really piled up after the storms we had last week so I was glad that he cleared them.  We still need to clear some from the back garden but there are still a lot of leaves on the two trees in front of the house.  Hubby's theory is that we should wait until all the leaves are off the trees and then do one big clear up.  I'm not sure we would be able to get to our front door if we did that!  Not to mention that they wouldn't all fit in the bin.

Hope everyone's having a good weekend.  We have our Nottingham son and his family here, hence the late post.

Read then Write - 29/10/26

I only managed to finish one book this week but it was quite long:

The Last Summer by Karen Swan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wild-spirited Effie Gillies has lived all her life on the small island of St Kilda but when Lord Sholto, heir to the Earl of Dumfries, visits, the attraction between them is instant. For one glorious week she guides the handsome young visitor around the isle, falling in love for the first time – until a storm hits and her world falls apart.

Three months later, St Kilda falls silent as the islanders are evacuated for a better life on the mainland. With her friends and family scattered, Effie is surprised to be offered a position working on the Earl’s estate. Sholto is back in her life but their differences now seem insurmountable, even as the simmering tension between them grows. And when a shocking discovery is made back on St Kilda, all her dreams for this bright new life are threatened by the dark secrets Effie and her friends thought they had left behind.

I did enjoy this book but I'd skimmed over the blurb on the back and didn't realise it was the first in a series until I got to the end which has a big cliff hanger! So of course I will now have to try and read the rest of the series.  At some point, maybe.

View all my reviews

I've now moved on to this one:

This is proving to be quite an easy read which is good as I have meetings for both of the Book Clubs I'm in next week which will mean 2 more books to read!