Round up for October

October was a strange month this year, it was very warm right up until a few days ago.  Flowers still blooming in the garden that we don't usually see in the autumn.  Days when the sun shone brightly and we were in short sleeves when taking a walk.  I wonder if this means we will be having a very cold winter here in the UK?  There has been an abundance of birds in the garden these past couple of weeks, the woodpecker has returned and we've also see the nuthatch, as well as the usual garden birds that come along to the feeders.

Lots of resting time so i've had quite a few craft finishes that I shared here on the blog in October, some were just WIP's that were finished off, others new starts :-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the embroidery that I finished this week and put into its frame so this one hasn't been seen - a Christmas gift. 

 

 

Also, some knitting that you haven't seen either.  I'm adding a few rows here and there to yet another red cardigan for my granddaughter.   One of the new ones she had in September is not going to last till the new term in January, she's growing so quickly, so I'm whipping up another bigger one ready for the winter.

 

 

This sweet little CCN Christmas Birdhouse is another I've not shared. I finished it over the weekend and had hoped to get it made up, but as you can see, that hasn't happened yet.  A job for this weekend perhaps.

 

 

 

 

READING

Five books read during the month :-

 

 

Dear Mrs Bird is a debut book from A J Pearce who says that inspiration for this book came from reading womens problem pages in old wartime magazines.  1941 London and Emmaline Lake wants to be a war correspondent but unfortunately the job she applies for wasn't what she thought and she finds herself  typing letters for Henrietta Bird, the agony aunt for Womens Friend -   I really enjoyed reading this, a light read, and it reminded me of the TV programme Foyles War, it was that type of read.  A tale of love, friendship and surviving in the hardships of war

 

 

 

 

This is the third book by Kathryn Hughes. 

 Personally, I enjoyed the other two better than this one.

 
1956
It's Ellen Crosby's first day as a student nurse at Ambergate Hospital, a mental hospital. When she meets a young woman sent to the hospital by her father, little does Ellen know that a choice she will make is to change both their lives for ever.
2006
Sarah is drawn to the now abandoned Ambergate. Whilst exploring the old corridors she discovers a suitcase belonging to a female patient who entered Ambergate fifty years earlier. The shocking contents, untouched for half a century, will lead Sarah to unravel a forgotten story of tragedy and lost love, and the chance to make an old wrong right.

 

The Ballroom has been on my 'to read' list for a long time, it was a Richard and Judy book club read back in 2016.  Seeing a copy in our little library it came home with me. 

 

Set over the heatwave summer of 1911, the end of the Edwardian era, it is a historical love story set in an asylum at the edge of the Yorkshire moors.   

 

The second one this month with the same type of theme ..... men in white coats ... perhaps I am seeking advance knowledge just in case!! LOL

 

 

 

 

Good old Agatha Raisin, a quick and fun read, its like putting on a pair of comfy slippers.  Meeting all the characters you have come to enjoy reading about over time.  Three more books have been released since this one (that makes 29 in the series - although each one can be read as a stand alone book)  I'm a bit behind on her adventures, but have the next which has been loaned to me by a friend who collects them - maybe next month?

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon says .....A heart-rending page turner which sweeps from war-torn Europe to Thailand and back again . . .
As a child, Julia Forrester would linger in the hothouse of Wharton Park estate, where exotic flowers tended by her grandfather blossomed and faded with the seasons.
Now, recovering from a family tragedy, she once more seeks comfort at Wharton Park, newly inherited by Kit Crawford, a charismatic man with a sad story of his own. But when a years-old diary is found during renovation work, the pair turn to Julia's grandmother to hear the truth about the love affair that turned Wharton Park's fortunes sour . . .
And so Julia is plunged back in time, to the world of Olivia and Harry Crawford, a young couple torn apart by the Second World War - and whose fragile marriage is destined to affect the happiness of generations to come, including Julia's own.

I really enjoyed this one.  Of course today is release day for the 5th in the Seven Sisters story by Lucinda Riley.  Today, the much awaited Moon Sister comes out so people will be chatting about that in days to come.  Another big book, I wonder if anyone has taken the day off work to read it like I have read some do when a new X box game comes out????

 

It was so cold this past weekend DH lit us a nice roaring fire to keep us cosy whilst we watched Strictly.  Midge decided that he needed to get a bit nearer and feel the benefit too. 

 

We awoke to the first hard frosts of the season, brrrrr .   Neighbours were out scraping their car windscreens on Monday and children were wrapped up in hats and gloves as they made their way back to school after the half term weeks holiday. 

 

Hello November, I wonder what you will bring for us.......

 

Love and blessings

 

Julie