To live well…

I don’t know if it’s the best revenge or not. I do know that autumn is odd this year, but it’s increasingly here as the sunrises get later and the sunsets earlier, and there are as many mists as any poet could hope for. I know they’re very beautiful if you’re a poet, but they just make most of me hurt, especially when it’s not heating season yet. On the other hand, that’s good because it cuts the heating bills down and I can enjoy using one of my favourite words.

It’s snuggle, in case you’re interested, and it’s closely followed by fluffy fleeces, quilts and everyone safely home, the curtains drawn, the doors locked and a good book and an evening ahead to read in without feeling guilty.

I’m currently working on one of next summer’s Windy Bay books, which’ll be called ‘By the Book’ and it’s about a woman who’s had a rough time and is healing herself by concentrating on the small details of life. I’m sure you’ve already worked out that that’s a big thing with me, because I like simple pleasures. I can have them more often than the big dramatic things, and their familiarity is another thing that’s like a hug.

So here, in case you fancy the idea but aren’t sure where to start, or can give me some new ideas, is my autumn list

Wrapping up warm and going for a blowy walk, and maybe jumping in fallen leaves if I’m sure no one can see me. Crunching through them’s good too and so is watching the colours change and the winter birds arrive as the summer ones leave. You can watch them do that on YouTube if you’re not lucky enough to live in between two sites of Special Scientific Interest. Or try here, and then we can meet in our imaginations. https://www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk/news/

If we do, then I'll bring the coffee and you can get the cake! Guaranteed calorie free.

Coming home and having a hot cup of frothy coffee. You’ll need a milk frother for this if you want the whole experience, and a brilliant husband who can make barista-style frothy coffee because it’s a gadget and he’s an engineer. He laughed when I bought him a couple of sets of stencils. Now he’s taken to coffee art too.

Sorting out all the Christmassy books I want to read. Fiona Ferris and Jennifer Melville are my favourites.

Making a Kindle folder full of all my cold weather favourite books because I like fictional cold winters and snowstorms much better than real ones.

Making sure all the batteries on my LED candles are charged and then turning them on when I draw the curtains, or when I come down in the morning and it’s going to be dark for a couple of hours.

Cleaning the diffuser and turning it on after I’ve aired the house

Sorting out quilts to drape over chairs for when you need a little extra warmth. I’ve discovered shawls as well this year, and especially the ones with poppers on. I used to like those blanket wraps, but I’m small and don’t like tripping up, so this will be better

Hot chocolate at bedtime and a single, really good biscuit

Testing out Christmas food so we only have the best. It’s a tough job, but we deserve the best at Christmas, don’t we?

Picking up my sewing and turning on all the lights around my sewing chair and sewing in a pool of light. It’s even better if the world outside or the day hasn’t been kind.

Arranging seasonal little lights along the mantelpiece

Browsing Pinterest to see how other people dress their rooms. Even if I don’t do it, one of my characters will, so that counts as work, which makes me feel pleasantly virtuous.

Listening to my favourite music, very quietly and on repeat.

Just writing all those things makes me feel happy and calm, so if you do things I’ve missed, then please can you let me know? Thanks, have a good weekend, and see you on Tuesday.

Today’s picture is of three of Punky and Lucky’s cygnets. I’ve known Punky since he was a cygnet with a fish hook stuck in his beak, who needed pampering while we waited for Swan Rescue and while his beak healed. Luckily, it’s made of keratin like a fingernail, but he assured me it was still very sore and he really needed frozen peas to cool it. He’s a fierce swan and an amazing dad and watchman to the other birds as long as they keep their distance, and I won’t let on that he’s also a softie who loves having the back of his neck scratched, especially if I happen to have some frozen peas with me.