hallowe'en

Last day of October. The leaves are turning and falling and the clocks have turned so the darkness falls faster than ever. The pumpkins are carved and later we'll light the fire outside and toast marshmallows. We'll eat lentil ragu and pecan tart. There'll be baked apples with fruit soaked in sloe gin and served with brown sugar and whipped cream. It's the night of ghouls and ghosts. There's a wolf boy in the sitting room and an un-dead cowboy playing Lego upstairs and a teenager (scary in its own right) and I've just spooked myself listening to Short Cuts on Radio 4 - the Witching Hour... happy Hallowe'en!

goodbye october

October, you have been very good to us and today, the last day, especially so. The sun was warm and we sat out with the cawing rooks and drank tea soaking it up. Right now the light is fading and the house smells of onions sizzling in butter as it's mushroom and sage risotto for supper. We had a Halloween birthday party for William yesterday complete with masks and sparklers and chocolate cake and 'vampire blood' (Ribena) and games and screaming nine year olds... tonight will be calmer with a glass or two of wine, candles to keep away the ghouls and maybe a DVD. Wishing you a very happy Halloween!

Hallowe'en

A spooky carved pumpkin face awaits you at the back door... dare you enter the house of horrors???

Actually, our "horrors" are all away at their grandparents having a lovely time for some of their midterm break. So we are home alone. My boss asked me if it was all sex n' drugs n' rock and roll seeing as there are no children in the house. Sadly not. But we did visit the rather sweet town of Hillsborough and the F E McWilliam Gallery for a brush up on our Irish Cubism. By the time we'd done that and had a sandwich there was honestly no time for anything else...