Blogtember Day 22: Fall Favourites..

Disclaimer:  I haven't been paid to promote any products, just sharing my smiles as part of the wonderful Blogtember x

Hi Honeys
We're almost in the final week of Blogtember, the fun link up organised by Bailey Jean of Brave Love Blog.  Nooooo! I can't believe it's almost over! Time has flown past again this year and it's been so much fun!

Today's prompt: Fall favourites, share your must haves for this season..

Ideally, if I had a choice dear ones, I'd be under a duvet, with a hot water bottle and my furbaby and we'd hibernate, missing autumn and winter completely.  Then my baby wouldn't have to put up with weeks of fireworks in November and again at New Year and I would be quite happy for Hubby to wake us up in spring in time for me to peg out laundry again :)

From around the end of October till the end of January/early February, we have around six hours of daylight, tops :/  Not only that, other than the (never certain anymore) risk of snow which doesn't last terribly long when (or if) it does arrive, we get cold, miserable, rain practically non stop too.  The rain can be very heavy and accompanied by gale force winds (do you remember our very high fence in the back garden being literally ripped out of the ground last year honeys) or it will be the worst kind of "smiddy" rain which isn't heavy at all but still manages somehow to seep through every single layer of clothing to make your bones freeze :/

Add to this (what? that's not enough misery there Rosie?) the torture that cold/damp weather brings to arthritic joints, the increased risk of slips and falls (terrifying! seriously honeys) and is it any wonder I want to hibernate every year?  I am a spring/summer baby, the "other seasons" are to be endured <shudder> I dread their approach every year and wish every day for them to go away again.

That being said, there are a (very) few highlights of this season that I do look forward to.  Such as...

Watching DVDs 

With Hubby & Jade, curtains closed to keep cold outside and the warmth inside, snuggling under a lovely soft blanket. We'll work our way through box sets, or favourite movies.  The perfect way to fill the (too) long evenings.

Among recent box set purchases has been the complete run of  "Goodnight Sweetheart" (a 1990s radio repairman becomes a time traveller when he finds a portal to war time London - sweetest, most fabulous series and I've been loving watching them over again.)

We also just bought a box set containing all nine wonderful episodes of a BBC series (written by the fabulously talented Jessica Hynes) called "Up The Women" following a group of gentle ladies who decide to become suffragettes. Love this!
 

Halloween 

This year I'm especially excited about my costumes honeys.  At work we're asked to dress up on the Friday and Saturday nearest Halloween, which means two costumes of course.  This year I'm wearing a pretty dress with lots of petticoats, a little crochet shrug on top, I have a fascinator (a mini hat fastened to my hair at the side by a comb) and even a pair of pretty wrist length gloves. Look at me, going all retro :)

The next evening I'm in a Hogwarts uniform, complete with tie and gown, both Slytherin House in honour of my beloved Mr Rickman. He was the only reason I watched the first movie having lost my heart to him many, many years before. I spent years telling everyone that Snape was the hero of the books/films and being told he was the "baddie" (Muggles!) Did I cheer when reading the final book! Oh my yes! :)
 

All Change in the Kitchen 

In order to battle the elements, we have lovely warming dinners, including huge pots of home made soup, casseroles fresh from the oven, lasange (served with garlic bread of course) cannelloni, and of course a big pot of Scottish stovies, an ever so fond memory from my childhood.  I'll be sharing the recipe for that in tomorrow's family recipes post!

Big Mug of Hot Chocolate With Mini Marshmallows

Finally, my perfect pick-me-up before heading to bed when the elements are horrid outside and I'm sure I can't bear autumn/winter for another minute is a lovely, creamy cup of hot chocolate with a few mini marshmallows thrown in to look pretty on top until they gradually melt and are stirred through the hot chocolate. Yum!

There we have it then honeys, things that make this time of year if not pleasant then at least bearable. Did I mention I'm not a fan?  :)  I can't wait to see what everyone's written today, maybe I can find some other things to help me cope with autumn.

Till tomorrow dear ones, when I'll be back with my favourite winter recipe from childhood, smile lots and hug even more :)  Huggles always xxx