October ...ing

I have nothing much on my camera roll this month, or nothing I have not shared already. Just three photos of a recent walk with Jack, up in the woods. 

:: Listening to "Paper cup" by Karen Campbell. Not an easy read but excellent so far, and thought provoking. Kelly, the homeless heroine really tugs at my heartstrings, a lost soul. 

:: Observing the garden birds whenever I can (often during work Zoom meetings). It is busy by the feeders, downright frantic when I put the sunflower seeds out. The mixed seeds last a bit longer.

:: Watching Star Trek, the newest series, Strange New Worlds. I am enjoying this, quite traditional Star. No weird spore drive and extra galactic adventures so far. Other programmes that are entertaining me are This Farming Life and Planet Earth III. 

:: Buying tulip bulbs because Ricky, our resident squirrel has been busy digging mine up. There might be more than one Ricky actually. Greedy things, squirrels.

:: Noticing the darkness in the morning. The return to winter time makes little difference if you live in the north and get up early.

:: Sewing a second "unwearable" garment. I am puzzled, I made minor changes to a favourite and often used pattern, the Sudley dress by Megan Nielsen. I am not sure what went wrong but it is too baggy (even for a loose fitting garment). I don't have the energy to think about it just now and will probably make a simple top from the skirt part at some point.

:: Looking forward to a wedding party in London. It is rare that friends our age get married, a rare treat.

:: Hoping to get tickets for Don Quixote at the Royal Ballet in London for the first weekend in November. There seem to be none at the moment but we have a backup plan for a recital at Wigmore Hall.

:: Shopping in Chicago. I was a bit on a mission actually, looking for a black version of a green pair of trousers I already have, from Anthropologie. The UK shop does not cater well for fat women. Shame on them, we do exist and we like to wear nice clothes, too. I didn't find the trousers I wanted but I returned home with a bright orange pair instead, a Denise the Menace jumper and a couple of additional tops. 

:: Trying to use up annual leave, I have far too many days left and can only carry over 5. I am not surprised I feel done in. Normally, we have a family holiday in October, which replenishes my energy stores until the Christmas break. This year, I went to a conference instead. While good, certainly not relaxing.

:: Starting a Learning & Teaching Leader programme. I appreciate the opportunity. Us lecturers on a learning, teaching an scholarship track are not always appreciated for what we do and it is good to see that the senior management considers it worthwhile investing in this career track at long last.

:: Cutting the final 4 full blocks for my Ice Cream Soda quilt. I hope to finish these in November. Then I have 8 half blocks left, and the corners. Then I'll agonise over the shade of white to join all the blocks together... Maybe in the new year, I am ready to start a new quilt.

Unusually, I really had to think about things to add to this post. I wonder if I maybe slept through half the month? May November be more interesting. Thanks for visiting 😊