Phew! Half term is over and across the world mums are breathing a collective sigh of relief. I love, love, love time with my boys, don't get me wrong, but I also like my own space too. And 20 minutes without someone whining "mum..." is bliss.
Today has been lovely. The house looks like its been hit by a tournado, but it can stay like it a while longer. Today I have pootled about in the kitchen making things. I have baked my Christmas cake, made garden chutney from the last of our own veggies, bottled our own honey and made sunblushed tomatoes in garlic olive oil. I'll post the recipes each day over the next week. They will come together to make Christmas hampers for our friends and family, which has become a bit of a tradition chez Boynton.
I feel rubbish today, I have a cold. Aren't they irritating? Thankfully I don't feel too ill, I just can't breathe through my nose and so I didn't sleep very well. That said, nothing was going to spoil my lovely pottering today. I saw an advert for a cancer charity today that said "today was a good day. I thought about something other than the cancer." It struck me that the same applies to depression too. Today I thought about something else for a good, long while. And it felt good.
You'll see from the photo that we had a fun halloween, I hope you did too. Charlie really wanted to go trick or treating, so I had to get over my misgivings. I have two problems with trick or treating: 1) it's demanding money with menaces, effectively. 2) I spend all year telling my kids not to go to strangers houses, then one night encouraging them to do just that. However, we went for a walk to the local shop with Charlie in his fancy dress, which gave ample opportunity for the old ladies to admire his costume. Charlie loved that, the flirt. The lady in the local shop gave him some chocolate too. We then took him to neighbours we know, and to Granny and Pops in the next village. This was enough for him, really. We agreed that he could give out sweets to any older children who knocked on the door and he thought this was lovely. He also enjoyed carving a pumpkin with Daddy, and putting it in the front window.
I have to say, though, it was one of the only nights I have seen everyone full of community spirit. Villagers old and young alike were chatty and friendly and smiley. It makes me unsure about the whole Halloween thing. I don't want to be a killjoy, I just want my children to grow up knowing right from wrong. Maybe I think too much.
I'm off now, there's dinner to cook for Dom (he's at football) and I want to get on with some knitting. I am knitting a very exciting scarf for my father in law, Baz. I know 'exciting' and 'scarf' sound like a contradiction in terms, but I am really loving it and itching to get finished. I will reveal all later in the week. Like a true knitting addict I have aching fingers and a blister on my thumb, but does that put me off?!
Love and hugs to you, keep on pushing those demons away
Claire x
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