I just love Autumn, the wellies, the candles, the crunchy leaves, wooly hats and cold mornings. Most importantly Christmas is just round the corner and yes, I’m one of those that firmly welcome Mariah Carey and Nat King Kole into my house the day after bonfire night.

I also love a list. To this day I have never reached the end of one, they’re an everlasting challenge to conquer. Just ask The Farmer, our fridge is covered from top to bottom in chalk pen. (I discovered this last year – metal fridges can deal with chalk pen!) He’s so used to them by now he can actually tell what mood I’m in by how neatly I’ve written it.

I want to start a series of seasonal lists, my theory being a public list is far more likely to be followed through than a fridge one. Please don’t be expecting anything wild, exciting or remotely extroverted, My sister calls me a Granny for good reason.

Anyway enough babble about why… here’s my list.

1. Make a hedgehog house – paint it and write hedgehog hotel on the side.

2. Go for much longer walks with Otis, get muddy and frozen and then indulge in hot apple cider on return.

3. Make a hell of a lot of Pompoms.

4. Give all previous Christmas decorations to charity and hand make the whole lot.

5. Finish the ‘decorate your own Christmas train’ I got from Hobbycraft last year.

6. Think of something interesting to commemorate armistice day with – this is so difficult, poppy themed furniture isn’t doing it for me.

7. Make candles in old charity shop junk.

8. Find eccentric second hand gifts for everyone to encourage less consumerism -Remember to remind people I don’t want any gifts. It could be awkward if they hand me a lovely cashmere scarf and I give them a second hand monopoly board with half the money missing.

9. Finally get the garden tidy and plant some trees! I’d love a eucalyptus but I’m not sure it can handle the ridiculously inconsiderate wind we get.

10. Do something selfless E.g. A charity event or raise money, treat a friend. One selfless act in a season is better than none.

11. Annoy The Farmer by playing Christmas songs on the 6th November.

12. Read all the books recommended by Dolly Alderton.

13. Finish painting the shed/summerhouse.

14. Rotivate the mud bath, then create the structure for a veg plot.

15. Start drying oranges now, let’s make the house smell delicious and Christmassy before Halloween is even here.

16. Bake like it’s 1939.

17. Make time to watch black and white Audrey Hepburn films.

19. Visit Haddon Hall artisan market! There was a pie lady there last year, the best pie lady I ever did meat – no pun intended. (I wasn’t veggie then, I hope she does a mean mushroom one)

20. Prepare for my first ever veggie Christmas dinner. As always the ‘difficult child’ I’ve decided to make Christmas dinner for my parents even more hard work by turning veggie. To help lessen their burden I had better practice my nut roast.

21. Collect leaves, bag them and save for future leaf mould.

22. Deeply consider all the possible names for the chickens I’m dreaming of getting in the spring. Lady Jane Fairfax is definitely in there. Captain Wentworth if The Farmer let’s me have a Cockerel.

I’m sure I’ll think of loads more stuff the moment I’ve pressed publish. I’m even more sure I won’t reach the bottom of this list before December, but I’m definitely going to try!

What’s on your autumn bucket list?

And If anyone else shares my love for Audrey Hepburn and her wonderfully slender neck I’d be happy to get popcorn and make a night of it. It’s not really Nicks thing.

With Love, Brooke X

October 6, 2018