November 2023 - A Seasonal Diary
Hello November
Is it now an annual norM to be needing coats in late May and wearing T-shirts come October?
We're going to drown
We will sink
We'll have to sell the farm to amazon so they can offset their carbon emissions
Will it ever stop raining?
Oh my good god it's raining again
When will it stop raining?
By the fields are wet. I've never seen them so wet.
We'll be underwater
Were doomed
I've never seen the farm this wet.
It's so wet.
Oh my good god it's raining again! When will it stop??
This was the constant noise coming from my husband this November. And to be fair it has been wet. If you live in a town then you probably won't notice so much but if your boot touches soil on a daily basis you'll know it's saturated, wellies are an absolute essential on this farm as you can’t leave the house without getting ankle deep in sludge. Let's hope December is a little dryer.
Soggy life aside - it has felt like the trees have been show stoppers this year, don’t you think? But then I think that every year, Autumn for me is so unbelievably magical. So bright and colourful and yet colourful with the right colours. My colours. The majority of my house and wardrobe is sludge brown or burnt leaf orange. It’s the textures too, the wood, the wool, I am Autumn and Autumn is me and it’s with such a heavy heart that I wave goodbye to November and welcome in the bleakness of winter.
In nature this month I’ve seen the fieldfares are gathering on the airfield, the last of the noisy geese have come over, how I have enjoyed watching them split the sky with their lines. And is it me or are the Robins more curious at the moment? I also managed to plant 3 pots of tulips but that’s it as far as the garden is concerned. (Will I ever keep up with it? Maybe it’s because I have a baby, maybe it’s because I’m inconsistent. We’ll find out next year but i’ll tell myself it’s the baby for now). My Spring self will be very displeased with Autumn me when nothing pops up to say hello in February.
Usually this time of year is a head down slog to get ready for Christmas orders but my maternity leave has left me with the opportunity to just peacefully observe. I feel a sense of missing out watching other illustrators launch their Christmas collections but I also know I will likely never get a year like this again.
The last weekend in November we put the tree up and stirred the pud. A little earlier than I would have liked but December is a busy calving month for the Farmer so full days together on a weekend become less likely. I bought on Vinted a vintage winter scene knitted waistcoat - let the family tradition begin. Every year on Tree Decorating Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this waistcoat will be pulled out the wardrobe, on and on it will be worn, every year until I die (hopefully a long time away) and the kids will fight over it as a perfect Christmas memory of their good old Mum.
What has November been like for you? Have you seen anything out in Nature that’s made you smile or just peeked your interest? I would love to know, tell me in the comments below...