Making: (made) an epic tiramisu for seven, all of whom are greedy for dessert. It made lots of portions – enough for seconds for the greedy fans, plus some to take home!

Cooking: A recipe a week from the Green Roasting Tin book, yes, still. I’m enjoying them, apart from this week’s which was a little less than the sum of its parts. Might try it again, but make my own harissa. This weekly project has really revitalised the meatless meals that I make
Sipping: Earl Grey
Reading: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. Only just started, so this isn’t a recommendation, although it is a very successful best seller. But it’s good so far. I’ve read that if you liked the Crawdads book, this is for you. I did, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it
Waiting: for more rain, I collected lots several weeks ago, to the extent that I began to think I was crazy. But then it stopped raining after a few days and the water is now long gone, used in keeping the plants going

Looking: stylish as usual (ha!)
Listening: to the children playing outside, they’re just home from school
Wishing: for a long settled period for us all. Lots of continuing upheaval in the world

Enjoying: autumn

Appreciating: juicy blackberries, pausing to eat a few during walks

Eating: fish chowder later tonight, the first this autumn

Liking: cake and coffee with my friend yesterday, after a nice walk for a few hours. We talked and talked and talked

Loving: my aunt’s reaction to a potential menu for a light lunch next week, she said “No, I don’t think so, thank you” to my savoury suggestion. But when I offered to make scones and take over a cream tea she leaned forward, grinned and said: “Now you’re talking!”
Buying: bargains! I’ve got new tops from Seasalt, FatFace and a Craghoppers fleecy thing, which will be good for wearing on cooler autumn walks, all for around half to less than the full ticket price. WHOOP!

Managing: to get the late payment and interest charges (circa £25!) taken off my credit card bill this morning. I’d uncharacteristically missed the payment deadline by ONE day. I was all ready and prepared to point out that I always pay off in full and have had the account for years, but didn’t have to at all
Watching: Wedding Season on Star, Disney+, so far so good and unexpected
Hoping: to go to London soon, at the beginning of the week I was waiting for the infrastructure from the Queen’s State Funeral to be cleared and things to settle down

Wondering: If you watched it? Jaw-dropping organisation, incredible sights. I loved the Scots Pipers and the Grenadier Guards and the Household Cavelry and …. It was such a spectacle. Along with over 28 million in this country, I was watching. This is the end of an era, so many of us have never known life without the Queen, just being ‘there’
Wearing: ball-gown, tiara, diamond encrusted slippers, naturally

Noticing: it’s growing much cooler in the afternoons and evenings. Have you got the heating on, or a fire going yet? The fire has been on once so far, but I’ve wrapped up in my Tilted Squares blanket a few times
Getting: my preserving pan in action. So far I’ve made a batch of Chilli Jam. It’s v v pokey. I used a variety of homegrown tomatoes and hot, hot, hot homegrown birthday chillies


Following: what’s on at the V&A and considering Membership again

Sorting: apple recipes: jelly, chutney or jam?

Anticipating: the new series of Ghosts (BBC 1 tomorrow night, we’ll watch later on the iplayer)
Feeling: keen to see the next of River Cottage Reunited, such a shame there’s only 4 episodes, but wow it’s my kind of telly. Did you see it? Or watching now on catch up on All4?

Hearing: Figure it Out by Royal Blood. Needs to be loud

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
What about you? Is all okay in your part of the world? Share three things?
Oh and a warm hello to you if you’ve recently found this blog through Facebook, my Facebook blog page has now reached 4.8K followers!
Lovely pictures as always!!
Your tiramisu looks yummy. The violas are so pretty in the big blue flowerpot!
I watched the funeral, both services were so beautiful and dignified. The moment which really got to me was removing of the Imperial Crown, the Orb and Sceptre from the Queen’s coffin.
The people who were coming in their thousands to Westminster Hall to pay their respects were incredible!
It’s been quite chilly here too, the heating is finally on.
I’m down with something… a cold? a flu? covid? Don’t know but I’d love it to go away.
Thanks very much.
I also really like the violas in the blue pot. Actually I bought them for the doorstep, nice for the posties and delivery people, but think they’re so pretty that I’ve left them in the back garden. It makes for a nice view when I’m at the sink! Today I’ve been to a lovely garden and bought a couple of heathers…
Oh dear, I hope you feel better soon (and it’s not Covid).
Thank you! Fortunately, it wasn’t Covid and I’ve recovered. Still coughing a bit though. Having to go to the cottage and picking apples in the rain didn’t exactly help. My reward are fresh walnuts from our garden – oh, I LOVE the delicious white kernel (the yellowish skin removed!)
I will have to track that down. Unfortunately my brain doesn’t like to remember awesome things like that happening. Thank you so much for both of these replies and the congratulations of yhe job. A jar swap sounds exciting. Alas, I wish I could send you some of my handmade lotion bars. Maybe some day when you feel comfortable with that. :)
Lovely blog post as always. I think I’ve been reading close to 8 years now. :) I just started a new job and get Mondays off for the rest of my working times. Only 4 10 hours days and I’m done with the work week. As far as things is the world going on, there is good and bad as always. You have to look for joy in this world and sometimes it’s hard to find. Lovely jelly pictures by the way. I feel like I blinked and summer passed me by. :) looking forward as always to your posts. :)
Congratulations on the new job! Sounds like a good one.
Cheers, I’m very pleased with my chilli jam, a friend made apple & chilli jelly so we’re going to do a jar swap.
You are a very longtime reader! Lovely to hear from you again. (I emailed you last time in reply btw.)
Just getting round to reading your post. Been rewriting the pattern for my latest blanket. That Tiramisu looks massive. Happy people all round I imagine! Love the picture of the bee. I have a sedum in my garden., so get lots of bees too.
It was an epic dessert and nice to leave people with more for another day. Full and happy, yes!
I really like sedums, I seem to be noticing them more this late summer / autumn.
That tiramisu looks delicious, no wonder people took doggy bags home. Not a fan of chillis, but I bet you will be glad you made your jam. Things that made me happy this month, unexpected family gathering at mine. walk and lunch with my son and lots to see at Open Studios this month.
Thank you.
All sounds great, glad September has been good to you too.