hot chocolate | The Little Room of Rachell

Making: my crochet bobble cowl

Cooking: fish chowder, some cream and dill at the end make it taste luxurious

Sipping: hot lemon, ginger & honey

Reading: I started another of Ann Cleeves Vera series, perfect winter reading – a country house at Christmas with a house party in full swing and … da-da-daaa! A body

Anticipating: my December gin box to be delivered at the beginning of next month

Breakfasting: porridge all the way!

Looking: at all the birds who suddenly appeared in the garden, when it became much colder

Listening: to The Green Planet TV series soundtrack on Spotify, it’s epic. I didn’t watch any of the series, but the soundtrack makes me want to!

Poppies in progress for the Remembrance Day postbox topper

Wishing: for some thermal gloves for when I walk

Enjoying: Sing 2. Purchased on Amazon, it’s a really good fun watch if you like music and silliness

A well-used and borrowed library book, I’ve made a note of the mint syrup recipe for summer cocktails

Appreciating: all the colours in the trees, it hadn’t been that windy in November, so there were lots and lots of beautiful autumn leaves still

Eating: chicken and leeks in blue cheese sauce with potatoes and green beans (leftovers with tagliatelle were delicious)

Liking: 1899 on Netflix, it’s creepy and intriguing

Loving: wearing my handmade woollies again

Buying: a few presents, trying to get ahead of the game

The Christmas cabins were in place at Blenheim Palace by 18th November when I walked in the parkland

Watching: I’m a Celebrity as usual, it was really entertaining back in Australia. Wales did not work for us

Hoping: for a lovely family Christmas, looking forward to it

Wearing: my Edenvale cowl and some purple gloves while I walked

Noticing: Christmas trees going up in homes before the end of the month. In NOVEMBER #TooEarly

Still making a loaf of sourdough every week

Following: Made by Anita on Insta, see her page here. We’ve followed each other there for years. I recommend her account if you want to see lovely colour combos, plus loads and loads of crochet

Sorting: out some yarn oddments for the next yarn bombing project for my friend (orange for a nose!)

He sang his heart out for my cousin and me

Getting: Stollen and a tin of Twiglets for my Christmas store, in recent years I’ve realised if you snooze, you lose!

Coveting: A really good flask so that I can make a hot cup of tea back at my car, after long walks

Tempted to buy a Velvetiser, I made my own real hot chocolate instead; with a bar of Lindt dark, some whole milk and a whisk, in a pan. We loved it

Feeling: a bit tingly excited about Christmas as the month drew to a close

Hearing: the heating whirring away, I’m not taking it for granted

~~~~~~~~~

It was a nice month, some exciting things happened; I met new people, went to new places, generally all felt pretty good. As I write this it’s the second of December now, I hope it’s as special a month.

How are you doing? I hope all is well in your world and you’re managing to stay warm. Or, cool and dry if you’re Down Under!

Tell us three things about your November?

It’s finished. All over!

The feeling that I should always be doing something else and not really crocheting, or watching The Gilmore Girls, or wandering around shops or meeting up with the girls; drinking, eating and chatting or or… or… or… or…. is over! I can do it all at once if I choose to from now on.
I have handed in two bound copies of my research dissertation, and at some point this year I’ll (hopefully) once again be wearing a silly cap and gown. It’s odd but you’d think today I’d be out there looking for a hill so I can fling my arms around in the air singing loudly, a la The Sound of Music, but actually I’ve got that massive sense of anti-climax.

I’m in the Little Room typing this properly (two fingers and all) instead of on my iPhone which is how I’ve been posting lately during this very, very busy last month. I actually missed the sitting here at my desk, in front of the window doing my daily surveillance of the neighbourhood. It’s only been a morning (!) but I’ve missed seeing my elderly neighbour go out to meet her friends. I haven’t seen the 3 year old opposite, who is the size of a pin-head, come back from nursery on her teeny scooter wearing her teeny helmet with her Dad at lunchtime. I haven’t spotted the lady who looks like Jilly Cooper either. Around this time she usually walks past wearing her welly boots with a little terrier at her heels. I also haven’t noted who’s got their Ocado/Sainsbury’s/Tesco food delivery today or how many courier parcel deliveries have arrived. But after such a non-stop 7 day a week routine writing this month it’s bound to take a bit of adjustment huh. It feels a bit like it’s the first week of January because really the whole month passed me by, apart from a few walks in the snow.

First things first:

1. Make some hot chocolate with as many marshmallows as I can fit on the top (it’s a pint mug)