It doesn’t matter how much I try, I still don’t like the slide into Autumn that happens in October. This year the month was marked with ‘the cough that wouldn’t die until we realised that it was asthma and I have to take drugs for it to get better’. I also got a new boiler, some time with the nephews and my act together. The later happening all in the last two weeks of the month, when I was sufficiently well enough to be really irritated by my lack of organisation!

FINANCE

No specific tasks, just staying on track and being mindful. I spent a fortune on prescriptions this month, I would have had a better month without the various trips to the chemist but I’m still within limits.

HOME

Chest of drawers clear out. The big clothes one in the bedroom and the little ‘junk’ drawers in the living room. They just need attending to and de-cluttering. I’m re-setting this one because it’s the work of a couple of evenings.  Done. I had help with the big clothes chest of drawers (thanks Ma!) and we also sorted out the boxes on top of the wardrobe and the wardrobe. Inspired, I also did the ones in the living room and the other drawers in the bedroom. So tidy…

Defrost the freezer. Planned for the weekend, so I’ll just get it done by the end of the month!

BODY AND MIND

Stretching. Every day  50% success rate with this, more towards the end of the month because I was more active and enthused about life and needed the stretch

Dealing with the cough. Done. It was asthma, there’s a lot I don’t know about this around how long I’m going to have to take the steroids and what sets it off. I have an appointment with the doctor on Monday to discuss but within two days of taking the preventative drugs, the wheezing and most of the coughing had stopped. So that I’m calling a win

ALLOTMENT

Burn one of the piles of weeds and organise the compost area (yes I have an area, it’s a mess!). It’s been too wet but it has to be done by the end of November! It’s just looking untidy now!

Get shallot sets and garlic bulbs for planting in October. We have planted some garlic but we need to do some more.  Done, they didn’t have shallots so we did 150 onions and another two garlic bulbs!

Get the rhubarb up and re-sited.

Measure out the areas for shed  Done, weeded and covered in weed fabric.

Sow wildflowers. Not done yet but planned for the weekend!

Dig over the empty beds, plant green manure. Half done, at the bottom end they are dug over, weeded and covered with weed fabric. The old runner bean and cucumber beds have been dug over and weeded but will need doing again and I hope to get to the old tomato and courgette beds tomorrow, I don’t want to dig up the marigolds though because they are still flowering so I may leave them and just weed around them.

Set up for Halloween Walk (lights, pumpkins, ghosts etc!). I’m doing it today as this post goes up!