Happy Monday!

The clocks went back on Saturday night and it was so lovely on Sunday morning to wake up and have it be light. I know there has been a campaign to keep us on BST but I think we should all be on GMT all the time. I prefer lighter mornings to darker nights, and this time of year is always a bit ‘dead cat bounce’ for me winter is still coming but it’s a tiny reprieve to be able to wake up when it’s light.

We’re also about to go into the worst part of the year without having any real solutions or a plan about how the country copes with COVID. I’ve been working from home since March and am likely to stay that way into next year. I’m not going to pretend it’s not hard or that there aren’t advantages or that I’m not aware of how much more difficult this time has been for others. My history of SAD and of having a period of depression has really given me coping strategies and I do feel like I’m in a good place but I’m back in therapy because prevention is better than cure. For the moment that’s every other week, right now it’s just a check in but there are some things I really need to work on for me, the exercise, I have in hand but I am missing my people.

This time of year is the time I see more of the family, we have five family birthdays from August to December and Christmas, so we’re together for birthdays and babysitting and Christmas. I miss it. I love my family and the eldest nephew is about to enter teenager-hood, the youngest is at my favourite age and missing out on that time is tricky but I also miss my brother and sister-in-law and the times we’re all together just hanging out (and I’m missing out on the new puppies cutest stage!). Add to that, I haven’t seen Sarah or Christelle for ages, and under the current Tier 2 conditions, if Jo does come home, I probably won’t get to see much or her or T. I do see friends nearer to home but it takes arranging and I can’t offer any help to some friends who have had the most rubbish year and are without family help right now. Usually, I would babysit for them and they would do Thanksgiving next month but that’s probably out. I also have a couple of friends who are about to spawn and cards, baby clothes and pictures can be sent via the post but baby cuddles can not. To add to the horrorI probably won’t get a haircut before Christmas either!

These are absolutely first world problems, I still have lots to be thankful about and having established the habit of counting my blessings until I’m blue in the face, I know it has, and continues to help, my resilience in the face of a miserable time but I am sad for the things I have missed this year.

One of my coping mechanisms is this blog because it gives me some structure and something to do, so let’s change the subject and talk about that! If you didn’t see them last week, I wrote about a book series I adore, the allotment and Sausage and Kale Stew. There was also the usual links post and some music.

This week, I’m going to work on spending more time outside the house when I’m not working. I’ve canned 6 kilos of tomatoes and I’m pretty much done with serious pressure canning for a while, I may do the odd batch of chicken stock but that’s about it. I have a batch of chilli jam to make but then I think I’m done until January/February when (assuming we can still get seville oranges) I’m up for a couple of rounds of marmalade making!

This week is also a time for some work, work thinking about Christmas. I know it’s a sin to think about Christmas too soon (the earliest it’s permissible is 5th December!) but it’s that kind of year. Usually the work Christmas party is already booked and I’m just collecting menu choices but this year we are having a virtual party and there are goody bags to send. So last week, I ordered 23 sets of cookie decoration kits! I can say no more, I don’t think anyone I work with knows that I blog but just in case, my lips are sealed!