It would be so easy to pass this week off as frustrating. I had plans. Life bites, and I had to strike each one off the calendar, but I’m not going to focus on that. No point. It’s a fool’s game to yearn cherryade when your sack is full of lemons. I haven’t, but you know what I mean.

Instead, I focused my attention elsewhere. We’ve brought out the autumn decorations and they are adding a warm glow around the place. Mostly handcrafted items, such as pumpkins and toadstools. Also knitted acorns and bees wax covered autumn leaves. I’d like to make some more to go with them.

I’ve kept the Halloween ones back until October, which sparked some talk about what we want to do this Halloween. We love to celebrate it in some way. The children thoroughly enjoyed the party we had last year and want to do something similar. They’d like to help set it up, this time. Including the hovering candles, (which is a real relief for me after last year) but also for me to surprise them. Hmm. I’d be lying if I said that I have no ideas. I have enough up my sleeve for several years, I think. The planning is such fun.

Back to this week. School has taken up a fair amount of time. Eldest has had text books to buy and a timetable to sort out. There were meetings to attend at school, which luckily my husband covered. Usually I go. No bad thing for him to do it for once, although it was a tad frustrating getting everything second hand.

The other two children seem to have settled into the new term with minimal fuss. Youngest has figured out the canteen and classrooms, and made a whole host of friends that I need a white board to keep track of all the names. I’ve successfully covered four school books in sticky back plastic, so far. No wrinkles. Phew.

In the kitchen, I’ve been making apple jelly from our windfalls. Again. Pretty much the story until late November, to be honest. I’m looking forward to turning the Aga back on in the next few weeks, as it’s much easier to bake and multitask with.

I’ve embraced my new cleaning regime. Seems like I’m not alone in upping the cleaning schedule, at the moment. September is a brilliant time, for me, to take on something new. The rest of the family are impressed. I’m enjoying walking into a room and finding order. I still have areas to get under control, but most of the house is looking a lot better. I’ve reached the point where if people popped in, I wouldn’t be embarrassed. What more can I say?

In the evenings, I’ve been giving myself time to read and knit.

I picked up a copy of the Memory Keeper’s Daughter (affiliate link), over the holidays. I’m still getting into it. I’m not sure about it yet. It’s a tale which starts with an unforgiveable lie and follows how the characters deal with it. I probably wouldn’t have chosen it if it didn’t also look at the attitudes to people with Down’s Syndrome in the 60s. We’ll see how it unfolds. Anyone else read it?

Knitting wise, I’ve finished the back of my jumper and almost the front. I’ve surprised myself by going for shorter style jumpers, in the last few months, as I usually wear long ones. A different look for me and I like it.

May need to knit faster as I’ve not succumbed to putting on the heating yet, but I did give in to the demand for thicker duvets. Tad sad this year as their tie dye duvet covers, the children made this summer, are too small for the bigger duvets. Washed, folded and stored away for next year. The first rise in temperature and I’ll have them back on their beds!

We did have one late night visitor. My husband found him/her in the kitchen before we went to bed one night this week. A smooth newt inspecting my nice clean kitchen floor. A few weeks ago we had a sexton beetle (my new favourite beetle – they are amazing!) sitting comfortably on my sewing room chair. Honestly, I don’t know why I go out on nature hunts. I could sit at home and wait for interesting wee beasties to visit me.

So that is my week. I’ve made progress. I feel more on top of things, which is a great feeling. I have sewing plans this weekend, but I’m sure I won’t get away with a whole weekend doing that. I might just make a lemon drizzle cake, in honour of my hypothetical sack of lemons, because, although I don’t have a sack of lemons, I do have a bowlful 🙂

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Joining in #wotw with the word progress. What word sums up your week?