HELLO NOVEMBER

Looking back: Did we really go to Japan? It almost feels like a dream and of course, everyday life has that way of skimming over anything out of the ordinary. October has passed in a rise and fall of busy workdays followed by slow, quiet ones; fiery sunrises and an extra hour of light brightening up my morning commute; unexpected ideas for Christmas gifts; making time for breakfast (I think I've eaten about a hundred eggs); catching up with friends and staying home, too exhausted by being overwhelmed to do much else than take a bath and go to bed early. The month ends with an exciting opportunity, a stinking cold and a 50th birthday lunch.

Looking forward: Artemis always posts interesting insights around festive times of year and apparently, once upon a time, this time of year was seen as a new beginning and a new year. To be honest, at the minute it feels like someone switched off all the lights. I don't think that's a bad thing though; this month I'm looking forward to another slow few weeks and moving ever closer to Christmas and another trip to Cornwall. Now that we're well and truly on our way into winter, it's becoming harder to cook and photograph recipes; I seem to set up the photo and then suddenly, the lights gone and it's all been a waste! So my recipes might be fewer and further between, but I would expect some restorative, warming meals (and plenty of cheese!) if I were you...