If there was only one...

If there was only one month in the whole year, in perpetuity, and I had to choose it, then October would win hands down. I’m writing this as we head towards the end of a perfect weekend of walking, pottering, eating good food and hunkering down of an evening.

Note: I’m not going to write about my computer slowly grinding to a halt (and sending me slowly round the bend).

We got the heavy feather duvet out yesterday and it feels so nice to lie under its weight, with fresh bedlinen on and the knowledge of a lie-in the following morning.

Still no sign of a moving date. Basically, it was brought to our attention three weeks ago that the seller’s solicitors had ‘lost’ our files six weeks prior to that, so there’d been no progress with the sale whatsoever. We’ve lost around £2000 due to the stamp duty holiday deadline being missed, plus all the extra money we’re paying in rent (this current house is expensive).

Our solicitors have done pretty much nothing by way of a) chasing things up or b) keeping us informed of the situation. In fact, the only person who seems to be doing their job properly is the estate agent. She’s the one who found out about the lost files and she’s been great. But there’s only so much she can do.

So that’s where we’re at: a house purchase with no chain has so far taken three months and there’s no end in sight. We’d assumed things were progressing quietly behind the scenes when actually, it had all ground to a halt back in early August and nobody had bothered to tell us. It’s beyond exasperating.

So let’s move the discussion along.

Good stuff: Watching Maid on Netflix. Reading Jilly Cooper (yes, that’s right - I’m re-reading one of my favourite ever bonkbusters, Rivals and I’m not too proud to admit it). Half term being on the horizon. Bonfire toffee. Baking a ginger cake with Joe earlier today. Meeting up with my old university (and student digs) partner in crime in a few weeks. Stuffed jacket potatoes for tea tonight (and it is tea because I’m Northern).

Not so good stuff: The school Halloween disco being cancelled due to rising Covid numbers in the district (Joe cried at the news). Me teetering on the brink of overwhelm yet again (I’m now muting my phone in the evenings to escape the endless pinging). The house situation, obviously. Gardener’s World almost coming to an end for the year. Not that I watch it religiously every Friday, but it’s always a comforting presence, living in the catch-up box ready for a rainy day ironing session.

Last weekend we went to York for the day. We’d tried to find a reasonably-priced hotel but failed (turned out it was the races that weekend, which explained why) so it was very busy but also very lovely.

We wandered about, did some shopping - I stocked up in Zara - and ate chips whilst watching a man sword swallowing on a unicycle. We walked through the museum gardens and saw lots of squirrels, and discovered a little ‘Edible Wood’ where we sat down and identified all the plants and trees. Joe got a book from Waterstones and some overpriced sweets from one of the tourist trap shops. I subsidised his pocket money pick n mix by more than half…

The market was a feast for the eyes: gourds and squashes and pumpkins, and beautiful dried flowers. I didn’t take my camera, only my phone so some of these pictures are from that.

On Thursday I met up with a friend in Todmorden. She inherited her dad’s cameras and had asked for a quick course in DSLR photography, so we sat in a greasy spoon cafe and talked through the basics over toasted fruit teacakes.

Then we did a photo walk and sought out lots of interesting details to capture before having a mooch around the flea market. It was a morning well spent.

Yesterday we did the usual short drive over the moors to Oxenhope, then a walk through the woods to Haworth. Spooky shops: tick. More sweet shops: tick. Picnic in the park: tick.

It was a lovely little trip, with the leaves falling and the rosehips bright in the hedges. I’ve done a lot of walking lately and that’s no bad thing - when we do eventually move, that climb up through the trees to school is a killer. I need all the training I can get.

This coming week, as well as working, I’ll be meeting a friend in the little tea room at Heptonstall one morning. I’m on the fifth week of my photography course so will have assignments to complete. Joe’s last day before half term, Thursday, involves him going in a Halloween costume (to make up for the cancelled disco). There are library books to return and food shopping to be done, a pile of admin (I despise it) and plans to make for the holidays. Joe’s also going on a class outing to Lumb Bank, Ted Hughes’s old house, for a writing workshop and afternoon tea. I’m a bit jealous of that to be honest.

I suppose we should start thinking about having a general clear-out prior to the move; we’ve been assured that contracts have now been issued and searches have commenced. They might even have been completed, who knows? It’s not as though we’re being kept informed.

But I do need to be ruthless and decide what we really want to keep. The new house is maybe half the size of the old one on Skye, and although it does have a garage (located up a steep track in the woods) and two sheds (one big, one small) we absolutely have to have a cull.

So obviously, I’m avoiding doing that.

We’ve decided one thing we absolutely have to acquire once we get there is a cat. Well, more likely two.

Jay thinks it’ll take two just to make up for one Mackie. I miss having a feline presence around the place. Every time we see a cat in a doorway or a garden, we’re desperate to befriend it and make a fuss of it. There’s a big, purry cat in the house opposite school and it didn’t take much encouraging to come over and be stroked behind the ears. And then it wanted to come with us down the lane, but fortunately stayed put.

Joe’s excited at the prospect of having a cat (or two) again, although he still gets sad when we talk about Mackie. We all do.

Life goes on though, as the year seems to be flying by. The nights are drawing in, we’re thinking about Christmas (presents, food - I’ve already filled a shoe box with new tree decorations, a little advent calendar card for Joe and gifts for work colleagues), and I’ve just remembered I haven’t checked on the sloe gin for weeks.

I’m prepared for cold, wet weather too - I invested in a good strong umbrella (in a bright, cheery red) and found a pair of brand new M&S woolly gloves in the RSPCA shop which are mustard yellow and you can use a touch screen whilst wearing them. The duvet coat needs to be brought down from the loft and I’m still after a waterproof rucksack for work.

And now I’m off to watch some TV and make the most of this Sunday evening. It’s cold in here and warm through there so until next time - have a good week…