Winter is coming!

...and not just in a Game of Thrones type way (can't wait for that to be back on). We awoke this morning to a frost, white roof and a chill in the air...then the wind picked up and it instantly felt arctic! Luckily I put my fuchsias in the greenhouse yesterday in readiness due to the forecast, fingers crossed they survive the winter. As the clocks change in the early hours of tomorrow morning, the days will become shorter and temperatures will generally drop...although to be honest I don't mind, I like cosying up, there are potatoes baking in the oven as I type.

Anyway, wherever you are, keep toasty!

The Big Thaw.

On Friday it snowed...then on Sunday it snowed some more...a LOT more. For the last 3 days we have been in a white world, schools and businesses closed, lots of photographs being taken. But today it is thawing, the colour of the world is gradually coming back, and everything is dripping, hopefully it won't freeze again tonight and make the ground a sheet of ice...but I have my doubts! We had -13 the night before last, and it was very cold last night too so we'll see.

Hope you are warm wherever you are!

Busy Summer...restful Autumn.

Hi all, yes, I know, I haven't posted all summer...but I have been REALLY busy and have been physically away for most of it. I have been helping out on a friend's food stall at various events and have travelled around a lot of the country meeting great people and seeing lovely places, it is over now, so time to get back to my 'thing' and work from home, make my jewellery for Etsy (pagannature.etsy.com) and enjoy autumn and winter.

I love this time of year - being a jumper and blanket type of person, so when others including my husband are complaining about the cold, rain and dark, I am quietly reveling in it! Even down to cooking, stews, roasts, stodgy puddings...total comfort food.

So, I have sorted my wardrobe, summer things away, winter things rediscovered, set the heating timer so it never really gets too chilly in the house and have stocked up on stock cubes and tins in the food cupboard...bring it on winter.

When is your favourite time of year? Let me know, and if it's now I hope you are well. I'm on twitter @gemmsky if you want to connect there :)

Blimey Doris!

With reports all over Twitter and Facebook of trees down, injuries caused and roads closed it seems Doris has hit with a vengeance today. I was woken by rain and wind during the night, and although it makes a warm bed seem extra cosy with a storm raging outside, my poor husband had to go out in it to work at 5.30am! The cat however has had a lovely morning sitting in the kitchen window watching leaves blowing around, one happy customer for Doris at least.

Stay safe everyone!

Everyone has snow but us it seems!

So many of my friends are posting pictures of the fun they are having in the snow, from the north of England right down to folks in London and beyond...but here in the middle we have yet more rain...this seems a touch unfair seeing as it is Sunday and I could be out walking in lovely crispy, cold snow. To be fair I wouldn't be quite so envious if it was a weekday and I had to drive anywhere, but still, I do feel a bit jealous ;)

So, to all of you enjoying the white stuff, make the most of it, throw snowballs, drink hot chocolate whilst looking at the view and keep cosy warm.

Clear stars, snowy trees.

This evening we had our first real snow of this winter, huge flakes falling and covering everything with a quiet, snow-lit blanket. Within the space of a couple of hours, even though it is cold outside, the snow has started to melt, and the sky has cleared to reveal a beautiful display of twinkling stars - Orion shining over the snow dusted trees is a truly remarkable sight which I feel very lucky to have seen.

Festive Lights.

Hello all, and a happy December to you! We had a good weekend, doing the first of our Christmas Fayres at a local school, even though the festive season still seems a long way off, the feelings of winter and everything it brings are well upon us. On Saturday the town Christmas lights were turned on and we went up to see the big event, it was surprisingly warm weather-wise but with a cup of mulled wine in hand out in the dark town square it felt very festive. Now it is December, preparations will be happening all over the place, we have another Christmas Fayre in the lovely town of Much Wenlock this coming Saturday - an early start, set up at 6.30am! I will be looking forward to chatting with customers, drinking hot chocolate and generally felling the glow of Yule approaching.

Foggy Nights.

It has got a lot colder here the last two nights, followed by lovely frosty mornings. Last night and this evening have been particularly foggy, and actually very nice - although a bit of a pain for driving anywhere. I passed through my home town last night, and although damp and cold, the fog made for a very atmospheric time. The church tower was illuminated, and even though the outline was shrouded in fog, the light gave a glow which made the surrounding rooftops into an amazing silhouette which was very eerie. The other thing I noticed was the dampening effect the fog had on sound, much like when it snows, town was quiet and calm with only the occasional passing person or car to lift the silence - I do like winter!

Chainmaille and a bubbling stew!

Evening folks, hope you re all well as ever. I've a had a busy but good day today at the workshop making felt and chainmaille - it's what I do. I got home this evening in the cold and dark to find my friend had started a beautiful smelling beef stew in the slow cooker, it will probably be ready in a few days mind you - the aromas driving my taste buds mad until then! All we need is an open fire and some Mead and I've had a pretty medieval day - brilliant :)

Dull Monday - but quite nice really!

Hi all, hope you are all well and had a nice weekend. I had a busy one but it was nice, had to go to the workshop and make some more jewellery on Saturday as my things are selling well in the new shop I have them in - Serendipity in Presteigne!

Today is a dull day, but only weather-wise, it is quite nice really as I have a day in front of the computer and I know I'm not missing any nice weather outside, lots of coffee and work to be done so I am happy, and I do like Autumn/Winter, the big jumpers have come out of the wardrobe and my wellies are by the front door ready for a soggy trudge in the woods.

It is also the time of year for the Leonids meteor shower, tonight should be good, but I fear there will be too much cloud to actually see anything! Knowing that those shooting stars are doing their thing overhead is lovely however.

So, with that I shall put the kettle back on the stove and get on to the next thing - have a good day everyone!

Cold, wet and wintry.

Hi all, well, today I feel the grip of winter descending, it is 4.40pm as I type, it is nearly dark outside, its raining and bloomin' cold! I do like winter, but have been lulled into a false sense of security by the unseasonably warm weather we have had of late. On Friday we had the warmest Halloween on record, it was dry and mild, but today things seem to be catching up with how November normally is.

I hope we have a dry, chilly winter, in all seriousness we need a few frosts to kill of the bugs in the garden and germs that bring on ill health - it is what out climate should be, even if it is inconvenient. I think I will be digging out my scarves and gloves tomorrow, whist packing away thinner clothes until next year!