Goodbye summer

When we awake tomorrow it will be autumn. The signs have been around us as we rise in the dark on work mornings, wear an extra layer until mid-morning, have shrinking gardening time after dinner.

I've learnt more this summer and have much to treasure from it. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day to make green tomato chutney. I've found a recipe which uses lots of apples as well which works in well with the box out the front which is going soft because it arrived at the same time as visitors brought us lots of fruit.

A treat tomorrow will be eating field mushrooms, picked about 30km north of us and brought as a gift by dinner guests.

Today Favourite Handyman put the rest of the plastic roofing on the new lean-to. C and I escaped to hang out under it while the men did the dishes and the children ran riot through the house. So we have a new outside space for when it is wet.

Fionn and I have started to strip the lounge wallpaper. It looks better already. I can see that once it is finished, the room will look much larger.

I studied the list of the 100 favourite books of all time at the BBC. I've only read just over a quarter of the list which was a rather mediocre showing. So I set to and finally got Salinger's Catcher in the Rye out of the library. I was just starting to find it interesting when everyone got up this morning and with the ensuing massive cleanup for our dinner visitors, I've managed to mislay it. I want to read at least another ten from this list in 2009. If the library doesn't bar me from getting books out permanently that is.

It really would help my bread project if I would remember that I have bread in the oven. Including when it is time to take it out. Getting it out when I can smell it in the next room isn't the best method.