The Ramble

October - all wrapped up

Ummm what happened to 2025? I still have so much I haven’t done! In other news, November means I can now legitimately begin planning for Christmas and watching Christmas movies. You have been warned. In the meantime, this was October.

TECHNICAL NOTE: There’s a lot to get through, so this post might not fit in your email. If so, just hit VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the end of the email, or head to the app or online version.

Travel …

None! Aside from a weekend in Orange at the end of November, I’m not planning on being away from home until March next year.

I am, however, actively planning next year’s holidays:

• Malaysia in March - KL, Langkawi and Penang

• The biggest trip we’ve ever taken in September 2026. I’m still ironing out the final details of the itinerary (and the budget!) so we can book flights in December, but it will include Spain, Italy, a Mediterranean cruise, and possibly some walking in the Cotswolds or a few days in London to finish off.

The to-do list …

I ticked off another few things on my 2026 to-do list during October:

• replaced the media room TV projector with a new TV

• got a sparkie in to switch all the lights across to LED, hang a new ceiling fan in our bedroom and replace a rusty one outside, fix the disco lights in the hall (they’re not really disco lights, they just go on and off randomly), fix the powerpoint where the switch stays on even though it’s off.

• averaged over 10,000 steps a day in October

Out and Abouting …

It was Grant’s birthday last Sunday and we celebrated with lunch at Ethos at the Alsahwa Estate at Palmwoods.

It’s a gorgeous spot and quite cool on a hot day (as Sunday was). Ethos is a farm-to-table type of place with as much as possible coming from their own gardens, those at Falls Farm (who also supply Mapleton Pub amongst others) or local suppliers. Just as they are at Mapleton Pub, the veg dishes are the stars of the show here.

The three of us shared some bread and dips (a spiced hummus and eggplant romesco) to start, followed by chorizo with aioli dip and the best burrata we’ve ever had. Served with fresh tomato, balsamic balls and a basil sorbet, it was like the ultimate Caprese salad.

To follow, we ordered two mains - the chicken breast with asparagus and hazelnut truffle pesto and the wagyu brisket with black pepper and falls farm brassicas - and two veggie sides - roasted carrots with yogurt, puffed grains and sumac dressing and a mixed beetroot salad also on yoghurt.

Writing …

Philly no. 4 is coming along nicely. The first couple of weeks were spent catching up with the characters in Chipwell, checking in on what’s been happening since we last met them. However, Philly is calling the shots now and has taken over. I have no idea yet who will be murdered, or who will be the killer, but I think I know what it’s about now.

I’ve got the edits back for Christmas at Kirby Manor Farm, but there’s quite a bit of work to do on this. Also, I haven’t yet decided on the cover brief. What does this mean? Simply that I won’t release this book in time for Christmas this year. Instead, I’ll be aiming for a Christmas in July release. When I furst embarked on this indie lark I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t publish anything I didn’t think was as good as it could possibly be at that time. This one doesn’t yet meet those standards, so I’ll hold it back until it does.

I’m planning something a little different in 2026 … something a little challenging and, dare I say it, potentially interactive. I don’t want to say too much in case it doesn’t come off, but watch this space.

Reading …

In case you missed it, you’ll find the monthly book post and podcast where we discuss The Great Gatsby below:

The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Watching …

The Hack (Stan), starring David Tennant and Robert Carlyle, this one is about the News of the World phone hacking saga and the journalist who exposed it. Despite what the critics have said (let’s face it, I never listen to critics), I really enjoyed this.

I’m almost embarrassed to say this, but I was riveted by the Victoria Beckham (Netflix) documentary. While I was a Spice Girls fan (#popmusictragic), I’ve never been a Posh Spice fan. This shows a different side to her, and even though some can argue that celebrities are fair game for public scrutiny, my heart broke for her when she spoke frankly about what had been said and written about her. Cruel beyond words. Her work ethic also inspired me.

Celebrity Traitors (TenPlay). I told you about my obsession with this show last week.

Maryland (Britbox). This was an absolute gem of a mini-series and had me wondering just how well we know our parents’ stories.

Karen Pirie Season 2 (Britbox). Based on Val McDermid’s novel, A Darker Domain, it’s as twisty as the first season was. I love how the flashbacks to the original crime mirror Pirie’s thinking so we all arrive at the answer together.

In Case You Missed It …

I’m still blogging my travel journal from our UK trip. You’ll find the latest posts from Edinburgh, Yorkshire and Lincoln here.

I also posted something here about my ongoing battle of wills with Ralph, our resident possum …

Over to you …

Alrighty, that’s enough from me … what’s been on your calendar in October? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…

My co-hosts are:

Deb at Deb’s World

Sue at Women Living Well Over 50

You can link up (and see what everyone else has been up to) here.