November Nourishment
Frost, Snow and other blissful delights
November comes and November goes, with the last red berries and the first white snows – Clyde Watson
A very warm welcome here today. Come on in out of the cold, make yourself comfortable. Have you got a cup of something warm to drink? Good, lets chat.
Hello my friend.
It’s a beautiful autumn day, as I sit in our newly converted camper, reading Nigel Slaters Christmas Chronicles at the waters edge of Pitsford Reservoir. I have the company of Swans, Canada geese and Mallard ducks whilst Ant has gone on a photographers walk around the reservoir.
In our three visits this year we have watched the signet grow into a graceful young swan. Nearly the same size as his parents now, and feathers are starting to change colour, from a gentle grey to glimpses of pure white. He’s a tame little guy, giving us a warm welcome as we arrived. He, of course, is begging for some food.
There is a distinct chill in the air now, a cooling breeze as the water is lapping against the shore. The sun is casting warmth across the van though, making one feel cosy inside. The door open so I can gaze across at my friends as I read quietly.
It’s December 1st today. How did that happen? It seems like only yesterday that we were waving goodbye to Autumn’s finest month, October. And now we are heading into the Festive Season.
As December arrives, I find myself reflecting on the moments of joy that November brought. Moments that have nourished the soul.
The first flurries of snow.
Watching a snowfall always makes one smile. So pure, the white crystals as they drop gently, creating a cosy blanket beneath, covering the ground and the crunch of footsteps on a freshly laid bed of snow.
The beautiful hand knitted poppies at our local church, St Andrews, for Remembrance Sunday.
A Christmas market and a winter camp.
We visited Chatsworth Christmas market this week. A wander around the artisan stalls, and chatting with some of the stall holders. A festive treat for the senses. A cup of hot mulled wine and a hog roast for lunch. The sound and scents of the festive season all around us.
Laden with a few gifts for family and friends and a few foodie delights for ourselves we departed with full hearts and before the crowds took hold.
We reclaimed our newly converted campervan last week, so to test out its cold weather capabilities we opted for an overnight camp at a site heading in the direction of home. We discovered a delightful little site through the camping club, Conkers. As we arrived, we were treated to a spectacular sunset. We settled in for a cosy night, eating some of the delights we had bought at the market, and a cup of hot chocolate. We read quietly for a while before turning in for the night.
Upon waking the following morning, we knew at once it had been a cold night. My nose was like ice. We discovered just how cold it was as soon as we opened the door and found a blanket of frost surrounding us. The scene was stunning, a soft blue sky as the sun was starting to rise, and a ground of pure white. A perfect crisp winters morning. After an invigorating start we soon warmed up when the heater was switched on and we had our first cuppa of the day.
Books I read in November
The Christmas Tree Farm – Laurie Gilmore
A Country Village Christmas – Suzanne Snow.
Both full of romance and festive spirit. Nice easy reads.
Winter Solstice – Rosamunde Pilcher. I’m still reading this one but I’m loving it. It’s about loss and the healing power of love. Beautifully written with some wonderful characters, set in the north of Scotland.
Christmas Chronicles – Nigel Slater. This one has been sitting on my bookcase for a number of years, and I have finally gotten around to starting it. An immersive read, and Nigel describes his love of winter in beautiful detail. There are lots of wonderful winter warming recipes in the book too.
Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year –
. I first read this last year, and I could not resist reading again. It’s perfect in every way. Just a lovely read.What I’ve enjoyed watching and listening to
Little Women – A story of the lives of the March sisters. How have I never seen this before? It was a pure delight and I will definitely watch again.
Darling Desi – the queen of aesthetics. Molly Ella recommended her in a recent publication. Her autumn vlogs are beautiful. She incorporates lots of book and film recommendations, as well as some gorgeous baking recipes into her videos. You can find her YouTube channel here.
Calm Christmas podcast. It goes without saying that Beth’s podcast is as beautiful as her book of the same name. I would highly recommend listening to this. Beth’s podcast can be found on her Substack here.
My favourite YouTube ASMR in November was Winter Wildlife. Utterly stunning.
Crafting
Craft corner is back! I’m happy to say I found a few moments to enjoy some crafts in November.
I put together some Christmas cards and managed to finish a pair of hand knitted socks I started last Christmas! I also made up a few more bookmarks so I now have plenty for my December reading.
In case you missed them, I published the following blogs last month.
Thank you so much for spending some time with me once again.
Have a lovely day and I wish you a calm week ahead.
Until next time.
Debbie xx
Oh wow, the hand knitted poppies are gorgeous! Winter has come so fast. There's something magical about watching a sunset during the colder and darker days. It must have been beautiful. The weather has been very grey here, but hopefully we'll see some sun and snow soon ❄️
I've recently watched Little Women for the first time, as well, and seriously wondered why I haven't watched it before. IT IS SO GOOD!