That September feeling

I LOVE Autumn! It's absolutely my favourite season. I love the colours, walking along streets catching a glimpse into people's houses because they have their lights on earlier, wrapping up warm, Autumn walks in the woods with wellies on, autumn food, roast dinners .... OK I think you can get the picture.

Because we have always worked on academic years in this house, I guess September is the beginning of the new year for me. I loathe January and February as months anyway so prefer to hibernate during that time of year until Spring arrives to save me.  It's this time of year when I think about everything I want to achieve in the coming twelve months.

My first ever aubergine crop

We have quite a busy time ahead in the next few weeks anyway. We are taking our eldest daughter up to Derby to start her graduate medical degree on Saturday. Our son and youngest daughter start back at school in Thursday and our second daughter is off to America on October 5th. All change! Mr D and I will be back to 'man to man marking' with the kids!

Poor old Mr D has had a miserable summer with the first two weeks being taken up with an MA assignment and the final three weeks back at work processing exam results and interviewing prospective staff and students. No break at all for him really :(

Yesterday, I was up in London most of the day with daughter number two at the American Embassy getting her visa - they will let her in :) I have to say, despite having quite a relaxing time sitting outside a nearby café reading my book with numerous refills of tea, going up to London always reminds me that I could never live in a city. My Mum loved London and found excitement in the hustle and bustle. I find my shoulders rise to meet my earlobes and I just feel slightly stressed and mildly grubby!

Very soon I will be left with an empty house and I can start to regain control over the mess again. To be fair, in many people's eyes my house is already fine, but to me it looks a mess. I guess it's all relative?! I have written a list and split it into monthly job lists with an aim to having everything completed before 2016. By that time, we should be better placed to know what our next steps will be in terms of moving house. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I may finally be able to achieve my dream. This will be the longest anticipated, most planned, longed for change in my whole life so far. Keep your fingers crossed for me?