Novemberish

A short blog post, I needed to write just a little, a prompt to get the butchers order in if you need!

I tell myself I'm in danger of loosing track of time. The ebb and flow of dates and the daily schedule that is the backbone of 9-5 no longer there. I keep time now by the daily writing group I attend. The north star of my day, a chance to think, start that piece of writing or tackle that thing I've been procrastinating on.

The last couple of weeks though. Little progress on the writing front. I've been using the time to think about reading, note taking and visual thinking. A self paced course I'm working on. Keen to pick up some new soft skills before I go back into the world. Alongside this I've been working on the tribute photographs for my father in-law who passed away just recently.

Cropping and tweaking where I can, 25 pictures just doesn't seem enough for a man in his late 80's. I've been smart fixing, sharpening and joining a couple of pictures together with a similar theme in order to double up. As I cut and paste, tweak here and there I save the extra versions for the reel we plan to have at the funeral tea. As I reflect and work through the memories, it makes me wonder did he set out from the beginning with all that he achieved in mind. A full life, the joining of families and all that unfolds over the decades.

We'd been preparing for this for the past year or so, Cancer a slow and torturous decease. We are left with a sadness, moments of relief, however ultimately a gap in our lives.

As is the passing of time the movement of the seasons and the change in the leaves, this is just one of those moments where the ebb and flow stings.

I craved soup this week, it's just where my head goes when I don't need any complexity to the cooking. I had a couple of recipes in mind and then find the ingredients aren't in store, so I tweak here and there. Soup is so forgiving on that front. With it the beauty of being generous as well, providing several meals through the week.

At this time of year the foodie magazines have already turned their covers to the glitz of Christmas, recipe's for roast turkey and ham in abundance. The local butchers are now taking orders, and with it I bagged our early slot. Part of our Christmas Eve ritual where we make a 10km walk and get breakfast out. We cover the last minute messages with the view of making the lead up fun rather than a chore. It will just be a shame that there will be an empty seat this year.

I sat down to the computer this afternoon to talk about the leaves the colours, the fingers write what they want to write, perhaps I just wanted to write about the passing of time and then some.