Good morning, Prep School family,
I hope you are well and relaxed after a wonderful weekend? It was a very quiet one in the Bennett household as Mr Bennett has been ill in bed with tonsillitis for a few days. My weekend by the sea, walking on an abandoned beaches and drinking delicious adult beverages in the pub and reading plenty was swiftly exchanged for looking after a poorly patient who refused to admit that he was ill. I mean the huge pile of daily antibiotics, the temperature, the ability to swallow being lost, the exhaustion and the massively swollen throat– are all clues to you and I but to Mr Bennett, nothing, he was, apparently, fine! There was nothing wrong with him. . . He carried on until he collapsed in bed on Friday afternoon and didn’t move until Sunday night. After the realisation that he was actually ill and that he needed to rest, he became the easiest patient ever – all he wanted was the odd cup of tea, scoop of ice-cream or for me to plug his iPad into charge. So as quickly as his tonsillitis appeared, my weekend away disappeared. I’m not complaining, these things happen and actually I had a lovely weekend at home. I got chance to sort out some cupboards, I spoke to my family in Canada on the phone, I baked and cooked (hence the pie in my fridge – see below) and went for long walks in the sunshine. I also even got to spend some time, watching films, with Mr B, even if he slept through most of it! It was a forced rest and recharge and it was perfectly timed.
So Autumn is well and truly here. As I’m typing I’m looking out onto my street. It’s dark, the street lights are on lighting up the sky with an orange hue, the road is quiet, the occasional dog walker passes and I can see a cat sat on a wall opposite. We’ve got a gorgeous silver birch tree in the garden opposite and its silvery leaves are glowing in the house lights. The days are quickly getting shorter and I have been considering putting our heating on. All these signs point to the fact that summer is well and truly over and winter is on its way. I love the seasons, all of them for different reasons but I especially love autumn. It reminds me of my grandma – making jam together, baking, eating tea cakes and drinking tea – so many happy memories. Autumn, my grandma used to tell me was the reset button of the seasons. Time to slow down, to reflect and make peace with things before winter and the business of Christmas descends. It’s a time of endings but also a time of hope, happiness and new beginnings. For me, it’s a time to reset – to be thankful for the lovely summer and to renew my hope for the future. It’s a time for thinking, for levelling and for refuelling.
So to get you all into the autumn spirit – here are some things that make me LOVE autumn so much!
Soups and Stews
Any excuse for me to cook! I love to rustle up a homemade soup or hearty casserole and serve them with some delicious crusty bread, dauphinoise or jacket potatoes. . . Heavenly!
Walking Amongst the Autumn Leaves
What is better than a cold, crisp day, walking through fallen leaves in the countryside, looking at spiders webs covered in dew and making smoke with warm your breathe. The ever changing colours of the leaves and conkers spread on the floor. These walks are even better with a warm, steaming coffee in hand!
Sweet Treats
Halloween and fireworks night go hand in hand with sweet treats. Toffee apples, sticky toffee pudding and ice-cream, apple pie, little bags of sweets, baking endless cakes, blackberry crumble. . .the list is endless!
Lounge wear
Autumn is definitely the time to pack away your shorts and dig out your jumpers instead. I love my jumpers. The bigger and more snuggly the better. Our house is very old and can be really cold over the winter so I’ll pop on a snuggly jumper and my lounge wear most days whilst I’m at home. In fact, it’s the first thing I do when I get home from work! Cosy!
Snuggly Nights In
As the nights draw in, I feel less inclined to go out. I just want to hibernate at home. We enjoy more family meals at home. Evenings snuggled under a blanket with your loved ones is perfection obviously accompanied by a book, film or box set and something sweet to eat and a cup of tea.
Lazy Days
As the sunrise gets later and later, I feel obliged to lay in a bit longer at the weekend. If the day is cold and miserable, a nice relaxed brunch followed by a lazy day of lounging could be in order. No need to rush! Take your cue from nature and slow down!
Sunrises and sunsets
At this time of year, the sky of often filled with a variety of red, oranges, purples and yellows. The sun at this time of year is spectacular – early mornings and early evenings are a sight for sore eyes when the sun is putting on a show! Some of the best sunrises I have ever seen have been as I drive down the M42 to work in October, utterly gorgeous. Who would have thought the M42 could be so beautiful!
Mist
I love the low hanging mists at this time of the year – they are so atmospheric. I live near the River Trent so most mornings on my drive to work, the Trent Valley is filled with mist. The tops of the trees are visible but everything else is wearing a coat of condensation. I find nature fascinating.
Jam making
Enough said! Nothing beats homemade jam or the delicious smell that fills your kitchen when you are making it! It’s also the time of year that I make my Christmas cake – the smell of dried fruit, citrus and cinnamon merging and melting together – yummy!
What are your favourite things about Autumn?
Quote of the week: “Autumn teaches us the beauty of letting go. Growth requires release, it’s what the trees do.”
Well-being tasks for this week: These are all based Optimistic October –Actions to help you focus on what really matters.
Tuesday 3 October – Take a small step towards a goal that really matters to you
Wednesday 4 October – Start your day with the most important thing on your to-do list
Thursday 5 October – Be a realistic optimist. See life as it is but focus on what is good
Friday 6 October – Remind yourself that things can change for the better
Saturday 7 October – Look for the good in people around you today
Sunday 8 October – Make some progress on a project or task that you have been avoiding
Monday 9 October– Share an important goal with someone that you trust
Jokes of the week:
If you think you can do any better, please send your jokes to me and I can include them in The Bulletin.
What is a scarecrow’s favourite fruit?
Straw-berries
What is the cutest season of the year?
Awwwtumn.
What is the ratio of a pumpkin’s circumference to its diameter?
Pumpkin Pi.
What do you call a large, colourful pile of leaves in Australia?
The Great Barrier Leaf.
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin?
Squash.
How do leaves travel from one town to town?
With autumn-mobiles.
Conversation starters:
What helps you fall asleep at night?
If the sky could rain food, what food would you like it to rain down?
5 things that I am grateful for or looking forward to this week:
Can you try this simple exercise in gratitude and positivity?
- I am looking forward to seeing my brother in law (and his amazing roast dinner) on Sunday
- I am looking forward to the Year 4 Harvest Festival assemblies this week
- I am looking forward to embracing Autumn
- I am grateful for the delicious pie in my fridge for tea
- I am grateful for the beautiful autumnal sunrises
Sleeps til Santa: 82 sleeps. . .
Have a super week,
Take care of yourselves and each other,
Love
Mrs Bennett
