As Autumn starts coming around the corner, the days are getting darker sooner, and brighter later. Where the sun used to shine bright well past 9pm, it is now dark around 7:30pm, and no doubt as the days go by, it will get darker and darker.
For some this is the start of a depressing season, darker days, cold mornings, cloudy skies and snowy days bringing in the blues.
But for me, it begins a season of warmth, of slow days, nights sat around the fire, cups of milky tea and shortbread cookies nibbled after being dipped in the hot liquid.
I absolutely love the slowing down of the summer days. There is a coziness that seems to be peeking around the corner, just waiting for the busy, activity filled, hot days to disappear so that it can make it's entrance, bringing with it cinnamon scents, pine cones and a sea of candles ready to burn.
I tend to thrive in the cooler months, as crazy as that may sound.
My days are spent as usual, puttering around with homemaking, baking, reading. I tend to do all my chores in the early morning, so that the afternoons are for leisure activities, if I so wish. Not every day goes that way, some days I have more things to do, errands to run or appointments to get to, and on those days I have no time for sitting down.
So I tend to leave my reading for night time, which is usually a gamble considering by 9pm, I can't keep my eyes open.
Long gone are the days where I could stay up into the wee hours of the morning. Now, if I am awake during the night, it is definitely not by choice.
The death of The Queen, it has catapulted me into another season of period dramas, history lessons and reading anything and everything, that is remotely related to English history. It's always been a love of mine, but even more so now.
It started with the mention of the lead coffins that the Royals use. I was talking about it at dinner with the family, and they asked why that was so. Why were the coffins made decades before, why were the made of oak and why were they lead encased?
The answers is pretty simple. To keep the body preserved longer. As with see with royal deaths, the time from their death until they are actually buried, is quite a long period. If they weren't lead encased, the bodies would decompose quite rapidly.
But, being lead based also means they weigh a lot, like 540 pounds lot.
It's a tradition that has followed the royals for many years, dating back to Charles II and Elizabeth I. Fascinating isn't it?
Anyway, squirrel moment, but back to what I have been watching.
I finished Becoming Elizabeth, which I really enjoyed and am hoping for a second season.
Over on Youtube, I came across a channel named Royalty Now Studios. It is such a fascinating channel. The channel owner, Becca, recreates historical figures in the modern day. Go on over and take a look, it is so interesting seeing these portraits come alive.
I have also started The Serpent Queen which follows the life of Catherine de Medici.
In between these, as I cook, or do laundry or clean, I usually pop on a documentary. These are the ones I've watched the past few days:
I also made some delicious hamburger buns which I'll share in tomorrow's Cooking Thursday.
I have tried many recipes over the years, but this one is a winner. They are soft, fluffy, they are even wrinkly like the store bought hamburger buns. Delicious.
I sure hope you are taking the time to welcome in Fall in all it's glory. Enjoy every minute, every degree that drops in temperature, every leave that dances down off the branches and every sunset that bathes the earth in golden tones.
I know, I will be enjoying it.
