October Things

 

The end of October draws ever closer - I know it's not quite the last day of the month, but tomorrow will be Five on Friday and I'd like to share some Halloween snapshots on Halloween, so here we are with all the delightful things that helped make October so delightful! 

My birthday took place during the first full week of October and we celebrated by going to some of my favorite spots around the area: Culpeper to shop, DC to hit some of my favorite spots, a little shopping closer to home and a visit to a spa in West Virginia! I had the most wonderful ice cream cake, wonderful gifts from my friends and family and a delicious dinner at a nearby favorite: Hunter's Head Tavern! It was a wonderful way to spend a few days celebrating turning 36!

Life this last month seemed a little bit closer to normal - certainly face masks are a constant when in public places where there is no opportunity to social distance - but for the most part, the perfect Autumn weather almost all month has meant there were plenty of opportunities to do outside activities that allowed for fun, far from other people. Watson and I went to the Arboretum more than once, finally catching the perfectly golden leaves near the end of the month and we added in some apple picking too!

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I haven't read quite as much this month - but I absolutely loved both books I read this month, so that is what counts, right? I started the month with a fluffy, fun and at times a bit racy rom-com style book called Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade. This book poked fun at a well known television mega-series that was coming to a rather poorly written end so one of the stars of the show turns to writing fan fiction to give the character he plays a more well-deserved ending, falls in love with a fellow writer and they attempt to make their love work in the real world. I wont tell you if they get their happy ending - but I loved this book... and I especially loved the way they poked fun at Game of Thrones.

The other book is actually 100% related to Game of Thrones because it's Fire Cannot Kill A Dragon by James Hibbard, who had the luck of being the Entertainment Weekly correspondent for Game of Thrones for all eight of it's seasons. The book details the show from inception to ending with Hibbard's interviews with cast and crew throughout the eight seasons linking together for a fascinating, insightful and sometimes frustrating read!

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I have little and less to report on the movie front - it seems like with each passing day there are more and more movies that are being pushed back and so going to the theater certainly isn't happening too often right now. I did watch Enola Holmes on Netflix and it was a perfectly delightful and entertaining movie cast with a slew of well known and well cast actors who told the tale of Sherlock Holmes equally cunning and curious younger sister, Enola. 

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Television was something I consumed a lot more of this last month - I had plenty of time on my hands alone at home, so I finished up His Dark Materials on HBO, just in time to see that the second season comes out on November 16th! I also binge-watched Emily in Paris on Netflix over the course of a Saturday (no judgement please - each episode was all of 26 minutes long) and while it wasn't a brilliant or thought-provoking show, it was filled with fashion, fun and a gorgeous setting - hello Paris!

I ended up getting back into The Great British Baking Show on Netflix as well and I've been making my way through some of the more recent seasons. I certainly miss Sue & Mel, along with Mary Berry but I find that Prue, Noel and Sandi have grown on me... Paul Hollywood is ever the same, ha-ha!

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I think if there is one thing I always have to talk about each month - it's the good food I get to eat, ha-ha! I suppose it really is all about moderation because I have managed to still eat yummy treats and lose just over 50 pounds... wonders never cease. I started the month with so many delicious things: chocolates from The Frenchman's Corner in Culpeper, a lovely cocktail from Copper Fox Distillery and delicious pumpkin French toast, a mimosa and Peanut Butter Pie from Old Ebbitt Grill 

On my birthday I had a divine ice cream cake followed by dinner at Hunter's Head Tavern: a cocktail and Shepherd's Pie! The rest of the month was equally tasty! I had some macarons from Ma-Ka-Rohn and decided to be bold and had Crab and Corn Chowder at a new restaurant in Leesburg. The end of the month was all things Apple with small pies and a Pinterest win recipe: Apple Fritter Bread!

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The things I've been listening to this month haven't changed too much - most of the same podcasts are playing on rotation: the Popcast with Knox & Jamie, Very Presidential and Lore. I've also been listening to a lot of Ambient Worlds on YouTube - the user combines nature sounds with soundtracks from television and TV and they are excellent for listening to at work! I particularly enjoy the ones that feature music from Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

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The final thing to share are the things I'm looking forward to as November arrives and the big one is definitely that on November 4th I am bound for the UK for 18 days! I'll be traveling with my Mom and my Aunt and staying with my younger sister for the visit! It will be the first time I've seen my sister since last December and while we will have to quarantine for the first 14 of those days - I'm sure it will still be a blast! 

Once I return from the UK, I get to share Thanksgiving with some dear friends and of course, I'm looking forward to the Christmas season getting into swing! I love the "ber" months - and from Halloween on, I just enjoy all the celebrations, light, experiences and life that there is to be lived! I can't wait!