September though incredibly busy was kind, it’s days full of warmth and sunshine. It’s like it somehow knew we all needed an extra ray of sunshine to brighten our spirits as the chaos of the world spins out of control.
It’s been an extremely hard few years for so many, full of desperation, fear, depression and loneliness. It taught us more about ourselves, our views and our coping mechanisms than I’m sure we wanted to learn. It’s also shown us the true meaning of family, love, compassion, empathy and understanding. 
It’s taught us strength, will and gratitude. It’s taught us to step outside the norm and to dream, to dream big and go after those dreams. It’s taught us peace and serenity.
A blessing or a curse we’ve all learnt something from the chaos that surrounds us, be itpolitical or emotional, our self growth and understanding is our reward and we are ready for what ever comes next as we head into the new season.

Autumn is the season for big woollen jumpers, blanket hugs, hot chocolate, open fires, home made beanies, fingerless mittens and chunky scarves, toffee apples, bonfires and warm woolly socks. 
And even though its hard knowing the long winter is returning, let us take gratitude in knowing Autumn is blessing us with the most beautiful and calming show of colour before winter begins to share it’s darkness. 
As the Sun begins to fade earlier and earlier with every day that passes, the night sky alights, it’s been too long since the stars revealed their spectacular beauty. (How we love the darker evenings. ❤️)
As the mornings greet us with cold kisses to our nose, cheeks and fingertips, the spiders awake to sparkling dew covered webs and the summer flowers fight their best fight to continue giving, not wanting to return to the earth quite yet, we should all stop for a minute or two and draw into our souls the magic of the season.🍂
Even though I’m extremely sad that our so called summer is over, that days pottering in my garden are nearing an end, my heart sings at the beauty of the changing leaves and the cosiness that autumn brings.
As September becomes a memory, I can’t help but reminisce how crazy ours was, it started out on the open road, with a trip to the Cotswolds and the Diddly Squat Farm Shop for some bee juice.

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We spent a few nights at the campsite next door to Diddly Squat, visited Chipping Norton for breakfast and all Marks dreams came true when we bumped into Gerald at Nash’s Backery. 
We visited the Rollrights Stones, which consists of the Kings Men stone circle, King Stone, and Whispering Knights dolme. Though these may be just old stones to some, there was something mystical about them. I can’t explain it or the feelings that engulfed our souls while there.  They are well worth a visit if you find yourself in their neck of the woods.

We then headed to Wales and spent the night at Talybont Reservoir.

We took a drive to Llyn y Fan Fach, which was a little hairy at times, the roads aren’t built for camper vans. It reminded me of our adventures in Cyprus, driving through the mountains, on dodgy dirt roads to abandoned villages. (That was such a great holiday and also a dream of our to move there one day. )
I desperately wanted to see the  Llyn y Fan Fach reservoir but knew there was no way I could walk it, so decided that we would cycle. Bad move, I made it about 10 metres before falling off my bike. I had no other choice but to head back to Phillippe, our trusty camper and wait for Mark to return.

With a peaceful night sleep at Talybont, our few days away were over, but we were not ready for it to end quite yet, so we decided to visit a few places on the way home.

Our first stop was, Castle Combe, the prettiest village in England. And boy isn’t that the truth. It’s beautiful, and  like stepping back in time. Well until you see modern day living as tourist take selfie after selfie on the bridge. We couldn’t help ourselves from chuckling as we watched them pull pose after pose and hurried to upload their photos to social media.
I’m all for capturing memories but has our world really become a gallery of pouty lips, fake smiles and awkward poses. Saying that I’ll admit Mark and I took our first selfie in about 10 years, while at, Diddly Squat Farm Shop.

After driving through the town of Calne, our next and last stop was Yatesbury church. I have longed to visit Yatesbury for such a long time, in hopes of discovering anything about my 3rd Great Grandfather Jesse Townsend and his Mother Ann.

You see Jesse was all alone in, Calne Workhouse, at the age of 6 in 1841. There is no sign of his mother Ann. We hoped that the grave yard may give some answers but all the older graves were unreadable. However there were rather a lot of Hillier Graves, I wonder if somehow they connect with Marks Hilliers ancestors?

This visit spurred me on to relook at Jesses life and information and I actually found some new information which I’m pretty excited about. I’m quarter of my way through writing about what I’ve discovered, so watch this space.

 🏍

Drag racing.
Two weekends in September were spent at Santa Pod Raceway, with the Warpspeed Racing team, which you can read about here and here.
Both meets were full of emotion, speed and the best of company and we are very much looking forward to next season.

🧶

Crochet.
In all honesty not much crochet has happened. Life has been incredibly busy.
I really only managed a few rows to my Berber Afghan. I’m hoping that now the weather has changed and I daren’t go out in the garden when it’s cold or wet, that I should be able to get some more crochet time in.

However I finally was able to share the secret project I’ve been working on.
If you missed it, Tinna from Tinna Crochet, asked me to be one of her testers. It’s an absolutely honour to be part of the incredibly talented ladies who make up her team. They are such a lovely bunch.
In all honesty I’m totally blown away and in shock that, little old me would even be considered for such an important task of testing the Queen of crochet patterns. Thank you Tinna for having faith in me.

Tinnas new Crochet pattern the AMMA CAL, started yesterday and it’s a massive hit.  You can read all about it here and read all about my version, here.
It was an absolute pleasure to make and I’m desperately trying to work out how I can find time to start another one.

🩺

Health.
My health has been taking up an immense amount of my time. I may as well live at the hospital or doctors at the moment.
From learning all that’s needed to control my diabetes with insulin to tests on my heart, new medications and dealing will the pain that comes with having to stop the medication that damaged my eyesight, it’s been a steep learning curve.
One thing I have learnt is that consultants can be very different. I saw a cardiologist registrar, who was beyond fantastic and took the time to listen to me and how I’ve been feeling, to seeing a gastro consultant who made me feel as I was just wasting his time. How can two people in the same profession be so very different and treat their patients with or without empathy.
Surely they both started their careers because they care about people and want to help. So why is it 8/10 medical professionals don’t seem to care or take the time to sit and listen, to carry out tests.
Take one General practitioner that I spoke to on the phone a few weeks ago, he told me, the chest pains I’m having isn’t my heart and that I have too much wrong with me that it could be numerous of things. He wouldn’t see me and I have no clue as to how he knew it wasn’t my heart by just talking to me on the phone. 🤔
After getting a second opinion from another General practitioner (who was the nicest and most caring doctor I’ve ever seen. She was fantastic) and sent to cardiology,  to find out there is actually something a miss with my heart and have now been put on new medication and awaiting more tests.
I just can’t get my head around the difference in how I’ve been treated.

🌸

Garden.
I’m still loving learning to garden, and when the sunshine’s I’ll be found in my garden, pottering around.
All my baby seedlings are growing and my cosmos and morning glory is finally putting on a show.
It’s time to start putting the garden to bed for the winter but I’m reluctant to pull out the zinnias that are still giving us a show.
I’ve learnt so much this year about growing flowers and it’s been such a nice feeling to know that in my own small way,  I’ve given a gift to the bees and butterflies. 🦋 
I have everything crossed that we have a mild winter so I can at least spend a little time each day outdoors without it effecting my health.

I swear I have more to tell but can’t think for the life of me what, in truth I’m sure your growing tired of my waffling so I’ll say my too-da-loos and hope you’ll pop back soon, as I have a new blanket to share, as well as some photography and not forgetting my discovery about Jesse Townsend.

Until then, stay safe, stay true, stay you.
Too-da-loo 

🦋🦋🦋