Friday night curry club!

Up early today with a delivery of logs to be stacked.  I just love knowing that the logs are in for the winter, or at least for part of it as no doubt we'll need another load before next spring.  Makes me feel warm and reassured just looking at them - my very own security blanket!

Looking forward to a roaring log fire tonight, the nights are drawing in and there's a nip in the air - definitely a good enough excuse, so I'll be snuggling up with my knitting hatching some new designs - I hope!  Having a lazy Friday today.  We have a Norwegian guest this week who's here to learn English, so I'm trying to make an extra effort on the food front.  So... what's in the pot?  For tonight I'm making a veggie curry with nan and raita, with baked apple and Yorkshire ice-cream to follow.  

My family has always loved any excuse for a celebration and the grandchildren are getting very excited about Halloween.  Here's Izzi at a dress rehearsal trying on her witch's costume.  

I love this time of year, maybe it's because my birthday is coming up too, but York is just magical in the last three months of the year - twinkly lights in all the trees, Dickensian feel to the half-timbered streets, some lovely independent shops on Gillygate to browse for Christmas prezzies, plus coffee shops on every corner to recharge your batteries.  Bettys is always a treat on dark evenings - nothing better than to sit in the window (never agree to going downstairs, you definitely don't get the full Bettys experience there) watching the ghost tours or late-night shoppers pass by.  

Btw, if you're wondering about the interesting swirly pot in Izzi's pic, half-obscured by the nasturtium, it's by my friend Ilona Sulikova who makes utterly amazing raku pots inspired by the shapes of the Somalian women she once lived amongst, and decorated with intricate geometric patterns in vibrant irredescent colours. Unique.