Things I Loved- September Edition (And an Exciting Announcement)

ThingsHelenLoves

Oct 2

How was your September? Wonderful, I hope.

Of course, a sad month for the nation with the loss of our dear Queen. I felt her loss more than I thought I might; like most people, I've never known life without her. She gave so much and navigated so much change.

Now as a military family, we serve King and Country. It doesn't change anything day-to-day, but the idea is taking some adapting to. Something else that has shifted in an ever shifting world.

The only thing to do is to carry on, hey? Stay positive, make the better of things. In pursuit of that, my September looked like this.

The Exciting Announcement

We've bought a camper van.

Actually, we've bought a Ford Transit that will become a camper over the coming months. Right now, it's a shell of pure excitement and potential.

This is an idea Mr THL and I have been nursing for a couple of years. We are a committed debt free family, so we had to do a bit of saving first. We'll be doing all the work ourselves, so I've fallen into a world of leisure batteries, insulation, vapour barrier.

The whole build is being crafted around getting a safe and homely cage in there for The Wolf. That dog is ruined. This is also the first step towards us getting out on the ground and sowing the seeds of a new life overseas. Having a home on wheels will allow us to get out for weeks at a time over the Spring and Summer.

I hope you'll come along for the conversion, I suspect watching us build a van around our dog with a tight budget and no experience might be quite interesting.

Walking From Summer into Autumn

With a return to routine came a return to regular walking. I've enjoyed it and enjoyed seeing the countryside start to change as we edge into the next season.

The change of season has made the fields around our home busy, and we've spent many mornings visiting some newfound friends. I talk to animals more than humans these days, I'm sure.

It did very much feel like this month started out in Summer and ended squarely in Autumn. The mornings are getting misty and much cooler. Evening walks require a jacket or a fleece, especially on a clear night.

I also enjoyed a little change of scene this month with a day hike along the cliff top pathway between Clevedon and Portishead. I recently discovered Clevedon after a visit to see the pretty Victorian pier and the whole area is lovely.

The coastal walk with views to Wales is very different from my usual walks on Salisbury Plain, but I very much enjoyed it.

Watching

Kleo on Netflix. I mentioned this Cold War, Berlin based TV series in a recent post about German T.V Shows, but it was the standout viewing for me this month. Mr THL and I binge watched it in about three days.

Kleo is a secret Stasi agent who specialises in nipping under the Berlin Wall to bump off enemies of East Germany. When her last job involves stakes higher than she can imagine, she ends up imprisoned. The fall of the Wall see's her liberated and out for revenge. What comes next is fast paced and funny, if a little brutal at times.

Played by Jella Haase, Kleo is a strong and witty female lead surrounded by characters you miss when the show ends. Hopefully some of those characters will return, as Kleo has just been renewed for a second season.

Absolute winner, give it a watch.

Reading

Physical books, after a long spell of feeling more drawn to T.V and audiobooks. I credit visits to the library for the switch. The shelves of books, old favourites, new friends and pretty covers to catch the eye.

My favourite read this month was Wild Places. From the pen of Sarah Baxter with the most beautiful accompanying illustrations by Amy Grimes, Wild Places is captivating.

Some of the places featured- like the Wadden Sea or the Green Belt in Germany- I've already visited. Others, like South Georgia, have captured my imagination but I'm yet to get to. One day. Meanwhile, this book is page turning escapism and beautiful with it.

That was my September. Tell me about yours?

Helen x