The Wednesday Hodgepodge #75

I hope you are all having a good week. It's Wednesday, which means it's time to join in with the Wednesday Hodgepodge with Joyce who blogs at From This Side of the Pond! Each week there are 6 questions, we answer and then link up. Simple!

1. When you think of autumn what sounds come to mind?

The crunchy leaves when you are walking on them, rain tapping against the windows, fireworks banging well before Bonfire Night, the kettle boiling because I drink more hot drinks at this time of year, radiators clicking and pinging as they heat up and me shouting shut the door, it's cold. I've just got everyone into a habit of leaving them open during the summer now I have to train them to shut the doors again.

2. Is a trip to the mountains something you enjoy? What's your favorite mountain?

A trip to the mountains is never been something I've particularly thought about doing. Where I live, we are more about the hills than the mountains. There are plenty of lovely hilly areas around us but there's no looking out of the window and seeing huge mountains in the distance. I do like looking at photos of mountains, sometimes when I start my laptop there are some on the logging on screen covered in snow which look pretty amazing.

I don't really have a favourite mountain but f I had to pick one I'd probably say Ben Nevis. It's the highest mountain in the UK and it seems right to pick that one.

3. What's something that once felt like a mountain, but is now just a molehill?

A lot of the things that has came with parenting my girls felt like mountains at the time but turned out to be nothing but molehills. When they were little everything felt important. A forgotten PE kit could feel like a disaster, someone not wanting to go to school could turn into a full morning of stress, a friendship problem could have me lying awake wondering how it was all going to work out and even things like homework, school letters and remembering what day they needed to wear something could feel like a full time job and don't even get me started on them being teenagers! There were arguments over clothes, phones, bedrooms, homework, going out, coming home and pretty much anything else you can think of. At the time those things felt massive.

Now that my girls are older I can see that most of those little mountains were just molehills. They grew up, they figured things out and we all survived the arguments over things that seemed so important at the time. Of course we are still dealing with mountains which I bet in about 6 months are nothing but molehills.

4. Let's play this or that-fall foods edition. Yes you have to choose.

Pumpkin spice latte or Chai latte - Pumpkin spice latte! I only found out what a Chai Latte was the other week when my youngest ordered one in Starbucks, it's her favourite hot drink at the moment. I tried it, it's quite nice but not for me.

Apple cider or Hot chocolate - Hot chocolate! I have never tried apple cider, well I have the alcoholic version but I don't think that is the one that is meant here.

Stew or Chili - Stew, a nice beef one would be nice right now, it's a bit of a grey and gloomy day.

Sweet potato casserole or Green bean casserole - Sweet potato casserole! I haven't tried either but I know I don't like green beans.

Butternut squash soup or Creamy mushroom soup - Butternut squash soup! It just seems right at this time of year.

Cranberry sauce or Gravy - Gravy every single time! We have gravy on everything here.

5. Sum up your September in a sentence or two.

September has been a busy month with a lot going on. We've had appointments, a birthday, nights out, lots to do and plenty filling up the calendar so it definitely flown by. There have also been some exciting new starts, including my youngest getting a job. It's been one of those months where I've always seemed to have somewhere to be or something to sort out but it's been a good kind of busy.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm writing this on a Sunday and it feels like a proper autumn day here. I am sitting under a blanket while it's grey and chilly outside, I reckon it won’t be long before we cave in and finally put the heating on. It's funny how 16C/60F can feel like two completely different temperatures depending on the season. Back in the spring going outside into 16C weather felt wonderful after months of winter and cold weather. I didn't even bother with a jacket but now at the exact same temperature all I want to do is throw on a thick jumper and start hibernating.