Here in England November came in like a lion. This morning I woke to the roaring of the wind and rain lashing the windows. Autumn is well and truly here and winter might be close behind.
October has been lovely – sunny and warm for the time of year. Today is a reality check, November is here. It reminded me of this poem by Thomas Hood.

Corrugated cardboard and some silver and/or gold spray paint together with beads, glitter and ribbon can make striking and original decorations for your Christmas tree.

Traditionally, this recipe is made into gingerbread men but you can use different shaped cookie cutters to make it into stars, Christmas trees or other shapes. Before cooking, remember to pierce a hole at the top of each one so you can thread ribbon or strong coloured thread through them to hang on the Christmas tree. Makes 25 cookies.

None of the humorous pieces below are original. Most of them have been circulated by email and posted in forums and other websites.

A Dog’s Property Laws
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my mouth, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

Henry, our cavalier King Charles spaniel, died two weeks ago on September 25th. He had a stroke and was unconscious. The vet said there was nothing that could be done for him so the kindest thing was to put him to sleep so we gave our permission for it to be done.
This poem is for Henry because we miss him so much. He was a sweet, gentle and loving dog.