Advent

Slaughtered one of the butternut squashes and roasted it in its skin with sprigs of thyme from the patio, to go with OH's chicken. Mouth-watering. Didn't realise that you can eat the skin too once it's roasted. Utterly delicious!

All our squashy produce is lined up in front of the patio window, making for a bright, uplifting sight against the late autumn weather. There is just something totally reassuring about looking at a full larder and chest freezer, or sacks and sacks of potatoes in the loft, or demijohns full of cider quietly bubbling away.

Our Woodland Group is having its Annual Xmas get-together. This usually takes place in a community hall on one of the Advent Sundays. It's a family event and this year, the participants are making willow sculptures and decorations. OH and I have hardly been attending the group's events this year, which makes us feel terribly guilty, so we promise the group organiser a huge contribution to the buffet. We raid the plot – in December! – and come up with enough broccoli and spinach and parsley for a tray of quiche and a lovely spinach pancake. OH makes a massive bowl of plum crumble with frozen plums from our garden.

Because we're both such late starters, we're just in time for the buffet – most of the willow has already been used up and practically everybody is covered in PVA glue and bits of coloured transparency paper. But the food is received very positively -- by the end of the event, there's nothing left.