September seasons

 So welcome September! This is the far left corner of the garden and neither of us can remember what the tree is 🤦‍♀️ once it's blooming again i can look it up

September has been a lot cooler thankfully in September's picture you can see the leaves beginning to turn.

August was a mixed month, gradually getting cooler but still a few very warm days. The night are getting darker too.

January

February 

March

April

May

June

July

August 

September 

August storygraph and reading

A Caribbean mystery by Agatha Christie 

I adore all Miss Marple books but this is the one I adore the least I have to say. Not quite sure why but it's still a solid 5 5🌟

Murder on Lake Everly by Bonnie Blume

This was engaging, following a similar pattern to the first in the series but with a nice twist I didn't see coming and some blossoming romantic interest 3.5

The bear pit by S.G Maclean on Audible 

(Carried over from July)

Cracking story, well researched, beautifully written and great narration 4.5🌟

A new lease of death by Ruth Rendell

I used to read Ruth Rendell a lot and it was interesting to go back to read her many decades later. I did really enjoy this and her writing is great but oh my the attitudes and prejudices of the period are quite startling 3.5 🌟

Heroes by Stephen Fry on Audible 

Another fabulous audio rendition of his Greek mythology series from Stephen Fry. He narrates as ever with gusto and enthusiasm. I took 0.5 of a star off because these are so long nearly 16 hours, I felt that for this type of storytelling a shorter book would suit me better. The constant changing of characters and plots can be tiring towards the end. 4.5 🌟

The lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes

I did enjoy this tale, there is a creeping sense of dread, akin to Edgar Allen Poe. It is very much of its time as reflected in its language and attitudes. 3.5

Medicus by Ruth Downie

This was my second time reading this and I'm still giving it a 3 🌟 the writing I'd good, great characters and good humour but it's so long, it began to drag for me 2/3 of the way through and there seemed no discernable plot reason for it. But again it is well written and humorous 3🌟

Cipher of bones by Flynn Cooley

This is a real roller coaster of a story. I love the first in the series so was excited to read this.
It didn't disappoint, at times I had to read very carefully as there is do much information packed into a relatively small page count! But it was worth it, engaging characters and plot line with a breathtaking pace 4🌟

The sentence is death by Anthony Horowitz on Audible 

I quite enjoyed this but there is something about these stories that doesn't quite sit well with me, I think it's the character of Anthony Horowitz within the story

Rory Kinnear is an excellent narrator  3.5 🌟

Save the date for murder by Vivian Keyes

This is quite short, but very well written. A lot is packed into this story which clips along at a good pace. Engaging characters and a satisfying conclusion. 4 🌟

The Eighth detective by Alex Pavesi

I really enjoyed this book. As others have said it does contain a spoiler for Agatha Christies "And then there were none"

It is a bit gruesome in places but the twisty turny plot drew me in. Unlike many others I didn't find the ending a disappointment I felt it quite fitting. 4 🌟

Body in the bindery by Eve Barrett 

This was an enjoyable if slightly dense read. There is a lot of technical information entwined in the plot which dies sometimes overwhelm the plot but overall enjoyable 3.5 🌟

The collected stories of Arthur C Clarke Volume 1 on Audible

I love Arthur C Clarke and these stories are a great example of his work although I do prefer his later to his earlier works. The Narrators are great but the stories have literally no gap between them which is a bit disconcerting 3.75 🌟

Dangerous women by Hope Adams

I did really enjoy this book, well paced well written. Believable characters with an air of authentic historical accuracy 4🌟

Deadline by William Shaw

A brilliant addition to the series, loved it. Well plotted and pace Cupidi is an amazing FMC all the characters are believable it gripped me from page one 5 🌟

Behind the seams by Esme Young 

This is just a lovely book and is written so that it feels like a chat with the author. She comes across as engaging bold and intrepid, just a lovely woman. 4🌟

One virgin too many by Lindsey Davis on Audible 

I just didn't gel with the narrator DNF

Frankly by Nicola Sturgeon 

Absolute belter of a book, loved it. Nicola Sturgeon has a lightness of touch in her writing which was refreshing in a political memoir. She is honest and Frank 😊 as the title implies, I felt she was very fair when talking about things such as her working relationship with Alex Salmond. She takes full responsibility for things where she felt she was wrong or could have done better (the reviewers who say otherwise have frankly not read this book or have done so through incredibly jaundiced glasses) at times she made me cry, talking about her miscarriage was one point and reflections on leading Scotland through the pandemic were another. I loved it. 5 🌟

Falco the complete BBC radio collection on Audible 

Carried over to September 

The Polaroid murder by Vivian Keyes

Really enjoyable mystery, it's nice seeing the main characters develop. The back story around them and the town is good, some emotional moments, just a nice quick read. 3.75 🌟

Pies, pines and peril by Neela Snow

Slightly formulaic but still very enjoyable short read 3.75 🌟

The pain hunter by Jeffrey Deaver

Fantastic short story, Jeffrey Deaver packs so much into 60 pages. Twists and turns a plenty. Part 1 of a 4 part series I look forward to reading the rest. 4.75 🌟

The dodge by Jeffrey Deaver

Fantastic story, no 2 in a series of 4 but all can be read as stand alone. Tense twisty with a Fantastic female lead. 4.75 🌟

Execution day by Jeffrey Deaver

Fantastic 3rd in the series of 4 short stories. This is as good as all the others, tense atmospheric and nail-biting to the end, some lovely twists and turns too. I love that these can be read individually or as a series. 4.75 🌟

Sixty one seconds

I've loved this series. 4 stories which are intertwined but can be read as stand alone, this one was great and pulled together all of the other stories but I was slightly disappointed in the ending. 4 🌟

Whispers in the snow by Maisie Graves

I really enjoyed this short story but I'm frustrated at the ending. It's more of a cliffhanger but to what? I can't see that any of the other books in the series carry on from this? But it's well written and engaging 3.75 🌟

So what do the stats say? Location is par for the course, mostly America followed by England

Genre, no huge surprises less police procedural but more non fiction 

Series, yip this is standard I mostly read series!

Boom source, well I tried some from prime reading this month, a few Jeffrey Deaver short stories which I loved

I do love seeing the reading calendar, I started off with a few lengthy books but things sped up.towards the end of the month. I often.start and finished two books.on the same day? Interesting, I like having two print books on the go at the same time. Lets see how September goes

Pouch for Ruth

Well this is an emotional pouch!!! One of the selkies is going through a hard time, Kim is putting together a care hamper for her, Ruth is from the North East too so I wanted to put in some doric things but I also wanted to make her a pouch. I haven't sewn a pouch for 14 months 😳

I can't get up to the sewing room at the moment so I got Mark to pick put some fabric for me, bless him he chose the hedgehogs 🥰🥰

I picked the open wide pouch pattern because I know it so well, the zip didn't work put brilliant so I fudged it!
Boxing the bottoms was trickier than I thought it would be but I worked it out.

This is not the best pouch I've ever made but it's the most emotional one and it was made with so much love🥰

Filled of course with doric goodies 😉 

August look back

 Awww this is FOQ time and I have to say it's been hard this year. But lovely chum Carolyn sent me a pin which was lovely and Ruth and Sheena have kept me included which was lovely 

But there has been progress!!! I went up stairs!!!

I went into the sewing room ❤️❤️

Wooly Bob was pleased to see me, I'm thinking  I might be able to do a little sewing 🤞🤞 we shall see

Missed this view

And this!

My IG monthly marker, hair is growing,  plus new specs 

            
Awww the lovely Ruth sent me a care parcel from FOQ 💕

We went on a date night!!!!!!

And these two came too 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Scoobs had a volunteering day and caught up with old chums 💕💕

I got two physical books in a change from my kindle, with strong fearless women, both fabulous 💕

Eventually after a lot of faff I got my second pair of glasses these are for crafting with 

And the hair is growing 😊

A selkie chum is having a hard time soni got her this ❤️❤️🤗🤗

Also it was my 3rd anniversary of retirement! So I had fizz 🥂🥂 real fizz 🎉😊

August has been a good month, consolidating progress so far, adding in 3rd shower more TV watching more sewing it's all good 😊

August furtle

Well!!! It's been a great month! Look! Actually sewing! This is the August bee block for siblings together can't believe I actually sewed this 😊

My round and round the woodland sampler is done! How cute is Mr Badger 🥰

Lovely chum Ruth sent me a care package from FOQ ❤️

I git some fabric cut up to start the applique on this but the Pick a petal BOM has taken over!
 

The two finished Siblings blocks

It took a while and some sweary words but my center block for this is done!

I also got the first of 30 of these done! All hand sewn 😳

After the round the woodland SAL I started this I've had it since 2020 so now it's time has come!

I still can't believe I made this! Yup it's not the best I've made but I'm ridiculously proud of it

One of our selkie chums is having a hard time and the group is putting together a care hamper for her I wanted to put in a pouch and some Doric gifts she is from the North East too. This took me over a week but it's done! So chuffed!

Also my obsession with needle minders continues 🤣

For a bit of accountability and to hopefully keep me on track I want to start posting some fabric stats at the end of each furtle post, I keep a fabric inventory each year, how much fabric in and how much out. Its normally been fairly even but last year it was about 2 meters more in that out but since I stepped doing any quilting in June I think that's understandable I had bought loads thinking I would use it up but couldn't. I hope to rectify this 😊 the main reason I'm doing this is for our move in 3 years. I want to have made significant dents in the stash, let's see what I can do 😊

OK that's pretty good considering I've just started sewing again! The 13 meters out has technically not been used yet but it's been paired up sorted out and is ready to go so I'm counting it here 😊