It was a chilly day late Autumn & I’d just woke up to the sound of the last crackling embers of last night’s fire. I shuffled to the side of my bed & swung my legs around, letting them dangle there for a while whilst I opened my blurry eyes to look outside. The air was misty & the golden red leaves on the ground glistened as the sunlight beamed off the fresh morning dew. As my eyes slowly adjusted to the daylight, I noticed children in the woodland nearby playing conkers under huge chestnut trees, wrapped up in thick knitted homemade scarfs & warm wollen coats.
After having my usual wash & brushing my teeth, I put on a comfortable oversized sweater, my tired torn trousers, trusty boots & with my phone, keys & purse in hand I picked up my glasses, placed them on my face & put my bob hat, scarf & jacket on before stepping out into the crisp fresh air.
The crunching of foliage & fallen branches underfoot along with the fog & birdsong that filled the air was a very calming & grounding start to the day. The sound of the children’s laughter in the woods grew quieter & slowly disappeared against the noise of the nearby village. Car engines & people’s voices started to grow louder & as I walked further on, I was met by the wonderfully welcoming aroma of freshly baked pastries & coffee houses bursting with the chitter chatter of people getting ready to go to work. I carried on past the bakeries & cafès towards a quieter part of the area, making sure to greet any passing dog & owner with a pleasant smile along the way.
Finally, I reached my favourite little independent bookshop. The bell swung & rang above the door as I entered & it was blissfully quiet, apart from the turning of pages & the distant sound from the in house cafè on the above floor. I made my way up the old wooden staircase into a small & cosy room complete with a fireplace cracking & dancing away. There was a large bookcase filled with ancient manuscripts & a large Georgian window with a small round table next to it. I sat down & removed one or two layers before taking a look outside towards the now very busy village centre. All of the shops were now open & a couple of street food trucks lined up along the pavement selling doughnuts, pies & pancakes.
I sat there people watching for an hour or so peering at the world going by before I went downstairs to order a large latte & breakfast which was perfectly poached eggs on buttered toast with mushrooms & spinach. Up the old rickety stairs again & a short while later my meal had arrived, hot & so delicious that I didn’t even notice the rain begin to lightly fall & patter against the glass of the window until I’d finished eating.
Another hour or two passed by sitting by the warmth of the fire, listening to the hustle & bustle of the streets below. When I’d caught up with the world via a newspaper someone had left on the table, I left my payment in the little pot provided, put my now warmed hat, scarf & jacket back on & made my way back down the stairs again & pulled the door open.
Thankfully, the rain had stopped falling but their was a definite chill in the air which wasn’t there when I left my little abode. As I walked back up the busy streets, passing the fast food trucks & stands, I saw a group of young school children with their teachers gathering wood for a bonfire & sticks so they could toast marshmallows on them. As I carried on further up the pavement, the appetizing aroma of spiced coffee filled the air along with treacle & toffee apples. The temptation was overwhelming so I nipped into the shop on my right hand side & treated myself to a delicious pumpkin pastie to have at home later.
Slowly making my way back through the village & passing the gates which lead into the woodlands, I stopped for a while to appreciate the natural environment & took in all of the scents & sounds it had to offer before carrying on home. The pathway twisted & wound it’s way through the great oak trees & bramble before reaching my cosy & little cottage.
I lifted up the latch on my gate, closed it again behind me & pushed the key through the hole & gave a slight push, cleaning the leaves & mud off my boots before I entered with a hand held brush I keep nearby for that specific purpose. The fire was still burning slowly in the background & filled the air with a comforting smokey aroma. I put a fresh log on the fire carefully before using a small thin twig to light a seasonal scented candle, cinnamon spiced apple, to welcome me back home.
Pulling off my now heavy boots & layers, I took a look at the cuckoo clock on the wall in front of me. Two fifteen precisely. I dreamily moved to the kitchen & made myself a pot of echinacea & winter berry tea, carried it carefully into the living room & sat down in front of the fire & listened to the radio whilst enjoying the warmth of the liquid inside of me & the reassuring tone of the people talking.
From around five o'clock onwards, I read a book about harvest festival traditions whilst enjoying the sound of rain falling more heavily outside as my background music. When the cuckoo sounded seven, I turned on the television & watched the news followed by an old black & white movie from the nineteen fifties & tucked into my pumpkin pastie which pleased my soul a great deal & left me with the warm glowing sensation of happiness.
Come nine o'clock, I tidied my things away & made my way back to the bedroom where I sleepily got undressed, put my cosy pyjamas on & washed myself before saying a short prayer & settling myself down in my four poster bed, making sure to pull the pastel pink throw over myself for extra warmth & comfort.
Another slow, lazy autumn day has been & gone away, bringing hope for a more brighter & cheerful winters day to come & stay again. Goodnight.
gracieabrams
germansingergirl
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
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