It’s become a thing for Preschooler SSG and I this autumn.  Somehow the weather always turns around by around 4pm to allow us a half hour in the late afternoon daylight to attack the week’s fallen leaves with gusto.  The broom scratches across the courtyard as it shapes crinkly heaps of rusted orange leaves that the both of us scoop into our green bin.  The surprisingly physical intensity of sweeping and hauling takes me by surprise every week without fail.  No wonder my neighbours with the tidiest gardens also look the fittest ones as well.

No filter necessary.

And on Friday afternoons we go for afternoon runs around the ‘hood.

Past impeccably trimmed hedges and artfully aged retaining walls.

Up the slight hills outside grand entrances to apartment blocks from decades past.

And on the flat on footpaths shaded by arching trees and yet more residential jewels from the past.

I just love the detail of the brickwork of the balconies of number 36.

It was my first outdoor run in a very long time, but I’ve lived to tell the tale.  Credit must go where credit is due.  Thank you, Lorna Jane and your 7/8 length tights with their impressive compression.  They were just what my joints and muscles needed as I struggled on the grass in between the sidewalks and bitumen.

In other tights related news, I kept those footless opaques, readers.

Flats – Naturalizer, footless opaques – Target, bag – Goyard.

The apples of autumn taste best when they’ve been baked.

I simply chopped up a couple of Granny Smiths and dusted them with cinnamon before baking at 180C for 20 minutes on a sheet of baking paper.  The perfect snack as they are or a delicious addition to a tray of baked oatmeal.  Pre baking the apple for the oatmeal ensures it’s soft by the time the oats themselves have cooked.

And the weekend is here, at last.  I’ve eased into Friday night already with a strong cup of tea and a couple of mini muffins.  Do you leave your teabag in you cuppa long after so long that it’s still there after the mug is empty you’ve added the milk?

Tea and baked goods are key to providing all the nutrients and energy necessary to survive preschool pick up and all that ensues afterward.

Wishing you a lovely Friday evening and may it be a prelude to an equally lovely weekend.