Autumn Rites

I have something of a Remembrance Sunday (Veterans' Day) ritual. I listen to Nicholas Witchell's observations of events at the cenotaph (albeit asynchronously these days) whilst chopping my way through several pounds of onions, the process helping to catalyse the tears which are the entirely appropriate accompaniment to the proceedings. The onions – later combined with garlic, ginger, tomato, turmeric and paprika – go on to form a vat of curry base, in due course frozen and thawed in batches throughout the winter months as the basis for innumerable full-fledged curries that in turn are deployed, largely successfully, in the battle against Russia's finest generals (January and February).

In other news, Ethan made a particularly fetching lion this Halloween, and was apparently something of a natural at the art of grabbing a large handful of sweets from a bowl and dropping them into a trick or treat bag. Of course he was too little to consume the swag himself, so Rachel made free, whilst I satisfied myself with the leftovers from our own treat bowl; the little blighters had spared me a few Take Fives, despite the fact that the particularly spooky pumpkin / jack-o-lantern Rachel had carved for the porch this year had effectively telegraphed our treat-laden status to everyone under ten in the locality.


Autumn leaves.


Slides!


Ethan made a particularly fetching Halloween lion.


Treat! You chose wisely.