Hello dear reader! I'm deterined to keep posting monthly summaries this year. Here are some notes from this past month! I hope that you are doing okay wherever you are, whenever you read this.
Cozy Gaming
Playing video games has been a nice relaxing hobby lately. In October I finally finished two long-playing games. Wytchwood is a cute little "fetch & carry" game with a slightly sinister vibe (that I like). It took me about 3 years to complete the gameplay because I only like playing it at the beginning of fall. This year I finally finished it up. I recommend it!
I also "completed" The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which I'd been playing for over a year. I put "completed" in quotes because I will probably keep playing it (and its predecessor, Breath of the Wild). The open world is so fascinating to roam and there are still quests and goodies to find. But I defeated the final boss and am very proud of myself.
I also started and finished Inside, recommended by a coworker, and it was excellent. I was explaining that I like puzzle games in a post-apocalyptic setting, and this fits the bill exactly. It was so addictive that I played every chance I got and finished in under a week. Then I accidentally reset the puzzles and decided to play through just those parts again. Love it.
First Frost
The weather is turning to cold and night-time temps dipped below freezing this month, which put an end to the tender herbs and tomatoes in the garden. We made a batch of pesto with our basil before the frost came. (Note to self: you do not have to put ALL the pine nuts into a batch of pesto; just add a reasonable amount and taste as you go.)
Espresso
No I'm not talking about the 2024 Sabrina Carpenter hit. I'm talking about the original concentrated coffee beverage. I've been kind of dragging lately and feeling low on energy, so I decided to try boosting my mornings now and then with a tiny homemade espresso. I think that just the ritual of preparing it is kind of energizing--I have a small stove-top espresso-maker that hisses out a dark demi-tasse that I then sip with tons of sugar added. Yum!
Halloween
I wasn't sure we'd be celebrating this year but in the end a family member did put on my emergency T-Rex costume and went trick-or-treating. Also I wore my emergency J.S. Bach outfit on a work video call. I enjoyed surprising my co-workers with my snow-white Bach wig and "composer jacket" that I've had since high-school. Good to have those emergency outfits ready, you know?
Tell me about you? How was October in your world?