Autumn evenings in front of the fire

I don't intend that my journal should be entirely or even mostly made up of photos of the very beautiful Cat Mandu, but she looked so contented and cosy by the fire that I just had to record it. She is obviously drawn to lovely warm places, which may be why I woke up one morning to find her underneath the duvet, nuzzling our feet and peeking up at us like a Bagpuss hot water bottle.

I really love this time of year; there is something so gorgeous about Autumn-turning-into-Winter. I wasn't sure about the orange velvet IKEA chair of which I became a part owner when I married Ben, but now I adore it; the colour is so evocative of turning fall leaves, which I read somewhere once only change colour to show off their beauty as the seasons continue their cycle. It makes me want to wear orange, brown, red, gold and auburn so I can be part of it all, and go for long walks in chilly, blustery weather. Then afterwards I can come home and snuggle up by the fire with hot chocolate, a good book and my wonderful family. I can completely understand why Mandu curls up in the place shown in the picture - I would too, if she didn't hog the fire! Apparently heavy snow is forecast for the weekend, so I hope that if you are blessed with a snowfall you are able to get out and enjoy it in your scarf, hat and mittens - don't drive anywhere if you can help it, and instead make a snowman in your back garden to celebrate!