September is the month when here in Britain, we have given thanks for successful harvest since pagan times. It is also a month when the Nottinghill Carnival, biggest carnival in Europe, is over and people start to look for the intimate family and community oriented harvest festivals. This is the time when the schools and the churches and the families make an effort together to find festive atmosphere which is simple and cosy.

It doesn’t mean that things would get quiet in September. London is bursting with colourful events like Mayor Thames festival with fireworks and great river Thames race.  British are famous for capability to put up a party and have casual fun. Great gorilla run will bring some serious monkey business to the streets and of course there is always endless choice of music, fashion, art and food celebrations. Merry Merry … September is my favourite month for many reasons. It is the month when I started at university, graduated, married, found a perfect job and have celebrated quite a few birthdays. It is the time when I turn my eyes to the colourful leaves and I feel the wind on my face. It is when the weather gets cold but I’m on fire to capture the beauty of the nature with my camera. The most exciting thing is that my apple tree is ready to give all its fruit to me and I’m cooking apple jam every evening when others are at sleep. I want to prepare every apple for that dark winter day when I need a taste of September. Cheery Cheery… During the weekend when there is time after life responsibilities and harvesting I like to sit down on my coach covered by blanket while looking at the flames playing with the logs in the fireplace. It is now when the evenings get darker and the windows in my old Victorian house don’t keep the cold breeze outside and I feel like having a hot drink. My absolute favourite is hot chocolate flavoured with Cointreau liquor.  It is a little treat for my weekend celebration which I always enjoy as much as ever. There are so many things to celebrate. Merry, merry, merry, cheery, cheery, cheery, Trowel the black bowel to me; Hey Derry, Derry, with a pope and a lorry, Ile trowel it again to thee: Hooky, hooky, we have shore, And we have bound, And we have brought Harvest Home to town. Tomorrow I will pick up more apples and make apple crumple cake for my friends and their families who come to celebrate me. It is my birthday. It feels like a Cointreau time. Perhaps I should make September as my Cointreau month. To add even more flavour to a month of mine.