Alrighty, that’s November all but done and dusted. We have quite a bit to get through, so without any faffing about, here we go.
Travel
None this month, but I have next year’s trips booked.
Project Excess Baggage
If you’ve been following along, I’m in my fourth week of Project Excess Baggage.
The wins? I’ve lost some kilos – just over five… twenty-five to go.
- I nailed my average daily 10,000 step target in November. As at 7am this morning I’m just under 320,000 steps for the month.
- I’ve settled into a weekly swimming routine and have built up to 1.5kms in just under 50 minutes. It’s nowhere near what I used to swim, but it’s a great start.
- I’m in the routine of doing two cardio/resistance on-line classes each week. They combine resistance exercises with 45 second cardio bursts and I’m really enjoying them.
- Other than sharing a bottle of bubbles with Grant and Sarah when we put the Christmas tree up on Sunday, I was alcohol-free for the month.
There have been challenges – and will continue to be – and I’m recording these on my weekly posts.
This year’s word “Build” has been about habits so while I may be late to the party, I’ll be going into 2025 with better habits than I went into 2024 with.
Christmas Movies
Hi, my name is Jo and I’m addicted to cheesy Christmas movies. So far this season I’ve watched the following:
I’ve been reviewing some of them on my author Facebook (@joannetraceywriter) and Instagram (@joanne_tracey_author) accounts if you’re interested…
While I watch Last Christmas (at least once) every year, I still have my other faves to intersperse with the new crop of Hallmarks. Anyways, you’ll find previous offerings here.
Temperature Blanket Update
Houston, we have a problem. I’ve run out of the Aquamarine that is used for 20-24 deg (that’s celcius, obviously) and as our overnight temperatures will be in that range for the rest of the year, that’s a problem.
What’s a bigger problem is that the only place I can source it is online at Morris & Sons and that was the only colour they didn’t receive in their most recent order. Apparently they have one ball of the 4 ply left (which would mean I’d need to double it) but that is it and I’m likely to need more than one ball.
So, the options open to me are:
- I wait until early next year to finish it and hope they get another shipment in then
- I don’t do my “low” temperature row, but if we happen to have a day where the daily high dips below 25 that scuppers me
- I find a similar colour and pretend it’s the same
- I use the “Zircon” which is a lighter almost icy blue, but that was the colour I used for 10-14 degrees…
It’s an understatement to say it’s frustrating.
Writing Update
Christmas at Fountains Hall is now live – although paperbacks are still a week or so away.
A Christmas-themed television special is coming to the Cotswolds. And it could change everything…
Tallis Harlow is reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, but thankfully she has her job as an assistant on a reality baking show to keep her busy.
At least that was the case until charismatic London chef Ziggy Giudici is cast on the Christmas special. Now the mutual attraction she’d previously dismissed with the younger man is proving impossible to ignore.
Gail Longmuir can’t help from feeling that her life is growing smaller compared to her friends in the cookbook club, especially since her daughter has just left for university. She knows she should be elated when the gorgeous vet from their village asks her out, but it only makes the feelings she has for her boss Liam more complicated.
At a time when Tallis and Gail need each other the most, events in their lives suddenly seem to be driving a wedge between them. With the entire production at Fountains Hall in doubt, will they be able to save their friendship before Christmas comes?
You’ll find links to Amazon (you’ll need to change it to your country) and all other digital platforms here.
The third Philly Barker – Murder at Deverell Grange – is ready to go. I’m waiting on the final version of the cover and will announce presales and publication date on my Substack next week. As an aside, my Substack is free – and always will be – so you can subscribe to the categories you want without fear of not being able to read it.
I’m in the process of giving it a “glow-up” at the moment and next year that’s where you’ll find most of what I currently post here. Only travel and Excess Baggage posts will stay on this site.
What else?
I’m still deep in draft territory for Murder In The Mangroves, the second Clementine Carter mystery. I’ve ended up having to rewrite a great whack of this when the direction it was going didn’t feel right. Needless to say, I’m now late against my deadline but hope (if I say no to everything I’m currently saying yes to) to finishing in another three weeks.
Over to you …
Alrighty, that’s enough from me … what’s been on your calendar in October? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…
The linky is below …
My co-hosts are:
Deb at Deb’s World
Sue at Women Living Well Over 50
Donna at Retirement Reflections
And Anyways... 
Fabbo update Jo. What a great start you are making to excess baggage. The hardest bit is starting and you are on your way. The temperature blanket issue with colours not available would so annoy me too.
Congratulations on all that November has brought you..by you…and on your new book baby.
Thank you for the link up.
Denyse x
Since I wrote this I’ve realised I’m out of the main accent colour too – and so are they. It does my head in!
It seems odd to have a month with no travel doesn’t it? Like you we have next year’s in the process of booking. Also like you I am hard at work in the excess baggage department – I feel like you have made a stellar start with the increased cardio and the weight loss. It’s a marathon not a sprint or so I keep reminding myself. Fingers crossed neither of us derails too badly in December. I hear you on the frustration of the wool — I sort of feel that way about a certain book. Stay tuned for a DO NOT PASS GO POST! Thanks for hosting. Bernie
Since writing this I realise I’m almost out of the cream too – the main accent colour… and so are they. I think I’ll have to wait for the next shipment.
Hi, Jo – So many great things to comment on in this post. For your temperature blanket, my vote would be to find a similar colour and pretend it’s the same. I promise that I’d never tell.
Congratulations on your commitment and success to PEB. Strength workouts with cardio bursts thrown in are my favourite type of workout — as long as the cardio are only bursts! 😀
And most importantly, I highly recommend Christmas at Fountains Hall to everyone. I preordered my copy and am now ready for my second read. You can never get too much of a good thing! ❤
It’s funny, I wouldn’t enjoy those workouts nearly as much if they were all strength (which I find as boring as batshit) or all cardio.
I can do all strength workouts. But all cardio? Never! ❤
This is a great November wrap up Jo. You’ve done so well on working towards your health goals. Well done! That’s a bummer about the wool. I think I would wait until the colour comes in. It would do my head in to see the different colour. I’m so pleased to hear that Philly is almost here. I am 2/3 through Christmas at Fountain Hall and will finish it tonight. I absolutely love it!
I’m glad you’re enjoying Fountains Hall – it was lovely to be back in Brookford. I think I probably will wait for them to get the colour in. It’s looking so good that having the odd colour will do my head in.
Congratulations on all the progress you have made, very inspiring. Sounds like you increased your energy levels too
Thanks Alison. While I always walk 5kms at 5am each day, I’ve added extra sessions in each day. It’s made a difference to my step count.
I just started Christmas at Fountains Hall this morning! I’m laid up with a leg/knee injury this week so exercise has definitely fallen off yet again but I’m trying to make the most of my time by whittling away at my stack of books.
Oh no re the injury, but yay re reading time. I hope you enjoy Tallis & Gail’s stories.
I can’t even keep up a consistent posting schedule on one blog and you have multiples… plus Facebook… plus Instagram… plus Substack. Oh, and you write novels. You both inspire and exhaust me. 🙂
I vote for finding a similar color for your blanket. Don’t make yourself crazy.
As I mentioned on your other blog, I just started to read Christmas at Fountains Hall and am enjoying it very much.
Since I posted this yesterday, I’ve also realised they have no more of the cream (which is the main accent colour) or the yellow (25-29deg). Heavy sighs. Glad you’re enjoying Fountains Hall!
Hi Jo, you are really finishing 2025 on fire with your healthy habits and writing. With all that is going on perhaps finding a similar colour for your temperature blanket will avoid undue stress. I’m sure no one but yourself would notice anyway. Great work with the books and becoming a full time author has certainly been the right decision in so many ways. Thanks for being a fab co-host for our linkups. Take care Sue L xx
I sometimes wonder how I would have been if I’d gotten serious earlier… but that way (and that sort of beating ones self up) lies madness. So lovely to see you both yesterday.
5 kilos is massive. Good for you! I stopped drinking for 5 months and I didn’t lose any weight. I feel this is unfair. Not sure who I complain to tho…ha!
Congratulations on the new (perfectly timed release) book. You really are productive in your writing.
#WBOYC
You know what? I think it’s the extra exercise and no snacking rather than the alcohol. I’m certainly not sleeping any better…
I commend you for your efforts with walking and swimming. Something I should definitely work on myself. I like the idea to cumulatively count steps in a month vs a day…
I tend to have 2 step goals: weekly and monthly. That way I don’t beat myself up if I miss a day … and trust me, I beat myself up regularly!
🙂
Nice work on your health goals, Jo. Enjoy those Christmas movies. I am reading a fun holiday book right now and listening to lots of Christmas music!
Wow Jo, you’re doing so well on the project excess baggage and being a author and a blogger and the temp blanket and everything else you do! You’re amazing!