Another month slips by...

It occurred to me the other day that retirement has been like other important parts of my life. When it comes to finances, diet, exercise – I don't have a plan, I don't have discipline, I just muddle through. I'd like to have a holiday booked for 2027 but I haven't managed that yet because that takes planning and patience and a lot of time on the internet.

When you work, you are committed to showing up 9-5, Monday to Friday. When you are retired, everything is optional (other than walking the dogs). Which some days suits me just fine and others I feel like I'm letting myself down. But that is life, innit?

Recent milestones.

13 October was closing night at Shandon. I wore a blouse I bought at a charity shop, quite pleased with it.

Here is Patricia with the cup I won.

16 October I went to Mount Stewart in the afternoon – the weather in October and early November has been really mild.

Front of the house above and back below.

This time I discovered a graveyard for the family's pets.

The gardens were lovely. In the distance is a topiary Irish harp.

18 Oct I hiked up Cavehill. I am disappointed that hiking has not been a part of my life this year, other than a week in Shropshire. Next year I hope to address that imbalance.

The same night I went to see Irish musician Clare Sands at the Empire. She was amazing, a passionate voice for justice.

25 October I saw Neil Martin, Donal O'Connor and Clara Sands at the Lyric. Martin plays Irish music on the cello exquisitely and O'Connor has got to be one of the finest fiddlers in Ireland. Sands is a singer who sang maybe one song in three – I was glad of that as I wanted to focus on the musicians.

27-29 October I was in Dunfanaghy visiting my Belfast neighbour, Sarah, who has built a vacation home there. We visited beaches at Killahoey, Falcarragh and Marble Hill, below, with her dog Margot on the right. Sarah's house is lovely – every inch of it tastefully decorated. With her permission, I gave mom a video tour so she could see the bold wallpapers, artwork, linens and other finishing touches.

We came home to lots of fireworks due to Halloween. Poor Daphne was stuck to me like glue while I watched catch-up TV on my laptop in bed (Celebrity Traitors). When there were bangs, she'd crawl on top of me. Poor pet. Spaniel sandwich.

Belfast Film Festival is on. I saw three films – two collections of shorts and one feature length, Skintown, a coming-of-age story set in Enniskillen. The shorts were also made in Ireland and displayed an amazing amount of talent on our wee island.

I also play golf twice a week and catch up with friends occasionally. On 2 November I went to a Christmas market with Ann O'Dwyer at Larchfield Estate near Lisburn. I've never been to a manor house with so many outbuildings.

I am making good progress on my Christmas list. Here is Ann before we wandered into a lovely walled garden.

4 November I woke up to news that the US appears to have righted itself. Can the nightmare be over? I was so relieved – I thought the bastards would find a way to interfere with a legitimate election. I know they tried (gerrymandering, closing polling places, demanding voting rolls). But the will of the people was not denied.

6 November I took my friend Patricia to a medical appointment and then we went shopping at Sprucefield shopping centre; it was fun shopping and having lunch with Patricia.

7 November I went to my first ever laser tag event. This was organised by Michael McCavanagh, my personal trainer, for all his clients. Due to a miscommunication, we all missed the briefing. So I didn't do it right. I didn't know you had to hit other people's guns, so I was aiming at their torsos. I thought I was doing brilliantly but I scored at the bottom. My neighbour Sarah was at the bottom with me – she made the same mistake.

Otherwise I watch a lot of TV now that it gets dark earlier. I've seen four seasons of Professor T, three seasons of Dectectorists, season four of Blue Lights and the aforementioned Celebrity Traitors. Which was excellent. I also read a lot, currently working my way through a stack of magazines from Ann, New Statesman and Financial Times weekend. The last book I read was The Girl with the Louding Voice, about a girl first sold as a child bride and then trafficked as a slave in Nigeria. Next I will read the sequel, And So I Roar.

That brings us to 8 November, a Sunday. The highlight was walking the dogs at a very colourful Belvoir Forest and having a long chat with my friend Dara in the US. I will close by noting I have had Paddy for eight joyful years. He has been an amazing dog, I am so lucky. And he has taught Daphne everything she needs to know about being a good dog.

8 nov. 2026