WOMAN ON THE VERGE: Wave the sage to welcome in the new season

Between face painting fiascos, horrifyingly brilliant Leap scarecrows, an extra hour in bed (or not) and the mid-term break to enjoy, there’s an awful lot to get excited about at this time of the year

• THE times they are a changing. No they literally are, on Sunday to be precise. That’s when the clocks will go backwards one hour at 2am and we’ll all get an extra hour in bed. So far, so lovely, except that it can play havoc with a lot of us. If you’ve babies or toddlers in the house it’s a hell all of its own as the poor mites don’t know if they’re coming or going. If you’ve early risers who normally bound out of (your) bed at 6am, that will now be 5am so stock up on the coffee (and chocolate). But for everyone else it can take a while to settle into the rhythm of the new season too. And that’s not just me being all awkward and middle aged either!

Academics and scientists have actually rowed in with solid facts to say that we’d all be better off without the time-changing tradition. I had thought the plan was that we were going to do away with the time changes, both in October and again when they go forwards in March? A quick Google search has confirmed that I didn’t imagine that – in 2019, the European Parliament voted to remove daylight energy saving time permanently after spring 2021 but the plan was stalled due to Covid. I’d say there’s an appetite out there to get that back on an agenda. Let’s just wait until we enjoy the lie-in on Sunday, and maybe on bank holiday Monday and we’ll get a petition going then – who is with me?

• I’m very much looking forward to my annual trip to Leap to see the scarecrows this week. I regularly drive through the village but it’s always a novelty to park up and have a walk around and see the Halloween creations that get more impressive every year. Well done to all involved. Personally, the scariest thing for me at this time of year is getting my smallie ready for the school dress-up day – specifically doing the face painting part. It’s not my strong point (I’d struggle to even do lip liner on myself and don’t even attempt eyeliner) and it usually goes a bit like this: I do my very best, which to be honest isn’t all that great; I try to rush her into the car so she doesn’t have too much time to inspect my handiwork; that never happens; a few seconds later the cry will come: ‘This doesn’t look anything like the picture!’ ‘Of course it doesn’t,’ I’ll reply, ‘I’m using face paints that cost €2 from Mr Price, and I don’t have an artistic bone in my body so cut me some slack and let’s work with what we have.’ That will be my inner reply obviously; my outer voice will say enthusiastically: ‘You look super, now let’s go, we’re late!’ And if that’s not working I’ll launch into a sob story about how our only options as kids were masks cut out from cereal boxes that were tied on with wool, which never stayed in place, worn with either a sheet (if your mum was generous) or a black bag. It’s true! Seriously, though, is there some online face painting course I can do before next year’s hell descends on me in the blink of an eye?

• The weeks are flying by, all the same. Is it just 10 or so to Christmas? It’s bonkers. Mid-term is a nice time to take stock of things – actually scrap that, just to take your foot off the pedal entirely, visit Leap, enjoy trick or treating, get out for some blood-pumping walks, and watch some good TV (I’m still strangely bereft after finishing the Beckham documentary – so, so enjoyable).

• I’ve been using some free time lately to do a major house decluttering. I live fairly minimally, but I was still surprised at all the ‘stuff’ we’d accumulated in the last while. It’s hard to let things go that are in good condition, but freeing up space feels insanely good. A simple example is spatulas. I had 12; which I figured was six too many. I also had an insane amount of serving bowls, I mean even if I ever have the stations (which is an ambition of mine), I don’t think I’m going to need all 29 (I exaggerate but you get my drift). Books is another thing– I remember a professional declutterer once saying in an interview that just because you love books, doesn’t mean you have to keep them all. A light bulb moment for me! And once you make the decision to let things go, the crucial thing is to get them out of the house and into charity shops, or recycling centres, before they wriggle their way back in. Clutter has a way of doing that.

• Clothes was the hardest part of the operation for me, and at the time of writing most of wardrobe is lying on my bedroom floor, but it’s a work in progress. Unless it’s something I regularly wear, or it’s an ‘heirloom’ piece that my daughter may wear in the future, it’s being moved on. The mistake I made before was keeping things that I thought I might fit into again (I’m all for optimism but not when it makes you feel bad), or feeling like I had to keep things just because I spent a bit of money on them, even if I no longer liked or needed them. This time, though, I’m being ruthless, and it looks like I’ll have around six things to hang back up when I get to that stage. But seriously, it feels great so far, I just need to push on and get over the line. My husband says it currently feels like we’re sleeping in a student bedsit!

• As I was on a roll, I even tried something that I’d always dismissed as a bit ‘woo woo’ and out there – I waved some smoking sage around! It’s an ancient spiritual ritual believed to help with cleansing and dispelling negative energy. It’s also believed to have antibacterial properties and to help with air purifying and as we’re all smothered with colds at the moment I felt it couldn’t hurt!

• Finally, my heart goes out to all the poor businesses and householders devastated by last week’s floods in East Cork. The mess caused by as little as a burst pipe or radiator is substantial, so what they’re coming back from must be beyond immense. As trite as it sounds, let’s do what we can to support them, and all other small businesses when we’re buying for Christmas, and at any time (just a reminder that I’m all good for spatulas though!)