and most of the leaves have fallen.

Well at least in this neck of the woods, ripped from the branches by the autumn winds leaving behind a new, stark world, devoid of colour beyond the shades of brown in the seemingly empty fields and boughs.

So, here we are, its the last week of November, the days gray and short, the false cheer of a super extended holiday season only adding to the issues faced by those living on limited means. Weeks, no months, of hard selling advertising put extra pressures on fiscally poor families juggling budgets try to be part of the excesses promoted by the media. At this time of year most people think of children in poverty but when poverty is measured in the size of the TV and access to other electronic gizmos, maybe we need a reboot. There is often a sub set of concern for the elderly but its half hearted with little real concern behind the issues they face, isolation, boredom and real poverty born stoicly in a generation used to deprivation.

But what of those caught in between? Well beyond the concern of youth yet falling short of any sympathiy for the old. Many are living in straightened circumstances, no longer considered an asset by employers, often living alone, not by desire but a result of loss or failed relationships, scraping by in a world where they have become invisible. Back to all that TV advertising, the happy families sat around the groaning table, kids, parents, grandparents even but where are the adult singles? Too often in the next advert for charities supporting the homeless.

Poverty isn't just about the extremes, lack of a home, ownership of gizmos, its about quality of life, not an easy thing to measure and it will vary between individuals but it could be being able to afford a meal out, to travel to visit friends and family, to go to the cinema etc, etc. Of course this won't be news to members of the TG community where so many of us tick multiple boxes on the poverty checklist, i'll be quite frank, on any scale, i tick a lot of those boxes. My income is low, getting through each month on the price of a decent pair of shoes can be a challenge, but because i don't tick the right boxes, i can't get any assistance, i'm sure i'm not the only one falling into this 'poverty trap'.

Without the support of this community i wouldn't be here now, so a big shout out to everyone who has and continues to, support me in this life, you know who you are. Sometimes its capital stuff, others just companionship or paying for a meal, i might not say it as much as i should but i'm always grateful and hope that my literary contributions do go, in some small way, to paying those debts. If you don't already, please, please consider supporting Big Closet with regular donations, even i, impoverished as i am, give each month via Patreon, keeping the site going will help ensure there is a community you can turn to in your hours of need - plus there are some cracking stories to read!

On to less heavy things. Sunday, as i mentioned last time, was a travel day. Now i've done a fair bit of travelling over the years, land, sea, air, i quite enjoy the journey, getting on the bus, train, plane, ship in one place and getting off perhaps hundreds of kilometres away. What i don't like so much are the relatively short journeys that tie up a whole day, Sunday, with a 12.30 departure was one such.

It's possibly my least favourite time to set off, not enough time to do anything beforehand, and too late to do anything on arrival, this particular journey was scheduled to take four and three quarter hours so the day really was a right off for maximising the hours of the day. After breakfast i finished the packing, i hadn't intended bringing the case back but the stuff i was gifted on Friday changed that idea! A bade my farewells at @ 11.30 to makle the journey to the transport interchange to get the coach, a 45 minute walk or a ten minute walk and five minute tram ride if there was a tram at the right time.

I was in luck, the rest of the week i've arrived at the stop and just missed a tram, not so bad on weekdays with a maximum 15 minute headway but Sundays it can be thirty minutes on some routes, if i missed the first tram, the next would be too late for comfort. But i didn't, the spare time created better spent at the coach stop, especially as, unusually, it was a little early getting in. Amazingly we arrived in Cabotville about 15 minutes early but even with a collection by Aunty Bev, it was still gone 17.30 when we arrived back at the house, the dark making it seem much later.

I had hoped to start writing on Monday but by the time i'd caught up with the laundry etc, got a few groceries in - well the muse didn't bother even showing up.

Tuesday had to be better right? Well it was and it wasn't. The wasn't bit was bike related, a pre trip puncture unbeknownst to me, used my last spare tube and that had expired whilst i've been away,. by the time i'd sorted out the borrowfication of an alternative steed i was about an hour later than usual setting off. It was dry if somewhat grey but i wasn't expecting a long ride and its not dark until four-ish right?

I wobbled out to my regular Tuesday stop at Clevedon, its within budget and there's usually somewhere to sit even if it is al fresco but i wouldn't normally go if it wasn't at least dry. The return was via one of the shorter routes across to the Avon east of Brizzle, a little over 80km is a decent-ish ride but even getting back a little past three it was getting quite dark due largely to the heavy cloud cover. The downside of the day was that, after 10 days off the bike, my body was complaining at the level of exercise - yes i did a fair amount of walking oop north but its not exactly hard effort stuff.

And so here we are on Wednesday, another grey day, quite cool with it even if the wind isn't that strong. Can i get some writing done? Not sure, the muse is still playing hide and seek, not wanting to pick up where i've stopped although i've got a future epsipode in advanced planning in my head. I'm sure i will have something by the weekend post, i just seem a bit pre-occupied with - well, stuff, at the moment to settle into the writing groove.

I'll leave it there, see you Sunday,
Wiedersehn,
Madeline Anafrid