Cicadas, Christmas beetles and plum pudding orchids.

My partner and I were pondering Christmas beetles a couple of weeks ago and suddenly I am seeing them everywhere.

Similarly, the cicadas have been noisy early and late into the evening on these hot pre-summer days.

And plum pudding orchids. They're November flowering and while walking in the Blue Mountains this month I spotted spent stems everywhere. Their showing must have been spectacular.

IN NOVEMBER:

I WENT TO...Glenbrook, in the Blue Mountains, for a day of bushwalking. My partner captures the walks and adventures we do, and posts about them on Facebook, here.

I ATE... A serious amount of avocado. I love avocado and on the days I am at home, I've been eating this.

I OP SHOPPED... I've done a clear out of things that don't fit, or that I don't wear, and I've brought a few new items in for summer that I'll have fun playing with. That's the beauty of op shopping. You can play with colours, styles and fit without spending a fortune.

I MADE... Christmas gifts and decorations. The eldest grandkidlet and I made salt dough tree decorations for the family this year and I've been making what I call felt mandalas. Some people like to colour in. I like to stitch. I even carry a pouch of felt and cotton threads on the work commute.

I READ...  I am reading a lot of legal documents. My partner and I bought a unit this month. We're officially landlords, and I'll be the first to admit we're on a steep learning curve.