the strangers in this town, they raise you up just to cut you down

I've made another birthday card, for Lynx this time, as her birthday is just days after I get back from London. I used this flowery background, which I find utterly gorgeous. I've now got a piece of it in one of the frames I keep on my desk. It goes well with it's surroundings, as I realise a lot of the "artworks" I have displayed around my bedroom has purple hues in them. Volla seemed very happy with her card, which arrived today, a few days late. "Never too old to get birthday cards from you in the mail," she wrote me. I think I've finally managed to plan the time of the meet-up with the Brits. It's been a lot of going backwards and forwards. A person says they're good to go, only to say they're not available later. I don't fault anyone, but it does make it hard to make plans. Thomas informed me that it'll be bonfire night when we all meet. I've only heard about it through British vloggers, but I know there's fireworks. So that'll be exciting if we can catch some. I've started to get properly exited, and thinking of what to wear as outerwear. It's going to be significantly colder in most of Europe (it seems, according to the weather forecast's I've been reading) during the time we travel, so I am tempted to just go with my coat. However, a big city holiday usually means a lot of walking, which means warmth. I asked Gemma for her advice of the weather, and she said it was definitely coat-weather. But then I asked: "in Norwegian standards too?" as I know she's been to Norway plenty of times. She laughed, jokingly answered: "in that case it's like Ibiza for you". I've been trying to plan a bit, but to be honest the only thing I truly want to see is Notting Hill with it's pastel colour houses. I would actually love to try a Sunday roast, but I suspect I won't be able to do that. Kiwi hasn't been that demanding when it comes to wishes for what to do. I'm sure we'll figure it out, hopefully not have a bookclub in the hotel room. It does remind me that last time I went to London, I bought more than five books. Happy actual Halloween. It's darker-- I forgot yesterday, as I was jogging to Marble, that we've changed into wintertime, and I couldn't understand why it was so much darker than the day in prior. I don't actually think there's been anyone to the house, much to my mothers relief.