Friday

Good morning, everyone.
I think it's going to be a nice day today; it's a hopeful start anyway with the sun shining in cheerfully.
I decided not to allotmenteer yesterday as it was wet and I'm afraid I am a fair weather gardener.  A shame because it would have been great to get that last bit of the front forked over and weeded but never mind, there's always the next day and I do intend to go this morning and tomorrow morning too.   And then we sow the first seeds.  Mange tout, French beans and spring onions.  Excellent!

I did my bit at school, reading with Y2 children and then the two tutoring sessions.  All went well and the progress I can see is most encouraging.  That's one of the things I used to love about teaching - that buzz when a child 'got' something is like nothing else, it is an amazing sensation.  It's nice to still get it.

Today is going to be pleasant.  Gardening, a little bit of shopping (a gift for a friend) and the girls are round here this evening.  We're each providing a course and I'm doing the starter this time, which will be my tomato and lentil soup using passata from the garden tomatoes last summer so it should be absolutely delicious.  I must make sure I use up last year's supplies now as in three months or so there will be another load to harvest.

Dad is bringing me three montellos and six sungolds and I have many babies from the seeds I harvested last year.  Barring disasters such as snow in July, I should have a good crop again this year.
They're not going out until the end of May which has always been my sort of benchmark for planting out.  A frost after then is rotten bad luck!  When I was working, it was the main job over half term - to get the plants out.

Well, it is half past six so I really should get started.  I want to get a load of washing out on the line before I go to the allotment and it's not even in the machine yet!  The cleaners come today for their fortnightly blitz so I am looking forward to a nice clean home again, bless them.

Have a very pleasant day.