Thursday

Good morning, everyone, and thank you for your patience over the last week.  I don't think I've ever missed two entries in one week before, but things have settled now and it's back to normal.

I mentioned that an old friend was coming to visit.  Suzanne and I became close friends when we were both at collage together, at Southlands, finding ourselves in rooms 24 and 25 (I think), Mid-Chapman many, many moons ago.  After college, we went our separate ways, me into teaching and marriage and she into teaching, here for her probationary year and then to Papua New Guinea to teach before joining World Vision.  Sadly, we lost contact but, thanks to good old Facebook, we managed to contact again, hence her visit.

I had a lovely time and I hope Suzanne did too.  It was just a short stay but I hope she'll come again before long.  Unlike me, she's not retired (yet) but is reducing her hours.  Like me, she has her home and loves her garden.

On Tuesday we pootled off to Hyde Hall where we had lunch and did a lot more talking than looking.  There's been some big changes there with more on the way so I have scheduled another visit next week to explore further.
Yesterday we popped into town to go to Lakeland where S bought a few useful items and then we had coffee in M&S (fortunately missing the rain).  I followed my parent's example and bought a few jars of gravy.  It's lovely gravy and when you cook for one, often there's not enough left to make a proper gravy.  Not terribly frugal but good and flavoursome!

Thanks, Suzanne, it has been brilliant getting back in touch again.  Here's to the next time.

In other news, poor Beth had some unwelcome drama.  One of her cats got out and vanished.  He was gone for 24 hours and caused her great anguish as she searched the highways and byways for him.  He turned up again, 24 hours later, scared and hungry but none the worse for his adventures and was soon comforted with love and food.  I think it will take longer for Beth and Alex to recover from the experience though!

Today I'm doing stuff with Beth.  What we do depends on how she feels after the Fred-fiasco.  We might go to Lakeside for clothes shopping or we might ransack Hobbycraft.  Either way, I have a Costa Coffee card, given as a birthday present, so I will use that to treat us both!

The garden is going well - I've picked the first runners and the first tomatoes and more are coming in.  The Ruby Ann strawberries are still producing and have sent up another set of flowers while the other strawberries are producing runner at a great speed.
The allotment also looks fab.  We now have copious amounts of cucumber and courgettes, the beans are also producing steadily and we have tiny, baby butternut squashes that look so cute!  The potatoes are dying back so need lifting now and, unfortunately, the weeds are having a field day.  I think that, weather permitting, tomorrow has to be an allotment weeding day - S and I popped over there to get her a couple of courgettes and I was horrified!

Well, that's me up to date now.  Have a splendid day, whatever the weather does your way.