Thursday

 Today's garden happy - the cucumber that didn't drop off.  This was the titchy little cucumber that was on the plant when I bought it and I expected it to fall off while the plant was recovering.  However, as you can see, it didn't.  I wonder if I might be picking my first cucumber of the year next week?

The photo makes it look bigger than it really is, mind you.

Good morning, everyone.  Yesterday was, again, absolutely gorgeous but today is more of a mixture with sun, sunny intervals and rain all expected and a yellow warning of storms.  What will be, will be, so I'll see how it all develops.  My biggest decision is whether to leave the covered egg chair out or bring it in!

I did a very silly thing yesterday.  I drove over to the Clock Tower precinct to do my shopping in M&S and Aldi.  At the checkout, I packed away my shopping, looked in my purse for my card and - ah!  Not there.  No panic, I knew where it was, thank goodness, but it was rather embarrassing although, in true M&S style, they brushed it under the carpet, explained the procedure quickly, gave me a slip with a code and said my shopping would be at the service desk when I got back with my card, don't worry, it happens a lot, it's fine . . . etc.  
Because I felt a bit flustered, as one does, it wasn't until I got home that I remembered I actually had enough cash in my purse to pay for that plus anything I wanted from Aldi too.  So I wasted petrol on an unnecessary journey home and back, darn it!

I felt very silly!

I know I said just one garden photo a day, but I've moved the egg chair into the space where the compost bin was, just for now, with a pot of bamboo beside it.  It looks a bit sparse in the photo but it's in a lovely, shady spot under next door's overhanging birch branches and will be a very pleasant place to chill.

(It would look better if I'd taken the cover off, I know!)

Apart from that, I got the ironing done and I enjoyed a chatty personal training session with lovely Lindsey.  It was quite hot so I did a fair bit of resting and relaxing to stay cool.  I got the ironing done though.

Today was going to be rather busy but now it isn't.
Chris and I were going to go to Lathcoats to pick strawberries but Chris had to pull out as her mum is under the weather.  I thought I would go on my own but received the daily email from Lathcoats saying that they were closing PYO to allow more fruit to ripen.  Fair enough but a bit disappointing because I can't go tomorrow and the weekend is busy so it's next Monday at the earliest and what's the betting next Monday will be closed again after heavy weekend picking. 
Oh, well, that's life.

Later on, I have a freebie Groove session.  Lindsey is recording her new routines and finds it easier to do it with a 'class' there - more natural and less of a performance - so she asks for volunteers and I always offer.  I love a free session!

But the biggie today is making some cakes.  I can make a reasonable cake but don't do so all that often nowadays, it only being me here and - you know, Slimming World, etc.
However, my friend, Faith, is having a MacMillan tea/coffee afternoon tomorrow so I offered to provide some cake.  As I think I've already said, I am making a coffee and walnut cake and I thought I would make a classic Victoria sponge with strawberry jam and butter icing too.  
Must dig out my cake tins.

Well, time to stop and get my kitchen into some sort of order before baking.  Have a wonderful day, stay cool, stay safe and keeeeeeep smiling!  xx