Tuesday

 Today's garden happy - a montage of the courgette which has really earned its pot space.  It looks ornamental, I love the pattern on the leaves, the flowers are stunning and, of course, it gives me some dinner.  I love the way you blink and the fruit has grown another inch or so.

Good morning, everyone!  No sun this morning - yet.  Beeb says 'sunny intervals' so I guess this is one of the 'not-sunny intervals'.  

I was really happy yesterday morning - I had another donation so that means my target has been hit and, between Facebook and Just Giving, I've raised £500 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.  I'm so pleased; thank you very, very much.

Yesterday turned out to be a very lovely day indeed.

It started off with a visit to Morrisons to stock up of fresh stuff for the week.  There was plenty to choose from despite some gaps on the shelves.
Then I got changed and headed off for Lindsey's for circuits.  She had adapted what we usually do:  we all brought our mats and, rather than the usual mix of aerobic based stuff with a bit of toning, she gave us forty five minutes of yoga/Pilates sort of stuff.  Still a bit challenging but much cooler and half way through she produced her tub of ice and we cooled down a bit.  It really was a good session. 

Then I headed off into town (oh, it was so hot in town) to the gym and had a wonderful half hour in the pool.  I now have only three hundred metres or fifteen lengths to do for the challenge.  I will continue, of course.  I have a year's membership and I'm not going to waste it.

And while I'm on the subject - I had a couple more donations taking me above my target so thank you, thank you, thank you, you lovely, generous people.

Having thoroughly warmed up and cooled down, I was expecting to come home, chill and sleep but far from it.  While I was out, a text had pinged through, from my lovely friend, Julia.  If you remember, in pre-Covid days, Julia, Linda, Beth and I used to eat out once a month although that had to stop.  Without going into any details, both Julia and her husband have very compromised health issues and have been isolating strictly since the first lockdown.  The issues remain but they are now inviting friend into their delightful little garden for socially distanced chats, etc.
Anyway, Sunday was Julia's birthday and Linda had asked could she pop over with a gift so Julia turned it into an afternoon tea (which went on until the evening because we had an awful lot to talk about!), sitting around her lovely big garden table under a canopy that shaded us all from the sun.  Sadly, Beth couldn't come which was a shame.

I really didn't know what to get Julia for her birthday but now I do.  I was reminded of how much she loves cherry jam and how difficult it can be to find it locally and we reminisced about when I made some for her using frozen cherries.  So that's what I will do.  I need to get some frozen cherries but I have jam sugar and I have jars.

And Linda and I both left with some tomatoes and a mini cucumber each - Julia's tomatoes are way ahead of mine.  I'll have to reciprocate with a few courgettes soon or maybe a cucumber as mine are different to hers - or, probably, both!

Anyway - we have decided that while the weather remains warm and dry, we will do this again, sooner rather than later, probably with a takeaway of some kind.  We'll decide some dates today, I hope.

So that was how an already pleasant day turned into an absolutely brilliant day.

Today is quieter, I hope, because Beeb says 32C temperatures today.  Phew.  However, the fans arrived.  They are good, strong, office grade fans and send out a good old cooling breeze so I'm pleased with that.

All I have in the diary is Groove aerobics first thing.  It shouldn't be terribly hot at that time and Lindsey says she is adapting the usual routines so I'm sure it will be fine and I can always cool off under the shower afterwards.
After that, it is a day to potter and chill.  Bit of housework, bit of tidying, bit of meal prep and lots and lots of R&R, possibly in the garden shade although I'll see how hot that is first.
Please take care today.  Drink loads of water and move slowly - stay cool and be safe.  xx