Monday, 3rd October 2016 - Pickled Crab Apples

Tim is elsewhere. I am at home. He has continuous rain. I have warming sunshine. He is having a holiday following a conference in Bangkok. I have been rodding the drains. The weather conditions don't equal the imbalance.

The crab apples we picked from Hallwood Farm are now happily infusing. They take a few months to become edible but when they are they are rather lovely with cheese and a slice of apple.

The stocks we bought from The Walled Nursery are now very deeply and firmly planted as instructed.

The direction I am heading in my art class project has become beautifully clear this evening.

Sunday, 2nd October 2016 - Broken Spine

Happy birthday to gorgeous Tom. I am so very proud of you and hope you have a fantastic time with your new job and new home. Two huge changes. We will be visiting soon so you need to do a bit of pub research before we come.

My Kindle is unable to be repaired. I have had to resort to that old fashioned book system of reading. I have two bad book habits. One is turning the edge of the page, the other breaking the spine. I feel a little guilty but just cant help myself.

Our chickens have reached their 'best before' date. One egg between six hens in one week is not terribly productive. I am having to purchase eggs from Tescos which is slightly galling when I am buying sacks of layers pellets for non laying hens. I'll speak with Si who had a surfeit of hens the last time I visited.

Saturday, 1st October 2016 - Pot of Gold

The weather has been disgusting just as it was forecast. The smell of chutney is subsiding from the house. The jars labelled and stacked in the cupboard. I am just hoping that the preserving pans very burnt bottom will be possible to remove. I have it soaking outside in the rain with a couple of dishwasher tablets fizzing in the bottom.

I ate my courgette and tomato soup then sated my need for mind numbing entertainment with Strictly Come Dancing, while ironing bedding - I don't like to be totally indulgent.

Wednesday, 28th September 2016 - Great Dixter Hornets

I took tim to the station for the start of his trip to Bangkok. The flight is eleven hours which sounds rather unpleasant to me even with films to watch. I could have gone with him but the price of the flight and Tim being at a conference dissuaded me. It was only yesterday that I found out he is taking have the week as holiday!!! I suppose it's reasonable when travelling nearly six thousand miles. That doesn't stop me feeling outdone and grumpy.

I took Sarah to Great Dixter this afternoon. We had a rather splendid time. The dahlias were looking gorgeous. We wandered through the meadow to find four men up to something. Sarah being the inquisitive sort had to find out what was going on. They were preparing for a plant fair at the weekend by fencing off a hornets nest. I hope the hornets keep to their side of the fence.

The Great British Bake Off was there to comfort me in my lonesomeness this evening.

Friday, 23rd September 2016 - Discipline

During a photo download I was told my memory was full. This is when I hand over to Tim with his technical abilities to sort it out. And he does and has whilst telling me how to correct the problem. Yep, yes, yes, OK, got-it. Sssshhh, I really haven't got a clue. Thank goodness for intuitive Macs. Unless you still haven't got a bloody clue. Back to Professor Dwyer.

Those of you who do watercolour painting and know about stretching paper....do you find it a pain in the arse? I now use heavy weight paper that will cope with water being sploshed about and not buckle so I don't have to. My art tutor likes us to stretch our paper. I have been taking on the task over the last couple of days to be a good student and prove that I can succeed. It is all about the right amount of water on the paper and tape and timing. Out of a dozen none are perfect. I have buckles, cockles, bends, ripples and lifted tape. To push myself further into the abyss of failure I decided to try using some handmade Khadi paper with embedded petals. It's a bit on the crinkled side.

Drawing with silverpoint is something I am working on. A technique that is beautiful. I got totally and utterly lost in concentration while having a go this evening. You cannot rub it out. I rather like the fact that all mishaps cannot be erased. You use a piece of silverwire in a holder which leaves deposits on a prepared surface. Mine is ground containing sanguine colour (bit more fleshy than I intended) with chicken bone. All rather gorgeous.

Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - The Walled Nursery

The warmth tempted Tim and I out in the MG. We took a trip to Cranbrook to collect my drugs and iron, through Kilndown to drop off a rejuvenated computer and onto The Walled Nursery for coffee and cake for me and creamed tomato soup with Parmesan, garlic and herb bread for Tim. We saw the delightful Anneli taking a break from her Shepherds Hut where she does amazing massage and Reiki Therapy. I still have a voucher to claim to release my stress and tension. Sooo looking forward to it. We returned home with a geranium that smells of Turkish Delight. Tim is building a shelf for it to live in our bathroom so when I have a bath I can float a leaf or two in the water. He likes the taste of Turkish delight and I will be infused with it.

I had Poldark to accompany me while I was on a ironing marathon, but was interrupted by a call from Mum. She called 999 last night and was admitted to hospital. Don't worry she was back home by 6.30am with the advice to go to the GP if she gets any further pain. They thought her severe pain could be a heart attack but thorough tests came back negative. She did inform me that on the way to hospital in the ambulance it stopped and reversed so the driver could rescue an injured owl that they showed to Mum. I don't think they were that concerned about her intolerable pain. She has painkillers which she does not wish to take as they don't agree with her. This is reassuring as it means she cannot be in too much discomfort.

We watched Prometheus this evening and were warned about the gory content. There was plenty. I am rather disturbed as it involved slimy snake/octopus type aliens which liked entering through the mouth and exiting by bursting out a stomach. Rather painful. Sleep well.

Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Sourdough Day One, Attempt Two

My sourdough experiment is up and running again. Now I am back from holiday and have time to look after it. This is from The Sourdough School. Flour and water as a starter. Done. No contamination from beer, rotted fruit or cheese. I am rather excited.

I have put myself under immense pressure this afternoon. I have set the timer to fifteen minutes. I feel this is an appropriate amount of time for the sprinkler to water a patch in the dehydrated garden. But it has made me very competitive (only with myself) to see how much I can get done in that fifteen minutes. I have a gathering sense of panic. My picture I had to carry over from one fifteen minutes into the next to get it finished. I had time-in-hand so managed to get the rice on and cooking too. I didn't have enough minutes left to hunt down the basmati so we have easy cook long grain with our curry.

My life is in fifteen minutes slots. I quite like it. I can pour and drink a glass of wine, chop onions and get them frying, prepare half a butternut squash and a sweet potato all in one slot. Pretty good going I say.

Got to go my time is up. Paul Hollywood kneads me!!!

Saturday, 27th August 2016 - Pop-up-Pub

I start the day so well with porridge and healthy chia seeds, cinnamon for my temper (or that could be temperament), nuts to lubricate my joints and all things healthy.

Then we get a call from friends and it all goes joyously downhill.

 We met with Mike and Pippa at Brick House Farm. We drank prosecco and beer from the 74 foot horse box. Followed by a takeaway curry at Caxton Cottage. It was warm enough to eat in the garden.

Tuesday, 12th July 2016 - Portuguese Plum Jam

How was I meant to know that the plums from the supermarket were from Portugal. I could have thought about it logically that there are no plums in season in England at present. But I didn't. So now I have many jars of beautiful foreign plum jam.

It started to rain again today. I would really like a touch of dry weather just for a bit. During a brief dry spell I planted lettuce and lupin seeds.

Harriet and I had a serious list making session in preparation for Brett and Hetty's birthday party on Sunday. It's looking good.

Friday, 8th July 2016 - Morris by the Pond

What started as a bit of a bugger of a day turned out ok by the time I went to bed.

It has been a conveyor belt of guests. As soon as one lot go another arrive alternating rooms so there is little break. I am not complaining really as they have been delightful and entertaining company.

This evening I was concerned I was going to miss out on a glass of Pimms accompanied by the Weald of Kent Morris due to prearranged late arrival of guests. To ensure I didn't Harriet was set up in place. Then they arrived an hour early while I was covered is mosquitos and sporting a filthy pair of gardening gloves. The MG made a fine ride to Goudhurst, followed by The Green Cross finishing at The Globe and Rainbow. What better way to spend a warm summer evening listening to the fine ramblings of a group of Morris Men.

Thursday, 9th June 2016 - Bindweed and Bike

I am home alone coping with bed and breakfast and Open Studios. Tim is working in London for a couple of days. My, how I miss his help and presence. My initial worry was dispelled by the end of the day which turned out to be rather charming in the end. I coped admirably well.

A lady came to see my paintings on her bike. She was cycling to see more in Rochester. I have great admiration for her.

Wednesday, 8th June 2016 - Another Very Proud Moment

Blimey what a scorcher it has been.

It was Hetty's first sports day this afternoon. I proudly watched her happily participating in many activities that she had never done before. She was amazing and still only four years old. What a wonderful thing to be able to (good God, I have got coffee brain, I know the word is in their somewhere but my synapsis are sparking too quickly to find it) be part of (that will do).

The Weald of Kent Morris were dancing at The Elm Tree this evening. I am not sure what ailed them, the hot weather, possibly injuries, Malcolm being absent but they dance with lead in their boots. I suppose that is preferable to lead in their pencils in public. I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening in their company highlighted by Vivien being there who has been absent from my company for many weeks.

Friday, 3rd June 2016 - Three Sommeliers

Frantic and just a little unprepared for the first day of SEOS. With the backup and support of Tim and Harriet we pulled it together. Pictures hung and labelled. Signs up. Prosecco in the fridge. Ready.

Tim and I went to an Austalian wine tasting evening held in the Beneden village shop. We were a bit late so did some quick catching up. Hinxden Dairy have started making delicious if rather expensive cheese. We had samples halfway through the wine. I bought some for our German guests who like a bit of cheese at breakfast. We have a couple of bottles of wine ordered. I chose a fruity Reisling and Tim Peppertree Shiraz. I hope they taste as they did on the night.

Wednesday, 1st June 2016 - Buttercups

It has continued to rain today. I am still working on getting my paintings together for SEOS. I have lost a couple along with a few days that I did not write about and so don't exist in my diary.

Tim has gone to Scotland for the night. I took advantage of having to drive him to the station, his back is still preventing him from great agility, and called in at animal feed place. Along with the necessary layers pellets I treated myself to a squirrel protected fat ball feeder for the blue tits. Now installed and they along with the woodpecker are enjoying my gift. 

The garden is covered in buttercups. It could make some pretty honey but my bees seem to go further afield than our garden.

Tuesday, 31st May 2016 - Experimental Rain

I have been working on my diary for the SEOS and taken over the whole of the dining room. By the end of the day I was up to June.

The rain has been incessant. I was reading about a watercolour technique that I fancied having a go with using salt and washing out. I ended up with rather a puddle which I mopped up with some kitchen roll. It has left rather an interesting pattern. What was in my mind did not come out on the paper. Oh and a bit of cling film. 

Sunday, 29th May 2016 - Rough, Tumble and Cool

I now have a topiary slow worm in my box hedge. I have my eye on the twelve foot bay tree next.

Mark, George, Henry and Thomas were passing by. Hetty and Bella returned from the beach in time to rampage around the garden. The boys at 15 and 12 and 12 becoming a bit 'cool' to play with 3 and 4 year old. They gave in and were reduced to children for a while.

Friday. 27th May 2016 - Keep Healthy

Hetty had her first speaking part in a school assembly. Of course we attended as proud grand parents. Just a few tears quietly escaped down my cheek during their singing. Well done Hetty. Bella's enthusiastic clapping showed her enjoyment.

Monday, 23rd May 2016 - Legless

We have a nest of slow worms hiding discreetly under the wood of a raised bed. I only disturbed them slightly to show Harriet and Bella. Neither of them were terribly impressed.

The consultant I saw today at Benenden put my low ferritin levels down to being a woman and vegetarian. He had an irritating manner. I came away irritated. I should have been pleased that I am not suffering anything serious. Which I am in an irritated way.

Saturday, 21st May 2016 - Father and Son

The Three French Hens had a sale that I pottered around with a coffe and Lindsey. I purchased nowt.

This afternoon Lindsey (yes, twice in one day) and I collected with Chris and Jack at Mum's for a curry. Mum looked physically well but was out of sorts emotionally. Not a happy soul.

Thursday, 19th May 2016 - WOKAG AGM

LeeLee and I have been put on the WOKAS committee without our consent. Unless offering to help a hand now and again qualifies. Neither of us mind too much but were amused that we were not consulted first.

Wednesday, 18th May 2016 - Speedwell

I have been forced to stay indoors today due to rain. I was pleased as this gave me an excuse not to have to tackle our jungle of a garden.

This is a tiny and most delightful plant that is growing amongst the long grass. There has been discussion on Faceback offering various names. A search on the internet told me it was introduced to Britian from Turkey and is an invasive plant. I rather like it.

Friday, 13th May 2016 - Wax Moth Larvae

While I was cooking breakfast for guests Tim was at the kitchen table building new frames for our bee hive.

Michael gave up some much appreciated time to come and inspect our hive. As Tim's is still suffering with his back I was prime dismantler. Quite an engaging task when you have the calming voice of Michael by your side. I am not ready to go it alone. We are still on a huge learning curve. The discovery of a wax moth larvae is an experience I don't think I will ever recover from. After disturbing the dark headed beast it squirmed across the frame I was holding. I am still mightily impressed with my control not to throw it across the garden. It was swiftly dealt with by a leather glove. 

It was good to get out in the company of friends for wine and food this evening. We took a trip to The Star in Matfield accompanied by Si, Lesley, Nick and Alli. 

Wednesday, 11th May 2016 - Artist's Tool

I have been recommended these Felco secateurs by Wendy. She is a full and flowing fountain of knowledge when it comes to all things gardening.

Tim has been incapacitated today by back pain. We had dinner at Si and Lesley's planned and an evening of total enjoyment at The Star in Matfield with the Morris. None of it happened. He is now downing large quantities of drugs. I hope for a quick recovery. So does he. I do not have to best bedside manner.

Saturday, 7th May 2016 - Snappers

I have a bunch of these in my studio. I am waiting for them to die as I have been informed that the seed pods make a pleasurable snap when squeezed.

Thursday, 5th May 2015 - Girls at Work

The sun has warmed our bee hive enough to encourage a bit of foraging.

Tuesday, 3rd May 2016 - Out with the Old

It has been warm and sunny but I still had to drag myself into the garden to unpot the old bulbs. I find this a tedious task.

We watched a programme by Martha Kearney about bee keeping. I think we should treat out bees for Varroa mite as we saw a couple the last time we opened our hive. It looks easy and painless, unless you are a Varroa mite.

Monday, 2nd May 2016 - Tears and Rain

Tom has gone back to Birmingham. I will miss you my gorgeous boy.

Sunday, 1st May 2016 - The Last Dance

I have always wanted to cook the breakfast for the Morris on May Day. With the very much appreciated and needed help of Harriet, Brett, Tom, Lindsey and Fizzy I have got that one out my system.

Thursday, 28th April 2016 - Snowy Mespilus

We have a stunning little tree in the garden. For a few weeks in Spring it has the most beautiful blossom. I was informed by guests of its name, Amelanchier Lamarckism and delighted to know that you can make a jam from the berries. If you get to them before the birds. I tried painting it en plein air today. The picture has been torn up and put in the recycling. This is the second version.

Friday, 22nd April 2016 - Runners and French

I have just waved Hetty off to school. She is wearing a sparkly Unicorn headband and Bella is dressed as a rabbit. And why not!

Bella and I have been keeping a close watch on the beans emerging in the greenhouse. She does a great impression of an emerging bean.

Wednesday, 20th April 2016 - Rhubarb with Ants

Suzy and I tested the chef at The Bell and Jorrocks. It is Jordon from The Peacock. He seems to be doing ok. Nice lunch in the sunshine. Nick has dug me up a rhubarb crown after my pleas on Facebook. It came with ants - red ones at that. Nasty little blighters they can be if they get their poisonous jaws into you.

Tuesday, 19th April 2016 - Gravel Entertainment

I left my guests at the breakfast table while I hurried to take Mum to a hospital appointment with the Dermatology Nurse. I am not sure how to respond to the experience. All Mum's results have come back negative, or should that be positive? There is nothing wrong with her. No brain tumour. No lesions. Nothing just a perfectly preserved head. All those symptoms she has had since January have been forgotten.

Hetty and Bella are off school/playgroup with a bug. They spent some of their day playing with the gravel in the drive. Simple pleasures.

Sunday, 17th April 2016 - Oak Catkins

We took the MG out for its first outing of the year. It was washed and polished and three dead mice removed. I am glad the mouse poison I laid in the garage seems to be working. The Weald of Kent were dancing at The Bell and Jorrocks where we spent a pleasant couple of hours.

The trees are bursting with fresh leaves. I quite like their new softness. 

Saturday, 16th April 2016 - Anemone

We are having people over for dinner. I had make a decision that I like to cook for eight friends. It means no massive furniture moving to fit in a huge table that disables Tim's back. We can get to talk to everyone as well as cook. Just the perfect number.

Michael came and gave us a formal bee keeping lesson. The hive has been undone, reshaped and back together for the Spring. All looks well with the bees. Tim has a rather large chin, and getting bigger, from two stings. 

I had a call from my GP which frightened the tits off me. He would like me to have further investigations for internal bleeding. Really, I feel fine, just tired. 

Tonight we have John, Innis, Tony, Wendy, June and Barry for Thai Fish curry. Unfortunately, not as good as the one Alli cooked for us a couple of weeks ago. An entertaining Prosecco marinated evening.

Thursday, 14th April 2016 - Sellick at Pashley

I was pleased to find out today that the breathlessness I have when washing the floor is not caused by fat pressing on my lungs, as someone very close to me suggested, but due to me having anemia. No wonder I have been feeling so bloody tired. I just need to take a high dose of iron tablets and I will be springing around again in no time.

I had an entertaining afternoon with a large quantity of other bnb owners and the company of Sarah, Karen and Leelee at Pashley Manor. As a very important proprietor I get a complimentary tour of the garden, a cream tea and get to take a friend. It is a stunning, if a little too tidy, garden.

Wednesday, 13th April 2016 - Better Than The Gym

Brett has his brother Alex staying and working with him. Tim is in Scotland for a few days and suggested to the boys that rather than working out at the gym they could move some stone and earth after work. So they did. Good lads.

I have planted my broad beans out. Bugger, I've just remembered I did not put any slug pellets down so they may have disappeared by the morning. No, I am going to have to go out with a torch and do it now at gone 10pm.

Tuesday, 5th April 2016 - Pretty Present

Sarah and I indulged in a bacon roll each with our coffee at Cocolicous this morning. I cut my outing shirt to get back to Tim who had plans to go out and about. It is now gone 10pm. I don't think we are going now.

Monday, 4th April 2016 - SEOS Area N

Felicity Flutter ran an informative meeting about the up and coming Open Studios. I left in a bit of a panic about how much I need to do. At times like this I wish I was more organised and not chucked my paintings into a box in my studio in no particular order. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Sunday, 3rd April 2016 - Celendine

Happy 31st birthday to beautiful Harriet. She was very polite about the mass of meringue, cream and fruit that Hetty, Bella and I turned into a birthday cake.

My day has been rather unproductive, possibly the wine, late night (11.30 pm is late for me) and early morning contributed to my apathetic state.

I think these flowers are Celendine. They are growing amongst a tangle of weeds along our drive. Yes, they are. I've looked them up on Google. They are hairless and the less variety. Or Ranunculus ficaria for the more horticultural amongst you.

Saturday, 2nd April 2016 - Town Living

Tim spent much of the day on a digger shifting stone, pulling trenches and a bit of water pipe accompanied it (now fixed), a slight dent in The Evans threshold to remind us of the work that has been done but generally a successful experience.

My mood went from grumpy to bad tempered so I took myself down the garden to take my vengeance on a rather overgrown flower bed.

This evening we had dinner with June and Barry in their new house in Tunbridge Wells. The food, wine and company of Nick, Suzy, Si and Lesley improved my temperament greatly.

Friday, 1st April 2016 - Drive, Drain and Path Stone

It is 5.37am while I am writing this. I needed a wee. Pitch dark outside but the birds, including a pheasant are up and singing. It is quite beautiful amongst the peace of a sleeping house.

The sun was deceptive today with a nippy wind that kept me moving at speed on a walk with Tim.

My greenhouse is flourishing with green delights. I have planted runner beans, French beans, a purple variety not your bog standard old green type, nasturtium, tomato (which was a free packet) and rudbeckias. All now settled into compost under a protective layer of cling film. 

We had just a bit of gravel and stone delivered for various building jobs.

We spent the evening with Tony and Wendy at The Lord Raglan. Rather good food. Tony has food envy for Wendy's smoked duck so I shared a piece of treacle tart and custard with him to take his mind of it.

Monday, 27th March 2016 - Fragile and Coarse Combined

I was back to bramble pulling today, ripping the buggers from the soil gives me great satisfaction especially if there is this years new shoot attached.

Lindsey called by to top up Hetty and Bella's Easter chocolate supply. They seem to be stoically keeping up.

The laurels in our garden I don't have much affection for but they do produce the prettiest of flowers for such a bold bully of a plant.

Sunday, 26th March 2016 - Just a Little Damp

Well, another day that would have been reorganised if we had taken the weather forecast seriously. We were mighty fortuitous while walking with Tony and Wendy that we didn't get pelted by rain and hail. A brief interlude at The Bull in Benenden allowed the weather to do its thing before we walked home.

There is an upward hill near Iden Green that causes me to breath rather on the heavy side while climbing. I mentioned to Wendy how much I dislike it. She feels the same. There should be a sense of delight or relief or surge of something pleasurable when I reach the top but so far this evades me.

I was emotionally and at some points physically gripped this evening while watching the last episode of The Night Manager. Just excellent.

Saturday, 25th March 2016 - Shooting Party

If I had taken the advice given by Tomasz Schafernaker we would have cancelled a most enjoyable day at Howfield with The Joy Family and friends. Nick had organised a shooting session tutored by Cliff. It was the first hands-on experience I have had handling and shooting a gun. I have a new fetish. Something about the beauty of the gun and the power it bestows, along with the after smell of the spent cartridges. A most enjoyable experience. Alex was by far the best at killing his clays. Tim was named 'elegent' with his execution by Cliff. We rounded it up with a wonderful lunch. Thank you once again Alli and Nick for organising a rather delightful day.

Thursday, 24th March 2016 - Home Grown Oysters

We harvested our fungi from the box on the windowsill. They needed a bit of a soak to rehydrate. We had them in a stir fry and they were damn good and tasty. My fungi promises more growth after a two week period of drought.

I am back from a visit to Mum's with a surfeit of chocolate big eggs, small eggs and squares. I took Bella with me. She is great company. Our only disagreement was she did not like my James Blunt CD on the car journey. I don't have any children's ones so we resorted to singing which was most entertaining. Mum was delighted by our visit. She has a brain scan on 1st April. Yes, I have been evil in my thoughts about it being April Fools Day.

Wednesday, 23rd March 2016 - Hopeful Sheep

I wrote myself a 'to-do' list. I have put some abbreviations for efficiency. I now can't remember what they mean. Any idea what 'PM' stands for?

Harriet, Hetty, Bella and I took a visit to the village cafe as an end of term treat. The girls were glued to their seats. They had been warned not to run around the shop. Tony was yet again buying rolls and collecting his newspaper. Urgent important business prevented him from talking with us.  On our walk home we paused to watch some sheep who come running thinking we are about to feed them. At least the girls get to have a close look at them.

A trail of beautiful feathers lined the road. A rather flat pheasant was the victim.

Tuesday, 22nd March 2016 - Riverford Organic Beetroot

I learnt today that the clocks always go forward on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday in October. In all my 51 years I never knew that.

And potatoes are an aphrodisiac according to Shakespeare.

Harriet has a surfeit of vegetables and we have the overflow of beetroot. I think I will make soup.

Monday, 21st March 2016 - Studying the Results

I am delighted with my tatty old cupboard that has been housed for many months is now in my studio. It is tidily full for now. I found a bit of Nickleback to entertain me. Such a gorgeous voice.

It was our final art class before the Easter holidays. I never like the end of term. We have to show and discuss our work to date. I can feel my neck heat up and pulse with fear.

Thursday, 17th March 2016 - Kaidy Lewis

I was gardening today. It was so hot in the sunshine that I removed my coat and jumper. It felt so good to feel the sun. I have attacked the tangle of plants around the pond. While weeding out the ivy I picked up something that wriggled in my hand causing me to shriek and discard it rather violently. I'm such a girl. I think it was a frog. I hope it was a frog.

This evening I went to a demonstration organised by the WOKAS, note 'society' not 'group'. Now I am helping out a bit I was received warmly. Such a brilliant evening. Kaidy was entertaining to watch and listen to and incredibly inspiring. She does Intuitive painting using mixed media which she hopped around using acrylic, watercolour, ink, pencils and oil pastels. I now feel the desire to push my paintings in this direction. 

Sunday, 13th March 2016 - Warm in the Woods

It was beautifully warm when Mike and Pippa came for coffee and hot crossed buns. So much so that I went jumperless on the patio. 

The forecast on my phone told me it was going to continue all day. I did loads of cleaning and my reward was to sit outside with a book. Jobs complete I eagerly ventured out around 4pm. It was damn chilly damn it. I came back in for boots, coat and a wooly hat to do some bramble removal.

The Night Watchman is soooooo good. The plot is ok too. 

I ache in most muscles this evening.