I will not buy another book

I walked resolutely past Waterstone's bookshop. I was not going in.

Ten minutes later I was back with the excuse I needed to pass 45 minutes before my haircut appointment. I'd plan to avoid the books and go straight upstairs to the café. Yes, that worked well.

I came out with a leaving-primary-school book for GrandDaughter2, a Japanese novel for me, and a small sketchbook, on the grounds that a small piece of paper is less intimidating than a large sheet. Off on holiday tomorrow so I plan - hope - to do a few sketches. Bearing in mind that I was never good at art but it sounded like fun. And it was just a beautiful simple little book.

* * * * *

A letter arrived for me this morning. In a brown envelope. On the grounds that such letters are always bring or financial I usually leave them for Husband to open because I can't be bothered but for some reason I decided I would open this one.

I wish I hadn't. 

It was to tell me I am to have my state pension reviewed. They will phone me - a call that can last up to 30 minutes - and ask me questions. I am to have to hand the documents mentioned in the letter. Except there aren't any.

I was chosen at random it says. I can't imagine what they will want to know.

* * * * *

The pool has reached a record temperature of 29.5. It's hardly refreshing any more.

Off for a few days tomorrow. Hope my plants survive.

The sweet peas have almost finished. The only left are these with dwty stems.

PYO

Strawberry and raspberry picking at a farm in Scurlage with Daughter and Daughter-in-law.

Rows of raspberries

Strawberries on raised beds.

A field of golden hay/wheat?

Don't know what the dots are

The wildflower meadow

We followed that with lunch at the Wildflower Café. A beautiful morning.

A good time was had by all

Husband asked if I'd heard from the children today.
"Yes, I had messages from Elder Son."
"They all okay?"
"I don't know. We were talking about cheese."

So, yesterday's barbecue went really well. We had lovely feedback from everyone. There was plenty of food - everyone contributed - and the only problem was the cheesecake and pavlova were gone before I had any!

A number of people didn't come because of the heat but we had people from every age group, from the youngest to oldest, and that was lovely.

The one in the middle in the green t-shirt is Jordan our pastor, with Luds (right) his wife. 

I'd planned a mini creature hunt for the children. Find the fairies, the ducks, the fairy house, the rugby-playing gnome, and the big bumblebee. 

Eli saw the bee and said, "That's not a bumblebee. Where's the bumblebee?"

Nothing I or his father said would convince him otherwise. Out of the mouths of babes!

Resigned

I have resigned from the Labour Party. I joined because I believed that being in it would give me more right to say when I thought the government was acting unwisely. 

It's true I had my say but I can have that as easily from outside the party, and the sheer lack of any sign of democratic choice for a new leader has left me frustrated. Like many others, some of whom have been Labour Party members all their lives, I've had enough. 

* * * * *

The gazebos (borrowed) are up and the water is a warm 28 degrees. The forecast is good and we're looking forward to an excellent church barbecue tomorrow.

All for one

The good thing about hosting the church barbecue is that I am incentivised to do all those garden jobs I've been meaning to do for ages. I tell you the garden has never looked so good. I might make a little film to show you - and remind myself in the future how could it can look.

I'll do that now in a minute but first let me grumble. I gained weight this week! 

I have been working hard in the garden so I have one theory: my fat has turned to muscle and is heavier. It's either that or I'm eating too much. That's the trouble with working hard: I feel entitled to eat hard as well.

We've been watching I Will Find You, the latest Harlan Coben on Netflix. We're enjoying it, and I've been gripped by it. At some point I've suspected just about everybody who appears as being guilty of something.

I had salmon on my menu plan, such as it is, for tonight but it transpires I forgot to order it.

Right, I'll go and film the garden now. Don't go away.

Okay, that didn't work as too big. Never mind. Too hot to try again.

On this day in 2008 we were in Auch, in France, where we saw a statue of D'Artagnan, the musketeer who was based on a real life musketeer born there.

Not you but him

I thought I'd get into the garden early this morning (well, before 9) before it got too hot to work. It's already too hot.

But look!

I propagated this hydrangea myself! I cut a stalk off our existing plant and stuck it in water. Everyone on the internet said how easy it was but this is me, notorious plant killer. So I am very pleased. I shall do more this year!

On a very hot afternoon I made pizza, and rhubarb and white chocolate blondies.

They were meant to be blonder but I only had dark brown sugar. They tasted nice anyway.

And the world thanks Belgium!

From Twitter

American friends please know it's not you, it's him.

* * * * *

Our upstairs Alexa - hm, I wonder if it's the heat - anyway most days she stops telling the correct time round about midday. If you ask her the time she gets it right but denies all knowledge of a false display. "I don't know the answer to that."

Later in the day she corrects herself but it's anyone's guess when that will be.

* * * * *

We are hosting a church barbecue on Sunday. I decided to clear out the garage so we can put MiniToo there making space for someone to park on our drive as space is limited on the road. Honestly I thought I was the household hoarder.

At least five odd gardening gloves, more wood than in a forest - "You never know when it will be useful" - old cables, hosepipes that leak (I assume as we have a new one), and miscellaneous bits. Oh yes, two strimmers because, "The old one stopped working so I bought another and then repaired the old one, which I prefer." To be fair, that does make sense. 

P.S. You can tell I'm a proper gardener now as I keep finding twigs in my bra and hair.

Everything else is football

I watched the England v Mexico World Cup game this morning with Husband. It happened in the middle of the night but the BBC was showing the whole game at a reasonable hour. I will never say football is boring again! It was a stunner! Very tense and stressful but England hung on to go through to the quarter-finals against Norway.

Quite interesting fact: an English player who wasn't involved in the match was given a yellow card and also got injured. Quite an achievement.

Still on World Cup news I see Tr**p phoned the president of FIFA to ask him to review the ban on a US striker so he is able to play in the US game against Belgium tomorrow morning/this evening depending on where you are. The not-at-corrupt FIFA president agreed it could be suspended for a year. This seems to have succeeded in turning every impartial fan into a Belgian supporter.

In gardening news both a butterfly and a bee landed on me today at the same time. The bee mistook my flowery t-shirt for the real thing and then buzzed my nose when he realised his mistake.

Eight years ago we were in France celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary by re-creating our honeymoon.