good weekend...

which started badly...
Pen and I were due to go Brighton to stay in a friend's flat; but it would have cost over £150 in train and taxi fares, or ten hours driving on some of the nastiest roads in Britain, including the M6 around Brum, the M25 around the west of London and the M23 towards the south coast. In the end I had a really bad day on Friday with my joints (which are generally bad at the mo') and we were both ill on Saturday. Plan B was to go away in the campervan on Saturday - but we never got round to it.

We ended up doing loads of positive stuff...

- went to see The Illusionist at the cinema - enjoyable and understated

- finally worked out that the small nondescript visitor to our garden is a female greenfinch (probably - or it might be a linnet, or a female blackcap (only it has the wrong beak and is too early) )

- made a tomato and lentil soup on a whim - it was damn tasty with fresh baked rolls

- put new strings on my acoustic guitar and noodled until my fingers hurt - Cath bought them for me as a very late birthday present (only 16 months overdue), and they are very light and easy to play

- got loads of work done on our allotment - laid the beds out, with paths between; dug in loads of compost, manure and seaweed; planted onions and garlic to add to the fruit bushes we'd planted the week before; pruned the large area of old fruit bushes next to our plot; tidied up a load; sowed green manure; set up a water butt; chatted to Karen, Harry, Nick, Jude, Cath, Scott, Cael, Ro, Ava, Kath, Roy, Dave and Stuart the man in the allotment shop (it's a surprise we got anything done); and made tea and toasted hot-cross buns in the camper: and as a result went to bed physically and mentally worn-out on Sunday night and slept the sleep of the just...... "the just what?" "I dunno - the sleep of the just knackered 'spose............. snore"