Preparations

We are going for a little holiday on Thursday but there is a LOT to get done before we go: the house needs to be cleaned and tidied as Uncle J will be moving in for two nights whilst we are away, the henhouses need cleaning out again, there is a mountain of washing to be ironed - yesterday was such a glorious day that I washed everything that needed it, and some quilts too - and there is also the service for All Saint's Day to have ready before we go. It's coming along but there is still some work to go on it - I've got to find the preparations I have already done!

Tonight, Uncle J has been over to see what is what as we will be leaving on Thursday morning but he won't get here until the late afternoon. We have had a feast of chicken pie, roast potatoes, carrots, runner beans and then pear and chocolate sponge for pudding! We are all well and truly stuffed! Whilst I was busy cooking all that, the FH took the EFG to band practice and Uncle J went along to listen. I think he enjoyed it; he is a man of few words.

This morning, my dad came over to pick up a bag of carrots. His partner, MB, has had some bad news - her daughter's husband died on Thursday evening. He was only in his forties, and they are not really sure what caused his death, but most disturbingly, he unfortunately died on the lounge floor in front of his wife and two teenage children. My heart goes out to the whole family. Poor MB is just in a terrible state - she looks as if she hasn't slept at all and is very distracted at the moment. It was her birthday on Saturday, but I don't think there were any celebrations, understandably. I had never met the chap, nor any other members of the family, but I love MB and I am so sorry for what she is going through right now.

The hamster is back in his cage, thank goodness!

Yesterday after church, the FGs went home with another family for the rest of the day and were returned to us at 4.45pm. The FH and I spent most of the time in the garden, having a tidying up session - removing the canes from the runner beans, emptying the tomato troughs and putting the spent compost on the garden beds, and putting the tomato plants, now dead, into the hen run for the girls to peck through. We let one lot of hens out so that they could have a good peck through the soil in the garden beds, and they had lots of dirt baths and really enjoyed their afternoon out. We still have weeds to clear, and broad beans to sow, but we are making progress. I do like cleaning the garden up for the winter - it is like putting it to bed!