A pleasantly quiet weekend

We had a lovely weekend.

The Builder collected me from work on Friday afternoon, nice and early, and we trundled home via Waitrose. Ran across my pal Gavin in the carpark. Almost the last place I would expect to find him – Waitrose tends to be a supermarket for foodies and nobody would call Gavin a foodie! We were on the hunt for soya sauce, rice and alcohol. Gavin was waiting in the car park for his wife. We fulfilled our purchases (not to mention acquiring some Chinese cooking wine – means I don’t have to buy sherry!). I assume Gavin found Rebecca – he wasn’t in the car park when we came out of Waitrose, considerably lighter in the pocket than when we had gone in!

Saturday was a nice and gentle start to the day. But still quite an early start. The Builder, Uncle John and I ambled off at about 09:00 to Dunstan Hall to the garden centre, where they were selling 3 large bags of potting mix for £10. Then we went back home, swapped Uncle John for The Vixen and wandered off to Chatsworth. We called at the Garden Centre for a potter around, and came out with a cranberry bush and a blackberry bush. We went to the Farm shop for vegetables and things. They’re revamping the shop at the moment – getting in was our first challenge! Then we headed into Chesterfield across the moors round the back and went to Pets at home for cat food. And then we went to the Three Horseshoes at Spitewinter for a lovely Saturday lunch. And then we went home and pottered in the garden and did a little light weeding and The Builder explored the sheds to see what was in them and we went inside as the light faded and had grilled gigantic mushrooms with scrambled eggs and tomatoes on toast and some wine and went to bed. Oh – and we watched the football. Even I paid a modicum of interest as Barnsley (a local town) was playing Chelsea in the FA quarter finals, having completely unexpectedly defeated Liverpool in the previous round. Nobody expected Barnsley to have a prayer, not even the club manager who had been very tactful in an interview on the local news on Friday night but clearly wasn’t really expecting to win. But they did! 1-0!!!

On Sunday The Builder had breakfast in bed!!!!! He had got up early and made the tea. Then he had made more tea. Then I got up to do other things and he stayed in bed. Amongst the other things I did while I was pottering about was to sauté him a couple of lamb kidneys with mushrooms and toast and to make us both coffee. He was still in bed when that was ready and it seemed a bit of a pity to let it go cold while he was getting up, so I took it upstairs for him. He was very surprised! I don’t think he’s ever had breakfast in bed before. I hope he doesn’t get too used to it!

You may remember that last Sunday the bird table blew over in the wind. Since then there’s been a pile of mostly wheat where the table spilled its contents. This Sunday, I was watching the birds bobbing about on the lawn and the paths while sipping my coffee at the bedroom window. I wonder what that is, thought I, over by the wheat. It was a little, honey coloured mouse, dashing across from the fence, grabbing a wheat kernel, dashing back to the fence, then dashing back for another. It was rather cute. But I’m glad it hasn’t found the house supplies!

It was a beautiful day yesterday. We spent the time from 9-2 outside in the garden, doing useful things and getting ready for later in spring. I suppose we really should have gone to the allotment. There is digging to be done up there. However, The Builder is off after Easter until we fly to Japan and can dig then, weather permitting. And the garden also needs attention. It’s almost up together, ready for the new growing season. We came in at 2, really rather tired. And the wind was beginning to get up, and the clouds were coming in. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in the dining room, watching telly, eating roast chicken and pootling about. I was in bed by half eight!! And slept like a log until 3, though I went back to sleep shortly after 3.

The weather people have been forecasting apocalyptic storms for today for the past few days. And it has been very, very unpleasant on the south and west coasts. Fortunately, it has so far passed us by. I think there is rain and wind forecast for this evening, but nothing like the ferocious storms they’ve been having in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. The seas have been particularly heavy. No high waves are ever likely to find us!