Weekend

I celebrated having Friday off by deciding to clean the kitchen windows and windowsill.  While I was about it, I cleaned the tiles on the right hand side of the kitchen (it's the right hand side if you're stood looking out of the kitchen window!). I was about to go outside and clean the outside of the window when I remembered that we have a window cleaner.  Seemed silly to do it myself so instead I made a few jars of bramley apple sauce, tidied up various hotspots in the house and generally did useful things.  Although I strenuously avoided cleaning the left hand side of the kitchen, which desperately needs doing but which is quite a big job.  I'll have to do it one evening this week.

We went to visit Jeanette, Matthew, Rebecca and Evie overnight on Saturday.  We had a really good run down and a lovely visit.  We haven't seen them since February, so it was good to catch up.  They have acquired a puppy since we were last there.  Bailey is a 12 week old Cockerpoo (cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle). She looks really remarkably like Noodle, my brother Simon's dog.  I fear I caused him much excitement and then some disappointment when I rang him to show him Bailey.  Initially he thought she was ours.  Alas, no.  Our 12.5 year old cat would be less than amused if we imported a 12 week old puppy into his quiet and stable routine. And our lifestyle at the moment isn't really appropriate for a dog. We'll need to wait until we stop dashing about so much and in the meantime we will just have to enjoy visiting Bailey.  And Noodle :-)

Bailey and I didn't get off to a very good start, though. I bounced up to her with my Farley Dog when we arrived - and terrified the living daylights out of her, poor thing.  Still, she forgave me and we were good friends by the time we left.  She didn't ever really take to The Builder though.  I hope she comes round to him eventually!

The Builder's son Ian joined us all for dinner on Saturday night We had a delightful coq au vin for dinner.  He wasn't there on Sunday, though, but we continued the feasting any way with a delicious slow cooked roast pork. We were entertained by a visit from ex-hurricane Bertha, who brought us wind and rain , although not as much wind and rain as she graced other bits of the UK with.  Sheffield and Chesterfield were treated to torrential rain and very high winds. Fortunately, we missed virtually all of that.  We even had an almost entirely dry run home. We could see storms around us, but they kept out of our way.

Breakfast time

All gone? Really?  Are you sure there's no more?

Bailey and Evie

Can I come out of the kitchen? Can I Can I?