A slow start...........

 Good morning! It was a battle getting up today so we are going slow. In fact we may be at snail's pace for the rest of the day. But that is fine, because there is nothing pressing on the agenda for today. Except that I need some bread. I threw out all the yeast which for some reason had all expired and failed to buy new replacements. And I still have my clothes to sort through and discard in great quantities. Not because they are necessarily unwearable. 

Actually, I have not been clothes shopping (or any other real shopping) for a long while, now that I come to think of it. As I get older, the appeal fades. And anyway, I have things to wear, so why buy anything new. It is just when I start to work out that my favourite skirt has been around since the dawn of time (about 1993) that I get a vague idea that something new may be necessary. 

And add to that my garden. It has wrecked everything vaguely wearable this year. I water each day, you see, and completely forget to avoid things like my multitude of lilies as I lean over them to reach plants. Most of them are taller than me, anyway.  And lily pollen is not something you want a close encounter with, because it stains, and the stains stay right there, no matter what you try. Believe me, I have tried. So every reasonable top I own is wrecked. When I told a friend, she said - put it in the gardening clothes pile. 

 The gardening clothes.....how many of you ever change into gardening clothes before you go and water your garden?? I thought not. And, quite frankly, my gardening clothes now need a complete wardrobe of their own. So do my painting clothes. That leaves precious little else. Happily, I think I can survive until next year, because it is nearly autumn anyway, and the winter clothes are still there. A little worn out but wearable. 

 How did this turn into a discussion about my wardrobe? 

My lovely friend Kelli, bless her cotton socks, has sent me a pack of super duper ear plugs. They arrived today, and I am going to try them out at the wedding I am off to on Saturday. We will find out for sure whether it is the music or the vibration which hurts the most. It is quite hilarious, you know - I spent my mothering years removing any playdoh or assorted small things from my childrens' ears, and here I am squishing the "doh" into shape before stuffing it into my own ears. Ah, the memories......

AND NOW

(many exclamation marks to come, so brace yourselves...)

 BREAKING NEWS here at RCR!!!!!!

My daughter will be home for Christmas this year!! How wonderful is that! This Mum is bouncing up and down in her seat right this minute. I cant tell you how excited I am. I will have to start work on the "Welcome Home" posters immediately. Hopefully ALL my children will be home for Christmas. Sigh. I can't wait. Can you see this Mum's grin???

So the mammoth sorting out/clearing/organising frenzy which has been taking place here, is just beautifully timed. At least my cupboards are sorted, and she will be able to find things to bake with, should the mood strike. That reminds me. I have no oven. Right. I will get an oven. It has just shot to the top of the list because I need to be able to bake and cook Christmas dinner. For the multitudes. My tiny microwave/combination oven will not cope. Ovens....Hmmm. 

 My uncle would have loved my dahlias. He grew masses of them, in all colours, and he adored them. He would be so proud of my fledgling attempts to grow them. They just look so wonderful. Some of mine are like this one, and then there are the pincushion type at the top of this post, and then the beautiful pink ones like in yesterday's post. Next year, I can plant more. They just keep flowering, and they last cut in vases too. Do you grow dahlias? Tell me which colours you love! 

 On Sunday, the nearby airport had an air show. The planes flew overhead all afternoon, bi-planes, lots of old planes, some in formation like these, and some alone. It was great to sit out in the garden and watch them fly overhead, and then, with a resounding roar, the Red Arrows arrived. The RAF's magnificent display team. 

 They soared into the sky, and dived down again................

Absolutely stunning. I had, thank goodness, changed the setting on my little camera to "sport" mode, because at least I could take quick photos. I learned this with my granddaughter. She too moves at the speed of light, and the only way to get any good photos of her is to use the sport mode. 

This quiet village has been anything but quiet in recent days! Planes flying overhead, children still on summer holiday ( there are still 2 weeks to go till school starts in England, although the Scottish children are already back) and people out in their gardens. I love hearing the sounds of life, you know. It makes me feel a part of a whole. Much like the view from a hot air balloon - you get to see the patchwork of life under the balloon in its entirety. Not perfect, but, oh, so fascinating. 

And now I must zap off to catch up with the world. I will be around to visit, I promise - I will start at the top of the exceedingly long list and work my way down. I want to know what you have all been up to - I don't want to miss a thing! Thoughts of Autumn can wait.