31: Harvesting squash and a bargain...........

Hello. I have just spent the past 3 hours backing up my computer files - it took that long because Ye Olde Computer is making a sound similar to that of an ailing aeroplane about to crash on top of me, and it is going at a snail's pace, just to add insult to injury. This could well be because, in a fit of great daring, I actually restarted it. Things have not been the same since then. The wheels seem to be grinding in the tower, and YES I KNOW THERE ARE NO WHEELS. It sounds like wheels are grinding and it is enough to give me a worse headache than was there to start with.

Aqua at an early hour was hard. The legs sort of turned to jelly. And then, after a head massage at Glynis's house, I went to town to pay the bills. And check out the cheapy shops too. Just 3 of them today. The Christmas crafts and wrapping ideas at one are superb, but we do not need anything crafty related or Christmas paper related for the next 10 years, so I abstained.

I did pick up a few delights at the 99p shop - a dish which I will use for butter at Christmas, and a box of Christmas crackers and a couple of other things. We will not be finding great treasure in my 99p crackers, but they look lovely and will go bang and what more can we ask for - don't forget the corny jokes and paper hats. They are in them too, so we are all set.

On the way home, just before the rain started, I went down to harvest the squash on the allotment. I had not been there for a while, and I collected 8 gem squash and 3 big butternuts. There are more not quite ready yet, so that is excellent. So my kitchen counter is starting to look a little crowded.

 (Pretend you did not see the box of Maltesers - 99p? A bargain. )  I have the apples to stew or make into cakes, masses of tomatoes to cook and freeze and all the squash as well. Not to mention the bag of onions and bunch of bananas we have perched there. I should be in the kitchen being creative. I am here instead. But the running around is done for the week and I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow, so it will be a kitchen and home day.

House group is here this evening, so I have to haul out the vacuum cleaner soon. I just checked the time.....where do the hours go? Days? Months? Years?

Speaking of years, I had a call from the lawyers yesterday to say that the hospitals had asked for yet another extension, and that they had refused. So they went to court and have a 2 week extension, courtesy of the judge. Years, I tell you. So please pray for this to be resolved - and soon. I want it to be over.

And now, being creative, I will waft around behind the Dyson a bit and head for the sewing room. Autumn bunting today, I think...........................