Last day of June.

H woke me up just before 6. I put on a load of washing and had my breakfast, eggs and courgette, I packed my usual lunch, made the bed and dressed. It was raining so I didn’t hang the washing out. When I got to work it was thundering and as it got closer and closer the rain started. We were supposed to be planting! We all sat in the shed till 8.30 and there was no sign of the rain stopping so we went to the greenhouse where Andy and I picked tomatoes and Andrew did a bit of weeding. The boss said we would have our coffee break at 9.30 instead of 10 am and then go planting. The planting went well and we finished just before 12. I had to weed for the last hour, I have started weeding a bed of spring onions. When I got home H made me a cup of coffee and I had a corned beef sandwich. I listened to the Archers and then I got ready to go to the dentist. Everything was ok and I don’t have to go again till February. When we got home again I read a bit of my book had a shower and for dinner we had eggs, bacon, potatoes, runner beans and broard beans. I have to work again tomorrow!

Monday.

I got up at 5.40 put on a load of washing and had courgette and egg for breakfast. I packed a tomato and some cheese for my lunch with a bottle of water. I made the bed and dressed and at 7.30 I went to work. I had to do 29 bunches of radishes, 26 bunches of beetroot, 6 bunches of golden beetroot and 63 bunches of carrots. Andy joined me on carrots and we also had to have a box of broard beans. We finished it all before 10 am so I had my coffee break and then began to pull the rest of the leek plants ready to plant tomorrow. Around 11am the 2 men joined me. At 11.50 the sky turned a bit black and it began to rain. We thought it wasn’t going to be much so we sheltered by the tractor, it eased off so we went back to work and then the skies opened and by the time we had put our wet weather gear on we were wet through to the skin. (My hair is still wet where it was tied up.) I had to pour the water out of my shoes and rubber gloves! When I got home H made me a coffee while I changed. Today I came home with a bag of potatoes, broard beans, runner beans, courgette’s and sun gold tomatoes. I didn’t hang my washing out this morning before I left because it was drizzling but H hung it out when the rain stopped and it’s all nice and dry. On my way home I went through 7 places where the water was right across the road but when I got home we had had a bit of rain but nothing like work!! For dinner tonight we had pizza and salad. I have to work again tomorrow.

Even hotter!! 27.7.18

I got up at 5.30 and put on a load of washing. H was already up and had made a pot of tea so I had a cup and 2 cream crackers. After breakfast I got ready to go shopping. After Asda we went to B& Q because H found where wasps are going through a gap in our house so we think we have a wasps nest and he wants to sort it. When we got home we unpacked and put everything away then we had a coffee. H cleaned the front door and sanded it down ready to paint but by the time he had done all that the sun was on it and it was too hot to paint. We had another coffee, I made the bed and hung out the washing than I cleaned the kitchen. At 11.30 we got ready to go to Cawston for ‘ soup and sandwiches ‘ where we met Hs sister for a catch up. We left there to come home at 1.50 and on the way home the temperature was 36 degrees!! We had a nice cold glass of cider when we got indoors. We watched the tour and then I got the washing in and we cleaned the patio doors and the kitchen window and door. I made a pot of tea but we didn’t want anything cooked to eat so we just had a date scone. This evening there is going to be an eclipse of the moon 🌑, I hope we are able to see it.

Rain at last.

I forgot to blog yesterday because we had my middle brother and my sister in law to dinner. It was lovely to see them and we had a great catch up. They have fabulous holidays all over the world and I always look forward to my postcard . It is always on the fridge with any others we get in the year and on the first of January they go into the back of my diary. This year they were unable to get postcards so instead they bought us an ornament, it’s an elephant and it’s really lovely 🐘.
Today I feel fat and still full from last night but that hasn’t stopped me from eating and drinking!! I had 2 slices of brown wholemeal toast and butter for breakfast. I did a load of washing but it turned rather dull so I didn’t hang it out. H said we should go out on our bikes even though it was drizzling, but is was still warm (18 degrees) so we got ready and left home at 8.15. We did 37.9 miles and it rained the whole way round, quite heavy at times and a very strong wind. I had shorts and t shirt on and I was warm enough but the rain really stung when we were going into the wind and felt like hail. The ride took us 3 hours!! As soon as we were home I had a shower because I was filthy and then we had a coffee and cheese and beetroot sandwiches for lunch, we also finished the after eights. This afternoon we watched the last day of the tour and for dinner we had yesterday’s leftovers with a pork chop. Blackberry and apple crumble for pud with ice cream. I have to work tomorrow and since Tuesday I have had a back ache 😖, it’s been really bad today so I don’t know how I will  get on tomorrow.

Another hot day.

I got up at 5.30 after a bad night with the heat and my bad back. I had no washing! H was up and had made a pot of tea so I had my breakfast, courgette and egg. I packed a tomato and a slice of cheese with 2 bottles of water and made the bed. I dressed and got ready to go to work. On my way there it was 20.5 degrees! I had to loads of everything! Radishes, beetroot, golden beetroot, spring onions and carrots. I had 32 minutes at the end to do a bit of weeding. I don’t have to go again till Monday but the boss warned me that it will probably be 4 days next week, there is more leek planting too do. When I got home we had a coffee it’s a date scone and a glass of wine. I had a slice of corned beef and. Chocolate biscuit. For dinner we are having chicken with pasta in a white  wine sauce. It’s a really tasty meal but probibly  too hot in this weather but H doesn’t like salads. I am about to water my outside pots which are wilting fast in this hot weather.

Wednesday.

I woke up in the early hours of the morning with a terrible back ache and a stomach upset!! H got my bike out but I haven’t used it. I had a slice of toast for breakfast, did a load of washing and hung it out when it was done. My stomach settled down by around 10 ish but my back is really painful, one of the worst ones I have had for ages. H went for his Spanish lesson and when he got home I made him a cheese and beetroot sandwich, I had the cheese and beetroot without the bread. We watched the tour and I struggled to get comfortable I am only comfortable when I am bent over weeding. I made some date scone bars this morning so we had one with a cup of tea. For dinner we had sausages, a pork and apple burger, eggs, courgette, peas and chips. I have just taken 2 paracetamols so I hope they begin to work soon. I am supposed to go to work tomorrow.

Tuesday.

I got up at 5.30 and put on a load of washing. H and I are both feeling exhausted 💤 it too hot to sleep. I had my usual breakfast, packed my usual lunch, made the bed, dressed, hung out the washing and went to work. We planted straight away and it took us till around 12.10 to get it all done. It was cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, kale and Romanesque. I spent my last 50 minutes weeding again. When I got home H made me a coffee. He had cycled to Halfords this morning to get a pair of windscreen wipers for our car as ours were beginning to split. He went straight out and fitted them as soon as he had made my coffee and it only took him a few seconds. I had a shower and watched the tour, read a bit of my book and then cooked dinner. We had pork slices with potatoes, carrots and broard beans. There is no work for me tomorrow but with all this heat there is no chance of a lay in.

Monday

I got up at 5.50, put on a load of washing and then had my breakfast, courgette and egg with a cup of tea. I dressed, made my bed, packed my lunch, hung out the washing and went to work. It was 20 degrees when I arrived at 8 and when I left off at 1 it was 31 degrees! I wore my shorts for he first 2 hours so I could get the backs of my legs the same colour as the fronts. Tomorrow we are planting so no shorts for that job. Today I had to do 29 bunches of radishes, 14 of beetroot, 16 bunches of spring onions and just 2 bunches of carrots. Next Andy and I had to pick a box of broard beans each and then he went down with all the stuff to wash etc ready to be delivered to the shops. Meanwhile I had to do another 10 boxes of beans for another customer and when I had done half Andy joined me. When they were done we planted lettuce and fennel. It took till 12.40 so I did just 20 minutes of weeding. When I got home we had a coffee and I had a salad for lunch. H put my sunbed out but it was too hot to sit outside! I sat inside and read my book. I had a shower and for dinner we had quiche with mushrooms and tomatoes. I have to work again tomorrow.

Sunday

I got up at 6 and put on a load of washing after stripping the bed. I had my breakfast and a coffee then I dressed so I could hang out the washing. I read a couple of chapters of my book and when H went up to turbo I swept and washed the kitchen floor. I watered the pots and dug all the weeds out of the front lawn. They were easy to see, they were the only things that were green! After that I went on my bike to Felthorpe to get crabs for lunch. When I got home H had just finished his ride so we had another coffee. We sat in the garden till it was time for me to get lunch, crab sandwiches and a glass of cider. We sat out again but it was terribly hot, H went in again to watch the tour and it clouded up a bit so it was a better temperature. We were both thirsty all day so we had a pint of shandy each and shared a packet of crisps. We had a shower and I cooked dinner. We had pork, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and gravy. It’s work for me tomorrow.

Saturday.

I got up at 6, and had my breakfast. ( courgette and egg) H was already up, had made the tea, watered the outdoor pots and cleaned the car! It’s one of the very rare days when I didn’t have a load of washing. After breakfast we had a coffee, I read a chapter of my book and did a few bits of ironing before it became too hot. H said we should go out early on our bikes and miss the crowds so I made the bed and then got ready to bike. We did 39.4 miles. It was lovely when we were riding but the second we stopped it was boiling hot. We had a coffee in the garden when we got home and then I got lunch. We had cheese and biscuits with pickles and a glass of G & T with ice and raspberries. We sat in the garden as long as we could bare it and then we went in and watched the tour. We had a shower, a shandy, a cup of tea and then pizza and patatas bravas for dinner. I am playing two games of scrabble on my phone, one with my daughter and the other with H, it’s a nightmare, in both games I have no vowels, it’s so hard to make words. Yesterday I had only vowels! It’s one extreme to the other.

Great day off.

I got up at 5.55,put on a load of washing and had my breakfast (toast). As soon as I was done I dressed, made my bed andwe went to Asda. When we got home again I unpacked and put everything away, hung out the washing and H made us a coffee. Next I went upstairs and ironed my skirt, put it on and we went to Holt. We went to Bakers and Larners where H bought a summer sports jacket and I went in the dehli’ bit and bought some fabulous cheeses. Then some crisps and biscuits in the grocery store. Oh and some fabulous pork ribs in the butchers bit, I love that shop. From there we went for a wander round, calling at the greengrocer for English plums and then to a coffee shop for a coffee. After that it was back to the car and off to Wells for fish and chips sitting on the harbour wall. There was a very young starling sitting with us sharing our meal and taking small flakes of fish out of Hs fingers. I wanted a new pressure cooker, couldn’t get one in Holt so on the way home we went to Fakenham and Alldis. I got one there plus’s 2 lovely Spanish gin glasses and a glass ornament, an octopus. When we got home I washed our glasses and we had a pink gin with ice tonic and raspberries, delicious. We are both still feeling stuffed from lunch so tonight we are just having strawberries and cream with a cup of tea. As I am writing this H is in the kitchen washing up my new pressure cooker so it’s ready to use tomorrow. After my tea I am having a shower and watching my soaps. Also in wells I bought 4 bottles of local cider, we have had it before so we know it is good, and a very reasonable price. The weather was perfect and so was my day. We are cycling tomorrow.

Thursday.

I got up at 5.50 and put on a load of washing and had my breakfast. I packed my lunch, made the bed, dressed and hung out the washing. I sorted my work bag and went to work. I had to do 70 bunches of radishes first and by the time I had walked up the field and picked them my first hour had gone. Next I was supposed to do 60 bunches of beetroot. I had done 30 when Andy joined me. He said we should do the carrots right away because they had been watered and he wanted to dig them up before they dried out again. We had to have 130 bunches. After that we did 70 bunches of spring onions then the other 30 beetroot and finally 32 bunches of golden beetroot. When we finished it was 4 minutes to 1 and my home time. I left Andy to wash everything. When I got home H made me a cup of coffee and I had a slice of corned beef and a kiwi fruit. I sat in the garden and listened to the Archers then I did a bit of weeding and at 3 I went in to watch the tour. It was good again. I had a bath and washed my hair then I got dinner, we had salmon with potatoes, beans, and carrots. No work for me till Monday and the boss said it will only be a 3 day week.

Wednesday.

I managed to stay in bed till 6am, I put on a load of washing and had eggs and courgette for breakfast.  I packed a tomato, cheese,cucumber and a bottle of water, made the bed, dressed and hung out the washing. I left home at 7.25 for my journey to work and had to pick tomatoes straight away. It was a bit overcast so not too hot in the greenhouse and I only managed to get 3 boxes so I wasn’t in there long. Next I helped Andy to do 86 bunches of carrots. When he left I had to pick 50 bunches of radishes and 70 bunches of beetroot. Next Andy came back with another list, 20 spring onions and 48 more carrots 🥕. I then had a lift down to my sweet corn weeding but I only had 10 minutes on it before it was my home time. When I got home H made me a coffee and I had a bowl of corn flakes for lunch. I had a shower and watched the tour which was very exciting. H made a pot of tea and we had it with a square of dark chocolate. For dinner tonight we pasta with a meaty sauce. I had an orange 🍊 for dessert,H had yogurt. He had a Spanish lesson today. I have to work again tomorrow.

Tuesday.

I got up at 6, put on a load of washing and had eggs for breakfast. I packed my lunch, cheese,cucumber, tomato and water. I made the bed, hung out the washing, dressed and got ready to go to work. We planted leeks straight away and it took till around 11.20. I then had to spend the rest of my time weeding sweet corn. It was cooler today but though it was a nice breeze it was terribly dusty, at times we could hardly see each other it was so thick being churned up by the tractor and I came home filthy!! I called at the chicken farm for eggs on my way home and had a shower as soon as I got indoors. We had cheese and biscuits for lunch with a coffee and then a beer. As it was cloudy H watched the ‘tour ‘ but after a while I went outside and filled my garden bin ready for collection on Friday. For dinner tonight we had sausages, mushrooms, courgette, peas, eggs and chips. I am working again tomorrow and I hope it’s a cool start to the day because my first job is picking the tomatoes.

Monday.

I got up at 5.30 when H got up. I put on a load of washing and had my breakfast. (Fried courgette and eggs). I packed my lunch (cucumber, tomato and cheese),  made my bed, dressed, hung out the washing, packed my bag and went to work. I had to do 30 bunches of radishes, 36 bunches fo beetroot, 24 bunches of spring onions and 48 bunches of carrots.Next I joined Andrew who was pulling up leek plants ready for us to plant tomorrow. Andy joined us later on and we had to pull them up till it was time for me to go home. When I got home we had a banana milk shake and a slice of flapjack. We sat in the garden for a while but it was so hot we came in. I got the washing in, dry of course. We had a game of scrabble and then watched tipping point, had a bath and now I am about to cook dinner. It’s chicken with onions, mushrooms broccoli and potatoes. At 6.30 I will go up to watch my soaps, it will be a great night because there is no football!! I have to work again tomorrow.

Sunday.

I got up at 5 when I heard H moving about. I put on a load of washing and then sat in the lounge out of the way while he got himself ready to go out on his bike with our son in law. He was meeting him at 7 so he’d to leave here at 6.30. When he left I had my breakfast and then got stuck into the housework before it became too hot to do anything. I swept and washed the kitchen and toilet floors, cleaned sinks and basins etc. wiped all the cupboards and then vacuumed the rest of the house. I finished around 10.30, made myself a coffee and sat in the garden and listened to the Archers omnibus. Before it was over H arrived home again. He had done around  60 miles. He joined me in the garden after he had showered and changed but when the temperature reached 29 degrees C we both went indoors. For lunch we had a fried egg sandwich and a bottle of beer. This afternoon we watched the tour with a nice G&T. When it was over I had a shower and cooked dinner. We had Chinese pork with potatoes carrots and broard beans. Neither of us slept well last night because it was too hot and tonight it’s even worse!

Saturday.

I got up at 5.30 and put on a load of washing. We had our breakfast, H had toast and I had fried courgette and 2 eggs. We had a coffee and I hung out the washing. We watched the local news and weather and then got ready to meet our daughter on Marriotts Way. We were meeting at 8.30 because she wanted to be home by 12 o’clock. We had a lovely ride because as we were so early there were very few other people on the track. We had a fast ride, well fast for us! We arrived at Reepham station before they were open but we sat in the sun chatting and waited. We were their first customers of the day. When we got home we had a coffee and put our sun chairs on the lawn, put our shorts on and sat in the garden. For lunch we had a cheese sandwich with radishes and a glass of wine. It became a bit overcast later so we came in and watched the tour. I had a shower and then got dinner which was chicken with Mediterranean veggies 🌶. Our son in law rang this evening to speak to H about a bike ride in the morning. They are meeting at 7am so as soon as he has gone I will wash the kitchen floor and get stuck into my housework.

Friday.

I got up at 5.50, put on a load of washing and had toast and marmalade for breakfast. As soon as we had done we got ready to go shopping 🛒 when we got back I unpacked and put everything away while H made the coffee. When I had finished my coffee and cream bun I read my tele magazine and then I hung out the washing. I watered the pots and swept the kitchen floor. We had another coffee (instant this time) and it was time for me to go to the dentist. It was my hygienist appointment that I missed last Friday!! They were very good to me and I didn’t have to pay a fine for not turning up. When we got home we had cheese and biscuits for lunch with pickles and a glass of wine. Cherries for dessert.We then began to watch the tour and the sun finally came out so we sat in the garden for an hour or so and went back inside for the end of the race. When it was over I had a shower and cooked dinner, it was paella with patatas bravas, strawberries and cream for pudding.

Thursday.

I got up at 5.40 and put on a load of washing. H made a pot of tea and we had our breakfast. I had courgette fried in butter with 2 eggs. I hung out the washing and dressed so I could water the front pots. We had a coffee andat 9.30 we got ready to go out on our bikes. We rode to Aylsham on the road for a change then joined the track and did all the rest of the ride off road. It was great. (37.7miles). I got lunch while H washed the bikes. We had tuna sandwiches with a tomato and a cup of coffee. After we had put the bikes away we watched the ‘tour’ and both fell asleep 💤. I had a bath and washed my hair then I cooked dinner. We had pasta in a meaty sauce that I made with mince, onion, garlic, courgette, peas and tomatoes. It was really tasty. Tomorrow I have the dentist (again), hopefully I will remember to go this time. On Thursdays I weigh myself and send my weight to my daughter. She goes to slimming world on the same day so we can compare our losses or gains. This week I gained 2 lbs and she lost 2!!!! Well done to her but whatever happened to me??? I must try harder! I wouldn’t mind but she had fish and chips this week and I didn’t !!!

Wednesday.

I was up at 5.30 again! I made a bowl of porridge for breakfast with a mug of tea and watched our local news. I dressed, made the bed packed my lunch and watered my pots. I read a bit of my book till it was time for me to go to work. First I had to de shoot and twist the tomatoes up their strings and then finish weeding the onions I was doing on Monday. This took till 9.55 so I walked to my next job and then had my break. After that I had to pick 60 bunches of radishes, 40 bunches of beetroot and 50 bunches of carrots. Andy joined me as I got to the carrots which was handy because he then forked them up for me. We had to pick 1 box of broard beans and then Andy went down for his lunch and I started a new weeding job (sweet corn). When I left off the boss said he could manage tomorrow so I don’t have to work till Monday 🎉🎉. When I got home H had been to his Spanish lesson and was back and upstairs on his turbo trainer. I had a cup of coffee and a bowl of pasta for my lunch. We both are sitting watching the tour, I have finished my book and when the tour is over I will have a shower and get dinner. Tonight we are having salmon with a jacket potato and baked beans.

Tuesday.

I got up at 5.50 and put on a load of washing,made a pot of tea and had eggs for breakfast. We had a coffee then I dressed so I could hang out the washing. It was almost too cold in my shorts but made a nice change. We decided to go out on our bikes at 9am so I watered the front and back pots while H got our bikes out of the garage and oiled the chains. We did our usual track ride (22miles) and it was pretty windy. When we got home H put on a loaf of bread and I made corned beef sandwiches for lunch which we had with radishes and a cup of coffee. This afternoon H watched the Tour de France and I read my book till the last 12 k. We each had a shower and then I cooked dinner. We had bacon steaks which were very tasty but quite salty. With them we had new potatoes, peas and carrots. It was pineapple for pudding. Tomorrow I have to go to work and then the boss said he will tell me if he needs me the next day, if he doesn’t we will cycle. My washing is all dry again😊.

Monday.

I got up at 5.30, put on a load of washing and had my breakfast (eggs) I packed a tomato,slice of cheese and a bottle of water, made my bed, dressed, hung out the washing and went to work. I had to do radishes, beetroot, spring onions and then carrots. The boss then wanted more onions,and beetroot, plus some cabbages. After that I helped Andrew plant fennel and when it was done I spent the rest of the morning weeding. When I got home I prepared a salad for our son for his lunch before he returned to London. I got my nice dry washing inand H made me a coffee. I had a bath and then cooked dinner. We had quiche with broccoli and cauliflower with a nob of butter. I was nice but I boiled my steamer dry and it is as black as your hat!! No more work till Wednesday.
I called at the dentist on the way home from work and apologised for my missed appointment on Friday. They were very good and have given me another one for this Friday.

Seaside Sunday.

I got up at 6, had a cup of tea because H had already made it and then had eggs for my breakfast. H was going out with 3 others for a bike ride and they were meeting at 7.15 so he was almost ready to go when I had finished my breakfast. As our son was still in bed I just sat and read so I didn’t disturb him.(any excuse to read) . Well all of a sudden I heard the back door open and H was home again.! He had got a puncture. After he had changed the tube he only had one spare tube left so he thought it best to come home. We had a coffee and our son got up. After he had eaten his breakfast he and I got ready to go to Mundsley. It was lovely there, hot and sunny. We both changed and went in the sea. It was really great, it’s ages since I swam and even longer since it was in the sea. The waves rolling in were huge and I got knocked over, so did many other people, it was great fun. We ate our pic nic and sunbathed, son went for a second swim and when he had dried up a bit we went for a walk along the beach, up a cliff path and steps and back on the cliff top to the car park, it was lovely. When we got home we got the B B Q out and had a B B Q for dinner. It was chicken thighs and salad, the thighs were so thick they took ages to cook. W e ha d strawberries and cream for dessert and a cuppa. I had a bath and have come upstairs to find something to watch tv.

Saturday

I got up at 6 and put on a load of washing, I had eggs for breakfast, dressed and hung out the washing. We had a coffee and our no 1 son rang so we had a chat with him. When no2 son got up and had his breakfast we all got ready to go out on our bikes. Our daughter and son in law came with us and we went off along the track to Reepham station and had a drink. Next we carried on along the track past Cawston till we came to some woods and turned into them. It was hard work, like an obstacle course, there were so many trees over the path we had to keep lifting our bikes over, I must have walked a mile the time I jumped off and then back on my bike. Daughter and I were terribly stung by nettles and both my legs are cut and bleeding which was done by brambles and bracken. When we got to the road that lead to the rat catchers daughter and son in law left us and headed back home by road while we carried on off road and struggled through more brambles and bracken. It was a good ride but really hard work. When we got back we had lunch. H had a bacon butty while son and I had a salad. I sat in the garden all afternoon, the sun had gone in so the temperature was nice. For dinner tonight we had steak, potatoes and salad with strawberries and cream for dessert. My legs just above my ankles are very sore, first with the cuts but worst are the nettle stings. My daughter also says her legs are painful, she’s got no cuts but, like me, loads of stings.

Friday

 I got up at 5.30, put on a load of washing and had a slice of toast for my breakfast. After that I got ready to go shopping. After Asda we popped to the butchers in Reepham for some bacon etc. When we got back we had a coffee and a bun, I read my new tv magazine and then I hung out the washing and got on with my housework. I swept the kitchen floor then I swept and washed the toilet floor and cleaned the basin etc. Next our son in law came round to fit our last 3 kitchen cupboard doors, while he was here I dead headed the roses and did a bit of weeding. When he left I vacuumed all downstairs and then dusted. H had a Cornish pastie for his lunch and I had a crab, we had cherries for dessert and washed it all down with a beer. We sat in the garden for a while and then I made 2 batches of flapjack. One is coconut and pistachio, and the other is chocolate with chocolate chips. I had a shower and for dinner we had paella with garlic flat bread. Our no 2 son is coming home this evening for the weekend. I did a dreadful thing today! I had a dental appointment this afternoon and I forgot to go till it was too late! I will have to go on Monday when I leave off, pay, apologise and make another apple. What a nightmare.

Thursday.

I got up at 5.30, put on a load of washing and had eggs for breakfast. I packed my lunch, dressed, made the bed and hung out the washing before getting ready to go to work. I had to do 70 bunches of radishes, 44 bunches ofgolden beetroot, 60 bunches of purple ones and then anything up to 144 bunches of carrots. Everything was going well till I got to the carrots. It was around 11.30, so I cut my string, found the fork and started digging. The sun became hotter and hotter, I ran out of water and there wasn’t a breath of wind. Bearing in mind I am 79 and the ground is hard in all this dry weather, it was really hard work. I felt quite ill by 12 o’clock and had to sit on a box for a few minutes. I carried on working and got slower and slower. I only did 76 bunches when the boss came to pick me and the carrots up, it’s a good job he did because I don’t think I could have walked back to the yard. I felt so awful. I filled my water bottle at the tap and had to sit down drinking it till I was rehydrated and within 15 minutes I was back to normal but I am really worn out and won’t be able to stay awake for my soaps tonight. We had steak for dinner with potatoes, carrots and beans. No more work till Monday.

Wednesday.

I got up a 5.30, put on a load of washing and made a bowl of porridge for breakfast. I made the bed, dressed, hung out the washing and got ready to go to work. I had to de shoot and twist the tomatoes first before it became too hot in the glasshouse. Next I did 72 bunches of carrots and I had to dig them all up and the ground was pretty hard. It was 80 bunches of radishes after that and then I joined Andy to do 60 bunches of beetroot, 10 bunches of spring onions and 2 boxes of rhubarb. Then it was time for me to go home. When I arrived back H was just home from his Spanish lesson,he made us a coffee and we sat in the garden for an hour sunning our legs. I had a bath and we had a cup of tea, H had a sandwich and I just had a slice of corned beef again. For dinner we had cod with new potatoes, beans and carrots. My bosses wife gave me a beautiful bunch of sweet peas, I have put them on the dining table and the whole dining room smells lovely. I have to work again tomorrow.

Tuesday.

I got up at 5.30, put on a load of washing and had a bowl of porridge for breakfast. I packed my usual tomato,cheese and bottle of water. I made the bed, dressed, hung out the washing etc and went to work. We planted right away ( leeks) and it took till ten o’clock. We had our break and then I spent the other 3 ours of my day twisting runner beans up their canes. I am allergic to the leaves of runner bean plants so I had to be covered from head to foot which was great in all this heat.!! They bring me out in blisters. I have one more row to do. When I got home I had a cup of coffee and a slice of corned beef. We went and sat in the garden for an hour but it was really windy and we came in. I had a bath and we watched tipping point. For dinner we had quiche with peas and sweet corn. I have to work again tomorrow!

Monday.

I got up at 5.40, put on a load of washing and had eggs for breakfast. I packed a tomato and a slice of cheese with my bottle of water. The washing wasn’t ready in time for me to hang out so I had to leave it to H. I left home at 7.25 and went to work. I had to pick 54 bunches of radishes, 20 bunches of beetroot, 14 bunches of spring onions and 39 bunches of carrots. It was ten o’clock then so I had my cheese and tomato and joined Andrew who was pulling up leek plants ready for us all to plant tomorrow. It took us both till one o’clock to pull them all up and then I came home. I had a coffee and at 2 pm went outside and sat with H in the garden for an hour, it was too hot to sit there any longer. Our son in law made enquiries today about our missing cupboard doors today and they were delivered as they were supposed to be on Saturday morning at 10.30. The only problem is they weren’t delivered to us!!! Someone called Jack has signed for them which is stupid because they won’t be of any use to anybody but us,! I just hope they can be traced. For dinner we had chicken pasta, it made us both hot.

July already!!!

I got up just before 7 and had eggs for breakfast I didn’t have enough washing to make a load which is unusual! H said he was just popping upstairs to check the ride he was doing later and would make the coffee in 5 minutes when he came back down. I thought i would read my book till I had drunk my coffee and then I would get dressed etc. I was enjoying the story and quite engrossed when I suddenly thought I was rather thirsty, looked at the time and realised Hs 5 minutes had become over an hour!! I went up to see what was going on. He was sweating away on the bike!! The race he normally rides on Sunday wasn’t on but when he went up to check there was one starting in 2 minutes so he grabbed his shorts and jumped on the bike with seconds to spare. He hadn’t even had time to let me know. I then dressed and sat in the garden for a while. I was going to cycle to our daughters at 10.30 to deliver our grandsons birthday card so at 10.20 I went up to put my cycle shorts on and say goodbye to H. He then said he had almost finished his ride so he would come with me! He had to have a shower etc which made me late! Also, it’s only 4.5 miles to our daughters so when I was leaving hers I intended to take a longer route home. But as H had already done 50 plus miles we just came home again. And our average speed was 8.6 mph!! The slowest I have been since I was about 6. When we got home we  had a sausage sandwich and a glass of wine. We sat in the garden and our no 1 son came round with belated Father’s Day wine. We had a nice catch up with him and then I had a shower and cooked dinner, pizza and chips. A strange Sunday dinner but we enjoyed it. It’s work for me tomorrow.