Monday 6th October 2014

Sunday.

Hmmm, manual labour, something I have not done for some while, and so when I awoke on Sunday morning, bits of me ached that I had forgotten I had. The rain had cleared and there was a glorious sunrise. We shared the two remaining croissants and I sat down to watch MOTD so delaying our working outside as to not wake the neighbours.



At nine the work began, which was the removing of the plants we did not want, carrying buckets and buckets of manure and compost from the various storage locations in the back garden, round to the front, spreading it on the garden. What was needed was a way of breaking up the ground, so mix the tired soil and the good news stuff. I remember a tool I had seen the day before, so we went to B&Q to buy one, being whilst not being the types that were queuing when the DIY store opened its door, we were there well before eleven.



Back home I cook bacon butties and make a cuppa, so fortified with the goodness of smoked streaky bacon, we take to the garden, me to the front to mix in the soils with the swirly tool thing. More manual work. Thimg is I had thought it would be easy, but the ground too hard after so little rain, meant having to thrust the tool into the soil and then turning it to break the soil. At least the garden was not bing. So, I plod on, finishing the garden some time after one, and taking to the sofa, listening to the footy on the radio, and willing that Everton would beat man Utd, but it was not to be.

Due to the complex rights issues, this meant listing to Talk Sport, which was then doubled as the Chelsea v Arsenal game was on that station too. Bah, more Stan Collymore. Anyway, it was a pleasant way to spend the day, and even more so when I popped the chicken in the oven, stuffed with four cloves of smoked garlic. Once done, I pureed the garlic and mixed it in with the juices to make the gravy. Garlic chicken gravy, very nice indeed. We had loads of veggies, a couple of Yorkshire puddings and a bottle of wine too. Lovely.



We sat outside later, under the canopy of stars illuminated by a moon which is already three quarter full. Despite the warmth of the day, it is now the first week in October, and it felt chilly. We drank our coffee and ate the panna cotta Jools had bought earlier that day. We went inside, shivering.

And that was your weekend, just five days until your next one!