A few official wedding photos

Wonderful - Thank you Amelia

A very long day!

Yesterday was one of the longest days ever! Nice but tiring.

It was my cousins wedding and quite an early one. Up getting ready at 7.30, last minute shopping to be done as no chicken pellets left, ironing, dropping the two dogs off at my friends, to try and get to Epsom by 11.30. Obviously we were late but hey at least we did beat the bride. 

A very nice wedding and the bride looked extremely happy.

The reception was in an Italian restaurant and although small it was really pretty, quite crowded once everybody had arrived, but intimate and very friendly.

Seating was allocated to the oldies and pregnant and I'm pleased to say that I didn't qualify in either category, even though I feel sometimes that I should, the oldies not the pregnant...

Even the photographer struggled to get through the standing at points, but he kept going

No traditional wedding cake, but they didn't need one as they had these lovely cheesecakes, which was a great idea and looked very elegant.

After standing for a few hours it was time for us to move on to our next engagement. A games weekend at Rhiannon's in-laws. This is a yearly event and the first one we had attended and both my daughters were already there when we arrived. First things first though and my priority was getting changed from the wedding outfit into much more casual and warm attire, it was so cold yesterday and its the middle of June!! But on went the socks and boots and I felt much better and much more like me. 

The games weekend consists mostly of Bridge, no idea how thats played, but there is something for everyone, from board games, to Jenga and everything in between. There are tables set up around the garden and indoors and people go off and choose what they want to play, or just sit and watch. All the time eating, drinking and generally being looked after. Minna works so hard on catering for the weekend and its all great, how she so calmly does it I don't know but everything is very relaxed.

Bridge players are dedicated and tough out the weather, me I sat indoors, in the relative warmth.

Midnight arrived and it was time for Poker, now this is fun even though I'm not very good, but hey I'm came third and got my £2.00 stake back.

We left at 2am and would you believe that we got stuck in a traffic queue on the M25 (due to road works) on the way home, well actually its not that much of a surprise, there must be far too much budget for traffic cones here in the UK.

Home at last and at 3am finally in my bed, heaven! Oh but I am sooo tired today and back to work tomorrow :( 

Allotment update

Its been a slow start to the year, what with the cold snap take took over the spring. But things are starting to happen at last, although looking at the whole picture it's still a bit sparse.

See the compost heap at the back, thats where a couple of the courgette's are and they seem very content.

The climbing beans, broad beans and peas are finally making headway.  

Mind you not many peas make it back to the kitchen, they get eaten as soon as they are picked, by me!

The onions are doing well

The sweetcorn is getting there

And after a second sowing the beetroot is taking hold

Did you know that we have parakeets here, I didn't and in the allotment the are a real pain. They come early in the morning and eat the fruits, So far we have managed to rescue some black currants and they are now ripening. I really am hoping for enough to make jam this year.

Oh and look what our allotment neighbour has, I couldn't go without a picture of some peonies!

Lovely

Cabbages and Roses

Its been raining and the cabbages look like they have had little elves come in over night to decorate them in crystals. 

The roses too

Lovely, but that's enough pictures of cabbages and roses for a while I think, I must find something else to get enthusiastic about.

Back to work

I've now been back at work for two weeks and feel like I have never been away. From the word go I have had that awful Monday morning sinking feeling, but its everyday, well all the time if I'm honest. My domestic housewife persona has well and truly left me, I'm more snappy and quite unhappy really. I definitely need to rethink the time that I spend in the office over the next five or six weeks or I might just go insane!!

On the plus side, things are still blooming in the garden, not much grass yet but it will come in time I'm sure.

The climbing rose is now flowering.

More peonies in bud.

The chicken eaten Cistus (Rock Rose) is flowering well, even though the bottom half is completely missing.

The beans are coming up a treat and just look at my beautiful cabbages. One definite benefit of the chickens is the lack of slugs in the garden this year  - perfect.

The herb bed is looking great too.

And along with the french radishes and normal round red ones we also have these beauties ready for the table.

This year I also have flowers that have just popped up out of nowhere. 

A lovely Iris

And in the front garden two different coloured Foxgloves, pink ones and this white one, with its beautiful markings. The bees love them.