Blimey that was a busy one!!

I'm exhausted! I need another long weekend to recover from that one I think.

Friday night was a friend's 50th party, so Mr D and I pulled on some glad rags and off we went. We've know M since before we were married - in fact she played quite a big part in bringing us together in the first place, so it was good to share her special celebration.

Saturday morning was an early start as we were on the road by half six, off up to Derby to take our eldest up for her GEM (graduate entry medicine) Open day. We dropped her off, then drove across to Nottingham to meet up with my sister and her family for a chat, a walk along the River Trent and lunch out. Then it was back to Derby to pick up our eldest daughter before setting off back down the M1 to come home. On an aside, I took my eldest daughter to an Open day at Nottingham Uni, where she did her first degree, approximately five years ago - the road works on the M1 are STILL there!! 

Sunday involved a trip to town. It's been so long since I had to go shopping in town that I was on the verge of palpitations. I quite literally had to 'pull myself together' whilst getting some items in Boots! Seems ridiculous, but I was too hot, there were too many people and the whole thing was utterly overwhelming. Still, we got what we needed and I didn't have to pay a penny for my shopping in Boots because I had points on my card, which cheered me up a bit :) In the evening, we went off to Isleworth to see some friends who have three young children (a 3 yr old and 1 yr old twins!). Mr D and I are about ten years older than they are and we have no idea how they do it - it's absolutely non stop! By the time we arrived back home on Monday morning, all I really wanted to do was have a sit down in a darkened room with a cuppa.

However, we went to the garden centre to fetch the supplies I needed for the next batch of planting in my attempt to grow as much of our own fruit and veg as possible. Fortunately I had a good amount of garden vouchers I'd received as gifts, so I didn't spend any money there either.

The lawn was mowed; beetroot, celeriac and celery were planted; plants were transplanted to make way for vegetables; the trellis was set up for the cucumbers to be planted along the fence a little later in the month; aubergines were transplanted into the next size pot; chickens were cleaned out; paths were swept; two swathes of mallow flowers that I had grown from free seed were planted;  rocket, salad leaves and pea shoots were sown in long troughs and a bit of judicial pruning and weeding was carried out.

Not a bad days work.

We then made sweet potato and butter bean burgers with home made chips. They were meant to be carrot and butter bean, but bizarrely I couldn't find the bag of carrots I was sure I'd bought, so I substituted mashed sweet potato and added some smoked paprika flavouring. They were very tasty. 

By the time I went to bed last night, I felt like we'd done at least a week's worth of activity. No doubt many of you were also extremely busy. I have to say the productive busy in my garden makes me feel the most satisfied, even though it is lovely getting out and about catching up with friends and family. 

It's a grey and windy day today, so I'm going to do some house work accompanied by loud music on my iPod x