Lulu says - you have a Very Dirty Elbow!

 This is part of the wake-up routine.  Alfie miows in my ear or taps me, Pippi pretends she wants a lie-in because I didn't go to bed when she TOLD me (by 10 p.m. she sits on the stairs meowing Time For Bed!!).  Lulu licks my elbow briskly until I get up!

It's Laburnum time.

Well, considering that yesterday was meant to be a resting day, it didn't end up that way and I was busy.  I took out the recycling to the end of the lane, including the wheelie bin.

Bluebells and Stitchwort, from my walk

I went down to town for bits and bobs and needed more compost.  3 bags were cheaper than two, so had to unload those.  Also unloaded all the planters/pots before I started.  I did some strimming in the bottom end of the orchard (hands went wobbly after 10 mins of that!! so I had to rest and go back to it.) 

I stripped the bed, did two lots of washing and put them out to dry - the sun was very hot - and finally made the bed up late afternoon, with some "help" from Pippi, as ever.  The bedding looked like it had been ironed to start with but by the time Pippi had had her usual fight with the duvet cover (Pippi 1, duvet cover nil), it ended very crumpled. I took the top half of the electric blanket off and washed and dried that too.

Then I sat down in the sunshine with Luna Lapin and did "modifications" - so much awful ugly stitching which I have tried to replace with nearly invisible.  It was hot out there . . .

As you can see - room for improvement!

The sun's glare has taken the colouring out of the pretty pattern.  I will have to take an indoors photo today.  A great improvement though.

I had a walk up to my friend Chris's but didn't enjoy it as too hot and my back was hurting by that time from the lifting. Today's walk is going to be on the flat and as soon as I've finished this. 

I took the last of the photos to send for valuation for probate (found the auction in Cardiff I was looking for and they do free valuations).

I made a lovely chicken and veg risotto for my tea (and tonight too) and the other half of the chicken pieces in the freezer for later.  Then I had a bath and washed my hair.

More Luna Lapin stitching at the end of the day, but I finally found "Astrid", the French tv series about an autistic archivist who becomes a criminologist.  (UK did its own version this year but I wanted to see what inspired it).  Excellent, but all in French with subtitles, so stitching was slow progress.