A leisurely day

 And would you believe, I ended up covered in yet MORE bites.  I am really fed up with this - never been bitten to pieces like this before.  Thinking back, it may have been when I lifted up a pile of cut back stems which I had left on the lawn, and carried it to chuck on the compost heap in the back triangle.  Though I had some on the back of my legs and around my VPL too . . .  This, despite having sprayed myself with Avon Skin so Soft earlier (and that is given to Marines on Jungle Patrol as it works)!  Clearly I didn't spray enough.  I shall stay indoors today though there is SO much in the garden which needs doing.

I had a letter from my Dorset friend Danette and decided to sit down and write a reply straight away - writing rather than typing as I usually do.  It was therapeutic sitting outside at the patio set and listening to the gentle sounds of country life.

Then I went foraging for blackberries and to see where the best haul of Sloes were when it's time to pick them.  I got jut under two pounds of blackberries and added the last of last year's blackberries from the freezer, and two windfall cooking apples from Pam's tree, and have had the jelly bag set up overnight for Bramble Jelly.  Some of the nicest ones are from the brambles growing through my Rhododendron bushes at the back of the garden, so I didn't have to go far for those.

So that will be my first job after breakfast.  My other friend Pam gave me some more jam jars this week, so I shan't run out in a hurry.  Then I shall bake some Manderin Orange Muffins.  I need a couple to take for breakfast/lunch at Malvern tomorrow.

It made 4 jars - you can just see the smaller one at the back.  I used some jam sugar, topped up with granulated, and brought it slowly to the boil, by which time, when I stirred it, it was already flaking off the spoon so I got it in the jars in record time! I'd cooked it up yesterday with the juice of a lemon, so that probably made the difference.

Late afternoon I began to get this sorted out, starting to make the templates for the various components.  That wall is going to take some doing! There are some lovely patterned fabrics to use though, and it will make a nice addition to my half landing of things I have x-stitched (and ones that Gay did as well, as gifts).

You can't see the tents very clearly, but lots of people staying on the showground for the Big Truck Festival this weekend.  Not something I will be going to!

Enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend all.