FLOWER FRIDAY - AND A BLIPMEET LUNCH AND CHAT

The beauty of early mornings is that there is no-one about and you can sing to your heart’s content as you walk along - I’m not sure whether the houses I pass and those still in bed appreciate my singing, but it makes me feel better.  I have a “Walking Playlist” on my phone, with all my favourite songs, and I know them all so well, so I can singalong with gusto.  One of the songs that a friend introduced to me is called Lean Back and it has the lines: 

“You’ve brought me here to rest 
And given me space to breathe
So I’ll stay until it sinks in…”

I wasn’t out for too long this morning, but when I got back home, I could see that the bedroom curtains were still drawn, so as Mr. HCB wasn’t yet up, I went out into the garden looking for flowers to make a collage.  There are lots still blooming, although sadly the high winds are buffeting them around quite a lot, but it was quite a productive few minutes and again, I enjoyed the peace and quiet and managed to find quite a few.

I had my breakfast and first cup of coffee before Mr. HCB surfaced - which is quite unusual for him, but we then had a little chat about our plan for the day - and there usually is a plan! We needed to move one or two things around in the garden and having got some bargains when I was out the other day, Mr. HCB was anxious to find the right place to put the new plant.  

I had been talking to Mr. HCB about buying a Himalayan Honeysuckle, the common name of Lycesteria Formosa only the night before and was especially thrilled, when I went to Hilliers Garden Centre at Lechlade to find one, reduced from £29.99 to £10, so of course, I grabbed it!  I then found a very large pot, with a slight crack, so having been reduced from £59.99 to £29.99, I “sweet-talked” the man who served me into reducing it again to £14.99.  I was now on a roll because I saw two thornless blackberries, which I knew our lovely next door neighbours, Lynn and Mike, had been thinking of buying and as they were reduced too, I grabbed those.  I do love a bargain! 

Our Blip friend, Heidi, called just before midday on her way home from a camping trip to Bristol and after checking with me earlier in the week, had arranged for a man to come and repair her windscreen at our house because it had a stone chip.  She wasn’t able to get an appointment at her own house until the middle of next week, so it seemed the sensible thing to do and the lovely man who came to do it only took about half an hour.  

Sadly we weren’t able to eat in the garden, because it was raining - so it was a “make-your-own” Marmite and home-grown cucumber sandwiches in the conservatory - see extra.  However, we didn’t have any old bread, but sourdough bread from the Bertinet Bakery at Waitrose - and then had strawberries and trifle to follow.  We had a lovely time together but then we always do when Heidi comes - mind you she and Mr. HCB often gang up on me - so I had to be prepared to “fight my corner”!

Before we knew it, the time had gone - it was 4.45 p.m. and we hadn’t stopped chatting, so Heidi has now left to visit Ikea on her way home.  I told Mr. HCB that I’m not cooking this evening, and Heidi said she was still full after our lunch, so she won’t cook either.  Ours are not the usual Blipmeets - we don’t take lots of photographs but we do have lots of chats about many different things, and we always love seeing Heidi.  

“Sometimes, just spending some quality time 
     with good friends is the only therapy you need.”
Anon