WHAT A LOVELY MORNING!

I had arranged to meet my “newish” Church friend, Louise, in a café where she lives in Calne, which is about 15 miles away from where we live.  This would probably not cause any issue for many of you, but I was a bit concerned, because it is the longest journey I have undertaken on my own for quite sometime - probably more than a year, in fact.

I know that Mr. HCB would have come with me, had I asked him, but I needed to do this, so off I went.  I don’t drive that fast - in fact, when the speed limit is 40, I got at 40, but obviously, those who travel the road daily don’t like obeying the speed limit and I got lots of “honks and fists”, but I just carried on in my own sweet way.  There were also lots of roadworks, so it took as long as it took.

I met up with Louise a bit later than we had planned, as Mrs. Satnag took me on the scenic route, but it didn’t matter.  Louise was very gracious and even treated me to a coffee!  We then waited for Julie, another friend to arrive and then we had a good chat about different things, including how hard it was to be a mother who wanted to make everything right for her children, however old they are, but couldn’t!  I guess many of us who are mothers feel like that, but it was good to speak to others who felt the same way.

After that we went to the Calne Christian Bookshop and what a find!  Downstairs were new Bibles and various books and cards, but upstairs - WOW - what a wonderful array of books - all second hand and ALL just 50p each - what a bargain.  I picked up one that I particularly liked, but then on wandering around the shop, put it down somewhere and then couldn’t find it again!!  What am I like?

Of course, that means I will have to go back and I’m sure I will one day soon.  Louise, however, very sensibly kept hold of her “treasure” and I’m sure will enjoy reading it.  Interestingly, all the secondhand Bibles were FREE!  I did resist buying another one though, because I already have plenty of different versions.

Whilst wandering about downstairs, this lovely little marmalade coloured cat, called Catrina, according to the label, jumped into my basket.  I couldn’t resist her and thought she would make a good companion for Puss In Boots, kindly sent to me by a Blip friend and I'm sure she will fit in very well with the Silly Saturday Gang!

When we left the bookshop, we saw another shop that sold lots of different clothes, so went in there for a browse and I bought a beautiful gilet, paler in colour than my bright pink one - in fact, the colour of the outside of my collage today.  I did say to Louise that Mr. HCB would be saying I couldn’t go out with her again! 

The daffodils were nodding their heads in the wind and rain as I walked back to the car and I even saw two bright red telephone boxes, that are still in use - and you don’t see many these days.

I took my leave of Louise, thanking her for a lovely morning and drove back home, thrilled with my purchases - and of course, Mr. HCB didn’t mind at all - well he said he didn’t!  

From a grey morning, it is turning into a miserable, rainy day, so I’m glad to be back home.  Mr. HCB was a bit upset when I got home because he had gone to get his dahlia tubers out of the garage, where they had been stored all winter, only to find they had all gone mouldy so they had to be consigned to the green bin.  Such a shame, but it’s the first time he has stored them, so he said he needs to look into what he did wrong.  I’m sure that Alan Titchmarsh will be able to help him and I have no doubt we will buy some more when we are next near a Garden Centre!