Osteospermum

... apparently! CleanSteve bought and potted these up at the weekend. I like the African Sunset colours, as I call them.

It's been a sad day. We knew about the recent deaths of two women in our street in unclear circumstances. What we didn't know until last night is that we knew one of the women. She lived at the other end of the street and home-educated her seven children, all boys. We'd see them all passing our house on the way to the woods for some outdoor education. It is a great shock, for the whole community. She was 41. CleanSteve went to the funeral today. at our nearest church, as I was at work. (We are short-staffed, which is why I did not go).

Afterwards, I went to a visit a friend, who was a bit down, too. We've arranged to meet in Gloucester on Thursday. I've been taking buses as opposed to walking, this afternoon, as my friend lives on the other side of Stroud, and my workplace is in the middle. It is far too hot to walk up hills! On the final bus to the hospital (nearest I can get to my home by bus is often the cemetery or hospital!) there were three adults with learning difficulties who were extremely jolly. One of them said it was his 50th birthday, and that he'd had one drink already.

"One?" queried the driver. "Don't you mean one an hour? Better not have any more!"

They tumbled off the bus at the same spot as me, one of them lugging an enormous resin suitcase with the St George's flag on it. I walked along one street, they chose another. On arriving home, I witnessed England's televised departure from the FIFA World Cup. Goodbye, St George! Normality has been resumed.