I GOT MAIL

For several days now I have been waiting for replies for a number of e mails concerning conservation matters, complaints to the planning department and a request for some repair work to our cottage. Today the birds came home to roost....all at once. I shall not bore you with all the details, suffice it to say that I have a red hot key board and aching wrists and I still have several e mails yet to write,

One of my e mails was to what we laughingly refer to as the maintenance manager, a strange individual who takes any request for repairs as a personal affront to his position and generally ignores e. mails and never, I repeat never answers his telephone. To have received a reply is staggering, such a thing has not occurred before, it is very odd!

Last nights rain has done the garden the world of good, I swear that you can actually see things growing, the squashes and pumpkins particularly look vastly improved. The only member of the family not delighted with the rain is of course Twiggy, she has spent the day mooching about the house with a very cross expression, when not roosting on a heap of cushions on Pa's armchair. When at last the rain stopped she tip-toed down the garden path stopping every so often to shake her dainty little paws before sitting gingerly upon the garden swing, she hates to get wet. Cat nip was offered and graciously accepted and after a very silly half hour she returned to the house with her good humour much restored and bearing a squeaking mouse which I confiscated at once. Madam was not amused!

Heroically I tackled a he pile of ironing this afternoon which did very little for my good humour but at least that job is done , for now. The lime trees are in full flower at the moment and I picked some of these fragrant little blossoms to make some lime flower tea. This is one of the nicest and best herbal teas there is and is very effective as a sedative. One cup taken hot or cold before bed time relaxes me wonderfully , two puts me to sleep for several hours. It is one of the few herbal teas which taste nice and it needs no sweetening at all ,this time I made enough for Pa so I hope he will sleep too.

My son is very tired tonight and so we ate a very early dinner of fresh pea soup and crusty bread, now he is tucked up in bed with a cup f Horlicks and I expect to hear snoring any moment.
He sun is shinning now and the garden has begun to steam a little as last nights rain evaporates, I expect that there will be a mist in the morning, if so Twiggy and I will watch it rise while I have some coffee, it is a time of day I love. When I am the only one awake and the house is quiet I do not have to worry about what Pa is up to, It is too early to do any chores and there is no traffic noise to spoil the birdsong...lovely.

Last night I left the window open in order to listen to the sound of the rain such a relaxing sound I always feel and the cool air coming in through the window was filled with the sweet fresh smell of warm damp earth, I slept little but I was happy with my rain drop concert.

Tonight I hope that my lime flower tea will put me gently to sleep, and I wish you all a good night, or day, where ever you are.