My day off today and I treated myself to a little shopping. As it turned out my retail therapy extended to buying only a knife and a fork. Not a matching pair though as the knife is a little butter spreader and the fork is a garden fork. In fact it isn’t a garden fork, it is a border fork. Border forks are smaller than the big hefty garden forks and easier for a cissy girl to manhandle, or rather woman-handle. It is a fine piece of kit actually, made in the classic style; the handle is a lovely piece of wood tapering to a sleek smooth shaft and shiny stainless steel tines. I wasn’t expecting to buy a new one at present but having misplaced my trusty friend that has been with me for donkey’s ages I impulsively took off to town and treated myself to this rather elegant tool.

The butter spreader is an addition to my quirky little collection………..of butter spreaders. I am amassing a set of butter spreaders for the Open Garden events I’m doing but it is just an excuse to buy these gorgeous little things – they are from Steamer Trading and all with different coloured and patterned handles. I have five now and am aiming for eight. They are for the cream teas. I want black and white (or clear glass) crockery and the little splashes of colour from the spreaders. Just one of my mad ideas! I am quite excited about it really. I managed to find an hour or so in the afternoon to work on my veggie plot, mostly tidying and sweeping but a little light digging too.

This post is rather domestic really but there are days like this when I love to be here and comfortable with my home and my garden with the cats and robins for company and nobody popping in and out much. A homey day. I made a nice vegetable stew for dinner with a couple of extra ingredients to make it interesting i.e. stout and chocolate so the house now smells warm and yummy.

And later on I shall be off to Morris dancing practice. It has been a mellow day off but it’s the sort of day off that makes me want another one sooner than I can have one.