A long weekend round-up

My weekend starts now at 12.15 on a Friday and I love having Friday afternoons off. The only time I don't is when my manager is on holiday and I have to hold the fort which will be the next two Fridays. - d'oh!

Anyway, back to last Friday - the beginning of a long weekend here with Bank Holiday Monday to look forward to and what better way to start it than with a picnic with Penny! We went to Hadleigh Castle (near where they held the mountain biking for the Olympics) and although the sun was not out we still had a lovely picnic and walk.

Photo created with Diptic

Saturday dawned grey and cloudy. I was up early and had the cats fed, the chickens let out, the litter tray redone and the ironing completed by 9.30am! Hugh and I walked into town - it drizzled slightly, but was warm, so not a problem. We got our bits of shopping done and returned home. Hugh decided to paint the shed and I got out my scrapbooking bits and pieces (3 layouts completed!). Hugh found a frog whilst moving things to paint the shed and Penny moved it to a safer place.

We then had one of the most massive thunderstorms that I have every experienced! It lasted for well over an hour - the rain was coming down so hard I could harldy hear anything else apart from the rain pelting down when I was in the conservatory! We took advantage of a lull and ran out to the car and drove to Braintree to take Penny out for a celebration meal - celebrating her successful completion of her college course (with distinction) and getting her place at university.

Sunday was a lovely, sunny day. Again I was up early (just can't sleep in when the weather is nice!) and got all my jobs done, including cleaning out the chickens and the dreaded ironing. I then got out my Tefal jam maker and made some peach jam, which I had been itching to have a go at! I had also decided at the begining of the weekend that I was going to give myself as much time for scrapping as I could and so I then got all my bits and pieces out and spent the afternoon scrapping - with a short interlude to take Penny to Basildon so we could indulge in some Thorntons chocolate!

Bank Holiday Monday I woke at 6am with a headache :( I went downstairs and had a drink and took some pills and then relaxed in the lounge so as not to disturb Hugh - however, he appeared after about half an hour to find out how I was! We relaxed in the lounge, reading all about the lion that has been sighted in Essex (!) and then got dressed and had breakfast - a treat for Hugh as I did him a full English.

After a walk into town to get a bit of shopping I made some 'Hairy Dieters' low cal meat pies to put into the freezer. The day was then our own, so Hugh worked in his railway shed, completing some scenery and I did some scrapbooking (what a surprise!).

 Penny played games on her computer (she is now baking a cake - mmm!) and the cats lurked around the garden, keeping an eye on the chickens. The apples on our trees are almost ready to be picked - apple and blackberry jam and some more apple chutney to be made I think!

Well, it has been a very relaxing weekend. I am not really looking forward to going back to work tomorrow - I am in charge and I never feel really easy about that. I have a good team, but don't like the responsiblity, which is why I am not the boss! Next weekend promises to be busy with our first trip to Folkestone to move Penny into her flat - lots of photos to be taken. Hoping you all had a nice weekend, whether it was long or the normal length!