It’s been a really busy week since my grandchildren went home. it always feels a bit flat after family have been staying. and it takes a couple of days to return to normal. Whatever that is. Anyway, here is a quick rundown of the last seven days.

We seem to be nearing the back end of Summer now. John always used to say when the rowan berries turned red, Autumn had arrived. I always disagreed with that, though. I prefer to hold on until September before finally turning in the flip flops.

And Summer is still here - the flowers are blooming and I am happily filling vases and jugs with tiny posies to place around the house. These scented lilies look perfect in the milk jug from my Mother’s wedding china.

I was involved in organising a community showcase event, this week, and it was such a fantastic evening. What an amazing array of local produce and creative work was on display, and some delicious food too.

Mind you, there have been some signs of a seasonal shift this week, as a boy had his first day at High School. It all went well, and he's glad to be there. It kind of loomed over the holidays a bit.

One of my neighbours makes the most delicious sourdough bread, and was demonstrating this at our event. He was kind enoug, afterwards, to give me a bowl of starter dough and so we enjoyed some delicious home baked bread. I baked it in a cast iron pot and I was really pleased at how it turned out.

A simple summer breakfast of a handful of strawberries, rinsed with the hose, as I was watering the polycrub, one morning, and the remnants added straight to the compost heap.

And these darker nights mean that we suddenly notice the moon once more - and what a beauty it was.

Wishing you all a peaceful seven days ahead. xx