Mid-August ALREADY

Last week we were swimming in the sea and planning to do it each day but this is England and you can't make sunny plans. The wind and rain have been lashing at the windows and the Charity Christmas card catalogues are dropping on the doormat. I wish they wouldn't be in such a hurry to move us on to the next season. Slow down it's Summer.
It has been a tremendous year for figs and I made four kilos of jam yesterday and have enough figs to make forty kilos more. I would if I were not so busy making my bags. Cutting, printing, stitching -
and everyday someone somewhere in the world opens a package and writes to say how much they love their bag. They don't have to do that and it makes me feel very lucky. And maybe next week the sun will return and I'll go back in the sea.

August

I'm optimistic about this month as it began with sunshine and a dip in the sea. I know a lot of people will think me crazy for enjoying a swim in the English Channel but there is nothing quite like it for making you feel alive and zingy. Then to sit with your back resting on a warm sea wall watching the late afternoon sun shining golden on beach while the salty water dries on your skin.
Lovley! Yesterday evening groups of people were lighting barbecues and opening bottles of wine and to think only a week before the storms were raging. An on the subject of outdoor cooking -
last week I read that we must not use disposable barbecues as they are very bad environmental news - so it's a bucket and some local charcoal from now on - okay?
I was actually staggered to read the numbers of disposables sold each week in the summer and its the same old story - everyone says they are just using the one so it can't make too much impact but it does.