Home

A slightly exhausting journey home - mainly because of the early start (and my sharing a bed last night with an unnecessarily wriggly boy).  But no-one spotted that we had waaaaay too much hand luggage, the car started in Toulouse (and it seems that contrary to my recollection, I had locked it) and the house was as we had left it.  Apart from the dead bat outside the bathroom door.

Generally the first thing I want to do when I get home (after checking that the computer is still there!) is to check on the garden.  I wander around saying hello (quite literally - well, there's no-one to hear me) to some old friends, complimenting plants that have grown or bloomed particularly well in my absence and generally just being very happy that not everything has died.  (The ability of plants to just survive is always a marvel to me - despite my woeful lack of care for them.)

But sometimes flowers have gracefully faded, and this dead allium bloom was particularly attractive.

The kids had school this afternoon, while I cleaned like a demon (nothing like being away from home to make you realise how filthy your house really is!) I did manage though to find a few minutes to enjoy the warmth on the terrace, before the holiday feeling melted away and four baskets of ironing beckoned....  Back to reality!