(not really) Family Day

So...
This 'Monday is "family day" ' thing is out of the window.
Monday is Richard's day off. That's all. And even then he has to answer calls and deal with shop-related stuff. And we pretty much can't have Gemma and Joel spend the day with us because they're usually doing other things.
Ho hum.

No, Monday is "a kind of a day off with some of the family but there's no getting away from running a small business, ever".

With that new definition, today went really bloody well actually thank you very much.

Richard, Tess and I went back to Marwood Hill Gardens today. We spent a few hours exploring and chilling, eating and hanging out. I heard the phrase "connect with your inner tortoise" on the radio this morning and I think we had a jolly good bash at doing that. For the time of year everything is still looking pretty lush and colourful. I'm a big fan of late summer, tall floppy flowers, and easy going temperatures. The gardens are in a valley and - as in most of North Devon - every direction was quite a climb. (People in North Devon have good thighs.) So, although it was a bit chillier than we've been used to recently, we soon warmed up.

After a lovely, big, well-earned, lovely, slurpy cuppa, we went to pick up Gemma from town. She had an interview today with a well-known foody pub emporium, and has to go back on Saturday for a trial. Unpaid of course. :(

We then whizzed up to Sainsbury's for some provisions and still had time for a walk on the beach after that. Tess insisted on going in the sea (brrr) but there was a ridiculous number of jellyfish around and she didn't have much fun. I waded in the sea up to my knees and the feeling of cold dead jellyfish flapping around your legs really is pretty unpleasant.

I've put today's photos of Marwood Hill Gardens on Flickr . Wonderful place.