Everlasting...

...sweet peas climbing rampantly though my shrubs in my garden. I love their vibrant 'in your face' colour and the fact that they come back year after year. I planted them as I had a marvellous bush of them outside my front door when I lived in Nesle Hodeng in Normandy in the late '90s and each summer they remind me of that wonderful couple of years.

Work went surprisingly well given that I arrived to an email from my assistant to say she'd been signed off til next Thursday - just as I'm about to go on a week's holiday.... I have had to prevail upon another colleague's good nature (not something he has in abundance) and I was quite surprised by how readily and graciously he agreed to help me and her out while I am away. He did say it was in recognition of my having helped him while he was away in July so maybe I am teaching him something about team work after all! I hope I'm not counting my chickens...

So, it was very quiet in work today, which was a good thing and I was able to get my head down and turn around my work and also make a good start on my holiday notes for my colleague to help him pick things up in my absence. I am quite hopeful that I will be able to finish things off by close of business tomorrow, without having to stay late. I'm going to do my best anyway.

I picked up some more sand for the garden wall and was hugely surprised by the really helpful young man who basically did everything for me, including loading my car. I thanked him profusely.

On getting home, I fed Lottie and got some washing on. I acted as sous chef for dinner which was a Thai red curry and was delicious. My friend who I am going away with called and we had an excited chat about our plans. That got me in the holiday mood. I then watched The Honourable Woman but found myself falling asleep so am retiring to bed early.