The last two days have consisted of prolonged periods of bottom sitting.

Yesterday, we went to Mottisfont Abbey. It took three hours on the coach each way. My poor bottom was fed up with being sat on by the time we got back.

The picture is of the cellarium. The cellar where wine and foodstuffs would have been stored. It was delicously cool, very beautiful, and resonating with a strange music ‘installation’.

The Abbey is a beautiful old building, with a magnificent rose garden. They were going over really, but you could see what they would have been like a couple of weeks ago. The font (rising stream) was fast flowing and crystal clear. We walked all along the river side walk, both sides and it was lovely. Loads of bright blue damsel flies, and lots of very big fish, possibly mullet.

I really loved this old tree, it was HUGE

this is part of the river side walk, and just by the bridge, the fish were swimming against the flow of the water, catching food

And I don’t know if you can see them, but these are the fish in the river

Today was a Wimbledon fest. Started the day off with some work, which unfortunately for my bottom was desk based. Then Nadal and a very exciting match. Had a quick whizz round half watching Watson, then admired the demolition job of Federer. So not many steps today, but planned a fasting day today, and have not had many calories at all, so that’s all good.

Made some spring greens at dinner, flavoured up with onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Unfortunately, I didn’t wash them well enough, so they were rather gritty. I shall remember that for next time, I still have two thirds of the pack to use.

This afternoon, DP went off to Wickes for something or other and came back with a kitchen brochure. Oooh! He said that there was an offer coming up next week and wanted to plan the kitchen all in a hurry this evening. We were supposed to be creating the space first, then deciding what we wanted to do with it. We got a lot planned tonight however, but I feel all rushed now. There is a lot to think about, comparisons to be made, prices to be researched etc. After all , we don’t do these things very often and I want it to be as right as I can get it.

Tomorrow is coffee with the girls, and then WI lunch club at The Three Cups. Rain is forecast for the weekend, and the garden could really do with it. I may take myself off to see a film, there are several I want to see, so I shall have to choose one of them, before it drops off the screening schedules. I also need to do some more desk based work, and get rid of some more of the dust created by wall knocking down, although DP will probably be doing some more of that tomorrow.

I did some sewing in between the exciting bits this afternoon. I bought a navy pair and a white pair of linen trousers from Simply Be recently. They fitted beautifully, until I washed them. Whereupon they shrunk two inches up the leg, going from a 33″ to 31″, and I can’t stand too short trousers. I ironed them with steam, nope, stretched them down the leg, nope, re-wetted them and stretched them again. That seemed to work, they stretched back out to 33″, and I thought, great! But while they dried, they shrank back up to 31″. Damn. So this afternoon, I let down the hem, and made a new, tiny, hem, gaining back 1.5″, and re-pressed them. I shall complain as that isn’t good enough. I didn’t want to send them back, as the only other things I have to wear are jeans, and they are far too hot in this heat. or dresses, which I don’t wear very often, much prefer trousers.