Weekend Preparations

Well, the bunting is finally up chez nous!  I love bunting outside in the summer and have been wanting to hang this for ages but thought it would feel more special if we waited until school was out.  

We have these pretty patchwork flags around our front door (we don't use our front door) but then we also have a long string of more traditional UJ bunting right along the garden fence and some across the front windows.  Earlier in the week I tied some to the little storage barn in our garden too: 

The left-over heart-shaped bunting was used in the kitchen over the doorway to the conservatory.

It was quite funny hanging the bunting yesterday evening.  Although we live in a village our house is on a main road and there is a lot of traffic.  People were tooting their horns and waving as as they went past and a few of the neighbours walking their dogs stopped to have a laugh at our mini domestics as I instructed Andrew on where to bang the nails in.  Picture a very tired Andrew, only just home from work with lightly crumpled shirt and five o'clock shadow.  Me, arms laden with long strings of bunting, bouncing around and desperate to get outside.  He was not impressed with my bossy instructions of 'down a bit, up a bit, straighten that flag out!'.  I'd keep making him stand like a lemon holding the bunting in place whilst I nipped across the road to see how it looked.  His face was a picture.  Good job he can laugh about it. Ha!  (We were lying in bed this morning and through the open window could hear our next-door neighbours hanging their own bunting.  It was a similar scenario with Jane telling Rob to 'up a bit, no - move it this way a bit'.  We had to laugh.)

After getting the bunting just right, I was splitting mint in the garden and remembered the stash of limes in the kitchen so decided it would be a good idea to kick off the Jubilee weekend with a round of mojitos. 

As with all homemade cocktails they were a little on the strong side and by the third I needed a bit of lie down.  Lovely though - mojitos are my favourite.

We have got loads planned for the weekend.  J (stepson) is staying with us and I'm not sure he's entirely chuffed about the Jubilee Jig and Pig at the local farm tonight but we're dragging him along anyway.  He can sit in the corner on his phone with a J2O and laugh at our dancing for a bit - won't hurt him.  He says his 'other parents' won't be celebrating the Jubilee so I think it's good that we'll be forcing our celebrations on him.  Something for him to remember when he's old.  The programme for the rest of the weekend includes a bonfire and fireworks at the pub tomorrow night and a bit of a show put on by the local thespians (I use that term loosely!) on Tuesday night.  It's at the Working Men's Club and tickets are £1.  The old ladies in the village are doing a cheerleading routine to 'Night Fever' and the post lady is doing a sand dance - it will be worth every penny!

Before the fun begins we're off to join a spa this morning.  I can't wait - I went for a trial session on Wednesday evening and it was so nice, a real treat.  After that, we're heading to the garden centre for a few more plants and then I'm going to make a lemon drizzle cake and some Jubilee cupcakes.  I love it when J's here - the cakes in the house last about 5 minutes, tops.  I'm so pleased I have two lovely chaps to bake for. 

Nicki 

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