Holiday mode. Enough is enough.

It seems like yesterday that we arrived back from the south of France, but in fact we have been home for nearly three weeks.  I have just checked the diary.   But what have I achieved in that time?  For the first two weeks, very little, as I was still in holiday mode.  I read books, listened to a story, read everything on social media sites, had an afternoon snooze each day, and went for long walks.  And closely followed the news about Brexit.

Brexit!  A tough Brexit, according to our Prime Minister, Theresa May.   Whatever that may be, but it certainly spells out prospective doom and gloom for the country.   A country that has very little to sell, and much to import, that has not invested in industry infrastructure for more than a hundred years, and which has great inequalities of wealth.   A country that is intertwined with Europe, and who receives subsidies for farmers, sport, universities and rebuilding. to name a few.  Does a 'tough Brexit', or a 'hard Brexit', or a Brexit means Brexit' mean Great Britain will reject the European Union completely? At the moment there is plenty of delusional thinking and talking, for sure.

Statements from the recent Conservative annual conference does not instill confidence.  Irrational statements about replacing foreign doctors, firms providing lists of foreign workers, and letters being sent to non GB citizens informing them of a date to leave the country.  They were all retracted later in the conference.    

I have a feeling that the Conservative Cabinet members, who are not willing to discuss plans with the party as a whole, or willing to enter into any debate, and who seem to be alienating members of the European Union, actually do not appear to have any plans anyway.   

In the meantime we carry on as usual.  

On the ferry back there were about fifteen coaches, plus a fleet of mini buses, mostly with noisy teenagers aboard.   Luckily it was a smooth crossing because there was no room to move, all chairs were used.

The white cliffs of Dover.   Or rather the slightly off white cliffs of Dover.   However they still look remarkable.  The light was amazing and we could see the cliffs as soon as we left the port of Calais.

My poor rhubarb.   A victim of the extraordinary hot and dry weather, late in the season.   I realise that rhubarb starts to die off in autumn but usually not so early.  Anyway I have heaped compost and chicken manure on it, and watered it well, so fingers crossed no permanent damage has been done.

Emma and Steve came to the rescue with a bag of rhubarb.   Their rhubarb patch, which I am sure is fed with water from a spring, is still gong strong.   

There were feathers scattered over the lawn at the back.  The owner of the feathers was the victim of a fox.   Oh well that is nature I guess.   The fox needs to eat and feed its young.

What a mess!

This week I decided enough was enough.   I have made a 'to do' list.   And amazingly I have made a start on it.   Otherwise it will be the end of November, and I will be frantically running around trying to get everything completed before we head off to Australia.

Rushing around at the last minute does not work, as I found when I opened the bag of light bulbs in September. Aaron had given me them to me last May, and I hurredly put them in the cupboard, intending to put them away when I had time.  A big mistake.  I must have thrown red onions in the bag also, and forgot about them.   By September I had a very smelly bag of mushy red onions which had spread their juice all over the light bulbs.   All I could do was throw the lot in the bin.  My apologies, Aaron.   Less haste and more speed, so they say.

One of my first jobs has been to organise the photos for my blogs, and actually write one.