Can't believe it's been a week since I wrote a post but being back in the routine of school/clubs makes the days fly by.

Last weekend was exciting because we had our Village Festival. This is held every other year, usually in June, but was delayed this year due to Covid.  I think, off the top of my head, that this is the fourth one to be held. On the Thursday and Friday there were lots of workshops for the Primary School children to take part in. Unfortunately, on Thursday, it was very wet here in the morning when L went on a heritage trail and did an orienteering activity, both outside. She said she looked like she had been swimming by the time they got back into the classroom! 

On the Friday morning I met a friend so that we could watch the cookery demonstrations in the main marquee. The first was done by the chef at a pub in a nearby village and he made a lovely, very calorific, pudding which had a chocolate biscuit base and a chocolate ganache topping. It was decorated with a tuile biscuit and a fruit compote. The best bit, which we were not expecting, was that he passed around slices for us to taste! Afterwards, there was a demonstration by a Lady who owns Shute Fruit pick your own in the Village, and makes all sorts of preserves and chutneys. Her talk and demonstration was 25 things to do with courgettes. She made about half a dozen things, that again we could try, and gave ideas for others. My friend then stayed on to do a pottery workshop but I headed on home. L had taken part in a puppet workshop in the morning and parents were invited down to the marquee in the afternoon to watch them do a short performance with them. All lovely and a bit of a poignant time as the next time the festival is held I won't have a child at the school.

Saturday, we spent most of the day down at the festival, looking at the stalls, watching viking re-enactments, martial arts displays and L's favourite, the dog show. We came home for some dinner and then went back down in the evening for the live music. Our Village is very musical and there are several really good bands. It was lovely sat outside with a glass of wine listening to them all perform.

Sunday, we were up early and away to World of Country Life in Exmouth. When we had to cancel our holiday in the Lake District due to Covid I had booked a couple of days out to try and make up for it. Then K went and caught Covid as well and all those plans had to be cancelled. Luckily I was able to transfer the tickets I had bought for this attraction. We had a brilliant day out, goat walking (twice), bottle feeding animals, ferret racing and animal handling. There is also a maze and loads of play equipment so we were there nearly until they closed. For some reason we had never heard of it in all the time we have lived in Devon, and only discovered it through me going with the children I childmind  in the holidays. Definitely somewhere to visit again.

Monday the most exciting thing we did was order the carpet for our hall, stairs and landing. This means that Hubby now has to speed up on the decorating to be finished for when it's available to collect. There is still a fair bit of gloss work to do. Unfortunately, his part time job as a mortgage broker has become a bit of a full time one over the last six months due to all the craziness with the housing market and so the house has had to take a bit of a back seat. It's slowly starting to calm down a bit so he's hoping he can squeeze in doing the living room as well before Christmas.

Well I think that's everything for the moment so I'm off to find something I fancy for lunch.