High summer

I'm abandoning any romantic ideas I had of maybe one day moving to a Greek island. And I know I'm one of those who complains about the weather here in the North West (rainy, in case you hadn't guessed). But now we're on the brink of a heatwave I'm actually starting to miss the chilly breezes and drizzle.

It's just too hot. The garden's looking tired and a bit singed around the edges. Everything seems so much of an effort. I'm not alone in this but there are a few friends of mine who are delighting in this incessant heat and it makes me wonder if I'm just a miserable so-and-so. I struggled with prickly heat as a child and have always loved autumn and winter. So my thoughts have been turning to the colder months.

I'm sorely tempted to sort through my wardrobe and look at my cold-weather clothes. I've knitted two pairs of wristwarmers. And I have a stall booked at a vintage and craft fair at the end of September, so have been out looking for treasures. The sideboard is slowly but surely becoming stocked up ready for the big event but there's still lots to do.

Here's a list of what I do like about summer:

Strawberries, cherries and raspberries

New potatoes and asparagus

Not having to buy flowers for the house

Bees and butterflies (when the latter don't lay eggs on the cabbages)

Pimms, G&T, cold beer

Going barefoot (Joe and me both)

Eating outdoors

Light evenings

Using sunscreen instead of daycream

Barbecues

Peonies, dahlias and roses

Sandals and painted toenails.

There. That cheers me up. I'm still sending Jay up to the loft to dig the fan out though.