Lovely meal, garden plans and doggy cancer :(

 The anniversary carvery lunch yesterday was really nice, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.  The vegetarian option didn't appeal - some sort of fake chicken thing that looked unappetising - so I just had the veggies, no problem as there was loads to choose from and when I do a roast at home I frequently have just the veggies anyway.  I had lovely crispy roast potatoes and parsnips, root veg mash, potato dauphinoise, cauli cheese, peas, stuffing balls and a Yorkie pud, plus gravy and cranberry sauce.  It was all delicious (other than the peas which were a bit like bullets) and I was totally full up.  Husband had beef and gammon, both of which he said were very tasty, the beef was nicely pink in the middle.  We didn't have desserts, too full (not that I eat desserts out anyway, far too sweet and sickly for my taste) and didn't linger too long in there after eating, as the place was full of families, it being a holiday weekend.  We enjoyed it though and will probably take sister there next week, it should be quieter then.

It was a funny old day weather wise, a mixture of sunshine and heavy showers - it was raining quite hard when we arrived at the restaurant, but dry and sunny when we came out.  At least we didn't have to water the garden or Betty's lawn.  We should have the first of our homegrown radishes and carrots in a week's time, something to look forward to.  The courgettes, mini cucumbers and tomato plants are all growing strongly but it'll be another month or so before we get a harvest from them.  The potatoes are doing well too, husband has already covered them with more compost twice (they're growing in bags).

This coming week is forecast to be mixed, weatherwise, and cooler than last week but that's ok, I want to do work in the garden and can't when it's too hot and sunny.  The side bed that has a large white-flowered hebe and loads of bluebells in it now needs clearing, as the bluebells have died back.  The big hebe also needs some pruning, it's getting massive.  I can already see some plants that weren't very visible or identifiable during the winter and whilst the masses of bluebells were in flower.  There's another hebe, a smaller purple one, a couple of roses and a clematis starting to climb up the back wall, plus a couple of other plants that are as yet not in flower so I'm not sure what they are.  Weeds are growing like mad, especially in the paving cracks, and there are poppies sprouting up everywhere, back and front.  I love poppies (I wonder what colour they'll be?) but there are rather a lot of them and some are growing in inappropriate areas so will need pulling up.  I'll also need to tie in climbing plants to their supports again.

The painters are coming Tuesday to finish off the external walls.  Husband's got his Sheds group on Wednesday and the gym on Thursday, we've got shopping to do on Friday and husband's room to get ready for sister to sleep in.

Had a message to say our previous neighbours' dog, Betty's best friend from the old house, has got cancer.....that's 2 friends we know who have dogs with cancer right now.  How sad.  Betty's friend Poppy is the same age as Betty and they grew up together.