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I had a wonderful time in Suffolk, deep in the heart of the English countryside, but am very glad to be back home. I love coming home - inhaling the familiar scent of violets that plagues our home (I'm guessing it's those purple sweet discs I ate as a young child!) - and seeing the new shoots that have sprung up and how my room looks exactly the same...untouched and untarnished. I don't know why but I just love it so.

My friend Katie, aka Katherine, K or Kate, stayed over Saturday night with her family and us girls (that's our mothers, my sister and the two of us) went up to the Tate to see the wonderful photographic exhibition that's on there at the mo, and then her whole family + my little sister and I drove back the 100 miles to their house in Suffolk. I love their family. Our fathers went to school together and we meet up all the time, despite living so far apart. Katie and I are best friends forever and write each other a letter a week. She's a year younger but we get on like a house on fire, despite being complete opposites. Anyways... :) this is Kate...if she's reading, doubt it Miss Forgetful that she is, hi girl. Loved my time at your place, as always!

We had SUCH fun together. Despite being complete and utter soulmates, as friends anyhow, we hardly ever spend more than two days at a time together except in summer, so this was a real treat. They (that's Kates, her parents, her 2 little brothers who I adore, and the menagerie of exotic animals) on a beautiful farm near Flatford and grow alllll of their own food. Imagine that...I'd love it! Want a snack? Just take a stroll in the yard and pick up a few cherry plums and apples whilst you're out there! Heck, you might as well fry a few eggs (kept safe by their seven hens) in the summer sun whilst you're out there! It was pretty difficult to get a good picture of the hens, I did *try* though, because they scattered as soon as you got even a hundred yards close, but I did try! Here's a nice one I loved...that's them through the wheat. They don't have names, which I found pretty sad, so I christened them - Freckles, Spattergroit, Toby, Emmeline, Lucy, Josepha and Michael. :) One of them was SUCH a Michael, I'm telling you! ;P

As I was saying, we had *such* fun. I wish I could go and live with them for the whole summer. Because our families go back 30 years, and because I met Katie as soon as she was born, we're like family. Really. My sister and I are treated like extra daughters whilst we are there, and it goes both ways. Anyways, I love being there (how many times is it I've said that now? I hope nobody is counting!) We picked homegrown mirabels and mange-tout, we played bountiful games of cricket in the field, I gave Katherine a photography lesson in the orchard, and we rowed down the River Stour past John Constable's house and workplaces eating sardine sandwiches and boiled sweets as we went. I love days like that. (Hope no-one is counting how many times I use the word 'love' in this post either)!

Mrs. N and I made trips to the farm shop and little Tom, who is naughty as ever, danced his way down the aisles putting 5 packets of chocolate buttons and 3 jelly baby jars into the wooden trolley .... we read Harry Potter for a whole day (I finally finished and I have to say, amazing...my favourite of the whole series!) ... we danced at sunset ... paddled in the brook ... played basketball ... pogo sticked (my new verb for the day!) ... and had so much fun that is too delightful for description. I feel like I walk into another century and another time and place whilst I am there, and I come away all the better for it.

The family have a whole HOST of cats and dogs and bird and fish...you name the animal, they have probably had it at some point or have one or maybe eight now! There's the 2 dogs, 2 cats, 7 hens, a disabled and rather screeching pink cockatoo (no kidding!), 2 gerbils, 2 fish in a tank, 2 tortoises and...I musn't forget...70 fish in the pond! It's like a zoo there! The newest addition is Brenda, a Jack Russell puppy, who is the sweetest and naughtiest thing - and the most willing photography model I have met to this date!!

You see what I mean? She should be an Andrex model...they'd love her! And, it's getting late, so I'd better go. I have so much more to say and so much more to post but I have masses of stuff to do tomorrow and don't wish to be too tired for it all! Thanks for reading, and thanks for all your lovely comments whilst I was away. I loved reading them. Goodbye for now...

Love, Lulu. =)