And finally....

With various kids sporting fixtures and Sarah working on Saturday afternoons the opportunities for all five of us to have a day out together are becoming less and less feasible.

However we decided that, as the sun was shining and we were all free, yesterday would be one of those opportunities

Nigel knew that a local preserved railway society were having an open day so we headed off to Yeovil junction about 35 minutes from home.

Here he is standing by a little engine that used to regularly travel past his office when he worked in Hereford around 15 years ago. That was his fix for a while

Then as a token gesture to me we stopped off at a craft place on the way to the coast - sadly the quilt shop there doesn't open Sundays - but the thought was there :o)

And finally heading for the beach... West Bay near Bridport in Dorset. Even after living in Taunton for almost two years I still can't get over the novelty of being able to get to several lovely beaches within an hour. I've never before lived this close to the coast and it was always a major day out taking military precision planning when I was a child living in the Yorkshire Dales. We played cricket on the beach and hunted for interesting stones.

Here are the three monkeys just after an ice cream.

However as is often the case with kids they had to go and spoil it by squabbling in the back of the car on the way home.

So it was straight to bed when we got in with no tea. I made an evening meal for Nigel and I which we sat and enjoyed in blissful quarrel-free peace and quiet.

Then I relented and allowed them down for breakfast cereals and toast before shooing them back upstairs to bed. Little horrors!!!

The rest of the evening Nigel and I spent in kid-free peaceful companionship on the sofa in the lounge in front of the tv while I hand stitched the border down on my log cabin piece.

My only disappointment with it is the border quilting has crept under the binding in places - mental note to allow for the outer seam allowance in future but I am pleased with it. I reckon the only thing nicer that wonky homespun fabrics is bias homespun binding giving this criss-cross effect.

Now what next? ..................