Still more turning out another workshop has been emptied and swept out.  Not a pleasant job, but I had got face masks for us both to protect us from breathing in the dust.  This is the building that I’m going to store firewood in.

The cat is now cadging food from both Roses and me, but I don’t think she takes her kittens round to Roses’ house.  When I went to let the bantams in this evening, she was waiting there for me and ran forward to greet me.  The kittens were waiting too, a bit further back but in sight for the first time.  I seem to be winning them round.  If it were not for the imperative of getting them all neutered, I could let them come to me in their own time.

After Stevo’s and my hard work, I was tired out.  We went over to the recycling centre, some 20 minutes away and afterwards, I dropped him off at his aunt’s house and then went to the Co-op.  My main purpose in going there was to buy cat food *sigh* but I wasn’t in a mood to cook and so, very rarely for me, bought a ready meal, a chicken curry.  And some Magnum ice creams.  And a bottle of chilled Prosecco.

It was a good thing I heated and ate my Chicken Jalfrezi as soon as I’d got home and fed the animals, because I had a succession of visitors.  First, James and Duncan turned up, then one of the Grahams (I know three Grahams, this was the one who keeps sheep on my meadow by the river) and then Jamie and David arrived.  I trotted round dealing with all the things they had come for, though my hip had given way by this time and I was limping, to general hilarity.

I’ve done nothing more this evening than read papers for tomorrow’s finance meeting, where we are to agree the budget for the school next year, some £6,000,000-worth.  This isn’t as daunting as it sounds, because most of it goes on staff costs and nearly all the rest is used in heating and maintaining the buildings.  We also will decide which catering firm will get our business.  I’m pretty sure we will all agree on that and I think it’ll be a great success.  I’m sure the takings will go up considerably – we will be going cashless, so parents can top up their children’s card online rather than giving dinner money to them.  I’m afraid the little shop down the road will lose custom, but they sell cheap pies and energy drinks, the school food will be delicious and healthy.  I also think that a lot of staff will be tempted to eat at the school hall rather than bring in packed lunches.

Bed now, I’m very tired and I’ve got a lot on tomorrow.  At least my monthly cleaners are coming in, so I don’t have to bother to get the hoover out myself this week.