Young Rufus and his parents came over for lunch yesterday.  Rufus has become noticeably more affectionate to me in the last few months and his confiding way of saying “Granny” is very warming.  He had a nap in the car on the way over but has, since his last visit, grown out of waking up crying.  He came in with a smile in his face and was very good for the whole visit.  We’d made a simple lunch – some of LT’s famous leek quiche, ham, some of the last of the home-grown cucumber and tomatoes and a number of home-made preserves.  They were particularly impressed by the spiced fig jam and the dried tomatoes, which I hadn’t fed them before.  Both are certainly ones to make again, if we have enough figs, in the former case.

Eloise cat went outside when I opened the front door to fetch logs.  I’ve left the outside light on, in the hope she’ll come back but it’s been a couple of hours.  She’s quite all right, I’m not concerned – and it’s quite possible she’s decided to pay a visit next door with Rose – but I miss her.  I was rather hoping she’d spend much of the night on the bed with me.  She often does, but it’s not quite so welcome when I’m squashed in the middle.  LT is in Reading for a few days, so I’d be able to move over when she makes me too hot.