Mary, Joseph and gardening gnomes

Quite a productive day after a slow start. My ex husband came round to help me tidy up the garden ready for winter this morning. I wasn't sure what we should be doing as normally the magazines that I read always have a gardening section, but not this time of course.
So my outlook on wintering tidying is if it sticks up, cut it off. Come spring we will find out if I am a gardening guru or a garden gnome!
My ex is very good at keeping the lawns looking fab and is brilliant at digging things over, but as he is a sports groundsman, he has always admitted that his flowering knowledge is limited, but he is very handy to have around.
There is something quite satisfying though about lopping things back and pulling weeds up, even if my case it was lop two little branches and then rest for 5mins!
It's good that we are still such good friends as we chatted quite happily about Christmas presents and our children as we worked before treating ourselves to a much earned cuppa.

When he left it was a quick tidy up and change of clothes to take mother out for lunch. Thankfully she was exceptionally good company and more sprightly on her pins, which was just as well as after trying four pub/restaurants for Sunday lunch, we were beginning to feel like Mary and Joseph on our quest for a table!
We ended up at Tiptree Jam Factory tea rooms and mother was rewarded with the last chicken and leek suet pudding on the menu while I had to settle for a beef salad with hot potatoes. Well at least we got a table and got to buy some jams and chutneys from their gift shop to take home for crumpets on chilly nights and Monday lunch left overs. And by the farmers weather forecast, we won't have long to wait before the cold weather arrives, maybe snow showers by Thursday no less.
When we got back it was definitely time for me to slip into my pj bottoms and t-shirt while slumming it on the sofa... Bring on the snow I say!

Lots of love Debbie x