Thank you to those who had a look and especially to those who wrote. As stated, I’m new to this so am not sure of the protocols. I’m hoping it will become a forum for the exchange of good reads, good writes (our own creations!), good ideas, comments etc. I think I have to work out how to divide the screen to keep all things separate but will work on that.

At last the temperatures have cooled down – yes, obviously I wasn’t in England for August – and yesterday we had a smidgen of much needed rain. The tomatoes shrivelled on the vine and so many trees have turned brown and dropped their leaves that the autumn/fall colours may be depleted but I did  see a clump of sumacs this morning making a brave effort to lighten up the hedgerows but nothing like their usual flamboyancy. The herbs in the planters on the patio drank up the rain greedily and are looking much healthier today. I have to think of ways to use the basil – any ideas welcome. I have some pesto in the freezer and can dry some for the winter months but need something to galvanise my ideas.

I’m looking at that last paragraph and see two spellings underlined. I am English but living in the USA so these anomalies do crop up. I am trying hard to maintain my English roots and some American spellings still seem alien to me. So, if you spot the odd ‘u’ or double ‘ll’ it isn’t really illiteracy – it just ‘doing what comes naturally’! At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it.

I see I have a message from wordpress saying I should tell you more about me but … There’s that old fashioned English reticence again. I’m retired, have four children and seven grandchildren and one great grandson. I’ve never met one daughter-in-law or one son-in-law or the great grandson but have hopes of doing so one day. My husband and I live in a small town in Pennsylvania. As this blog develops, you will learn more about me I’m sure, likes and dislikes, but that’s enough for now.