A Perfect Saturday

I have been working really hard lately. Being self- employed is a bit like farming: you've got to make hay while the sun shines, and I've been involved in an exciting and challenging social media project for past few weeks that has meant little down time and lots of hours on and offline.

Add into the mix, opportunities to design and co-lead a couple of really dynamic coaching workshops and my usual roster of consulting and 1:1 coaching clients and - whew! - I'm happy to have landed on a sunny Saturday in mid-July with a day off.

And it has been a perfect day off.

Started with a nice cup of tea and a quick cruise through Facebook and some tending of my cartoon farm on Farmville. Cartoon lavender, Swiss chard and goats all doing well, I'm happy to report. Hubby and I donned packs, slathered on the sunscreen, stuffed our pockets with smallish bills and coins and headed to the Haney Farmer's Market.

It was a perfect day for the market with vendors selling all manner of seasonal produce, fruit, fresh bread and pies, flowers, and herbs. We returned with packs stuffed with tomatoes, carrots, herbs, and real versions of swiss chard and lavender. I spent some time puttering in my real garden admiring peas, climbing beans, a flourishing herb bed and some promising looking heritage tomatoes.

Satisfiedly grubby after my watering, weeding and self-congratulation, I headed for a bubble bath complete with a stack of magazines - Vanity Fair, Bon Appetit and Simple Living. A bouquet of fresh lavender on the edge of the bathtub and an ice-filled glass of organic lemonade. Ahhhh.

Inspired by the fresh chard and my recent splurges on goat cheese I put together a new version of goat cheese tart, and - oh my - I did outdo myself. While the tart was in its various stages of assembling, chilling, baking and resting, I dragged my sewing machine out, set it up in the dining room and sewed up a cute little basket liner from a 'fat quarter' sent to me by a dear friend and amazing seamstress. The fabric is an Englebright print, featuring cherries - that most cheerful of all fruits.

By now, feeling very smug and also not wanting to waste having the sewing machine set up - I started on an apron project. By the time the tart came out of the oven, I had the skirt, waistband and ties done. All that's left is to design and sew the pockets and hem it. That can happily wait for my next day off.

Served myself Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Tart accompanied by a salad with fresh lettuce from my funny garden and, on TV - an episode of Midsomer Murders. Could it be more perfect? Tomorrow, brunch in a friend's garden. More to come...

Become a fan of Midsomer Murders: http://www.midsomermurders.net/


Visit the Haney Farmer's Market: http://www.haneyfarmersmarket.org/