Chilled weekend.

I spent the weekend with a very dear friend and it was bliss. No deadlines, nothing that had to be done and lots of time to chat and 'be'.

This friend runs her own company, also has a small B&B facility and puts me to shame with her ability to keep up to date with all the people she does. OK, she doesn't have a husband and child but in my opinion, she needs to slow down a little. her daily schedule exhausts me.

When we get together, not often enough, the reason is often for a celebratory dinner for birthdays or Christmas or we may be in each others homes a a dinner party etc. All lovely occasions but often following a time line or so full of other people that no real in depth conversation takes place.

In fact this weekend we were meant to be off at a spa celebrating the 'Big 50' which happened to each of us in July but due to circumstances we ended up in London instead with me heading over to Elaine's. I really believe the chilled weekend we had instead was just as beneficial as the spa.

We wandered, we lunched, we bought things in the market and mooched round little shops. We visited some artists who were part of an open house weekend, we drank champagne to celebrate and feasted on Elaine's amazing food. We slept for hours - when was the last time I woke at 9.20, we had a leisurely breakfast, we went for a walk and mooched round some more shops, had coffee and lay on the grass in the sun. ....and we talked and talked and talked. It was bliss.

As I lay on the grass the view above my head was of this beautiful tree .....

and the common was full of people enjoying the late summer sun.

The weekend was one of the best I've had for ages and if you're on a budget it was really very cheap and could have been more so. I feel so refreshed and recharged, watch out week.