Nigella.

 I lay in bed this morning thinking that I knew what I was to be doing today. I assumed that I would be needing to give the baler a good clean and make it ready to be put away for the Winter. So with that in mind I thought there was no rush to be going outside and decided to help mum with breakfast.

At just after nine thirty Eric and dad came in, "She's here." Eric said to dad over his shoulder.

"What's up, have you been having a lie in this morning?" He questioned me.

"I've been helping mum get breakfast."

"Have you retired from farming now then?" Chipped in dad.

They both had big grins on their faces and were obviously pulling my leg.

I threw the T-towel at Eric, turned on my heel and stormed off out of the kitchen with my best pouting face on, faintly slamming the door behind me as I went.

I soon returned with an equally big smile on my face. Of course they all knew what I was doing. 

Eric called me Nigella and says I that I haven't got to to talk to anyone now and sit sulking on my tractor for two days. I told him that was no problem as I had been highly trained in silent treatment over the past couple of years.

Dad told me not to bother with the baler just yet as there was still time for it to be used again. Instead he wanted me to go and pick up a set of points for the cultivator tines as it needed new ones.

So that is what I did after breakfast. Mum decided to come with me as she wanted to go to town. I suspect she wanted to pay the guys in the farm store another visit. Or was worried that they might sell me one of those fancy fleece jackets that attract farm boys! By the time we had got everything we needed it was lunch time so we called in at a garden center on the way home and had some lunch. I had fish and chips, mum had a baked potato with tuna and salad. I'd missed doing this sort of thing with mum, I really enjoyed it. Mum ended up buying some plants that she liked. She too commented on it being like old times, this reminded me how I had been neglecting my relationship with her. Not that I could help it of course.

This afternoon Eric and I fitting the new points to the cultivator which was quite fun. I enjoy doing things like that. What was it grandfather said, "She can't even dress herself properly let alone be of any use fixing plumbing." Or something like that. Maybe I could have surprised him had he not gone off and left me.