Thursday 1st July

Day 73

My fingers smell of grassy green freshness. I’ve been cracking open the pods of broad beans, delving into their fleecy white nests and prising out their cargo. This treasure is now lying at the bottom of a saucepan, covered in water - a clutch of small, flat, nearly heart shaped pebbles in a stream. Our very first picking.

I could blanch them first - a quick dunking in boiling water - and then slip off their pale grey jackets to reveal their earthy emerald greenness inside. But I’m not sure I can wait and anyway tonight I want the chewy texture of their skins, however crinkly loose they look on the outside - soaking up the garlic and olive oil.

I’m a bit focused on saggy skin at the moment - mine - as I’m searching for a dress to buy for a special occasion in my husband’s family. They are mostly made of material that makes you sweat . Or flouncy and summery and short sleeved. So I’m hunting for something with cool long sleeves as I don’t want to appear like a wrinkly broad bean. Although what matters is that inside I still feel as bright as emeralds.