Thank you, good friends, for your helpful comments.  I love blogging and I don’t want to stop.  Facebook is okay, but I just keep an eye on it and will never spend long with it, I like GooglePlus – the craic is brilliant! – but it’s no substitute, and now both Fweng and Ro are pressing me towards Twitter because they like it and I trust the judgement of both, maybe I’ll start to use it – I have an account, but never have posted – but 140 (or whatever) characters?  Really, darling, I’m not even into my stride.


I said I’d tell you a story.  Honestly, darlings, what I’ll do for lovely eyes and curly hair.  I was stopped by a salesman, who charmed me into buying expensive nail stuff – which of course I won’t use, my nails are rubbish and I sometimes bite them.  I don’t habitually bite them any more, but they’re so weak that they break and then I do, sometimes for months.  Sorry, I know I’ve destroyed your good opinion of me and you love me no longer, but I have to tell the truth at whatever cost.  Anyway, I’m not telling you what it cost, but I’ve got enough for three Christmas presents.  But then he tried to flog me eye stuff.


Actually, it’s damn good.  I’ve got this crease under my left eye.  Not under the right.  Well, I had.  It’s almost vanished.  And this is 36 hours post application.  But I’d said no, and keeping on trying to sell after I’d said no … well, do I look like a pushover, darlings?  Pfft.  You’re being silly.  I am…so far.  And then that’s it, and once I’ve said no firmly, I don’t change my mind.  So I did walk but, adorable as the boy was – oh my word, he was charming.  Fortunately, I’m not susceptible to the charms of boys, and he was certainly gay anyway.  Too sweet not to be – but also too pushy not to annoy me in the end, though I didn’t show it.


Tonight, I’m a bit lonely.  The Sage has gone away on a business trip.  I had to leave the house at 8.30 this morning, so we said goodbye – I’d applied lipstick and, inexplicably, he didn’t want it all over his face, so he kissed me and I kissed the air.  And then I left, and I won’t see him again until Saturday afternoon.  And I will get lonely.  


Mountain Goats.  But I won’t come to a salty end.


I will rise up early and dress myself up nice
And I will leave the house and check the deadlock twice.
And I will find a crowd and blend in for a minute
And I will try to find a little comfort in it.
And I will get lonely and gasp for air.
And send your name up from my lips like a signal flare.

And I will go downtown, stand in the shadows of the buildings
And button up my coat, trying to stay strong, spirit willing.
And I will come back home, maybe call some friends,
Maybe paint some pictures,
It all depends.
And I will get lonely and gasp for air.
And look up at the high windows, and see your face up there.


And, to clarify, I’ll keep on blogging daily right now.  Until the end of the year, at least.  And then, I might decide to miss a couple of days, or a week, or not blog if I have nothing to say.  But I know that, for some of you, I’m your daily soap opera.  And I couldn’t love you more for it.  I’m immensely grateful, and I thank you.