My priority at present is sleeping well. In my bed at night, that is, I don’t tend to nap. Success is variable. Sometimes I fall asleep and wake an hour later for the rest of the night, sometimes I sleep until 3, sometimes I haven’t even fallen asleep by then. But, if you take it over the course of a week or two, I have more good nights’ sleep than I did a few months ago. I have also reinstated my former habit of a lifetime, that of reading in bed for a while before I put the light out. I think it is helping a bit, sometimes.

I am reading more in general, which is obviously good. I read all the time, but I’ve slacked off with books – this dates from when Russell was ill, when I found myself irritated by fiction. Since then, I’ve managed better but, even so, I have a lot of unfinished books around the house. Even if I’m quite enjoying one, I am not too bothered about the ending.

But reading is in my heart. From being a bewildered child, everything I came to learn about how people interact came through books. The comfort of an old friend, the excitement of a new one, everything. I should say, I was quite an odd child.

Anyway, I’m still buying more than I can read, but I’ve read four or five books in the last week and I’m part-way through three more. And now, not having slept well last night, I’m off to have an early bath (half past eight here) and then I’ll read in bed some more. Goodnight.