I’m finally catching up with emails from Friday – that is, sending them and not necessarily replying to them. I seem to have become busy and I don’t quite have the stamina that I used to have. Last night, for instance, after a busy day, I suddenly became very tired about 7 pm. My sister plied me with wine, which helped for a while and then I just dropped an hour later.

I suspect I’m not eating enough protein. I seem to have less meat and fish than I used to and veggies don’t do it for me, though I eat them in great quantities.

Anyway. I’m awake and upright now. So I’ll catch up a bit.

I spent Easter at the caravan in Pembrokeshire, which went very well. I called on Compostwoman (Sarah, along with her husband Ian) on the way in Herefordshire, which was really nice. I’d met her before, not him. Every year, they hope to make it to the blog party – it’s a long way and they have to organise chicken and cat sitters, as I do. In P’shire, I spent some time with Tim’s sister- and brother-in-law, who are lovely and always very hospitable. A few glitches at the caravan when I arrived at 8.30 pm, having been on the road, more or less, for 10 hours, but at least I had a bottle of water and cold food and the electricity was on, so I could turn on the blanket and have a warm bed. The next morning, all got sorted out. I read a lot while I was there – I say 5 books but it wasn’t really, because I decided one wasn’t for me, after 100 pages or so and another was too depressing to finish. So 3 and two halves, more or less.

The chickens are allowed out from tomorrow. Since their run is covered, I let them have a couple of hours yesterday, which was just as well, because they quickly dug an escape tunnel and five got out. They’re very good and tame and it wasn’t hard to get them back in, though I was glad of Wink’s help. I found the gap and have blocked it, so they should be okay.

I seem to have taken a lot of things on recently, though at least they’re often pleasure and not duty. I am so anxious not to let the balance shift the wrong way in future. Though it’s the annual church meeting tomorrow and it’s our village’s turn to do refreshments. Another parish is doing wine. The person organising it suggested – via someone else – that I might make vegetarian sausage rolls.

Of all things I don’t want to cook, they come quite high up the list. I’ve never made a vegetarian sausage roll and don’t know how and pastry has to be very good if it isn’t to be stodge. I’m also aware that someone is making actual sausage rolls and someone else cheese scones, and what about those people who can’t eat wheat flour? So I’ve hard-boiled a couple of dozen eggs to stuff and I’ll do slices of cucumber with vegetable-based toppings. I’ll probably add something with smoked salmon because most people like that and, if they have to sit through two inordinately dull meetings, they will need something to cheer them a bit. Not a lump of stodge.