I am still here. but I’m not especially fond of blogging from my phone and I haven’t been at the computer much, except for genuine work. I’ve got a fairly free week, in terms of appointments, however, so I hope I’ll blog a bit more. I miss it when I don’t, but not enough to actually do it…

I have had a friend staying for the last six weeks. She and her partner had some domestic issues and it was felt that giving each other some space would be more helpful than anything. This has worked and she has moved back home. There’s plenty of room here and we’re good friends, so happy to spend time together, but also fine with one or the other wanting some time alone. There was no question of a longterm arrangement, this isn’t a convenient house to split and, without Tim – and if Russell hadn’t died nine years ago, there would have been no Tim – I only want to live alone. For as long as I could help, I was glad to. But it didn’t lead to blogging.

Now, all is quiet at the Zedery. Wink invited me through for dinner and, as I said, I’ve got a nearly empty diary, so I have turning-out plans, which she’s sweetly offered to help with. I sorted out the study for the friend to have as a sitting room, which has left the surplus from the study in the hall. I deliberately didn’t put it anywhere less obvious, so that I’ll be forced to deal with it.

My daughter Weeza and family have invited us for Christmas (apologies if it’s too early to use the C word) so I can skip the need for a tree and so on. I’ll do a nice arrangement of evergreens, with a few suitable flowers, for the drawing room mantelpiece and the dining table, but otherwise it’ll be business as usual.

I’ve been thinking about the music, that I mentioned in my last post. Maybe it’ll be something to elaborate upon. I always enjoy a spot of reminiscing.

When driving home from Norwich the other day, I surprised a lovely roe deer, who ran across the road in front of me – well in front luckily, no danger of hitting her. I was less pleased by the muntjac that skittered away when I went to feed the barn cats yesterday. And yet, there’s no real difference, except that one is so bold as to come and eat my flowers and the other is wild and timid. And a British native too, though I don’t want to consider myself racist. Does that count, with native plants and animals?