I’m not sure why it is that I don’t have any free weekdays for the next three weeks, but that’s the case. Between social and business things, it’s all got very busy. New friends asked me to lunch a few weeks ago and I wanted to reciprocate, while also asking a local friend and, on speaking to her first, I found that there was only one possible day between here and mid-July.

Tomorrow, we’re picking three people up to go to lunch in Norwich. One of those will be taken home by another friend, as Wink has an appointment in Norwich later – the other two live near enough to be dropped off home first. On Friday, I’m out in the morning and then will stay in Norwich, because I’m picking Zerlina and Gus up from school, taking them home and then z and I are going to the theatre in Norwich in the evening. Then I’ll stay with the Weeza family overnight. Wink and I are going to a concert on Saturday evening. I think Sunday is free. Monday, the lunch here I mentioned, Tuesday is a meeting here in the afternoon and a visit to a garden in the evening, wednesday is getting my new glasses, a lecture in Norwich followed by lunch and then an online meeting, Thursday is free until the evening and then the theatre and Friday is another society. On Saturday, we’re heading for a weekend in London. Once we’re back, I’m off to Pembrokeshire, possibly taking Rose with me if she can spare the time and staying with Publog John on the way.

After lockdown, I found that any outing at all tired me out and I needed a nap. It’s just what one is used to, I suppose. One adjusts.

My friends whom I’m picking up tomorrow are in their nineties – two of them, that is. The third is the carer for one of them. Brenda has had a nasty attack of shingles and had to spend some weeks in a nursing home. It was in her face and head and is still very painful but, at 97, you don’t miss out on anything if you can help it and she’s determined to get back her social life. So I’m absolutely not complaining about feeling too busy, but glad I have things to do.

Summer finally arrived and Wink and I have been eating together every evening this week. We bought a whole lot of salad plus fish from Paul the visiting fishmonger – prawns, crab and smoked salmon – and I’ve been making a different salad every evening. I did make asparagus soup tonight, followed by prawn cocktail, but it’s the only thing I’ve cooked (except potatoes and hard-boiled eggs) since I reluctantly turned the Aga off at the weekend. Reluctant though I was, I’m not sorry to save the cost of it and the kitchen would have been far too hot, too.