31 January 2011
In a recent January entry I mentioned an unusual figure of speech, Â Paraprosdokian sentences. One of my readers in the USA has sent me further examples which you may find fun to look at. When I was looking through the diary to try to locate the correct entry I was horrified to see that there […]
30 January 2011
Yesterday afternoon there was a knock at the door and there were our good neighbours, Tom and Dee, with their three dear little girls. They presented Alice with a box of delicious  home-made heart-shaped biscuits and three dear little cards, drawn and written personally by each of the girls, commiserating with Alice over the loss […]
28 January 2011
Most of yesterday morning and half of the afternoon was spent at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in the Cataract Clinic. Some two or three months ago the visiting  ophthalmist, after testing my eyes, said that there was little point in me getting new glasses until I’d had the cataract in my left eye removed. Today’s appointment was […]
27 January 2011
I forgot to mention yesterday that Juliet, Alice’s first cousin, on her mother’s side, came to tea and check up on me. It was nice to see her again, the last occasion was husband John’s retirement party. I am determined to break up my daily routine a little more. At present I’m getting into a […]
26 January 2011
A handsome win for England, by 22 runs In the fourth of the ODI cricket series against Australia. The first win against Australia on this ground since 1983 and this, ‘rubbing in the salt’, on Australia Day. Jonathan Trott was again star of the show with a century, well supported by Prior. This series is […]
25 January 2011
An e-mail from Mick to say that he is wretched with flu and so is son William apparently. He was obviously brewing up for it when he left here the day before yesterday and being utterly selfish I hope he was not contagious at the time. I have had a flu jab but ‘ my […]
24 January 2011
A very sad day. The news on the donkey front, I’m very sorry to say, is not good. When ‘Jane the vet’ came early this morning she sadly concluded that Mouse was getting very weak and not eating. It was pretty clear that she would not last very much longer in that condition and there […]
23 January 2011
Mick left at 6.30 this morning, waving at me through my respirator and grasping my hand in farewell. I was in my study chair, shortly after my shower, to watch the Australian innings for the third of the ODI cricket internationals against Australia. I had, of course, been listening overnight and heard England bowled out […]
22 January 2011
Mick’s last full day – he leaves at 6.30 tomorrow morning, with Barry, our faithful driver, to fly back to Sweden from Stansted. Over breakfast we discussed the possibility of me going to Sweden, later in the year, for a week or so. This would be to give Alice a good break but much depends […]
21 January 2011
Having listened to the second of the One Day International cricket matches against Australia, from 3.00 a.m in the morning, I got up early and settled myself down in front of my laptop to watch England’s response to Australia’s modest 230 runs. England had started off against Australia extremely well and wickets tumbled early on […]