Mid-January News Flash

Malarkey bees sighted today staggering from the hive, wiping their bleary little eyes, gaining their bearings, zooming off sig-zag into the skies and returning with pollen from heaven knows where. I suppose there are a few winter blooms out there - I found a violet by the front gate a week or so ago - and bees are resourceful and will find sustenance in the oddest of places.

But this is good. As we heave our way towards Spring, the bees are hanging on in there and my optimism about getting them through their first Winter expands.

Andy's cholesterol level continues to fall through the magic of a mostly vegetarian diet.
'Humph,' he says, because he's never going to give up meat unless it starts tasting of broccoli, but it just goes to show, doesn't it, what little tweaks to one's diet can do.

And my conviction to be a veggie has been further consolidated since watching Hugh F-Ws Fish Fight on TV this week, and seeing all the waste of fish life that happens because of stupid EU fishing quotas. Have you been watching it? It's a disgrace (not Hugh, because as you know I am rather fond of him.)

I found ANOTHER intruder in my tutor space this morning, but you will be pleased to hear that since becoming imbued with the spirit of Nora Batty, I stood my ground and said, politely but firmly, that I had been given this space to tutor in two months ago, I've already had to capitulate to a hard-faced harridan intruder on Mondays, so would she please go and find somewhere else to tippy-tap away on her laptop whilst I get on educating the next generation? And she did! Wrinkly stockings rule!!

Walking to work this morning, I was followed up the hill by a couple of spotty oiks, one of whom was bemoaning the fact that his girlfriend's mother hated him and, if he didn't say 'hello' to her immediately he went into the house, would accuse him of being incredibly rude. So, bless him, he was doing his best to be extra specially polite and attentive in a 'Hello, how are you, thank you, please, ever so much, Mrs Patterson,' kind of a way. (Thank goodness he drew the line at slapping her backside and saying 'Hiya Toots, how's it hanging?' Well, you can't be too sure with the youth of today and their grasp of manners and etiquette.) But by all accounts, his best behaviour wasn't going too well.

Andy made a lovely vegetarian dinner tonight. I had two helping (two photos for the photo diary - v.bad). The dish went by the name of 'A Very Full Tart'.

Which just about describes how I feel now.

Wh