I've been good today, I took my dry-cleaning down the road, went and had epilation, made an appointment for a facial, made an appointment for a mammogram and did supermarket shopping. I bought 4 bottles of rose for 5 euros, special offer at Monoprix! I wonder what it is like, if it's any good, I'll go back and get some more. It's unlikely to be totally awful, wine here rarely is, but sometimes you find some that is better for cooking.

The woman at the radiography centre seemed faintly scandalised that I had not had a mammogram (mammographie in French) before, but I am only 51, and they send out the forms during the year after you turn fifty. She is going to get a hell of a shock when she sees me, because I do not look anything like your average French 51 year old. I think a lot of French women look older than their age, because of the extreme thinness that a lot still have, also the nice burgundy hair dye that the over forties affect!

Now I am home, doing washing and stuff, and thinking about emptying everything out of half the wardrobe. Big step! But it has to be done........ as an antidote, I am reading the letters of the Mitford sisters, as edited by Charlotte Mosley (Diana M's daughter-in-law). It is fascinating, think that Diana M used to live only a few streets from me. The only surviving one of those sisters is Deborah Devonshire, she is the same age as my only aunt, so really getting on, but apparently also very active like my aunt (who recently told my sister that she still spent a lot of time helping the elderly - most of whom are now younger than she is, but not so efficient).

I've also put the first few stitches into Blackbird Designs "Garden of Life", which is going to be a 60th birthday present for David. I thought long and hard about what to do for his 60th, and I thought this one was a good choice, not too sentimental, but it expresses feelings of friendship perfectly. Also his wife will like it, she is American and they have a quite American antiquey style of sitting room, which it will fit into nicely, I think. She doesn't stitch or anything, but he's often looked at mine and said, oh my wife would love something like that - so I think it might go down rather well.

Kathryn, those do-whats-its are SO expensive! I can think of a lot of other things to do with 30 USD......... at least the thread I am waiting for will only take four or five days from the UK, Sew and So are the most efficient company that I have ever dealt with.