It is cold - between 1 and 4 degrees - but quite fine, no rain or snow. I have been running round like a mad thing, after getting home the latest I ever have from a flight from Cyprus on Wednesday. It took off two hours late because of the Haj, and then, when we landed, I had to wait an hour for luggage, because what came off first was about two hundred large plastic containers of water that the returning pilgrims had brought back with them. I keep meaning to look up why. The poor crew, the return flight to Larnaca could not have taken off before 5pm at the earliest, so it would be a long day for them. I'm just hoping tomorrow is better, and we don't have to wait for flights from Jeddah or Riyadh.

I foolishly left my pills in Cyprus and couldn't get any more until today - yesterday I was looking in every handbag trying to find the prescription! But I didn't keel over, so all is well. It's the first time I've done anything so silly, maybe I was thinking too much about Nicky. David was trying to tell me he had put on weight and looked older, but I don't think so.

Today I went to the hairdresser, so I look less like a yeti, my hair was just too long, and I did Le Bon Marche, and bought some Cashmere Island (Noro) yarn, this is absolutely delicious, and two La Droguerie scarf kits. I've also bought lots of books, tights, toothpaste, cleanser and sundry other necessities. So I will be going back with a fuller suitcase than I came with. I did go to Brentano's yesterday, I hoped they might have the new book on Judith Hayle samplers, they tend to get things like that, but alas, no. I'll have to order it to be sent to me in Cyprus, I think.

The other thing is of course Benazir Bhutto, I was totally, totally stunned by this. I didn't know her, but she was pretty much a contemporary, and I do know people who were at Oxford with her. Such a waste for her to go like that, and she has three teenage children as well....