P r e p a r a t i o n

 1

I've been a slow blogger. We've been very busy, celebrating birthdays and finishing term and doing tonnes of marking. And now doglet and I are home alone as co-carer has gone away until I join him in just over a week. This is by far the longest we've been apart in nearly three years, so that's quite strange. And it's very busy taking care of doglet on my own.

But also lovely; she's such a nice companion. Yesterday we had to do an awful job of filling inaccessible holes behind the kitchen cupboards with wire wool and expanding foam to prevent those damn mice. Doglet sat next to me very quietly throughout so she could give me a tiny lick of encouragement after each stage. She's the best.

Before I go away I want to get some summer sewing done. We've been watching the GB sewing bee, which is quite good but no where near the Bake Off yet. The judges don't have the wit and the process is a bit slow for tV. I think we need more practical tips too.

To get off the starting blocks, I've made myself a tailor's ham and sausage so that I can get the pressing just right. They weren't easy -- stuffing them with sawdust was one of the messiest jobs ever, especially if you're worried about mice.

1. Peruvian mouse after a wash, from National Geographic.