I have started practicing smiling.

Normally I can smile ok but point a camera at me and the face goes into grimace mode and I look like Frankenstein’s mother. I’m much happier on the other side of the shutter. The reason for wanting to be photogenic is that Number One Daughter is getting married and no doubt lots of pictures will be taken.  I have until August to practice. The bride will look gorgeous and I want to look my best for once, I don’t want to let the side down.  I should trust the old fashioned technology of relaxing, make up, and corsets but if these fail I trust Giles will use the new technology of computers to enhance the pictures, not only with brightness and contrast, but splicing and combining all my good bits to make one decent photo. Everybody else always looks good in photos – please could it me this time!

One day of sunshine (in a sheltered spot) feels like Spring’s here already. Swallows please note – don’t come yet.

I can cook, but I’m not greatly interested in cooking.  I blame the diners.  I like spiced, highly flavoured food but the Husband’s system can’t always process it.  The other day I made Kim Chi, the Oriental cabbage pickle.  It is supposed to be very good for you, warding off colds, disease, people, vampires… at least the way I make it, with lots of garlic, chili and ginger.  Well.  This nearly fell at the first hurdle. The recipe said cut the cabbage into segments and dry in the sun for half a day. C’mon!  This is Scotland in midwinter, it could take weeks to dry. The cabbage would be mouldy by the time sunshine arrived so I lit the stove and the cabbage was rescued.  I don’t even try making jams or marmalade any more.  I tried them once.  Jam went mouldy in no time at all and the marmalade never set, in spite of pouring in a whole bottle of pectin which is supposed to do the trick if everything else failed.  Stick to mince and tatties, fish pie and soup.