Today is Alexander's birthday. I probably tell you every time that he was born in a leap year, and his official Due Date was March 3. He has never been entirely forgiven for not being the leap year baby I hoped for – I was especially cross when Princess Alexandra achieved it four years later (or perhaps it was eight).

So as far as I am concerned, he's 13 ½ today.

Well, I finished the tenth repeat of the centre of the Unst Bridal Shawl – I went a few rows beyond, in fact, because I was too tired to think. Resuming the Milano – today's project – will require at least a few moments of figuring out where I am and what I'm up to. Somewhere in the middle of the first sleeve. I'll try to get the thinking done early in the day while the synapses are still firing.

Miscellaneous

Here's more mathematical knitting – torus links by sarah-marie belcastro (love that name!) which, with a bit of tweaking, become beautiful cowls. Apparently it's done by tying a knot in a circular needle before you start. The mind boggles.

The Panopticon has posted a blog post – Franklin is learning to tat, if that's the verbal form required. I can imagine knitting torus links, but I'm not tempted by tatting.

Greek Helen wrote in excitement yesterday to say she had just cooked courgette (=zucchini) flowers stuffed with feta, mint and pecorino. Spring must have arrived in the Mediterranean. I thought you had to deep-fry them, but she says not.

Health

I sort of figured things out yesterday, and today will ring up and make an appt with the dr not for next week but for the early days of the week after, if possible. By then I will have finished the course of pills he gave me, and Lent will have started, and Greek Helen will be arriving at the end of that week for conferences with Archie's teachers. If health needs to be discussed, it's best done a quattr'occhi, in the wonderful Italian phrase, and the dr's contribution might be relevant.