Franklin’s most recent Facebook entry, 9 hours ago, was from a First Class International Departure Lounge. So he should be here by now!

A nice lady phoned from Loop yesterday – fortunately I didn’t grasp who she was until I had heard the whole message; otherwise I might have had a heart attack and dropped dead – to remind me that I had booked classes this coming Sunday with Franklin Habit and that I must bring needles.  I told her, politely of course, that she could have saved her breath to cool her porridge.

The only minor hitch at this end is that Alexander realised only late yesterday that his plans to spend tomorrow afternoon hanging pictures in our dining room, and his plans to spend the afternoon in a pub watching the rugby (Scotland v. South Africa), were basically incompatible.

The food from Cook arrived bang on time -- lunch for three on Saturday and for five + Little Boys on Sunday. If it turns out to be good, they might be pressed into service to lend a hand with the end-of-year cookery horrors. Shredded Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, for instance, on the Christmas table? Alexander, who will be doing Christmas, will also be in charge of defrosting Sunday lunch day after tomorrow -- he can judge. 

The hair is washed, the clothes for tomorrow’s departure ironed. I still haven’t wrapped the birthday present. Today’s chores largely concern cooking – the red currents for the summer pudding do need to be picked over, and they are all mushy because they have been frozen so it won’t be entirely easy. And I mean to make a casserole – Delia Smith’s Spanish pork stew with potatoes & chorizo, from “How to Cheat at Cooking” – for the picture-hangers or, as the case may prove, rugby-watchers, to eat tomorrow evening.

And this evening, Rachel will be here.

Knitting

I reverted to the reversible cables yesterday. Progress is steady but slow, results delightful. Here are the first pictures. I photographed both sides, to illustrate reversibility. In real life, “Vatican Pie” is brighter than that.

It might not be a bad idea to wind the next skein today, if time allows, although such an activity ought not to be impossible in my First Class seat on the train.

So, I’ll see you next week, insh'Allah. (A good many insh'Allah's  need to be inserted into the text above.) And I won’t forget to take the camera.