Yesterday was a good day on the knitting and the income tax fronts. Not too bad on health, either. My husband has finished his course of antibiotics, pronounces his jaw cured, and has resumed grumbling about other ailments. We await notification of a hospital appt to explore the cause.

I rounded the second corner of the Unst Bridal Shawl edging, and proceeded a whole six scallops along the third side. Any minute now I can order a long 2.25mm (I think it is) rosewood needle for the borders. Perhaps I might treat myself to a shorter one as well, looking forward to the centre.

And the tax is pretty well done, except for some final tidying up in the areas of pensions and Income From Land. Our farmer pays us a pitiful rent, unchanged for decades, for the use of our broad acres in Strathardle, and the electricity board pays an annual Wayleave for having planted a few poles on our land. It has to be documented and declared.

Once that's done, and the return filed on line, I'll make an appt with a dr for myself. I think we can rule out pregnancy, Anonymous (comment yesterday), although the thought had crossed my mind – it feels a lot like that, but not as bad. Thank you for your comment, Tamar. I knew that stress was a likely cause, I didn't know that heart was a possible one.

It – nausea – was the first symptom of her colon cancer which my sister-in-law reported to me, in the September before her death the following March. I don't think it was the first symptom in fact. She had been suffering from recurrent lung problems for a couple of years. “Atypical pneumonia” came into it. I had assumed – until that moment when she mentioned nausea and the fact that her GP suspected cancer -- that all our health conversations were about lungs, although sorting through memory later I think I can spot cancer symptoms, most especially weight loss. Devoted as I am to William of Ockham, there doesn't seem to be a connection between the chronic condition and the fatal one.

So I'll get myself checked out.

I'm going to have lunch with one of us today, at the Conan Doyle – a local pub so called because the Great Man was born within a stone's throw of it. I've been past it a million times, but never inside. It'll be fun, even if I ingest all my calories in the form of cider. Especially if.

The Internet contribution this morning is rather sad – the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has a small, brilliant exhibition of knitted vegetation. The sadness consists of the fact that it's been on since October 1 and is about to go off on January 22. Zite, where were you? Do at least follow the link and marvel at what you see.