I enjoyed my Sunday, although even cider doesn't taste as good as it used to. Both daughters rang up to tell me that I have probably damaged my heart with excessive cider-drinking and must give it up altogether. They'll be suggesting I give up knitting, next. But I will at least ensure that drs are fully apprised, and meanwhile it's back to Lent.

My husband, on the other hand, has begun to talk about getting back to Strathardle, and, indeed, of planting a magnolia on the west lawn. That's the elephant in the room, all right. I said I'd have to get better first. He said, you're not in terminal decline. I thought that was rather encouraging.

There was some talk, in the telephone calls just mentioned, of trying to postpone this week's dr's appt until Friday, so that Greek Helen (arriving very late Thursday) could come along. But Friday is the day the publisher and the researcher are coming to see us (I will order in sandwiches from a promising website I have discovered) and I think that's probably enough for one day. I can see the argument for bringing it forward, too, although that would be likely to mean that he wouldn't have last Wednesday's chest x-ray yet. He told me last week the symptoms which would mean I should ring up the practice and demand to see someone at once (as well as the ones which would mean ringing 999) – I'll wait and watch.

And I'll ask about potassium.

Knitting

I have finished the 11^th and embarked on the 12^th repeat in the centre of the Unst Bridal Shawl. Progress. If my husband is wrong and I am in terminal decline, this is the baby I want to leave behind. It is uncomfortable to reflect – but true of all of us – that something, or some collection of things, is bound to be left behind unfinished.

The Schoolhouse Press has got a new book called Dutch Traditional Ganseys. I wondered at first whether it was a re-publication, perhaps updated, of the one work I have on the subject, but I've found my book – it was actually on the Traditional Knitting Shelf where it belonged – and it's a different one, “Knitting from the Netherlands” by Henriette van der Klift-Tellegen. Another wonderful name. So I'll probably order the new one, although Dutch fishermen's sweaters are not nearly as interesting as British ones.

The Schoolhouse also seems to have revived Woolgathering. I'm not quite sure where I stand on that one – I think my subsciption expired and I couldn't renew because we had entered the hiatus. I'll have to try to check.

Non-knit

Greek Helen is now back in Athens after the family trip to Constantinople, getting ready to come to Edinburgh. She sent us these pictures:

Cat in Hagia Sophia:

Cat in the Archaeological Museum:

Hittites in the Archaeological Museum, looking remarkably as if they are clutching fringed, triangular shawls about their shoulders: