All is more or less in order here, with the emphasis perhaps rather on “less” than “more”. James and Cathy and their daughters should be here within the hour. Sparkling water is chilling for them in the refrigerator (they are an abstemious family). The Jamie Oliver traybake is ready to go – briefly – into the oven, including the salmon which I managed to purchase this morning after a struggle up the hill.

And we don’t have to start at the crack of dawn tomorrow.

Thank you for your comments about Fitbit.  I would be almost embarrassed to have one – I mean, to let Fitbit know how unfit I am. But perhaps it would help, first to find out how many steps I take in a normal, sluggish day; then to raise the target a bit; then a bit more.Would it work?

Knitting

Today's Fruity Knitting is extremely interesting. I want to order wool from this week’s Shepherdess, and I am very interested in Asa Tricosa’s Ziggurat top-down seamless method of sweater knitting. The book is expensive, and Amazon doesn’t have it; but it sounds as if it belongs on my shelves. Asa and EZ would have hit it off, I feel very sure.

I have a week to cool down – there’s no use ordering such a thing when I won’t be here to open the door to the postman.

I advanced Archie’s sock somewhat last night, watching “Lewis”. Like the absurd “Endeavour” of the evening before, it derives from Colin Dexter’s “Morse” books. I’ve never read any of them, but “Morse” was an enjoyable television series.

I won’t try to blog from Strathardle. I should be back in a week.