I've had my social day – quite successfully. It’s funny how life fits together. One of my Christmas presents was a daily calendar with an Italian phrase for each day. Tomorrow’s is “Ho avuto un epifania.” I have never heard anyone use the English equivalent so I thought I would skip that one – but someone at the Epiphany Party happened to mention that that colloquial use comes from James Joyce, and C., as we drove home, said that she has heard it said in English. So I’ve learned something, in both languages.

And I got a good deal of hap knitting done during the Andrew Marr show – only a few more stitches to polish off tomorrow and the central square is done.

No progress on the Spring Shawl – it must be somewhere – but I am hopeful for the avocado tree. I mean to take a picture for you on Tuesday, a week after the last picture, and thenceforward every Tuesday until it is certainly either dead or alive.

Current Affairs

It is indeed terrifying, Southern Gal, to learn that the President took even the Pentagon by surprise with the recent assassination. I wonder who organised it. One of our news broadcasts pointed out -- I guess it's obvious -- that someone must have betrayed Suleimani. Andrew Marr had Mr Raab with him this morning, our Foreign Secretary, who was equally in the dark until after the event. He tried to put a smooth face on it.

Reading

Having started, I am pressing fearlessly ahead with “Emma”. There are certainly some good things there, including Mrs Elton. I suppose the author is trying to do something different, as in “Mansfield Park” – in that the love story between hero and heroine is not centre stage throughout.