Words

It was as well I posted early yesterday evening, because I was suddenly exhausted after dinner.  I fell asleep on the sofa and then staggered to bed.  Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep again and wished I'd stayed up.  I developed a cold yesterday afternoon, which made me both heavy-headed and too uncomfortable to sleep.

At least I've got a lot of typing done today and feel that I'm getting on top of things.  I phoned for an appointment with my surgeon - I'd left a message on his secretary's answerphone more than a month ago and hadn't had a reply.  Eventually I emailed and had an answer asking me to phone the hospital - I suspect she has left his employ, but I do think she could have let me know.  Anyway, that's done now.

I'm enjoying a book I bought a couple of weeks ago but have just started reading.  It's "The Secret Life of Words" by Henry Hitchings.  I'm only twenty pages in, in fact, but I already find it absorbing.  It's about the development of English with the addition of words from other languages - 350 languages, apparently.  As he says, some words are obviously still foreign whereas others are completely assimilated (mope and smörgåsbord  are both Swedish but only the latter looks it) and some words conjure a different idea - bourgeois is not the same as middle-class, for instance.  I do like words, and it's evident that Henry does too.

News I didn't pass on yesterday is that Weeza has had her detailed scan and all is fine.  She, like Dilly, is carrying a boy and Zerlina is thrilled at the news, which does not surprise her at all.  She was expecting and looking forward to a baby brother.  The Sage does not want to know this information - the sex, that is - so please don't mention it when you see him at the party.  There's little chance of him not picking it up from one of the children, but I'm not going to spoil the surprise.

Next thing I must look into is getting my address to those of you who are coming here on 2nd May.  Don't think I've forgotten, it just hasn't climbed to the surface of things to do.