Z almost feels optimistic, but that's always a mistake. Realistic mild pessimism is safer

 I think I'm making progress.  The trouble with a to-do list is that new things keep coming along that have to take priority, so it's not so easy to keep track.  But I have done a few things that have been hanging over me for a long time, so there's some satisfaction there.  I've actually got a more complicated life than one might think to look at me and I can't always cope, even with essential business stuff that, if left, gets more complex.  Anyway, I'm cautiously satisfied with progress over the last week or two.

Today, a friend had invited us over to see his lovely china collection - there were four guests altogether and probably I was the most involved with china, though we all appreciated it.  He's been collecting since 1963 - his wife has collections too, mostly antique fabrics and costumes.  They are lovely, very hospitable and we enjoyed the morning very much.  Then this evening, I went to the next village's gardening club for a talk about bulbs from a very knowledgeable man from Lincolnshire, who's won lots of national awards for daffodils and whose company has huge expertise in bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and whatever other bulb-esque things there are.  

The company I'd written to at 5.15pm with a query replied at 8.15pm, which was very impressive.  Another company, in a similar field, that had been excellent a few years ago, required two emails for every reply, so they have lost out on quite a lot of business from me as a consequence. 

Tomorrow, a lecture in Norwich about the period, 100+ years ago, when Russian and European monarchies were collapsing and their jewellery was bought by wealthy Americans.  Then lunch, then a hospital appointment for Wink.  She is incredibly stoical about her eyesight problems, for which she is getting exemplary treatment by the hospital in Norwich.  The NHS gets plenty of flak, some of which is deserved but, at its best, it's still superb, caring and proactive.  I'm very grateful for my good eyesight - I get my eyes tested annually to be sure that any (so far non-existent) problems are picked up early - another thank you to the NHS, which pays for it.

Thursday, a monthly lunch with friends, when we pick up several people who no longer drive, Friday is the very entertaining antiques club - yes, we're all fairly antique ourselves, but we are regaled with a lecture on, this term, porcelain, by a fabulous and very knowledgeable chap, every week.  And then home to wait for Glen to fit the last bit of kitchen flooring - he ran out of materials for underneath the dishwasher.

Craig is still mending the roof.  No more water is running down the walls.  I have not yet washed the streaks off the walls. Maybe tomorrow, but more likely on Friday.

I went to the greengrocer for tomatoes, became excited and spent £32.01.  It's a good thing that I don't often buy clothes and other extravagances.