I have, after many disasters, mastered the dark art of the prawn rice paper roll. We said our prayers to the gods, stuffed our faces, and then rolled around on the floor yelping with culinary pleasure. Everything – other than the weather, which was a bit mad – was beautiful today: the garden (almost finished), and the house, which has been turned upside down in the most comprehensive clean of its life. (I love cleaning the house, but never have the time.) Alex has been beavering away at his PC, I am about to start on an edit, and darling Monkey is in tears at the prospect of returning to school next week. To homeschool or not to homeschool? I love Monkey’s PoE, but she wants home home home. Something to be considered in about six months, when time is again my own.

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