Thursday 13th July - my eyes are gummed I cannot see

 No, not really, but for a while they felt like it;

'My eyes are dim I cannot see

I have not got my specs with me

I have n---o----t my----- specs      with      me!' as the song goes.

That's because I spent the whole morning, interrupted only to teach a piano lesson and make a cup of tea on finalising and then charting recharting erasing recharting and finally inking in my cross stitch pattern.

The central motif for Version 1 wouldn't fit in the space, the borders for version 2 were too big, and it took me three goes to try and centre the design for Version 3. But it is done! Sort of... I think I know what the colour scheme is in outline, enough to make a start at any rate. I always feel So much better once the first stitches are in, and in their proper place.

I have finished 'Mrs 'Arris goes to New York' and immediately downloaded 'Mrs 'Arris goes to Moscow' and 'Mrs 'Arris MP'. They are the sort of books that cheer me up immensely. Somewhere between comedy, satire, fairy-tale, and 'feel-good'.

I also finished listening to 'Winter's Gifts' by Ben Aaronovitch on audible. I suspect one reason I had so much difficulty with charting the cross stitch was that I got too interested in the story and kept pressing the opposite of 'snooze' to listen to another 30 minutes instead of going to sleep. Ah well. 

Reminds me of reading books by torchlight under the bed covers when I was a child, trying to make out the words in the fading light of the torch bulb as the battery slowly and inevitably died.

I used to read them in the bathroom too; this was trickier as you had to keep an ear out for someone (a parent!) coming up the stairs, and then pull the light cord just until the light went out but not as far as the 'click' to avoid discovery.

Talking of lights out - yup, it's time to say goodnight...! Sleep well....