Felt tip pens

They remind me of Christmas when I was young - I always got a new set, every year, till I was about 12. I had worn them out by about 5pm on Christmas day - usually just as the turkey butties were served as a post Christmas lunch snack (and James Bond was finishing).

James won this wonderful set of 40 shiny, well ordered felt tips - he was surprised at this, as he didn't even realise he had entered a competition!

Interesting developments in the family tree business - birth and marriage certificates arriving, jigsaw pieces slotting into place. It's like detective work - I am fortunate to have some original correspondance between my Grandad and another chap who was investigating the tree - the letters contain lots of little snippets, which even without dates, mentions of places and people have enabled me to put things together. It's actually quite satisfying to do - but I feel like I enter into a strange time vortex where I get lost for 3 hours at a time. I need faces to put to names - I need photos ...I am on the trail!

Talking of strangeness - half a mile down the road, everywhere is covered in snow, and it has been snowing all day. Here - just sheet ice and fog. Bleugh.

Trying day in some respects, but always a smile from my lovely colleagues - that cheers me up!

Doctor's tomorrow afternoon to instigate knee recovery. It's not right, still, and I can avoid it no longer.

Right, tea or Shiraz....?