Not so much a bunch of flowers, as a bunch of statement.

“Who sent you those?” Shaun asked.

“Barclays.” Like, obvious.

After laughing a lot, “Why?”

“I suggested they could send me champagne or flowers, and they came up with that.”

I always hated having a birthday on 2nd January.

My first ever birthday party was in my thirties. My mother was a teacher and my father head master of a choir school which worked up until Christmas Day, so we were always on holiday in the New Year. Probably in Norfolk, in my grandparents’ holiday house. Which had no central…

“What shall I speak to the boys about today?” Shaun asked me as he was getting dressed. “It’s International World Women’s Day.”

“Hmm. Male Chaplain, talking to a Chapel full of boys, with a male head master and male head of the prep school?”

“Yup.”

Honest to God, this is the entire conversation. Beginning to end. Verbatim.

– What can I do for you?

– I can’t sleep.

– How long has this being going on for?

– I can’t remember.

I don’t believe in New Year resolutions. Nevertheless. Here I am.

When we were first married Shaun said, You must write every day. Make it your Commonplace Book.

What’s a Commonplace Book? I said.

The bizarre thing is, I’m really rather enjoying Lent. Not quite sure what I’m doing wrong, but I’m not missing the booze to speak of at all…

Here’s a pleasant spin off, for instance. We have a lovely Muslim family staying with us for a week. Absolutely gorgeous. And today we did a deal. We bought the food: they cooked it…

First day of Lent. Yay.

I’ve decided that the key to willpower — other than willpower, which is even more important, obviously — is positive thinking. So here we go…

Tea. Yum. Lots of different, exotic, kinds. I’m not talking Assam, Earl Grey and every day teas which I have all the time. But all the…

Hurrah: second day of Lent!

One down and one to go…

I’ve decided that the second secret of willpower — apart from the willpower — is to go a step at a time. Which means I only have to keep Lent one day at a time. Which in turn surely means I only have one day left to go.