(no subject)

• Rob went to America for a week, and my mother came, and it was fine. A family friend died just as he was flying back and my mother had to rush back for the funeral, and I immediately lost my voice, but it could all have been much worse.
• Then I got shingles again.
• There's been sundry problems with Linnea's school uniform ordering. But it's here, it fits as well as a first-year's ever will, and many of the name labels are sewn on. She's really, really looking forward to it.
• She went to Ecoweek summer camp at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth and loved it, just like last year. I coped much better this year, too.
• Emer and I are watching all manner of period dramas. Downton Abbey, The Paradise, and Call the Midwife. It's an EXTREMELY educational experience, though it puts paid to any notion of a relaxing evening vegging in front of a screen, for me, because of all the discussing, explaining, context, etc. She's quite cross at the wrongness of the morals.
• Astrid is five now, and delightful beyond measure.
• Mondays are still all about cleaning up so I can cope with the rest of the week, after the chaos of the weekend. There has to be a better way to live.
• I keep meaning to update the art blog or the who teaches whom blog and I am too exhausted. Also I'm mostly unable to read actual books, too.