I take back everything that I have said about the delivery companies in this part of the world: this morning a gentleman rang the bell and proffered an Amazon box filled with Art books.

I think that I went slightly mad with indecision as I rescued each volume from its snug nest of crushed paper in the box and didn’t really know which one to devour first.  They are all wonderful and fully justify my unjustifiable assertion that I had “only bought them because I needed them for school”.  Toni is very sceptical about my use of the word “need” in all its forms and tends to be downright dismissive when it comes to considering my well-supported and convincing case for each new purchase.

Each book was more exciting than the one before by the time I had stopped gloating and actually got down to looking at them.  They are full of fascinating information which will soon be winging its way to those to know me and to those that pay (in one way or another) to be known by me.  Beware, O beware of my starting a sentence with “Did you know that . . .” or “It is a fascinating fact that . . .” unless you are really and truly interested in the history of modern art.  I am slightly resentful that I will have to leave these heavy and profusely illustrated books behind as I journey to the UK, though I have made room for one reasonably small book on “-isms” which will keep me going – and provide most of the curriculum that I will need to teach for next year!

No day with a delivery of books can be a bad one and even the irritatingly scattered cloud gathered itself up and departed to produce another stunningly sunny day.

Toni returned from his “fun” day with the nephews in a theme park: fourteen straight hours of hyperactive youth.  How unfortunate that I was not able to accompany him!

I have, resentfully, got down to some sort of packing: few clothes but strings of leads, power packs and gadgets.

I have told myself that anything I lack I will buy.  As if I needed an excuse.

Tomorrow the UK and the start of something which really can be called a holiday