We started out the week with lovely weather, bright skies, etc., but we ended with colder weather, and the warmth that showed the coming of spring turning back to the cold of winter.

I continue to have acupuncture, having gone again on Tuesday and on Friday. It continues to help, thank goodness! I have more appointments set up.

Tuesday was Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day as it is called over here. That's when they eat pancakes, and only with either sugar and lemon juice or Lyon's Golden syrup. I kept questioning about Pancake Day, and why, if they liked them so much, they didn't eat them more often. No one seemed to know, but they didn't. Well, I found that since this is the day before the beginning of Lent, it symbolizes the using up of foods, and using things that are banned during Lent, i.e. grease, butter, eggs, etc. Also, what they call pancakes, we would call crêpes! So a difference, for sure.

On Wednesday Sally Corrie and I went to York Theatre Royal to see Cole Porter's “Anything Goes”. It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening! Sally had been in the show, in an amateur production, when she was a teenager, and therefore she and I were sitting there and singing along withe the cast. Fortunately, those around us didn't object! When we came out of the theatre, it was raining just a bit, and we walked around to The Hole in the Wall pub for a drink after the theatre. When we came out, it was still slightly raining, but the lights on the street made it sparkle after the cleaning. We walked to the taxi rank and got a taxi home. A thoroughly enjoyable time!

Friday started out a lovely day, but by the time I finished my acupunture, it was raining, the wind had come up considerably, and it was quite chilly. I took myself home and then got ready for Polly O'Malley's birthday do. I got to Harkers Pub just as Liz Kirby arrived, and we had a drink and a chat before heading to the Assembly Rooms, where the restaurant, ASK, is located which was the venue for the evening. There were about 20 of us, and we had a very delightful time. About 11pm things began to wind down, and we were all saying our goodbyes. I headed home and to bed.

Saturday I awoke to a knocking on my door. It was the postman with a package! Nina Hagan had sent me a box of goodies last week, loaded with cornbread mix (they do NOT have corn meal over here!), bar-b-que sauce, jalapeño/pecan/peach preserves (link shows apricot jalapeño recipe), etc. and what a welcome it was, and how very sweet of her. Well, on Saturday there was a package of People and US magazines. Nope, they aren't sold over here, either! So I have had some good eating and some good reading thanks to a dear friend. I went into town to buy a few things and then brought myself back home to prepare dinner. My friend, Steve Smith, was coming from Sheffield for dinner. We had a good time and a good visit.

Today has been a lazy day, and a rainy and cloudy day. So I have spent most of it inside, just cleaning up, getting ready for this week, etc. I hope you all had a good week, and an early HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all of you!

Love,

Denny