Poor old Gordon. After his resignation speech I was waiting for one of the politicians, prompted by BBC commentators to say 'Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it' but I had to wait for an Independent journalist to use the quote. I have to confess I've always liked the man; he has that grumpy Scots thing going on (as someone else said of him) and, unlike the showman Blair, every speech he made seemed as if it was coming from a real man, not an actor.

Well, well, now what have we? At least they can't do too much damage with no real majority. England can now take its place alongside Scotland, Wales, Norway and Germany who all have - what was the phrase we kept hearing? - stable, broadbased, principled, blah blah governments made up by coalitions and all seem to get by quite well (especially Norway and Germany!)

Between all this excitement (which was better than a rugby match) I went to the real Chinese acupuncturist up the road for a treatment yesterday. I haven't dared go to an acupuncturist since Belgium where there were a couple of good ones that I trusted. This lady is the real deal. She was also trained in western medicine in China which is somehow reassuring. There was nothing resembling western medicine in her treatment of me. She spent a long time looking at my aura which was rather unnerving. I braced myself for bad news - stormy coloured clouds, angry red hues, blobby bits of gunk... When the verdict came it was a surprise. She told me it is quite clear, not fuzzy and that she reads me as a decisive person who comes to decisions easily and makes things happen. Strangely, considering how little I've made happen lately, I think that is true. I'm always irritated by people who aren't decisive. The next revelation was even more startling - I didn't expect to be told I was a General in my last life! This time I want to experience the balance - from power to no power I suppose! She called it 'service' rather than no power. Maybe that's why I have such an aversion to the military.

Over the years of living in this area I have grown bored of 'past life' stuff and very skeptical, but coming from this lady I was prepared to accept that, if not the whole truth, this is an image of myself worth considering. Wanting to be feminine but being perceived as of lesser importance than my husband, not being appreciated or listened to seriously, these have been real experiences that have certainly brought on the asthma!

Possibly more weirdly she told me there is bad Feng Shui in this house because the toilet is against the kitchen. can't do much about that but she told me to get out more. Oh dear. I need to be more in the community she said. Again, oh dear.

Finally there was some very painful acupression around neck, shoulders and back then some excruciating work around my ears where she put those little seeds in place with a lot of gleeful: 'Does this hurt? Yes? Good.'

We shall see now if it works.