It's been a funny old interlude since I last wrote here. Lovely day out on Sunday, taking in Cullen which whilst I wasn't looking has turned itself into an Antiques Town. Happily an old friend from book-trading days is still there in his delightful little bijou boutique selling books, bric-a-brac, the occasional real antique and plenty of jewellery to entice the ladies, some of which he makes up himself. I, ladylike, couldn't resist another pair of ear-rings and a necklace with elephants. My eccentric friend David came along for the ride and we had a delicious carvery en route. D never cooks for himself, survives on Tesco's finest and green smoothies so he does like one square meal a week and usually has two puddings. This day we had been told of a proper 'Tea Room' that opened fairly recently and managed to find it though I was surprised there was anyone there because it's very poorly signposted and definitely off the main track. tea was served in real pots with a strainer and taken in pretty little cups like my mother bright out for visitors. There was also a quite exotic choice of blend for this part of the world. I had Russian Caravan tea, very light and aromatic, not tall how it sounds, (black, gritty and oily with sweat from the horses backs... ) It's ages since I last tasted it, in Brussels I think, so that's over 25 years ago...  Wonderful cake too. Probably the last I'll eat... more of that later....

When we got back into the car D proclaimed himself sad. Why? 'Because this lovely outing is coming to an end.' I was touched.

Around this brief one-day idyll were wrapped various visits to the Health Centre for  routine blood tests and a quicky with the doc because I thought my heart had been behaving funnily. He listened, pronounced atrial fibrillation, I envisaged stents and such nastiness, then I got an ECG which showed only normal pounding. Phew! However, when the results of the blood tests came back later in the week I heard that my blood sugars are way up and - oops - that's probably Type 2 diabetes.  What annoys me is that it has probably been caused by all the oral steroids I've had to take in order to breath. There's a name for this which I am about to look up.... Iatrogenic illness, that's the one... More tests to follow. Bleur!