After such a flurry of comments from my devotees, I feel compelled to tell you that it is raining here, and although as a gardener I see summer rain as a 'good thing' I fear for the lettuces as the slugs will be out. Come over at 10 tonight with a penknife (not one you use for camp cooking) and you can take home a slug harvest.

Today, I met up with Suzanne, who is going to be my informal support worker, supporting me and letting me get things off my chest, as it were, with regard to our in house project. Was a bit of a Kevin morning for the dear darling, but she said sorry later, and getting to rant at Suzanne while walking around Victoria Park was very positive.

I also picked up some printers from work which are en route to R's work, and went to H's music concert at school. Violins, clarinets and french horns, played by 8 year olds, are far from 'music to my ears'. They had put in lots of effort, were reading proper notes and H played the tune to Old Macdonald, and did a dance to Cotton Eye Joe. As always I am impressed with the quality of the arts at Kanes Hill, they have a great music coordinator and next year H will be in the orchestra. Many schools in much more affluent areas do not have nearly such good music and drama. For me it, and excellence in sports, are an indicator of a good education being provided.

After school we went to Bitterne library, perfect rainy day choice. Then home to make cornflake cakes with Amanda, and cook tea for us and another family who have recently had a baby. We do that for people in our church, but I have always thought it is more radical and more like Jesus to do it for people who are not in our church. It was a bit of a cop out meal though, mostly cooked by Mr Sainsbury and his friends and heated up by me. Our tea tonight was odd, H ate, while I delivered the dinner and Amanda cooked an omlette for me and her. Then R ate (he has been ill at home today - highly unusual, query SWINE FLU), while I talked to Jo Hayles on the phone. Then I and Amanda ate. Then I picked A up from Rainbows and she ate. We are a family who all sit around the table to have dinner. Just not at the same time.

Tried to persuade Jo that the Claygate flower show was worth coming back from Bangladesh for( I genuinely believe that it is). We settled on pencilling in a possible sailing date - as I am now so good I think R and I could have a bash at the Isle of Wight this summer. I did all the helming on Saturday, and was generally aware of the wind and knew what I was doing wrong, and how to sort out my own problems without a whiff of panic. Jo does the odd bit of sailing so is looking forward to a spin round the bay, as it were, with me.

I filled in a form today for the NUT, and as well as wanting to know whether I was disabled, they wanted to know if I was gay, lesbian etc. I ticked the 'prefer not to say' box. What a nosy bunch of malingerers must work at Union HQ. Does it affect anyone's ability to teach? No? Then why do they want to know?

I have achieved a couple of very dull admin tasks this week - getting a quote and paying for travel and home insurance. Having Amanda bumped our premium up significantly, as she is a risk. Tell me about it! she set light to her kitchen at the YMCA. I go through all that hoo hah on line filling in the details, then do it again on the phone, and feel my life blood dripping away as I hold to be connected to someone else who wants me to repeat my address. Still, got the breakdown cover sorted at the same time, so don't need to watch the paint dry while listening to Vivaldi again on another 'help' line.

Heather (lovely neighbour) is going to take me on a returning the favour trip to The Range, a super big shop which is like Pound land but without the uniform pricing. I also have a pleasant trip out planned with my old Year 3 LSA, to a National Trust property. Oh, and I am having another one of those pottery parties in September, where you paint a plate, if you want to come.

Yesterday we went to the big church where our house group led the first half of the meeting, then we had a barbecue with Paul and Rachel in Fair Oak, enjoying their garden, hammocks and chickens, and the Pimms I had taken along. Pimms also consumed at our womens' group on Saturday night. As it was my turn, I made everyone come on a walk with me, the one I found as a run around Botley/Hedge End/Manor Farm that I keep going on about. I had organised a pudding and Pimms picnic for the end, so much laughter and fun had as we watched the bats fly overhead. A beautiful evening which I hope they all remember with joy and laughter!