Out of Office Reply

My mother, it was actually, suggested that I write just a teensy-weensy message to let anyone who might still be trying to follow my blog know that I am not dead. Nor have I decamped to warmer climes, tempting though that may be. I am simply very busy trying to keep up with my master's degree work. Should you ever hear anyone saying it is hard to combine a postgraduate degree with job, family and household, do not doubt them, it really is. Hard. And you don't want to know how the household is looking right now. My spiders have been given carte blanche and have set up home in all sorts of previously forbidden corners. There are curious dustballs that float out from under various pieces of furniture. I stick to the most essential - cooking, food-shopping (oh joy), washing, ironing, cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, hall, living room... and just for fun, I iron too. Do I sound like I feel sorry for myself? Tosh. But having failed one of my assignments - the humiliation - I decided that I had to pull up my Bavarian calf-warmer socks and start working damn hard, or else I am going to have spent nearly two years in the pursuit of nothing at all.

In terms of Bovinia, everything is as it should be - the farmers are gearing up for the muck-spreading season, the cows are getting restless, people have hung plastic Easter eggs on snow-covered branches. Crocuses and snowdrops battle to hold their weatherbeaten heads above icy slush. Max the cat has caught his first mouse of the year and left it on the patio, entrails and all. The neighbours have started chatting in the street again during brief moments of sun, only to scuttle back indoors again when a sideways wind and stair-rod rain comes out of nowhere.

I will be back.