Friday

We've had some deliciously cold nights, so I've been sleeping like a log. And I'm addicted to peppermint tea, which is all that Will drinks. He and I make a big pot every evening, and we drink the lot between us. And that also helps me sleep, I think, rather than caffeine-loaded regular tea.

I'm starting the day slowly here at Schloss Zed. First load is in the machine. Then a little computer catch-up (that's my desk, above, in this morning's mild winter sunlight), another coffee, and a bit of work on the book – editing, not writing. But my best friend Shelley was reminding me this week that I really ought to get Julia out of the kitchen where her guest is still making coffee and where I abandoned her so long ago ... and I'm wondering if she may need to be transplanted from the backwoods of Tuscany to rural Australia. I do have lovely plans for her, that she'll definitely enjoy ...