Well, Leila arrived safely this afternoon, after a rather blowy journey up from Plymouth. Today was bin day (one day later than usual, owing to Bank Holiday) and the street was littered with wheelies on their sides. We popped out to Maplins this afternoon to get a plug, but have had a nice relaxed day generally. Presented Leila with her birthday quilt and she has been bonding with it happily. Andy and Booty have taken a real shine to her too, which is great. I attach photos of the quilt being presented and the cake in its pink gorgeousness. All I can say is that good and loyal friends are a gift beyond measure.

It definately feels at last as though spring is on its way. My friend Leila arrives tomorrow for a short stay - it will be wonderful to see her. Went to Tesco today to pick up a few ingredients - definately doing Nigella's maple chicken as everyone who eats it practically slavers over it and licks the plate clean. Following that with a pink cake with a topping of fresh strawberries and pink vanilla icing. Yes, it's girly, but what the heck!

As a surprise 40th birthday present, I have made her a quilt which she will be receiving tomorrow as I didn't feel confident about posting it. The monetary value is not high but the time and effort put in is irreplaceable. I attach a photo which Andrew took, and as you can see, Andy decided he wanted to be in too. Some other pics attached from the garden. It's good to see flowers out there and lots of interesting things sprouting. Spent most of this afternoon ironing - that never ending task. We walked the dogs this morning over at Tredegar House - lots of lovely flowers there too - celandines gleaming and the wonderful sticky buds of horse chestnuts. Near their nursery they have a winter honeysuckle which has been flowering well, nearly over now but still smelling lovely.

Easter has been cold with snow on Saturday, and blustery showers of sleet and rain. We went to the dog show on Easter Sunday, and spent a quiet day on Monday,being tired. Today also, we took the dogs out this morning and I watched Dawn Bibby on QVC this afternoon. I admit it may be possible that my eyes shut a few times..... Watched Kind Hearts and Coronets while eating this evening - a wonderful film which I never tire of seeing. Had a chat to Leila on the phone tonight. She made me laugh, as one of her colleagues who she enjoys occasional days out with (usual girly shopping trips and so on) appears to be married to an idiot, who has requested that his wife no longer takes part in such trips as he is convinced Leila is a lesbian. The sole evidence for this is that she is single and keeps her private life to herself, rather than discussing it with the entire office. Actually, with men like this in the world, it seems a more attractive option. We discussed it for some time - I was also keen to point out that she likes cats, but we agreed that if it were true, she would actually have at least three, and would probably have stayed working in the library, although that might be too many cliches to be true. What is so completely bonkers about the whole thing is that the bloke presumably feels that a day out in Torquay would result in some sort of catching lesbianism, like getting a cold perhaps? It becomes so daft you can't really argue with it. Anyway, we've agreed that we'll try not to have too much sex when we see each other this coming weekend. We also discussed menus - I think I am going to cook Nigella's maple chicken and ribs on Friday night, and some sort of chocolate thing, although I am also considering a cup ccake option, with strawberry and vanilla topping as a tribute to the presence of spring. Ironically, I am a huge fan of KD Lang, so perhaps Leila had better not tell her colleague this. Imagine that, spending a weekend with another woman who admits liking music by a lesbian and (gasp)has several books both by and about lesbians on her bookshelves. The husband is clearly a beard........... Not sure where the greyhounds fit in though.

Just thought I would add a quick pic of Booty. Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl, music and passion were always in fashion at the Copa- ca - BANA!! Sing along.....

The second one reveals how exhausting it is to be a star...

My nose is gently subsiding - thanks to all who expressed concern. No longer honking like a warthog, so that's good.

Jeans. What did people do before they were invented? More specifically, like most of the female population, I wear bootcuts. Hipsters are difficult for me. Not only am I the wrong shape in general, and far too large bluntly, but I don't like a lot of pressure on my scar, and my belly is a funny shape after the op. Also, I have to say that unless you are a size 8 with snake like hips, a blobby muffin top is not an attractive look, no matter who you are. And don't get me started on having your thong hanging out the back - put it away already, especially in the workplace. Just eewwww.

So anyway, I'm going to be spending a few days with my dear friend Leila after Easter, and thought that as I haven't been clothes shopping for ages, I would buy a new pair of jeans. And, for the record, I had decided that I would not be stuck in my bootcut rut, but be bold and venture into a slouch, a straight leg or something similar. So off I trotted, and disappeared into the changing room laden with hangers. And guess what I ended up buying? Yes, wearily, bootcuts. They fitted, they were comfortable, my bum looked great, my scar was no bother, fab. All the various others were wrong in some way. Too tight, too bulgy, too baggy where they shouldn't be, too long (one pair were designed for someone on stilts), too uncomfortable, too much digging in the belly, so you just know that after an hour or two of wearing them, you can't wait to get them off, break wind and breathe again. I also bought two bras, one of which is a fabulous balcony one with really pretty apricot striped cups - very springlike. Although today, the weather has been a blustery storm, with frequent cold showers. We had a phone call this morning from one of our greyhound friends to say that her BT line was out due to last night's storm, along with most of her neighbours, and BT would not be fixing it until after Easter. Humph. She lives in Pembrokeshire, which apparently had a bad night. Thankfully, like most people these days, she has a mobile, but of course it is difficult for internet connections. On Sunday, we are helping out at the GRW show - I am still nervous, but also looking forward to it, and hoping the weather improves. It will be odd to see the floor in the spare bedroom - at the moment, it is covered in cards. The dogs are most confused.

Yesterday, Andy did a superb surrealist collection again. He collected his old friend the rug, the oven glove, the oven glove's hook that attaches it to the end of the worktops, a plastic sieve that I'd used for draining some vegetables I'd cooked and my handbag. He dragged it upstairs twice, each time leaving a trail of contents, not eaten just scattered. When I went into the front bedroom he was lying on the bed, contentedly lying among the spoils of war, looking very pleased with himself. So, I went back out and picked up the trail of lipgloss, pens, tissues, diary, notebook and assorted other handbag contents. Female readers will know that handbags generally have an ability to attract a variety of objects, that either may come in handy at some unspecified point in the future or have landed in the handbag by some mysterious vortex in the space/time continuum. Mine is no different.

To all my readers, a very happy Easter.

A very brief post. Lurgy now consuming - I am coughing and spluttering and my sinuses ache. Grrr. My nose looks like I should be called Rudolf. As you can tell, feeling very sorry for myself.

Not a huge amount to report. It's been a fairly quiet week for me. Greyhound meeting on Wednesday night in Swansea held at County Hall. The building is being refurbished so all of us had trouble getting in and out - good meeting though.

Every night this week we've been serenaded by either frogs or toads - I'm not sure which. They are croaking very loudly in the back garden - as it's dark and wet, can't see to check. Expert comments welcome to explain this phenomenon . Is it a mating call? The frog equivalent of Austin Powers going "Yeah baby", or a Barry White style accompaniment to frog hanky-panky? Who knows?

Talking of sex, I watched "Secretary" on Thursday evening. What an interesting film. James Spader, who has such a sexy voice I could listen to him read the telephone directory, and the beautiful Maggie Gyllenhall playing the title role. A long exploration of the boundaries of desire, repressed and therefore volcanic, with eruptions of surprisingly tender and funny S & M sex, including spanking, a memorable scene with a saddle and a carrot and an erotic hair-washing. Definately strange, but oddly enjoyable.

Now have succumbed to some sort of lurgy. My throat feels like I've smoked a packet of Woodbines and all my lymph clusters are aching - sort of how I imagine bubonic plague. I hate having a crap immune system.

On Saturday we were honoured to receive a visit from cousin Jonathan, who is making a kind of stately progress around the country while his flat is being gutted and refurbished up in the grim North. Strangely there will be no flying ducks or muriels of whippets, but it sounds from his description like the most gorgeously swish redecoration. I am particularly impressed by the description of the plans for the bathrooms and dressing room, while Andrew was more interested in the NASA spec remote controls for built in sound systems and lighting. For all I know there is probably one of those pop up maps of the world you see on Bond films, which then lights up excitingly to show missile trajectories, or perhaps more usefully planned shopping routes. Anyway it sounds exciting and I really can't wait to see it.

Despite the grim weather we ventured down the Bay and had lunch in what used to be Brazz in the Millennium Centre. It is now called Gilbey's and although it was OK, I don't think we'll be rushing to return. We ventured forth for a couple of photos on the Torchwood step. Most inconsiderately, John Barrowman was nowhere to be seen. Tchah! A detour to the Red Dragon Centre for a visit to the Dr Who shop and then back to the house for coffee and chat. The day flew by, and it was lovely to see him. I am also insanely jealous as he has tickets to see Bryn Terfel singing Falstaff next weekend in Birmingham - gnash, gnash.

Today was quiet. We decided to take the dogs somewhere different, and headed for a Forestry area called Forest Drive near Risca. However when we got there it was full of mud spattered mountain bikers as there was an event on, and the trails were shut. Swung into plan B, and went back over to 14 Locks which we visited over the new year. This time, we walked the other way along the canal towpath. It was lovely, full of celandines, primroses and ducks. The day felt really springlike, with lots of scudding white clouds and a blue sky. Tonight however we are forecast to have a severe storm. Andrew made some amazing Yorkshire puddings tonight to go with the roast beef, they rose so high they stuck to the top of the oven. Fortunately there were enough to share with the woofs. Finished the evening by enjoying Gosford Park. Another brilliant performance by Helen Mirren.

A quiet few days. Tonight was quilting class, the highlight of my week. We are working on the block which will form the centrepiece of the quilt, and have only two or three more classes to go before we finish the course. I am sad at this thought, as I really enjoy the social dimension too. We are a small group but have knitted together very well. Marianne our tutor gave out copies of the shop's newsletter and the summer course programme. A fantastic array of classes and at least two or three I'd like to do. Much to our amazement and delight this includes a course on "Decorating Your Bra For Belly Dancing" - yes, really. A naughty imp inside me is tempted to do the course, create the most blinged piece of underwiring imaginable, preferably with bells on, and then wear the results to something stuffy like our union JCC, or a visit by BSI to audit our quality standards. I really must control my naughty imp better.

Continuing the underwear theme, we walked the dogs over at Tredegar on Monday. It was a cold day and we virtually had the park to ourselves. Many celandines and I was very impressed by seeing some tiny and beautiful white violets- unusual and so delicate looking. Anyway, about half way round the lake, I felt a stirring in my nether regions and a most uncomfortable sensation as my knickers gradually collapsed around me. On telling my dear one, hoping for some sympathy, I was instead met by uncontrolled mirth, which continued while I minced round for the rest of the walk. I will not name the offending shop where the items were purchased, but it has convinced me that I was fickle to abandon Markles and Sparkles, and my lingerie loyalty will lie with St Michael henceforth.

A quick and dirty post for this evening. Andrew has spent the weekend with the computer. He tried a variety of reboots with no success, which left us with the nuclear option which we had hoped to avoid of completely restarting with factory settings. Our documents are fine but this would mean the loss of our email. Anyway, we've done the deed, the beast is working now and I'm typing this on it. With of course 20/20 hindsight DH has now arranged for all email received in future to be copied into a web based folder so we can access it if it falls over. That's great, but doesn't get us over the current hump.

If you want us to have your email address, and think we had it, we don't any longer so please, RESEND US an email. Or you can leave a comment with your address on it.

Annoyingly this buggers up a number of ongoing things, including some greyhound stuff, some ATC swops and just generally keeping in touch with people. So, dear readers, get those outboxes pinging.

And smug Mac users - the Germans have a useful word for it - schadenfreude I believe?!!

Otherwise, not much to report, except for finishing the seams on the quilt, and greyhound walk this afternoon. Oh, and we've got frogs in the pond, and the quince is flowering.