Lunch went well yesterday. Heard all about the plans for the big day, which included their greyhounds being ring bearers. That is just so gorgeous. The event is going to be a fiesta of high campery, with a glamour theme, and what sounds like half a ton of Swarovski crystals. Instead of a trad wedding cake, they are having a six tier cake stand (which lights up!! How camp is that?I want one, NOW) filled with hundreds of chocolate muffins on the very sensible grounds that wedding cake is usually grim, but everyone loves chocolate muffins. Also the plan is that this way they get round the cliche of the two groom mannequins on the top - I must admit it all sounds wonderful. We had chocolate cake at our wedding.

The two new recipes worked well - lamb was beautifully tender, there was a tiny bit left over, nestling by bones in the kitchen which the young master had earmarked for some late evening nibbling - unfortunately Andy got there first, sprinted upstairs with the lamb bone, and an unseemly tussle followed. Meringue was yummy, and fortunately so far no greyhounds have stolen any. The chocolate and ginger sauce was subtle but delicious, and complemented the pears very well. It was also a very easy recipe to do, so I think that it could become a standby.

After our guests departed, we had a relaxing evening watching the last of the Bourne films (I got Andrew the trilogy for Christmas on DVD) - a good film, not too taxing on the brain. The night before we made the mistake of watching Pirates of the Caribbean At Worlds End (also the last of the trilogy). AArgh! I really did think it was a waste of three hours of my life. It was way too long, and couldn't decide what audience it was playing to. Utterly dreadful. If you haven't already seen it, let my pain not be in vain, and don't.

Andrew got up at some ungodly hour this morning and flew up to Edinburgh for work. He called me later from just under the Scott Memorial - this brought back many happy memories for us both, as we both love the city, and I wished very much that I was with him. I attach a photo of it, taken when I was last there. However, greyhound compensation - as I type one is lying by my feet, and the other is on the landing having evil wind which may be the consequences of his lamb theft yesterday. Tonight I am hoping to watch the new David Attenborough series on reptiles. Am expecting the usual breathtaking photography and fascinating creatures, a wonderful reminder of the beauty and strangeness of our planet.