DDIY (Don't Do It Yourself)

The new shower is all but finished and it's looking good. I can't wait to try it out but must hold off for 48 hours for everything to dry. I've been looking at new towels for the users, mulling over colours (John Lewis of course) and to make sure that there is never again any confusion over whose is whose, I've put hooks up with the four main visitors' initials on them. Thus there is O, I, J and K. Could that be any clearer? Can my towels in the bathroom be left for my sole use in future? The downstairs is filthy, and I mean filthy, and because I can't really clean I haven't bothered to tidy things away either.  The first day when the concrete floor was drilled to make space for the drains, the plumber didn't see the sockets in the utility room and used the one in the study instead. Thus all the doors were left ajar, so dust has got everywhere. After that I popped an extension from the shed through the window for him, but too late. The mess in the cloakroom has been trailed backwards and forwards to the back door, and I gave up cleaning several days ago. I'm taking it slowly, but this evening I washed the walls, floors and windows around the shower, and I'll do the rest as and when I have the energy. But I'm thrilled with it. I hope everyone else is too.

The laying of drains in the field finished this evening, and what a huge job that has been. Five massive machines each doing a special job have taken three days to cover a large field. I can't help thinking of how different it would have been a century ago, for example, when most of it would have been done by men with spades. The trenches they dug were nearly six feet deep, enough to bury a coffin in. When they'd left Hugo and I strolled around looking for treasure, coins, axe heads, but could see nothing. If only I had a metal detector. I'm sure there's a fortune out there.

I opened my big bedroom window this morning to throw out a dead cranefly, and the pigeon on her nest flew away. I looked down and to my amazement there were two sizeable fledglings sitting there. Not five days ago there were two small eggs. How could they have grown to such a size so quickly? They are not pretty things but they are their mother's own, and no doubt she loves them. I hope they continue to get big and fat so they can fly away. Then there will be no return. I've had enough of their squawking and calling, not to mention their scrabbling noisily through the leaves.

I gave an armful of blood this morning and by Tuesday should know what if anything is wrong. I persuaded the doctor against his better judgement to give me a few valium (am I likely to become addicted on 28 pills, most of which I probably won't need to take? I think not), and when my head gets to the unbearable stage I take one which removes the pressure. There's no rush of euphoria as I feel the weight of the world slipping off my shoulders, but rather something close to the old normal returns for a brief while. It's such a relief. If I have any left when I no longer need them I'll take them behind Wickham Market Co-op one evening and make some money. I'm told that that's where all the action takes place.