My apologies for not writing in some time. I have been struck down by a nasty Flu and am still recovering. I have rarely left my bed in the past few days, though I have been reading a lot and watching a few films while I sip my chamomile and honey tea Miss Charlotte says she is not feeling at all well either, and has thus been keeping me company.

The book I’m reading at present is “Rose Daughter” by Robin McKinley, a master of the Fairy Tale genre. It is a lovely retelling of Beauty and the Beast, which holds true to the original in many ways but also has its own little themes and currents that make it an entirely new story Its comforting reading, it lets me escape from the sickbed to Beast’s magical palace, and makes me wish for nothing more than a vase of roses by my bedside!

Fevers and coughs are not pleasant things, however one writes about them, but I am feeling a little better today, and hopefully a little more so tomorrow.