Quiet days. I did a marathon sewing session last Wednesday in order to finish all my stuff to take to the Guild for ‘sew and tell’. I duly held them all up and felt very happy with my achievements.

I am now in a lull, before I start another sewing class tomorrow. Life has lost that drive, and I feel a bit in a vacuum. I can’t relate to ‘groups’ where the conversation revolves around how long you have been here and how long you are going to stay. Do you play mah jong? Did you hear that there is a new Mall opening? I have always been hopeless at that, so instead have chosen more solitary pursuits. Then I get lonely…oh my, it is a vicious circle.

So, I have returned to creating my own world. Made great strides into one book, then suddenly I started writing about the Highlands again. Is it possible to write two books at once? They are so different, and reflect two parts of me, so maybe I can.  They are going to be called The Fish in the Tree and The Highland Curse. There…I have to do it now!

We did go to a party on Friday night, but our host had fallen down and hurt his ankle so was like a pasha with his foot up, meeting his public. Lovely home, lovely food, and I did enjoy the champagne cocktails. I am going to make them now. John and I spent ages and ages talking to an Iraq/Turkish/Manchester mix of a man. He runs 9 companies here, has lived here for 19 years, and has an MBE which he lost in the dry cleaners. He has written to the Palace to get a replacement. Having the lingo, he can understand all the ‘asides’ that go on in business, and often says when leaving a meeting, ‘Be careful, my brother when you speak Arabic!’

We did go to the beach and the wind was whipping the sand right into the egg sandwiches. The only people who had fun were the kite surfers, as they rode the waves at breath taking speeds. It was a relief to get back and wash up, and then go to see the film ‘Hummingbird’. Such a good film. We have been lucky lately, as last week we saw ‘Disconnect’. There can be nothing for ages then suddenly they all come at once. Did smile as we came out of the cinema and saw an advert for Halle Berry’s new film. Doha authorities obviously did not approve of her posing in her bra, so they coloured in a T shirt with marker pens to make her more respectable! Funny.

This week is going to be wonderful. Tuesday is sewing, then on Wednesday we are off to Oman for five nights!