Let's adopt a baby

There we were lying in bed, listening to an item about adoption on the breakfast news when I suggested to Jan that maybe we should adopt a child. Jan, an earth mother, purred contentedly. I mentioned that we have the time, we can demonstrate that we have been loving, responsible parents and we can provide a good home. She reacted calmly to this suggestion until I, probably unhelpfully, suggested that if we could get an olive skinned, raven haired, 18 years old with a 38 DD chest, I'd do a lot of the nurturing. She didn't like this idea! I was possibly a bit too specific about the colour of hair. Oh well, I'll know for next time.

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Happy New Year! It's the Chinese year of the dog or more formally bingxu. The dog is Jan's sign and I'm a pig, as you have already probably realised, but at least you won't have to sing Old Bloody Lang Syne. I wonder what the Chinese sing? (Ord rang sine - Ed.) Jan and I have always had great fun looking a our Chinese astrological signs, and in particular, how the dog and pig get on together. Hmnnnn.

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Jan loves to try new recipes and because James is vegetarian, she particularly loves the challenge. Tonight we started with a Tunisian aubergine salad, eaten with pitta bread, couscous with a vegetable tagine, followed by cheese, pineapple upside down cake and baci di ricotta (lightly fried ricotta cakes). Delicious. If I could remember anything about the wine I'd tell you about that too.