I have one ceramic knife that I use only for cutting cheese. I won’t acquire any more. For decades, my favourite small kitchen knife has been a little Victorinox parer with a plastic handle and about four inches of stainless-steel blade. Edmund was forever trying to get me to use something fancier, but it fits my small hand perfectly, holds its edge, and doesn’t mind the dishwasher.

The carpenter is expected today, so I must move stuff around in the basement to give him room to work. Marco the painter is due at three to discuss the upstairs hall and touch-ups in the bedrooms. Four years of clearance efforts are paying off — clearing the walls doesn’t scare me, and I know precisely what’s in every box and bin!

Taking a chance, I put away my sheepskin coat yesterday. Today, the tall fleece-lined boots get packed in the bin they share with my mukluks. I’m sure we’ll get more snow around the equinox (we usually do), but I doubt very much that I’ll need serious winter gear again this side of Remembrance Day.