No, Stilly, I have not seen the kitchen designer yet — I’ll expect him when I see him. That’s just how it is with anyone in the building trades who is any damn good.

The house is small enough that I don’t think much can be done with the footprint or layout of the kitchen. We went through that in Stratford, with a kitchen reno that eventually involved half the house because of ugly discoveries in both plumbing and wiring.

It’s the nature and quality of the cabinets that can change to greatest advantage, as they are both badly made (both in materials and technique), and very wasteful of space. Also, the dishwasher and exhaust hood are clapped out and way beyond ready for replacement. The stove (range, cooker) itself is fine, and the fridge is nice but much too big.

I have been twiddling my thumbs and waiting for January to be over. When the days start to lengthen I’ll feel more energetic.

Speaking of lengthening days, my Christmas cactus is covered with buds again. This is a first for me; in these parts, they normally flower in November, with a secondary flush around Easter. It’s in a north-facing window, too.