SIL No. 1 had a lesser bout of the bug that got me, but she already had a cold when all this crap landed on us. She is nevertheless soldiering through, catering for both me and Andrew. I owe her big time.

I have been out to Cats’ Paradise only once, to deliver kibble and see how things are going. Isobel was outside (in their wire-enclosed “catio”) and Watson was sacked out in a large basket — no news there. But the weather since then has ranged from unpleasant to dangerous and the price of fuel is through the roof, so I’ve otherwise stuck close to home (where the havoc is).

The main frames of the cabinets — carpenters call them “carcasses” were installed a week ago, and the stone cutters came in on the heels of the cabinetmakers to measure and make their templates. Meanwhile, Marc the contractor has been reorganizing the kitchen wiring and repairing the drywall. I believe the patching and taping are done, and mud begins tomorrow, God willing. Of course, mud means sanding, and sanding means more mess, but heigh-ho.

The new appliances will arrive on 31 March, a week from Tuesday, and installation is part of the project. I can hardly wait for a correctly secured dishwasher. Much of the crockery and cutlery will need washing when the construction is over, so I will find out very quickly if I picked the right one.