I just made a sandwich from Phillippa's bread, a perfectly ripe avocado, some excellent ham (straight off the bone) and salad greens from my own garden - well, balcony, actually. I love summer. I hummed Christmas carols while I made it, too. Don't tell anyone, will you?

I have an early birthday present too. Don't worry, it's not five gold rings.

My old sewing machine died. RIP, little sewing machine. It served me well for 20 years. It has now gone to be spare parts for others who's machine is repairable. It can't be sent to the charity in Vietnam, because it is a top-loader and they can't finagle them for the third world. The sewing machine shop assures me that some little old lady somewhere will be awfully glad of what parts we can get off my old baby. And what was I going to do with it? Throw it in the rubbish?!

My new sewing machine is the Janome DC3050. I'd test-drive it, except I'm feeling woolly & post-migrainey. It will be my first computerized machine. (I checked, the computer bit comes with a 5 year warranty, whereas the mechanical bits come with a one year warranty. I guess I'm not the only person to sew a tent - or five - on my domestic sewing machine.)

Among its several super features is one-step buttonholes. As I have signally failed to learn how to make a straight button hole in over 20 years of sewing, this is a good thing. I can make you a customised pattern, I can sew patterns marked Difficult, I do not quail (much) at velvet, but I design around buttonholes. Button loops, press studs, zips, anything except a buttonhole please. When all else failed, I used to sew them by hand. Very couture, very boring and something I avoided except in exceptional circumstances. (Hmm... that was a tautology... o well).

The rest of the ham is in the oven being glazed. I am feeling quite ridiculously happy and content just now.

Thanks to all those who offered money for the great health retreat. You are very generous.

I must say I was just expecting that if anyone happened to send me a birthday card, then it would happen to have a note of some denomination or other inside it. A present replacement system, in fact.

So I'm a bit embarrassed about my open canvassing. It was more a throw-away line. A drunken throw away line at that.

I have been planning to request no presents because, really, there's not that much that a 40 year old woman needs. I actually get really embarrassed about being the centre of attention, though if you know me in meat world you might not realise this. I figured people coming to my party would be gift enough. Especially if I was dragging them all up-country for the day.

Sadly, having the party at Lavandula is off, because it's the middle of their harvest and school holidays and they said, "Sorry, no way". Which is fair enough. I am undecided about what else to do, but don't require suggestions because I have too many choices before me already.

If I do go to a health retreat, then I will try to time it so I'm back for my birthday and can unleash myself upon the world all shiny.