I've been a slack blogger the past week. I have been mentally writing blog posts in my head most days but never got around to actually putting any of them into words.

There is so much going round in my brain - important stuff mixed with complete trivia! It's like one of those snowglobes that's been well and truly shaken. Lots of whirling flotsam around a fixed centre. Phil is my fixed centre - bless him. And my lovely friend J is always so kind and supportive when I'm worrying.

On Saturday we all went into Liverpool to do some shopping for the girls and to see two photography exhibitions. We also had a long chat about our summer holiday - when to go, where to go. We eventually decided on Kent. There's a load of National Trust properties there to visit and the area is completely new to us. We can also get easily into London; the girls have never visited the capital so are quite excited about seeing the sights! It was fun finding a cottage to stay in and checking the National Trust handbook for places to go. I should very much like to see Hever Castle - I've wanted to go there for years.

In some respects it seems wrong to be booking holidays when the financial crisis is getting worse every day and the news is full of the deepest gloom and doom. I'm conscious though that Kate is nearly 16 now and probably won't be coming on many more family holidays with us. And it has really cheered us up!