This is a lucky day in my family. My husband and one of my daughters were born on the thirteenth Friday of a month so I always considered it a lucky date.

I think I have finally stopped coughing. I left my bed for the sofa and Neo-Citran (found an old box in the linen cupboard), about an hour after I lay down, unable breathe or swallow. I woke at 7 this morning having slept the rest of the night upright, not coughing.

My body still feels strained, the way you feel after too much exercise in one day (back to my normal discomfort). My throat and chest have been well travelled, but I have more wits about me than I had yesterday. I might eat something today, if it doesn’t taste too terrible.

All good.

Now, where was I?

January is a a bleak blank month and I have spent almost half of it now in limbo, watching Netflix. Not all bad, though time-consuming. I think the resolutions can wait a bit longer. I’ll cook first. I haven’t been, cooking or eating.

Remember Brecht: “Grub first, then ethics.”