I’ve been lying on the sofa feeling ill as you all know for the last few days. My one thought – other than how to stop coughing long enough to draw breath has been ‘how can I make a PotD without too much effort and keep within my own rules that it has to be something to do with my life, rather than just a photo of something?’

For months now I’ve been looking at our coal scuttle (a present from my folks) and thinking it’d be good to photograph and it fits perfectly with my theme today. I do actually feel a bit better, thanks to the comfort and warmth to be had here in my home. Real fire, hot food and warmth – what could be better than that?

This chest infection does seem to be receding at last – when I’m upright now I can actually breathe without wheezing – that’s only happening now when I’m lying down. David said he spent an hour or so in the night wondering how come we’d got a fly in the bedroom when it’s –3 degrees centigrade outside…..he suddenly realised it was actually my wheezing causing the buzzing, not a fly at all. All I can remember of the night is spending long bouts leaning over the edge of the bed coughing like a good un while David rubbed my back. (Thank you David)

Three years ago I had a similar chest infection that happened just before Christmas. I made the mistake on that occasion of trying to keep going through it (in my usual ‘I’ve got too much to do and too many business commitments to give in to a virus’ way) and ended up so ill that I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks, which was no fun when I lived alone at the time. I ended up on antibiotics for two weeks with a severe bout of bronchitis. Is it just me, or do antibiotics make other people feel more ill than the illness itself? I always end up feeling as though I’ve been eating broken glass when I’m forced into taking a course of them. I try to avoid them at all costs but sometimes just can’t hold back the inevitable.

I have been determined not to let that happen again this time so feel pleased that by looking after myself carefully (and under David’s care too) I’m feeling a bit more perky today. Hopefully I’ll avoid the antibiotics now and will be feeling ‘right as rain’ by next week.

Now? I’m going to sit here and do a bit of that report that’s been plaguing me for weeks. See, work, work, work even when I am supposed to be off sick! Then I’m off to light that fire….