Busy week. Thursday I spoke at the Tikokino CWI meeting and Friday morning my landlady's two sisters in law came for morning tea. Rachel has two boys and has moved into Linda's house a km further down the road and Gina is German and lives ten minutes away in the village.

We had a lovely time even though it was pouring with rain and cold. I had the fire going and made a hot drink and Rachel and brought home made banana cake. Gina had been telling her about my painting so she asked to see everything. Rachel left at 12.15 but Gina stayed for another hour so we could chat about art. She is picking me up in a week and a half to take me to the Otane Arts and Crafts painting group. She says there are also portrait classes on a Friday and you pay $5 to help pay for the model. That would be one way to improve my life drawing and I can count the hours towards my course work.

I also sold the two skeins of alpaca yarn on Trademe. Still have 400 grams left to spin. The last couple of days I have been opening wardrobes and looking under the spare bed appalled at my stash. I never realised I had accumulated so many fleeces. It truly is an illness.

It's been very chilly the past two days and Piper and Gypsy have refused to set paw outside so the litter trays are taking a hammering. Where does kitty litter go to when it dies? It's a question which perplexes me every time I have to clean the trays. With the cats being stuck inside tensions have increased. Kit has begun bullying Demelza and Gypsy yet leaves Peaches and Piper alone. It is easy for her to intimidate others as there is always the threat she'll place her huge hairy backside on them and crush them into submission. Obviously in her mind she's a tiny svelte exotic who can trip lightly along mantlepieces and gently alight on laps. I worked this out when I saw her try to cram herself in small places like bookshelves and under the sofa. She reminds me of a larger woman trying to cram herself into too small hipsters.