Irony – and the way things were

Feeling so virtuous today, it almost hurts. I took collected overdue medical test results, came home and did some translating, standing in the kitchen with the laptop on the worktop while the freezer was defrosting behind me, cooked the lunch, made some soup with the leftovers and made pesto for the first time. Useful to have the laptop in the kitchen so I could compare Nigella’s and other recipes. Just finished the washing up. Miracle Maria would have done all of this and much more in a quarter of the time (thought she might have had trouble with the translation), but I’m quite chuffed with my progress. I even brought the sewing machine downstairs and plan to do a little mending, just to burnish my halo even further.
 
I was amused by the “Fresh paint” graffiti on the white wall – and the extra photos are of some of the old houses that still survive in Botafogo. Too bad there aren't more of them.