Unglazed windows, cheap cabinets that I keep being accused of breaking (if they were better quality, they wouldn't break was my defence!), a kitchen needing renovation. Lily woke me up earlier than usual and when I sleepily trudged upstairs to give her some food, the view of the peninsula was an ironic reminder of why our crumbling palace was worth so much, in spite of..

Everything’s in bloom. I’ve had this Tahitian lime and this olive tree for over years and I’ve seen kids grow bigger and taller in a year. Now suddenly, they’re bearing fruit.

So much food, so little time. Clams + garlic + butter + white wine + fresh pasta.

We just went to the mall to buy fresh jandals at Havaianas and there it was- the walkway to the new Ikea just across. The Sunday crowd was okay but if you’re hoping to get some food, the queue was over an hour and a half, and for what? Meatballs and $2 hotdog?? I bet the food lines in Gaza are quicker. The kitchen stuff was intriguing; you pick a kit, they make measurements and consultations with you and if you get cold feet putting everything yourself, they have installation referral. A basic one starts at a startling $2,227 (for comparison with our two-bathroom, 1 toilet, 1 laundry reno, our bathroom vanity cost more than that).