July 27th. Very cold last night, down to 5.3 this morning. Couldn't get warm in bed and had to keep getting up to pee, which dissipated all the warmth I had built up around myself. Cold weather saps my motivation; I lie in bed thinking about all the chores I have to do, but come daylight, I just can't be bothered, life shrinks down to "Am I warm enough?"

Thinking about summer which seems so far off, I ordered some dahlias on line yesterday. Hard to believe that the garden, now so dreary, will be transformed in another six months into a place of colour (if I do my work right as Head Gardener). Looking at Monty Don's Jewel Garden on youTube as a model. Deep, intense colour is a wonderful mood changer.

A little Vermeer-like reflection of the living room in the mirror. A still-life with cat and wineglass.