1. Every time I stuff a load of washing into the machine I think of generations of women with reddened hands, and I'm so grateful for modern appliances.
2. It's a winter tea time -- which means mugs and biscuits in the front room (curtains tightly drawn) and some family TV watching: Timmy Time and The Adventures of Abney and Teal.
3. I love those brownish unsulphured apricots -- they are so caramelly and juicy, like a sweet, rather than a dried fruit.
