We become smarter

To be sure, Lord Mungo Strathbungo is busy Adding Tone, albeit from the privacy of a back bedroom for the time being (he needs some kind of support before moving to his final destination). But chatting with the good Tony, who has, entirely off his own bat, chosen to do his house days in a collar and tie and an apron, found hin murmuring about the apron (a butcher's one) which he clearly regarded as faute de mieux, and not quite the thing, not quite suited to the dignity of the house ... I can take a hint as well as the next chap. Ebay, after a bit of messing about, yielded an offer of a stout cotton twill apron in a conservative shade of British Racing Green, with an embroidered name thrown in ... so I organised one such, WITH name, which has delighted him. Dear Tony appears to be channelling his Inner Butler. When he was rhapsodising over this garment, I said hard-heartedly that I thought the butler's apron of tradition was yellow and black stripes (think: Nestor the Butler in the Tintin books, Hergé was a devil for details). Tony gave me a quelling glance, and said, 'I've always thought green very smart'. So clearly I have come up with the right thing. Otherwise, in what you might call the official part of my responsibilities, my examination responsibilities have finally come to an end. My last set of paperwork was shovelled onto the desk of the relevant secretary on my birthday, so there it goes and there's an end of it for this exam diet, Laus Deo. I  now have a bit of time for one of the weirder propositions to come my way - my Venetian friend asked me to illustrate a book on idioms.  I was amazed to find that her publisher quite liked the idea, so I'm going to spend some time tomorrow having a lovely play around with a cover design.