My current phone (a Samsung Galaxy Note 2) is nearly four years old, and showing its age. I have replaced the battery, which has helped; but for the last few weeks, the phone often hasn't been charging properly (with either battery). Is it worth (trying to) get it repaired, or will it need replacing soon anyway?

I have taken the opportunity afforded by my convalescence to finish reading Raptor, by James Macdonald Lockhart. My mother in law GlassLady gave it to me as a birthday present earlier this year. The book covers the fifteen British bird of prey species, interweaving them with the life of the great naturalist William MacGillvray. It took me a little while to get into the book, but I am pleased that I persisted with it. Thank you, GlassLady.

I am, of course, reading several books in parallel; but I have now taken our new Folio Society copy of The Norse Myths, ed and trans Kevin Crossley-Holland, off the shelf. I have only read his introduction so far.

Others on the go include Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising (nope, never read it before) and The Knight in Medieval England, 1000 - 1400 by Peter Cross; and, just finished, The Natural History of Orkney by RJ Berry (part of my anniversary present to adaese earlier in the year.

Three good things for the weekend:
- as you will have gathered, I really enjoyed my flying lesson on Saturday
- we had pot-roast beef, followed by blackberry and apple pie, for dinner
- Alice Roberts seems to be on TV a lot at the moment.

Saturday's, er, "incident" meant that we had water bubbling up from the ground against the wall of our house for 29 hours or so. Do I need to worry* that it might have damaged the bricks / mortar / anything else?

*Okay, this is me we're talking about; I'm going to worry anyway. Maybe the question should be, how much do I need to worry?

Three good things for Wednesday:
- a glass of Highland Park
- Michael Wood on BBC4
- and the prospect of the plans of the Repulse.

Three good things for Monday:
- we had jambalaya, followed by blackberry and apple crumble, for dinner
- I accompanied mine with a bottle of porter
- The Unbelievable Truth is back on Radio 4, and University Challenge and Only Connect are about to start on BBC2.

Three good things for Sunday:
- we have shifted the second compost bin, and are now ready for the tree surgeon
- we had ham, and blackberry and apple crumble, for dinner
- I have enjoyed reading the facsimile 1st edition Hobbit.

Three good things for Thursday:
- I had a better night's sleep last night
- TOTP 1982 is on TV later
- Poul Anderson's A Midsummer Tempest has arrived in the post.

Three good things for Tuesday:
- I'm not as tired as I was yesterday evening
- The John Rae society have bought the Hall of Clestrain
- I have a new David Langford ebook to read.

Three good things for Sunday:
- Leicester 34 - 14 Bath
- we have been to the Wild Place; cheetahs, baboons and lemurs, oh my
- there were apple muffins for breakfast, and cheese scone for lunch.