LAST year we were in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and some of those other places that have been in the news this past week.

You can't possibly imagine the absolute horror of losing all your family and of suddenly finding yourself all alone, nowhere to live, nothing at all left of the life you had only hours before.

It defies description, but it does make you think how very lucky you are. We grumble and moan (well I do) but really we live the life of Riley by comparison. Not that it will stop me trying to improve things. We might have it good but it can always be better.

One of the sad things is that most of those people that have lost everything will not be insured, so they will not only have lost families and homes but also the wherewithal to start anew.

So once again those that have nothing get nothing.

It's a cruel world.

WELL, it's all over for another ten months, until next October. I think I have solved the Christmas card problem though -- I'm patenting The Everlasting Christmas Card. My card would be fancy and have all the usual greetings, but on the back discreetly it would say 'in the interests of the environment I won't be sending you any cards in the future so keep me in a safe place and display me at Christmas time.'

What do you think, will it catch on? Just think, no more writing all those cards.

Now what am I to do with 10 lots of bath salts? I'll just have to take the hint and have more baths.

Willie got a jumper for Christmas and didn't like it; but it's from Marks and Sparks so he can swap it for one he would like. So off he went, waited for a long time in the special queue, gave the girl the jumper, who looked a little puzzled, and then handed it back saying with a rather bemused smile: "Sorry sir, we haven't sold that particular style since the stores had counters."

Now I have a feeling that jumper must have been on the present roundabout for all of its adult life. Unfortunately he can't think of anyone he dislikes enough to give it to.

Wasn't the snow nice on Christmas Day? We had some folk over from Australia just for Christmas and they were thrilled, never having seen it before. Magic.

I have to admit that I must be one of those boring people that like routine. Two weeks of this enforced idleness nearly kills me. I've sorted drawers, sewn up hems, written letters, shopped for things I don't need, even made some cakes. Just let me get back to normal, yes, I've decided, normal I can cope with.

I HAVE bought loads of raffle tickets over the past few weeks and it made me think of the time when I was selling them. I once approached a bloke I knew. He was limping, his arm was in a sling and a plaster over one eye. "Buy a winning ticket, Joe". He looked at me wryly and said: "Now Margo, do I look like I'm the lucky sort?"