'My mouse is playing up,' I groaned.

My husband vacantly dragged his eyes from Jamie's Dinners, looking slightly concerned. 'What's wrong with it?' he asked, knowing he had to respond since reading Men are from Mars Women are from Venus.

'I have to push really hard on the left side to get it to do anything.'

His attention was now definitely off the lasagne recipe he'd been studying. 'Is that what you do?' he asked, looking amazed.

'Yes, and now I have to roll it around the mouse mat like mad as well.'

Now Jamie's lasagne recipe wasn't even being covertly glanced at. 'You havc a special mat for it!'

'Well, you can do it on the desk top but it isn't so good,' I explained, trying in vain to sound patient.

'Oh, the computer mouse. Do we have any fresh rosemary, thyme or bayleaves in the house?'

'They're all in pots on the decking hiding under melting blankets of snow,' I anapped, although I shouldn't have. Tonight's dinner is going to be good.

Yesterday, I rashly wrote that I would write a helpful hint each day. But already I've dried up. Any ideas would be welcomed.