Looking forward to the Easter break

Picking Frieda up this morning, I spotted the eggs that she's decorated (with some help from Jack and Marianna). They're beautiful.

I left with Frieda for a morning at Ruth and Josh's; she was looking forward to playing with Eben and Luca.  Marianna gave her a last big hug and went to catch the train to Manchester Airport for her flight to Athens. We'll be on tenterhooks now, waiting for news of her Dad's heart operation, booked for Wednesday.
Shocking fact that I have learned, in talking with Marianna about this: in Greece it's the responsibility of the patient and his or her family, in these circumstances, to find sources of blood donation. So she and various family friends are organised to do this. What happens to those who lack such help?

Never underestimate the NHS and how much it means.

And otherwise... there is the ominous shadow cast by the expected Russian onslaught in Eastern Ukraine.  Apparently the expectation is that Putin will find one way or another to claim a win of some kind by 'Victory Day' in Russia, May 9. Whatever the human cost.