Woken in the night by my own snoresI heardfox cubs making a 'screch' (screach)in the garden. Slipped back intowooziness but then woke again.My right ear was aching from lying on it. Tried lying on my back and took a long time to drop off again;howcan you feel cream-crackeredand still not sleep?

Apparently, the concept ofsleeping foreight hours a nightis a modern one. Years ago people slept in fits and starts, got up to throw a log on the fire, get the cows in or gnaw at a ham bone.That was before some busy body decided we neededeight hours sleep a night. (Like the person whohad no idea how much fruit we should consume but, to cover her back and save us all from scurvy, said five pieces. That created more questions, likewhat constitutes a 'piece' of fruit.)

Japanese studies on students have shown that we are tired at certain key moments in the day: nine in the morning, one o'clock in the afternoon and five o'clock in the evening. (I've not conducted 'in-depth' studies, but I've noticed students are tired most of the time).

Anyway, I was tired at nine o'clock and still tired at ten o'clock, even after an omelette, a banana and four cups of tea.

Well, like the cure for writer's block, I tried working through it. I put half a leg of lamb, studded with rosemary and thyme from the garden andgarlic cloves from Norfolk, into the oven, plus potatoes for roasting. I prepared a saucepan of new potatoes (now forty five pence a pound, improving the taste no end) anddried peas and carrots. (Marilyn Monroe andIlike food tolook pretty on the plate). The point I am making is, Istill felt like a shattered plaster Madonna.

Then I saw the pot of honey with three big pieces of preservedginger in it. I poured two teaspoons of the honey and ginger liquid into a cup and added hot water, stirred and drank. Now, the vital ingredient here is the ginger, because it is reviving, stimulating the circulation,andI think it did for me.

I learnt about ginger when I went to a Chinese acapuncturist.Whatever maladyI mentioned, such as feeling the cold or having a cold, he would recommend ginger, which is also good for nausea.I'm never without it now.

Tomorrow, I will give you Nita's recipe for Ginger Wine.

Tan hynny, tawelwch i pawb trwy'rnos Sul Gwyn. On this Whit SundayI wish you all peace throughout the night.