I asked all my doctors about an occasional beer, wine with dinner or a holiday cordial. They all said it was fine without a hint of hesitation.

I have been having a glass of wine with dinner most weekends for the last couple of months but the few times I tried a beer it still tasted too strong.

On the food issue, I am closely following the rather amazing research on Black Raspberries and OC and I plan to plant some - although apparently they are not all that well suited to the coastal SoCal climate.

As for the avocados, I guess my avocado tree must be the wrong variety or something (maybe we need Florida avocados)