I hate being silly, fluffy female stereotype, but today I was one.

I've delighted in seeing slowworms in my garden and recently stood over one to scare it into hiding so the big birds didn't get it.

So why was I so freaked out at discovering one in the house? I once handled a grass snake to show I wasn't afraid - I worked out that I was less likely to have it thrown at me if I appeared cool about it. Yet somehow this harmless creature in my house just threw me.

I have no idea how or why it ended up indoors, but amazement and disbelief had me feeling like fifties housewife facing mouse in a sitcom. I didn't leap up on a chair but I was very freaked out wondering who I could get to remove it for me. It hid under sofa and a truce was called.

On way back from collecting my newspaper I accosted two local youngsters, but despite furniture moving it was nowhere to be seen.

Retrospectively I realised inviting youngsters into house to catch slowworm might sound deeply suspicious! One lad was really cool and curious and other was as wary as me! Braver one called later to ask if there was any sign, but there hadn't been.

Later in day it reappeared just by patio doors, so I donned gardening gloves and attempted to pick it up, but got freaked when it moved. Managed to get it up to sill of frame and encouraged it over. I took pics as reminder of weirdness. I am so relieved not to have it creeping around house and will continue to be delighted by sight of slowworms in my garden.

Still at a loss to understand how or why it came in. I know slowworms are lizards rather than snakes, but it hadn't occurred to me that they may find way into house whether accident or design. I looked them up when worried in case they'd become the hedgehog's dinner - Must find out more...

Pompadour's comments on platonic friendship reminded me of piece of fiction I once started where a woman was erotically obsessed with her 'platonic' friend. Although Gill is fiction she does reflect my thoughts and experiences on the subject. I believe there are non-sexualised platonic friendships and ones where there is a frisson, which is not acted on, for whatever reasons. I think these 'pretend' platonic friendships cause confusion as to whether real ones are possible.

Jac and I are not having an affair. Despite the names (if not spelt quite right) we are just good friends. Despite the rumours we simply enjoy each other’s company. Despite the phone calls and emails and lunches we believe in the possibility and reality of platonic relationships between the sexes. At least that’s what I think although I’ve never actually asked Jac about it – funny that… I know of course he often goes out with his mainly female workmates and gets on with his wife’s colleagues who are also female.
I’ve talked about platonic friends with him several times; but not about him and me – Oh, God – how does that sound - Like most of my friends he knows about my college days when I found myself in a mainly male group of friends. I was not naïve nor had I ever been about these friendships. I knew the friends who’d have loved to have shagged me. My obvious lack of interest, however, ensured that they settled for friendship with good grace and the clumsy attempts at anything else were conveniently forgotten. I’d always enjoyed the platonic friendships where there was obviously sexual chemistry but other partners or a path untaken meant that it was unlikely to go further. I’d have denied it vehemently, but I relished the ensuing erotically charged flirtation based on a probability that nothing would happen.