Postparton Depression

As a child, did you ever get that wave of sadness come over you after Christmas day?

This is what it's like today after last night's Dolly Parton concert.

She was fantastic - beautiful, charming, witty and she sang beautifully. In addition to the tracks she performed from her Backwoods Barbie album, she also did the old favourites which had everybody up dancing. A surprising, and moving, choice was Shattered Image. This clever song is a clearly heartfelt plea to the media to think twice about some of the cruel remarks they churn out about her. "Stay out of my closet if your own's full of trash," she says.

This weekend the UK failure of Dolly's Imagination Library (launched in Rotherham last year) is plastered all over the news. It's so sad. Dolly, as the figurehead, is being portrayed as the failure when it should be the businesses and the parents in that Yorkshire town who get the blame for caring enough to get behind the scheme. She did mention the Imagination Library last night and every time she referred to its UK arm, the audience cheered and clapped. Clearly I'm not alone in my admiration of a scheme that encourages youngsters to love the English language.

Anyway, I could ramble on for ages about Dolly. If you've ever seen her perform live I'm sure you know what I mean. Talking to other people last night, it's clear that she has a bewitching quality. Once you've seen her, you're totally hooked on the Dolly drug, which is great, apart from the fact that you get horrible withdrawal symptoms, as I have today.

So I think today comfort food is the answer. What comfort food works best for you? Your suggestions will be very welcome.

Dolly Dinners: Beth's Cup of Ambition

Every morning during the working week I do jump out of bed, stumble to the kitchen and pour myself a cup. Dolly describes my morning ritual perfectly.

Unless I've got a hangover, my cup of ambition is always coffee - it's one of the few things I have every single day. I'm very particular about it too. You see it has to be black (unless it's the weekend) and it has to be proper coffee (no decaf or instant thank you very much). Am I alone or are others as precious about their morning cup as I am?

Anyway, enough about coffee and on to my ambitions. I have to say that my biggest ambition in life has been to find love and happiness and I'm overjoyed to say that I've certainly achieved that. If I never achieve any of my other ambitions in my lifetime it really doesn't matter.

Nevertheless, there's nothing wrong with having dreams, so here they are (in no particular order):

1) See homophobia wiped out totally throughout the world.

2) Help counteract the ever-plummeting levels of illiteracy that I witness every day. You won't believe how wound up I get when I see a rogue apostrophe, or lack of one. I could really get on my high horse but I'm restraining myself. Does anyone else out there feel as passionately as I do? Get in touch, let's form a vigilante group. If you care its you're duty to do something to help secure the English languages surival. AGGGGHHHHH. I'm going to have a sleepless night now that I've written that sentence. Don't be surprised if it's edited out by the morning.

3) Meet Dolly Parton. She is indeed a goddess, and in addition to all the wonderful songs that she sings and writes, I have so much respect for her because she is actually doing something actively to deal with the concerns I've just ranted about above. See here to find out about her Imagination Library.

4) Finish the book I've been writing for the past three years by the end of this year.

5) Get a hairdresser that will always cut my hair the way I want it. Maybe I should follow Dolly's example and start wearing wigs. She's got sense. There's no chance of a bad hair day then.

What do you reckon, will I achieve any of the above, or should I wake up now and smell the coffee?