Growing Old Disgracefully

Hideously over-qualified, wildly enthusiastic about archaeology (mostly British), history up to "modern era" (i.e. 1500) and languages (MSc in Human Communications) - all these combine in a historical novel I've been writing for far too long. I have a camper van and used to have an elderly Jack Russell terrier who exemplified "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" because he was so busy thinking up new ones for himself. Now I have Toby, another Jack Russell, who is very quick on the uptake for a dog of about 4 or 5 (too quick in some respects) who has filled what turned out to be a Jack Russell shaped hole in my life. I grew up in three cultures (Welsh, English and French) and consequently knew the three only ways of dealing with cabbage by the time I was ten.