Three Beautiful Things

1. On Sunday the pond water was cloudy from the heavy rain. Today the sediment has settled and the water stained with last year's leaves reflects the canopy.2. I follow my own footprints on the second time round the field.3. Finally, after supper, we...

1. Our neighbour's voice over the garden wall asking me if I'm there -- I can tick off my gardening item; and my social contact item. 2. I find Alec adding games that he thinks I will like to my computer.3. Between us, we bake a lemon drizz...

1. No one else is awake, and I can do exactly as I please -- which is sitting on the sofa with a magazine.2. It rains hard and persistently for the rest of the day and I feel pleased that I got into and out of the woods early on.3. Teaching Bettany h...

1. With the heavy rain, it's been a tense morning. But now everyone has gone, there's time to reset with 20 minutes of reading.2. Two children, damp around the edges, home safely.3. While we are winding down before bed with The Folk Show, the childre...

1. I leave the water in my bath, pretending that it's to make best use of the scent from the bath bomb; but really because I love the gold shimmer in the dark blue water.2. We hoard and treasure and compare the fragments of information we get from Be...

1. Because he is not in it, I can straighten Alec's bed and quickly tidy his room.2. I've got chatting to another mum waiting for her daughter's before-school haircut. She used to work for London Underground, and she is full of cool information about...

1. The cuffs of Alec's shirt at the ends of his blazer sleeves. Time for an upgrade.2. On my way, I run into another mum and have to stop in the drizzle for an encouraging gossip.3. Bettany brings me her shopping for review. ...