life
3BT – keeping separate, worth the work, evening walk
1. The clear oil cuts through the beetroot-stained vinegar on the plate. 2. I’m re-reading ‘I Capture The Castle’ by Dodie Smith yet again. The introduction to my edition tells me: “[Dodie] rewrote every line, under [husband] Alec’s critical supervision, hearing every line of dialogue in her head and unable to stop thinking about it [...]
3BT – found heaven, I’m not THAT lazy, surprised to love it
1. I call John when he’s on his way home. “I’ve found heaven,” I tell him. “Really?” he asks, “are you phoning from there now? How’s the mobile reception?”. In fact, I’ve found yet another new part of the woods – daily walks for over three months and we’re still finding new bits – and [...]
3BT – puppy love, unusual blooms, kitty love, John love
1. I’m pawed, I’m licked, I’m nibbled all over. He can’t decide whether to eat his lunch or play with me so runs back and forth between both options until I’m tired. When I get back home, Lily thinks I smell very interesting and I’m grateful for her comparative calmness. Later on, they play together [...]
3BT – embarrassing, nearly there, alchemy
1. We stop at the park on the way home – the park that looks like a stereotypical village green, next to a church, with a cricket pitch in the middle – and run around with Lily. Despite her initial excitement, she tires quickly and we sit down next to her. She immediately gets up, [...]
3BT – the foraging trio, mmm charity, from my viewpoint
1. I call for Carla but she’s already on the balcony waiting for me and the three of us – me, her and Lily – head into the woods. Lily paddles in the beck and Carla climbs trees while I pick pungent pods for pickling. 2. The (very) local Leonard Cheshire home is having a [...]
3BT – it’s just a tribute, not all the letters, worth the wait
1. John and I often hold conversations in the form of song, usually singing alternate lyrics to an earworm or the song we’re currently playing. Today’s conversation in song: I explain that I’ve left the door key in my hoodie pocket and my hoodie is at the bottom of the garden because by the time [...]
3BT – nice weather for water birds, fab cats, ugly Google, happy hound
1. We’ve been avoiding the muddy woods and walk to Apperley Bridge instead. We watch the swans and their perfect reflections in the marina, then the ducks squabbling on the canal. 2. It’s 11th years to the day since Carla & her late brother Carbon came to live with me. Throughout the day, I sing [...]
3BT – every day is party day, becoming real, hide & seek
1. My bunting arrives and it’s so nice that I want to order more and fill the house with it. 2. While I’ve been hiding indoors from the rain, bean and pea pods have appeared. 3. Lily watches me leave the room and slowly follows – too slowly to see me run downstairs and hide [...]
