Three beautiful things from the last five minutes

1. A scratch-scratch-scratch. I open the door and a little boy & two little girls are waiting together to be admitted into the room of cosy-warm. 2. In previous days, I may have been sad that the pie tin was too big for the cats but instead I get to be happy that it’s perfectly [...]

Four beautiful things to end a frustrating day

1. Six are huddled together on the perches and the seventh in the nest box she’s still not outgrown. They cluck softly as I peek in to check they’re all in bed. Turn out the light. You’re letting the cold in. Go away, I’m trying to sleep here. 2. We spend a lot of time [...]

No teeth to hold it back, up Thornhill, “ssh, I want to hear”

1. With each cough, his tongue pokes out further. It is almost impossibly cute. 2. A long walk at lunchtime. We bat some ideas around and enjoy the sun streaming into the empty woods. 3. The one person paying attention, the one person amongst the chaos who wants to listen and learn.

Neat numbers, poor Mr B, OpenTTD pokes my OCD

1. The car’s display tells us it’s 5.05pm and 5.5°C. 2. He’s had a hard day – first starved overnight then an operation to remove nearly all his remaining teeth. He’s hungry but his mouth hurts too much to eat and he pulls frantically at his gums with his paws, his claws. All I can [...]

A year ago today – six beautiful things from our house move

It’s a year today since we moved into our new home. I only started 3BTing a couple of months after the move so only have just a few tweets to mark the day — I think a few hindsight 3BTs are in order 1. It’s strange to see our things, the items that decorate our [...]

In lieu of breakfast, the most handsome cat in the world, baklava

1. After a day apart, we catch up before getting up. He tells me his news and I tell him mine. At half hour intervals, we discuss making pancakes for breakfast but neither of us moves. 2. The cats look delightful on the new duvet cover. It’s spotty (like Smarties, Katherine says) and multi-coloured, a [...]

Walk, watermelon, grooming time

1. To walk further into the woods than we’d gone before and find exciting things. 2. The newly exposed seeds glisten as I walk down the garden. Russet heads peck at the garish pink flesh. 3. The rhythm of combing sends us both into a meditative state. The Simpsons run unwatched in the background.

Company, suit, welcome return

1. I am alone in the meadow. Except for the dog sniffing the grass. And the cat slowly baking in the sunshine. And the crickets chirping their alarm at our presence. And the dragonflies – the largest I’ve ever seen here – racing about over head. And the butterflies dancing over the thistles. And the [...]