Category3BT

Based on the Three Beautiful Things project by Clare Law, I try to write about three pleasant things from my day.

3BT – dreams, red diary, cushionman, folding faded

0. I’m woken in the night by Lily hoofing me rhythmically while she’s dreaming. Later, I have a dream about someone I haven’t thought about in a decade: later still, the internet tells me he seems to have a nice life.

1. I, literally, close the book on 2015. My new desk diary is red, and I’ve been actively excited about cracking it out since it arrived six weeks ago. Inside, I see the print is a fractionally darker grey than last year, and looks much crisper as a result.

2. Kaufman sits amongst the cushions on the sofa. There is no room for Lily.

3. Folding the soft sheets and duvet covers, faded from use.

3BT – nice touches/wearable/peeks through, scramble, spice/cheese

1. I’ve worn the blouse countless times but it is only when I come to take it in that I notice it has French seams, and the neat stitching on the yoke.

1b. The dress is so much more wearable now I’ve removed the pointlessly flouncy sleeves.

1c. The herringbone scrap peeks through the patch.

2. Tilda scrambles into the drawer as soon as I open it.

3. The building of the spice in the slow cooked curry.

3b. Other people drown in turkey at this time of year but we have New Year’s Cheese leftovers instead: I eat a smoked Lancashire with panettone while John hoovers up roquefort with port.

3BT – cuddler, review, magic

1. Lily is clearly in a cuddly mood. She crept up between us during the night before retreating again, but as soon as she sees I’m awake, she returns. She rests her head on my pillow and snuggles with me until John wakes up too.

2. I spend longer than I intended writing the review but it’s enjoyable to get my thoughts straight – and to learn what I should avoid (in order to appeal to someone like me) in my work.

3. Like magic, I can suddenly twist my neck another few degrees.

3BT – lounging, self-swaddled, home

1. Lounging around, snacking on various leftovers and making jokes. I am deeply envious of the others pyjamas though.

2. Lily shuffles around on the throw until she is under it completely then sticks the tip of her nose out of one end. After a minute she shuffles again until she is perfectly swaddled by its camouflaging stripes. She poses while we all take pictures.

3. As soon as we get home, I change into my pyjamas at last and a Strange cat glues herself to me.

3BT – in charge, reservoir, dinner/lime/cheese/silliness, settle

1. I tell John that I’ve put Strange in charge for while we’re away and he laughs heartily. Worst choice ever.

2. The lights reflected in the reservoir.

3. After dithering for two days, we make a surprisingly quick decision about dinner.

3b. The kitchen fills with a sharp citrus tang. We all take a moment to place it before we see the pile of lime zest growing in the icing.

3c. The amount of cheese and cheese accessories on the table is almost overwhelming. Luckily we have a cunning plan to deal with the abundance.

3d. We induct the newcomers into the Showgirls hall of insanity then try and fail to draw masterpieces using the steam controller. We laugh a lot.

4. Lily has been anxious all night – overtired and fearing a car journey home – but when things quieten down, she settles too and when we go to bed, she curls up between our legs and is snoring within seconds.

3BT – cheese & beer, fancy balloon, our lovely cats

1. The other John wasn’t wrong: it has a pretty great cheese and beer selection. I wouldn’t want to do my weekly shop there, but it serves our needs very well.

2. The air bed inflates at a remarkable speed. Such witchcraft alarms the cats and the dog – the latter of whom sees it for what it really is: a fancy balloon.

3. Strange’s little searching face when she wants some attention. Tilda’s little jump into our hands when she wants a head tickle. Kaufman’s solidness.