1. The second I start to get up, Lily slithers into between me and John. She’ll protect him from me wafting the cold air under the duvet.

2. The starkly dark branches against the muted grey-blue sky.

3. After a weekend of failed starts and frogging, I finally find a cluster sequence that’ll work well for my hat.

1. I watch a squirrel descending the birch then it disappears into its dray – I somehow hadn’t noticed the buildup of leaves nestled between the diving branches.

2. I bend down – and Eva-dog stretches up – to say hello.

3. John comes home with cake and stories.

1. Next door’s kitten might be a teenage cat now but his fur is somehow still as soft as velvet. He clambers onto my knee for a hug.

2. John improvises a dish with chicken, paneer and a load of spices. It’s powerful and hot, but delicious and quick.

2b. We bob out for a cheeky waffle & gelato after dinner. I’m glad we live somewhere where this is a thing.

3. I start reading a book that’s been sat on my bedside cabinet for a few weeks. It feels overly written but in a good way: from the outset, the world feels complete.

1. Lily runs around the ground floor looking for her people that are usually there – the children, or at the very least her pop-pops and her granny. She runs about again when, in turn, the latter two come home.

2. I like the teal woodwork and fresh furniture. I also like the burgers they serve: the first bite – when the taste of gherkin is still on my tongue – makes it taste like a McDonalds’ Cheeseburger (but in a really, really good way).

2b. Later, I’m still full from lunch but the clean spiciness of the soup stokes my appetite all the same.

3. I find a book at Oxfam that very much appeals to my nerdy brain node. I hadn’t realised how much interesting I’d find the different types of stile, or the regional variations in rakes.

3b. The new shopping centre is glitzy but nicely done out. For the city’s sake, I hope it’s a success. (The older shopping centre looks even dowdier in comparison but I’m drawn in to an independent jewellery stall: roughly worked silver in both industrial and organic forms.)

1. It’s been lovely, this week, waking up with John and Lily at my side. (They usually get up before me.)

2. The bad weather of late has driven the cats inside and they’re hanging out together in pairs (I do like the sight of two black cats milling around together) more than they have since they were tiny kittens. Strange has recolonised the cat tree (which has been largely neglected since last winter), Tilda is gracing us with her silky presence on the sofa and Kaufman shows off his softness, that he really is a gentle giant, at every opportunity.

3. I make one of our favourite comfort food meal for dinner. Sweet tomatoes, moist peppers, dense chunks of sausage and delightfully stringy mozzarella.

1. The bread of the croque monsieur is doughy, but in a good way.

2. The museum is organised strangely and unfortunately we only reach the best bits when we’re tiring but I enjoy the bones of the ancient hippo who used to live in Armley, the watchful stuffed bird and the shards and scraps of paper from the ancient world. We also enjoy the commentary we add to the pottery throwing video.

2b. We find the perfect spot to enjoy the painting of the fjord. Later, we’re dazzled by the brightness of the screen. I’m inspired by the large subtly ceramic panels – from a distance they look like wood or canvas, it’s only when we’re up close that we notice the rough oxides and touches of glaze.

3. I like the parquet flooring, the fabric wall hangings and snuggling up to my boy.

3b. John gets the giggles.

4. We go for a Thai meal – it’s more casual than we expected but delicious. (And surprisingly cheap – about £10 a head, for two courses including soft drinks!)

4b. The thick sweet sauce to drizzle on the rice.

5. The echo down the stairwell. The soundtrack to the city when we reach the top.

5b. Driving back home in the dark, with music playing. I’m reminded of a moment from long ago when a similar situation (albeit in a different city, with a different driver, and different music) made me feel like I was in a movie, and at the same time, keenly alive.