cat – Page 3 – Louisa Parry

3BT – glare of the glade, happy Carla cat, new to the neighbourhood

1. We happen upon a sunny clearing in the middle of the wood but quickly retreat back into the leafy shade.

2. We worried how Carla – once the most scaredy of scaredy cats – would handle the move to the new house, after the death of her brother, after the arrival of Lily – but stroking her as she stretches out in the morning sun, I realise she’s possibly the happiest, most content cat I know. (She’s actually dancing over me as I type this twelve hours later – grabbing my hand from the keyboard for tickles and purring so loudly it’s drowning out the noise of the YouTube video John’s frowning over.)

3. Our next-door-but-one neighbours bring over their brand new, six week old springer spaniel puppy. With his markings, he’s a miniature version of Lily and we’re instantly smitten. We offer/beg to babysit.

3BT – combing, misty, mmm

29/5/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. While John’s out, we have a lazy day, the dog, the cats and me. I comb Lily for one cartoon, then Carla for another. Carla, despite being a third of the size of the dog, wins the fluff shedding contest. Both feel softer and smoother by the time the funnies come to an end.

2. The rain slows for the first time all day and we descend into the woods for a walk. The mist hangs in the air beneath the canopy and reflects the light, making the lower levels brighter than they should be. The beck water is higher than it has been for the last few weeks but in the pools, it’s unusually clear too. Lily runs around like a crazy thing, I dawdle behind.

3. Nothing tastes as good as leftovers.

3BT – light/dark, improvisation, pillow purr

27/5/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

Between illness and busy-ness, May has been a tough month – I need to start Three Beautiful Thing-ing again to refocus on the good bits!

1. I sit in a pool of light in the woods reading about mysterious things in the dark depths of the sea.

2. We’ve left it too late to go to the shop before dinner but John improvises and it’s lovely.

3. The purring of the cat curled around my head drowns out the white noise of the rain.

3BT – happy hug, fungal find, pleasing polish

18/3/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. Carla purrs loudly: an early morning hug on the bed and in the sun. She doesn’t even care that the dog is on the other side of the bed: hugs, bed, sun – it’s all good.

2. I can’t remember what drew my attention first – the vivid orange of the rotting wood or the sight of a giant fungus growing on the dead stump – but I call Lily to go cross country (downhill between the two main paths) so we can check it out. The orange wood easily pulls away in chunks and is spongy to the touch. The giant fungus is hard – last year’s growth. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spot something more interesting – a twig dangling down, caught on two small branches, covered with coral-crested fungus. From a distance, it looks as tactile and solid as actual coral but it’s more delicate than that – each branch is flat, 2-D like it’s papercraft art.

3. The plasterers have gone but their dust remains throughout the house. It’s so thick and pervasive that I sometimes forget it’s there: assuming the whole world is just matte and dulled. Then I polish the shelves, the soon-to-be-fitted alcove units, and the grey turns into glossy conker brown. Colour and shine will return.

3BT – sounds, Boron’s outside time, by the beck

20/2/2010 / louisa / 1 Comment

1. Two pleasantly dull sounds within ten minutes of each other – the sound of vomit hitting a window in a cartoon and the knock of wood on wood as I throw logs onto a pile.

2. Boron watches us from the wall then when I rest, he pads over to sit on my knee. One of his longest stints in the garden for a long time – spring must be on its way.

3. We stand by the beck – deep in the woods but still in our garden – holding hands and talking about our future.

3BT – swimming smell, substitute, even better smell, pretty,

6/1/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. I lean on my fists in thought. The skin on my metacarpus is dry and smells faintly of chlorine. It reminds me of a year ago, when I swam three times a week – the shocking cold of the nearly empty pool, pushing myself to go forever faster, floating in my own world as the reward for my hard work, then the light, energised feeling of the walk home. I *must* start going again.

2. When life gives you lemons… I can’t face a journey along the icy slush to buy nice bread for lunch so just get a loaf of cheap sliced white from the nearby convenience shop instead. It’s too bland to eat on its own but perfect for toasties. Cheese, beans and tabasco – sizzling pockets of joy.

3. In the colourless, muffled world of snow, my other senses are enhanced to compensate. Standing at the bus stop opposite Kebabish is hell. I’m nearly drooling by the time the 670 arrives.

4. Returning from dinner with Katherine, I find there are pretty ice patterns on the inside of the porch windows. The first time I’ve ever seen that happen.

5. Boron cuddles close for warmth. With the duvet around him, he’s like the Cheshire Cat – just a head – but just two giant eyes instead of a smile. In the low light, they’re two black orbs surrounded by the thinnest lemon ring, with white flickering into momentary view as he looks around.

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