Three Beautiful Things

1. These plums are disappointing. I bake them into Delia's oat and plum slices , which are not. 2. I have my doubts about the replacement plums, too. They are deep aubergine purple -- some of them -- but streaked and shaded with green as if they might not be quite ripe. I pull one out of my shopping bag on the way home. Very sweet, very juicy and very plummy. 3. This piece is pushing the boundaries of music. It's pushing the boundaries of what a clarinet can do, with haunting polyphonics and hysterical screeches. Baby Badger reacts with some hefty kicks that are visible through my dress. " Your first concert ," whispers Dad proudly.

1. She comes for elevenses wearing her hat from Ghent . 2. As I hurry through The Grove, I spot Plutarch taking photos, I think of a wood pigeon pacing among the litter left around the teenager benches. 3. On my return, Nick tells me that he nearly ate the cake-shaped bathmelt that I left in the kitchen. "I didn't think you'd leave just one cake out if you didn't mean me to eat it."

1. One of my least favourite pregnancy symptoms is the constant peeing. From the start, I lost the ability to make it through the night -- they say it's preparation for the sleep-deprivation to come. The exact time varies -- but this morning, it was around dawn. The sky was shell pink and streaked with con trails, and I was glad that I had seen it. 2. About ten years ago, I had a back problem that caused pain in my hip. I dreamed that the pain was back, and that I was walking around an unfamiliar town trying to find a shop selling food for supper. The door was always round the next corner, down steps, along a beach, up some steps, under a bridge... Then I woke up, safe at home in bed, and there was no pain. 3. We've been really looking forward to Sherlock -- Mark Gattiss and Stephen Moffat's up-dated re-telling of Sherlock Holmes. I'm really fond of Mark Gattiss, and we know Stephen Moffat from Dr Who, but we felt a bit cautious. I have BBC drama series trust issue...

1. Disaster -- the normally reliable milkman hasn't been. Then as I am waving Nick off, I find the bottle on the other side of the doorstep. I can't believe I missed it. 2. To hurry through town on crisp clear day to an office where I can make a large pile of proofreading disappear. 3. To finish work, sit down on the sofa next to my husband and eat a chocolate.

1. There is a dusting of snow this morning -- as if the world has been lightly sugared. 2. As I am paying, my bottle of soy sauce falls over -- but no harm is done. "At least it's not fish sauce," says the shopkeeper. "When a bottle of that breaks, it takes a month to get rid of the smell." 3. I read until I can't keep my eyes open. It feels so good to put my book down and drift off to sleep.

Tomorrow I have a story in Flashshot , a magazine of very short genre fiction. Please consider subscribing (it's free) if you like that sort of thing. 1. The greeter in the job centre asks me for my National Insurance number (I'm on his list under my first name, which is not Clare). I freeze. I have no memory for alphanumeric strings. But the little voice prompts me with the first two letters, and it comes tumbling out of my mouth. 2. Nick's best man brings us two black umbrellas for the wedding day. They are furled smart and tight as beech buds, and I can't wait for the day they open (if they need to!). 3. I always like a phone call from PaulV, particularly if I'm having an evening in by myself. Picture illustrating that I am not a number from Stock.xchng.

1. The Able and Cole box contains a mathematical cauliflower. I forgot what a romanesco is, and had in my head that we were going to receive a lettuce, so it was a joy to part the leaves and find lime green turrets and spirals. Nick came home and swiftly named it "Mandelbroccoli." 2. I'm in a panic as I don't have very much to put on my action points form for tomorrow's signing on. Then I spot a sign board asking for office help in town. When I get home I find an email from a friend saying she knows an editor who might have something; and a tweet with another lead. I'm so lucky to have all these people on the look-out for me. 3. We reach for the television, but can't settle. "Do you want to do something else instead?" We curl up on the sofa and collaborate over Professor Layton's puzzles on my pink Nintendo DS. Just as we are settling in, the phone rings. Nick's boss wants clarification of the conundrum about moving horses that he chall...

Another pair of newses: a. Sarah Salway, writer of marvellous books, is offering free (that's right, free) prompts for writers on her blog . As a keen scribbler, I don't compromise when it comes to prompts -- and neither should you. Roll down a little on the lefthand side to find them. (Can I have my biscuit now, Sarah?) b. Hunter-Gatherer , the man who lives by his bushcraft skills in a home-made treehouse in the woods, announced yesterday in a post (mainly about catching and preparing pigeon) that he has proposed to his girlfriend. They are another Nick and Clare pair, which is a lovely co-incidence. 1. On the first day of rain after a long dry spell (Sunday was the first day I had to fill my watering can from the tap), I like to lift the lid of the rainwater barrel, stand on tiptoes and see that it's full to the brim. 2. Early today, an Amazon parcel arrives addressed to Nick. I assume it's some special interest tome like Biggles on a Train Versus Hitler's Deadli...

I got some super good news yesterday: I've placed a 100-word story in GW Thomas' Flashshot . It'll appear on October 10. If horror, sci fi and fantasy are your passion, but you don't have much time, subscribe (for free) and get a daily story sent to your inbox. 1. Louise the hairdresser comes to show me what she's got in mind for my wedding day. She bundles me up in heated rollers, which puts Shirley Temple curls in my dead-straight hair. There is just time to boing one before she brushes them out again. Once it's done, she shows me in the mirror how she has arranged it to show off the colour variations caused by the sun. 2. I get a call from the Bureau de Change. The envelope of 100 euros that I lost on Thursday while shopping has been handed in. I am jaw-droppingly fortunate. 3. We clear out my old bedroom so I can sleep there the night before the wedding, and get ready in the morning. Picture by Stock.xchng

1. It is so hot that my bright red ice lolly is dripping down my hand. 2. Dropping a job application into the letter box -- after all that polishing and refining, what a relief to have it immutable and out of my hands. 3. I was disorganised and now I am going to miss my train -- but I run anyway, and find it's three minutes late.

1. I have an appointment at the hospital to sign up for clerical voluntary work. My bus is late, and I scramble to find the office among the builder's hoardings and the temporary footpaths. When I get there, I put my head round the door and say I have an appointment with the volunteer officer. "He's not in today." I am now dismayed as well as disarrayed. And then I recognise the Welsh accent from my phone conversations, and I laugh with relief. 2. Out here on the hillside, the sky is large and wonderful -- vaulted wet blue and ribbed with streamers of high white cloud and drifts of macintosh grey raincloud. 3. After supper, warming two cookies in the pancake pan.

1. The yellow plums have turned rich amber-red. 2. We race round tidying the flat for a viewing, and feel very pleased at all the space we now have. 3. I drop my jacket somewhere on our travels round town. We re-trace our steps, asking in shop after shop, and finally find it hanging on a railing close to home.

1. We are finally given an official date for the closing of the subs' desk -- very sad, but huge relief. It'll be good to have the summer off -- there's not much work going at the moment, so I'm not expecting to find anything soon. 2. My mother-in-law has so much on her plate; but she still found the energy to bring by bus a couple of plastic troughs for me to plant up with tomatoes and lettuces. 3. I make Nick a round of sandwiches when he comes back from hospital visiting; but he likes the look of the greens, mince and potatoes on my plate. There's some left in the pot; and extra potatoes too so I can indulge him with no resentment. We'll save the sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch.

1. I'm so glad I'm experienced and old enough to recognise stress-mongering; and that I know how to avoid it. 2. Getting out of the office for a walk in the leafless and sunny woods. 3. I've been thinking about pepperoni pizza all day, so I'm pleased to see slices in two huge dishes on the dinner table.

Louisa over at How Can I Recycle This? has a new project: Things To Do Today . 1. 'Christmas has gone so quickly,' says the man in the greengrocers, who must be one of the happiest people ever. 'But I'd have been bored if I'd had more than a week off.' 2. I am in the library and I'm looking for books about getting married. 3. The bacon is unprepossessing, steaming itself in the water that pours out, but in the end it crisps up well.

1. Overnight and under cover of rain and fog, autumn has turned to winter. 2. He came from an electricity board which doesn't exist, wouldn't say what he wanted and dropped a folder full of torn up newspaper. Nick's father put the chain on, hefted the stick he keeps close by and threatened to slam the door if the caller didn't remove his foot. 3. Pounding spices for hot apple juice.

1. In the before dawn dark, the computer ur-ur-urs and reboots, ur-ur-urs and reboots. This isn't right. Black thoughts of data irretrievable and work due in on Monday. I switch it off, count to 30, try again. ur-ur-ur reboot. ur-ur-ur reboot. I stare at the screen, wondering stupidly why I've bothered to get up at 6am if I can't do any work. I switch off at the plug and try again. I look at the keyboard, and something in my head says: 'F9'. I hit the key and normal service is resumed. Never have I been so pleased to see the green caterpillar on the Vista start-up screen. 2. My art teacher hands me a plain cardboard box of charcoal. 3. On my way home, through the unfamiliar night streets, I run into Hilary, my old boss' wife. She is waiting to pick up one of her daughters from a night out and has plenty of news to share. 4. Nick brings me a chocolate Goddess from my favourite chocolate shop.

Here's something that might amuse -- Happy Topics is a news website that concentrates on happy stories. 1. There are still ten boxes unopened (not including book boxes). Nick finds my stovetop espresso maker. It's not The Coffee Pot, but its coffee tastes very good with my breakfast. 2. I find, after searching three shops, a packet of risotto rice in the supermarket (where I should probably have looked first). 3. Nick returns from town with a velvety new haircut. I keep reaching up to stroke it the wrong way.

1. I had a horrible sandwich yesterday because our regular lunch lady is away. I'm in a rush trying to dress and eat breakfast all at once. Nick makes me a peanut butter sandwich. 2. Meeting interesting people -- a lady came to take away my table and she turns out to be a maker of jewellery out of silver spoons and forks . 3. It's surprisingly calming to have all my possessions packed away in boxes. No more looking for things -- I can't get at whatever it is anyway.

1. A man runs for the train. The doors have shut, but the guard holds his own door open and lets the running man through. 2. In a documentary about Chinese wildlife , a piece about The Water Splash Festival -- a huge waterfight celebrating a region's river. A dignified policeman wears an expression of weary dignity, but breaks into a smile when water is thrown at him. 3. Peas and beans at the bottom of our soup bowls.