Three Beautiful Things

1. A roving band of teenagers is going up the high street ahead of me. In the centre, boxed in for protection, is a lad with a vision impairment using a cane to navigate. He also uses it to whack the ankles of the boys in front. They lead him round and round the metal columns that hold up the church porch before they go through the doors. 2. Up the stairs comes the scent of toffee -- Bettany and Nick are busy on the stove. 3. Occasional shouted questions about asthma suggest that Alec is getting on with his homework.

1. Bettany carefully applying lipstick and an overstain to make it even more pink before going for her shower. 2. Nick reveals that a delivery came from Coastal Cocoa a few days ago that he hasn't told me about.  3. Lying in bed catching up with Mark Radcliffe's folk show, we hear a song that leads us to a happy chat about our lovely holiday in Broadstairs, which was seething morris sides during the folk festival.

1. The sound of Alec demonstrating his piano practice to Granny. 2. Granny has left boxes of jewel-crimson stewed raspberries in our fridge. 3. Just as I am finishing work for the day, Bettany appears at my side dressed for dinner. So we pick an outfit for me, as well.

1. To chase my inclinations doing work of one kind and another. 2. Instead of arguing with tiredness, my child slides easily into bedtime. 3. Even after we work out that what we spotted was Starlink satellites climbing up the sky like a row of celestial ducks, it still seems like a wonder.

1. From my window, trees singed orange by frost and shortened days. 2. The piece of parmesan in the back of the fridge is exactly the weight the recipe calls for. 3. Alec and I finally have space to sit together and hear the bonus episode of Yeti on BBC iPlayer.

1. Really it's too warm for coats today and we should have left them at home. 2. Today I've been planning meals and doing a supermarket order and picking up a few supplies for dinner. Reflecting on what I've bought, I realise that I haven't had that moment of 'how much?' shock. Prices seem to have stopped rising; and we've settled into money-saving habits. 3. Now that Bettany has tried skiing, the snowy episodes in Ronja take on a whole new significance.

1. This week there are green-orange leaves caught in the water gully.  2. He comes up to ask me how scary is  The Haunting of Hill House, which he has taken the library. 3. I turn on the radio and sew names in a few items that are being taken on the year 6 residential.