Three Beautiful Things

1. When he comes home, his haircut is just fine -- pretty much exactly how it was, except it looks cared for and intentional. 2. A little brown bird with a stubby tail hops up the bare jasmine, on to the wall and through the trellis: the divisions significant to us and our neighbours are nothing to wrens. 3. It is nice to find a beer in the fridge after a good day's work. We share it -- those big bottles of ale are just right for two of our collins glasses.

1. Pulling tiny weeds from a pot I find among the tangled leaves chilled blue fists of grape hyacinth flowers. 2. At games night, there's a word puzzle -- the moment when you see three letters that could fit together, and then there's a cascade of fitting letters, and then a whole word and then another. 3. I'm falling asleep, but I'm trying to explain to Nick why I like Maigret. 'It's raining and there are boats and they've already poisoned the Pernod and calvados bottles. And everyone in the café has mistresses.' 

1. A hailstorm changes the ground from asphalt black to a strange bright grey that mimics the brightening sky. 2. We set up a disco light and dance in the kitchen to a playlist of bubblegum pop. 3. Nick calls us to look out of the front door at a rainbow in a brassy sky.

1. The increasing height of her jumps over the bumps at the top of the slope, and the deliberate swish of her turns. 2. A rainstorm has darkened the afternoon into evening. I start to close the blinds but find the western side of the house washed in light the colour of worn silver plate. 3. In the dark, snowdrops gleam and pale crocuses glow like a ghost army. A porchlight illuminates a scarlet camellia. 

1. As often happens, the taxi driver offers me a lift back into town. I don't resent this duty, and I profit the brisk walk home; but now I feel seen and heard in the tedious logistics of our situation and it makes all the difference. 2. I've had a long break away from Flit and Folio's Voices spoken word events, and I'm very excited about sharing the familiar songs and skits with the two friends who have come with me; and as always I'm wondering what new material the usual (and unusual) suspects have in their notebooks. One of my favourite ever love poems, it turns out. 3. Hattie the dog gets up and walks to the front of the stage to gaze lovingly at her amanuensis, who is singing about fried chicken. PS: the new layout should be more convenient for smaller screens. Hope the change is not too alarming.

1. ...and so I bring home a paperwhite, two feet bulb to bud, wrapped in an orange bag for life. 2. Thudding feet and red tops -- a teacher and four boys from my son's school pass me on the pavement. 3. We watch an episode of Abney and Teal  because Bettany can't remember this gentle, whimsical animated CBeebies classic. I'm surprised at how much I've forgotten, as this was a real favourite. I have to re-learn the world nearly from scratch. How did I lose track of Bop and the Poc-pocs?