Three Beautiful Things

1. Waking up in a tent beside someone of whom I am quite fond. 2. My aunts, uncles, cousins and brother work together to clear up the house while my parents are taking Rosey to the station. When they return, the Mother looks around the house in wonder. 'This was going to be my work for the next few days.' 3. Squishing through mud wearing sandals; and stealing water from my father's waterfall by kicking a breach in the other side of the puddle. 4. Finally having time to pick apart my birthday picture to see who made which square. Thank you to my parents , Daena , He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named , Louise , Fenella (particularly), Jo , Giselle , Ian and Caroline , Katie (also particularly), Caroline from the writers circle , Joe in Vegas , Rosey , Andy R , Andry C , Jason (and Jessy) , Janey and Catri . I'll publish a picture very soon so you can see how well Fenella and Katie did.

1. Ellie giggling like crazy at a blue balloon; standing still to have her photo taken; babbling to her father about a stroll we've just had round the garden, complete with squelchy grass sound effects; dancing in the garden room; offering the rose on her dress so that I could smell it; feeding me spoonfuls of her yoghurt; and walking round clutching a piece of ice. 2. Realising that all the people that have been bridesmaids to are in the same room -- my two aunts, Cat and Fenella. 3. The beautiful things that people created for my birthday. The magical cake that Janey decorated with 30 beautiful things; and the wonderful picture of 10cm squares collected from my friends and family by Katie and Fenella; the psychodelic birthday card from my cousin Amy ; the unfinished picture that my cousin Laura very kindly showed me; and the welcome created by my parents. 4. It rained, but it was interesting, thundery, downpouring rain interspersed with sunny periods, rather than a full day of d...

1. Reading A Hatful of Sky by Terry Pratchett and enjoying it hugely. It's about a young girl learning to be a witch. He is quite hard on the occult jewellery brigade. I have been reading his books since I was 13, and I love the way he has improved. I reckon one or two of his books will turn out to be classics. 2. I walked to Linda's along Pembury Road. This is one of the main roads out of Tunbridge Wells and normally when I travel it, I'm being driven. Because I was walking, I noticed all sorts of things - a house called 'The Walled Garden' and a couple of artists' houses with 'open studio' signs. I decided that I would investigate these as soon as possible. 3. Andy made me a staff. The storms this week blew down half a white maple in his front garden, and he said that one of the branches was just my size. It's very plain - marked with a sign for fire, and OGMA and BRIDGET written in ogham script. The pale wood seems to glow at dusk. Andy said that...

1. We walked through the woods to lunch at The High Rocks. As we arrived, the first few drops of rain fell. It quickly turned into a proper downpour, which lasted until they brought our coffee. After lunch, we walked back to town through sparkly clean woods. 2. Over lunch I complained that I had never seen a toad in my life. As we walked back through the woods, a big, fat warty one in mackingtosh fawn and chocolate brown spots crawled across our path. 3. Jay drove a gang of us down to Cuckmere Haven for a night's camping. Jon, who organised it all, is one of the worst backseat drivers I have ever met - mainly, I think, because he was in a seriously destructive accident several years ago. Jay, who passed his test not long ago, was superhumanly patient with Jon's commentary. 4. As it was my birthday, you get a bonus beautiful thing - the rainbow that followed us out of town.

1. I cleaned my kitchen floor. It is a different colour and there are no longer fluffs the size of your fist under the computer. 2. The accountant at the Duke of York who whipped out his hem-hem to show off the 16 piercings to three slack-jawed friends. 3. Learning the words to the last two verses of Seven Drunken Nights .

1. Two more parcels: one smells of flowery bath things and came from Aunty Biddy and co. 2. The other was a bit of a mystery. In the end, I tore off the cardboard, assuming there would be a parcel inside. There wasn't - but what was in there was nearly as nice. It was a disc with a submission for the next writers' newsletter - which means I don't have to write it all myself - and a book. Raymond Nickford has been reading his intensly spooky psychological novel Mister Kreasey's Demon at the writers' group I go to. Reading out loud to other writers helps the editing process in nit-picky ways. But now his book is published - how exciting is that? There was also a kind note in which he described my writing as 'bubbly' and 'Wodehousian'. 3. Bright yellow ragwort growing on the edge of the common.

1. I finally bought myself a new handbag. The old one is lovely - it's black with a picture of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman about to kiss - but I've been fretting for a few weeks that it's a bit wintery, plus it's one you carry in your hand, and I don't think it's doing much for my posture. So this new satchel, which is made of soft sandy corduroy and stiff red-brown leather, is thrice welcomed. I can carry it on my shoulder. It lovely to touch. And it's always pleasing to take everything out of any old handbag and put them into a new one. 2. Two parcels - one from Rosey and one mystery one from Amazon. I don't think I ordered anything, though it's not impossible. But anyway, I'm waiting for my birthday before I open it. 3. I've been a little lazy about food recently, living off packets of noodles and bread and cheese. I went shopping properly, even planning my meals for the next few days, and filled the fridge with fresh food.