0. I remember two things I meant to note earlier in the week: the surprise of the brightest red cherries on the tree; and how much I enjoy the bathroom mirror and sink when they’ve just been cleaning – sparkling in the evening light.
1. While waiting for the bus, I sit on the grass verge in the shade. Oscar the long dog rounds the wall and is surprised to see me there, at his head height, and he expresses his delight by licking my face.
1b. Throwing terracotta cylinders – just more practise but pleasing all the same. It’s new clay (not the usual reclaimed stuff) so is smooth and silky under my hands.
1c. Even though I’ve used a notoriously patchy glaze, my little pendants come out well – I only made them to use up some scraps of clay but I want to actually turn them into jewellery now.
2. We potter in the early evening sunshine. I transplant some things in the greenhouse and see to the chickens, and later John fixes a new support for his apple tree while I trim the holly tree. It feels like bonus time.
3. We go out for dinner – but a quick, relaxed one: kebab and gelato (keblato). My chicken tikka boti is succulent and sweet, the naan fluffy, and the gelato surprisingly orange-y.
3b. We’re near a shoe shop called Mr Boot. Until about 2003, it had a decades old sign reading “John Robson is … Mr Boot” and whenever I see it, it reminds me of a long running joke we had around 2001/2002: it started as saying the name like the start of this trailer but then involved into countless silly versions (such as “Juan Robson es … Senor Boot”). We did it every time we drove past it – and that was it a lot. It always makes me laugh anew when I remember it.
4. How we make each other laugh with our little bits. (I mean ‘bits’ in the ‘comedy bit’ sense; I’m not just being coy about our genitalia. Though they make us laugh too.)
4b. John playing guitar and singing in the near dark.
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