Tagspices

Bagels, impromptu walk, cheesetastic

1. At the last second, I remember we do have some bread products in the freezer – bagels. We rush to defrost and toast them before the lovingly scrambled eggs go cold and boy, are we glad we did.

2. It starts off in a less than promising way – two dank tunnels under the bridges – but then opens up into a hidden field. Sandwiched between the train station and the river (with a tower blocks on the other side), it’s not exactly a picturesque meadow but it’s green and safe enough that I let Lily off her lead to run around. Amongst the nettles and bindweed, I spot my first fully ripe blackberries of the season.

3. The enchiladas are fantastic – not perfect but not far off – and I can’t wait until we can eat the leftovers.

Splattered everywhere, happy to see him, surprise success

1. After picking some wild cherries in the park near our old house, I spend the rest of the day spotting where the juice has stained: near John’s ear in his sideburn, on the back of his shoulder, on the dog’s foot…

2. Lily’s tail tempo switches from thump-thump-thump to thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump when John moves into view. He plays peekaboo with her to hear the change and we laugh.

3. The leftovers combine beautifully – the spiciness of the noodles counters the potentially cloying sweetness of the chicken’s sauce.

Hard copy, a different cat, hidden colour

1. My free photos arrive. Each brings a new smile to my face: people, animals, places I’ve been.

2. Boron swaggers over to me and says he wants a hug. In one movement, I pick him up and roll him onto his back on my knees so his rabbit feet are in the air. I kiss his head and tickle his exposed fluffy belly. My wrists reverse, rolling him back upright and put him back on the floor. As he swaggers off again, content and purring, I remember how he once bit my finger through to the bone.

3. The spices are almost invisible in the flour but the fish turns a vibrant turmeric yellow on contact.

Mystery marinade, good show, cooling down

1. I throw various things into the marinade and when I’m spreading it on the meat, I worry it’s too many flavours – but it isn’t. The crisp skin is salty and spicy, but more than that too – rounded, pleasantly complex. Another George’s Marvellous Medicine cooking attempt worked out well.

2. When they hold hands – something I’ve been begging them to do when the wife offers everything to make her husband happy – I nearly cheer. They — all the groups — do so well, I’m so proud.

3. Finally feeling cool again as the night air chills the sweat on my skin.

3BT – snow again, spices, snow again again

1. We wake up and the world is freshly white again. After more than a fortnight, it feels like we’re living in the perpetual winter of Narnia. Later, colourful coated kids trek along the hidden path to go sledging in the distant meadow.

2. For the first half hour of cooking, looking at the dry spices on the meat makes my throat hurt in anticipation but then the juices conquer them and we’re left with a delicious moist crust.

3. Looking from a dark room into the dark world, the branches of the trees seem ghostly and unreal. Or perhaps I’ve been spending too long in the Undercity