1. The cat – black and fluffy – run over for a tickle. It mews and rolls on the ground as I talk to it.

2. I clear away some things – the chilli plants in the porch, the box of misc in the dining room – which have overstayed their welcome. The rooms look transformed.

3. After (delicious) soup for lunch, hunger hits us like a hammer. With no time to look into a recipe, I throw things together in the wok with somewhat random flavourings. The result is quick and surprisingly good.