1. Even though there is a third cup to throw me off, I boil exactly the right amount of water.

2. I stand in the silver birch wood and watch the wave of the wind pass along the tree tops.

3. I’m utterly hypnotised by this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG1VVFfOnYQ&feature=kp. The song becomes an instant earworm.

1. I join Lily outside for a mid-morning survey of the land. We pad about the top patio to see what’s sprouting. (Answer = lots of things: the gladioli and one of the dahlias, the radishes and the lettuce, oxalis, fuchsia and chives; the dogwood and crocosmia have been growing their green for months now and the aquilegia and dicentra are already in full bloom; finally, there are the perennial herbs that have leafed afresh again and the zombie nasturtium that forgot to die over winter.)

2. A parcel arrives from Canada, covered in pretty stamps. The book inside is wonderful: old but in good condition, an interesting cubist picture on the cover and the undamaged edges of the pages dyed a deep orange.

3. As I crochet, I listen to some podcasts and talks – they’re funny fluff really but I pick up a gem of knowledge or insight from each one.

1. John’s sat on the balcony when I come down. I stand near him and watch the cats padding around the gardens below us. Eventually most of us go back inside and we have breakfast: when I call Tilda, she bounces the full length of the kitchen at top speed.

2. A series of puns using our favourite pun structure, bookended with even more stupid jokes. We had been a little grumpy when we left the house – a combination of circumstances and low blood sugar – but we’re light hearted again by the time we reach Morley.

3. We decide, as a group, we’re good at assembling spreads of food.

3b. A titter of appreciation from the other sofa.

3c. The man throws a ball and the little fat dog tries to run as fast as her long-legged sister.

3d. From a low angle, the colours are arranged just perfectly.

1. Strange cuddles into her floppy-eared sister to form a yin and a mini-yang.

1b. Toes stretching on a white paw.

2. Lily wants to play. Her eyes shine and her tail wags as she chases the ball around the room.

3. I finish my quicky crewel project – a small Jacobean tile kit. As I approach the end, I take the time to unpick two sections – I know I can do them better. The flourish becomes more curved, the spine of the leaf smoother. There is still room for improvement (especially in my silk shading) but I’m proud of my work: a year after my first attempt at crewel work, the progress has been enormous.

3b. I’ve brought a pot home to burnish. I alternate between rubbing it generally and specifically filling in divots and scratches. On each iteration, the imperfections become smaller and the surface smoother.

1. Crying with laughter at videos and finding out about just the woooooorst films.

2. The shower’s hot water on my back.

3. Strange dreams of licking things (as she often does) and later, Lily wakes from a deep sleep to find a treat tucked underneath her lip – she gobbles it down.

0. I’m confused when my alarm goes off because I haven’t woken up the requisite amount of times during the night.

1. My class is canceled at the last minute but I’m happy rather than annoyed: I can focus on my other (neglected) projects instead.

1b. Scrapping out the inside of a curved pot then tipping out the excess curls of clay.

1c. John holds up Lily so her wagging tail bangs against the glass that separates us.

2. There is always a special quality to the garden on a light, sunny evening. The thrill of bonus daylight?

3. I feel strangely cold all evening until I swap my socks for a thicker pair.