1. I have a twitchy muscle in my knee. Dr Google tells me it might be from a mineral deficiency and recommends I eat some leafy greens, a banana … or dark chocolate. I go for the latter on net-doctors’ orders.

2. We enjoy the view down the hill – the field, with its halo of beech leaves, glows green but the tall, straight oak trees break up the neon.

3. Chewy strings of mozzarella amongst the sauce.

1. I realise we don’t have to wait until after dinner to watch Game Of Thrones as normal: we watch it after breakfast, cuddled under a blanket.

1b. Tilda discovers the soft accordion case.

2. After two lazy days, I fancy a change so head out to the allotment. On the way, I bump into R and he shows me his garden. We discuss our growing – and writing – plans.

2b. Lily sits with me as I weed. She is relaxed and seems happy for the change of scenery.

2c. The woman has previously been standoffish, almost purposefully avoiding eye contact – but today she calls to me with a gift (some chicken for Lily) and we chat about the animals in our lives.

2d. A path made neat – and lower maintenance.

2e. The bag of weeds is heavy but I’m glad I made the effort: the chickens pull at the leaves while I look in the nest box — more eggs than we’ve had for ages!

2f. The Swiss chard seeds have sprouted faster than I thought: little red and yellow shots litter the pots.

3. Even crochet (or whip stitching as I’m doing now to join it together) feels like too much effort this evening. Gaming with a cat asleep in my lap and a snoring dog by my side feels more my speed.

My mum’s xxth birthday. (Number redacted to avoid a telling off ;) )

1. Progress on the blanket continues: first I finish all the squares, then I finish all the ends, then I try a few different layouts before I finally begin sewing it together. By bedtime, three out of eight stripes are complete.

2. Lily grins at me as we pull on our boots.

3. Strange sits in the long grass near the pear tree for the whole time I’m cooking dinner. Her fur clashes beautifully with the fresh green.

3b. The soup cooks for about an hour and the whole time I’m chopping and adding new veg to the pan. The result is hearty but not too rich, veg packed but far from boring.

1. A little bit of jam really adds to it.

2. We’ve had some busy weekends recently so today we do nothing. We stay in our pyjamas and indulge ourselves in our pleasures: I crochet and John plays with graphs.

2b. Giant buttons (the chocolate sort).

3. The tunes wrap around each other as they play.

3b. Perhaps having seen how besotted Lily is, Strange deigns to let M stroke her.

1. I hear the clink of the gate, and look up expecting it to be another plotholder – well, I guess it is technically. John and Lily let themselves in and I show them around all the changes.

1b. The hens pull at the dandelion leaves. I’d nearly not bothered to bring any weeds home for them but they attack them with such abandon that I’m glad I did.

2. The best burger I’ve had in a long, long time. John cooks them with ghee, onions and garlic, and drapes them in smoked cheese. Fab.

3. I count up my crochet squares: I’ve done more than I thought. I’ll start the final push tomorrow.

3b. My girls, sitting with me as I hook. Strange, by my side, purrs whenever I stroke my lap lady, Tilda.

1. We both have a bad day – nothing major, just a grumpy stream of frustrations and annoyances – but become neither irked or cranky with the other.

2. Every time I think the greenhouse is full, I manage to rejig things and fit in another couple of trays.

3. The vivid green of the leaves on the birch saplings.