3BT – Page 173 – Louisa Parry

Warm-up, someone made some effort, starting the sauce

1. Around the time of her usual lunchtime walk, her tail starts wagging even though the rest of her is dozing on the sofa. “It’s a warm-up, like stretching,” I tell John.

2. The boxes are coloured to indicate who they’re for – the big cat, the little cat or the dog. The colours – rich raspberry, burnt orange and cool purple – are contrasting complements, and until I see them together in the bag, I didn’t realise spot-on flea treatment packaging could be so pretty.

3. It takes a while for the smell to reach me – the sweet scent frying onions and the garlic – but when it does, I suddenly develop an appetite.

Rollmöpse, things past, wish I could Ctrl+F books to find it again

26/7/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. The rollmops – pickled herring – are perfect: neither too fishy or too vinegary, just sweet and tangy.

2. I sit on the steps up to the door of our old house and pull grass seeds and sticky buds from the dog’s ears, tail and feathering. I feel nostalgic for all the time I spent on the steps with the cats – a favoured grooming spot but also just a favoured sitting spot in fair weather. As much as I can’t wait to be rid of it, to not have to think about it any more, I’ll be sad when we have to say goodbye to the house – my home for a decade – for the last time. One day, I’m going to make a scale model/dolls’ house of it so I don’t forget the good times there.

3. Re-reading ‘Drop City’ by TC Boyle yet again. I find new things to cherish each time through. “…stone light of dawn” is a phrase that sticks with me this time.

Three Beautiful Things before breakfast

26/7/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

(Well, actually, during the night/before my alarm went off to start the day, but that “before breakfast” has got a better ring to it.)

1. When it is dark: the world is as silent and still as I’ve ever heard it her. No wind in the trees, no traffic noise, no birds or animals making noises in the woods. The whole world is asleep (except me).

2. When it is dawn: even without my glasses, I can see the eruption on the horizon. Above the treeline, the whole sky turns red.

3. When it is daylight: in what feels like the blink of an eye, the red disappears and is replaced by brilliant blue, dotted with white fluffy clouds. Often when I wake in the early morning like this, the sky is like this – a kid’s drawing of a perfect summer sky – and as always, I momentarily consider getting up to enjoy it, but then, on cue, I fall asleep again.

Crack, a pretty coincidence, accomplishment

25/7/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. The sharp snap as I break the twigs.

2. The arrangement of the washing on the line looks deliberately composed. The duck-egg blue of the bath towels, the washed out mid-blue of the dog ones and the soft turquoise & cream of the tea towels all coordinate while standing out against the leafy green backdrop.

3. A productive day and completing a goal – a meal made entirely from stuff from our garden.

Bagels, impromptu walk, cheesetastic

24/7/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

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.

Office humour, passing over, step by step

23/7/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. Sometimes our banter is so perfectly timed that it sounds almost scripted (in a good way).

2. A flash of red reflected in the stream as John steps from bank to bank.

3. The design evolves step by step until it’s just right.

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