0. For the last few months, I’ve been hugging a pillow during the night to encourage myself to sleep in a better position. Sometimes it’s the most comfortable, comforting thing in the world.

1. Twice during the day I find myself nursing my mug in my hands. The warmth is very pleasant indeed.

2. Inspired by an email from an old friend, I pull together some things I’ve written over the years about our shared past. I read through some of my old diary excerpts (ones I’ve previously typed up): I remember the main details of course but some little tidbits suddenly leap out at me and I feel an emotional surge like I’m 17 again. Hurrah for diaries.

3. Lily tries to spring through the very long grass.

4. “We should go to bed earlier tonight, sort out our days and nights … do you want to play some BustaMove?”

4b. I love the quality of our trash talk.

1. I rediscover some fun old funnies: the Ukepedia submission we had from strangers (for example, this one, this one and this one).

2. I creep around the plots looking for signs of new growth: lollo roso lettuces filling out, broad beans lengthening, tiny grapes formed in ready made clumps, and on the squashes, baby courgettes and a to-be pumpkin.

2b. I stand at the back of the plot and enjoy its appearance in the golden hour. The sun is off the land but beautifully highlighting the Victorian terrace beyond.

3. Stroking a cat’s fur the wrong way.

1. The bus arrives just after I reach the stop and it accepts my day ticket too.

1b. Pizza Pieces. I realise I’ve been going there, for its excellent pizza slices, for longer than the lad that served me has probably been alive. It’s so good.

1c. I find exactly what I’m looking for and at a fifth of the online price.

2. Lily-dog wriggles and rolls. She ends up still, on her back, paws in the air. She looks between us as we laugh.

3. I need to make something fairly easy for dinner and suddenly remember an old favourite.

1. The perfect pots for the job.

2. Giggling at poor taste jokes as our walk comes to an end.

2b. I add my own “phrasing!” into a double entrendre packed sentence.

3. Blowing bubbles at each other in the bath.

4. Water biscuits with good butter and a slice of proper smoked cheese.

1. I wait with Lily. Her head tilts and her tail wags.

1b. Later, her tail wags happily – not fast, just contentedly – on the home stretch of the walk.

2. We have an impromptu cream tea.

3. I sit on the step and cuddle him until I’m thoroughly covered in fur.

1. A test tile in four delicious shades of turquoise.

2. Two Superman related things: first, a man in a Superman hoodie runs down the road with just enough energy to make me think he’s hurrying to someone’s aid. Second, a bad joke as we drive down “Cockin Lane”.

3. Beautiful harmonising their doos and dahs.

3b. The lights cast four shadows: guitar necks in reds, green and blue on the wall.

3c. Layers upon layers, built up on the loop peddle. Sometimes, it’s a mix of things including percussion on different items on the stage; other times, it’s just her voice. Each time is entrancing.