life – Page 24 – Louisa Parry

3BT – five from after dinner

1. The red, yellow, pink and white are all tinged with black.

2. I put some Encona (scotch bonnet pepper) sauce in the marinade and while it doesn’t overwhelm, it is definitely there. John runs out for the bus with his last skewer and texts ten minutes later to say his lips are still tingling. Mine are too.

3. A second evening of reading in the garden after dinner of the week. While I read, I listen to Kathryn Williams‘ Little Black Numbers and Bonnie Prince Billy‘s The Letting Go. I fell in love with both albums on a lovely long weekend on Lindisfarne in 2007, which even though I had to work for a few hours each day, was wonderfully relaxing. The albums catapult me back into that state whenever I listen to them – not that I need much help relaxing tonight: a good book, cats and birdsong.

4. As I refill the slug traps, I notice that the dark shiny courgettes will be ready for picking this weekend – I can’t wait!

5. Lily is noticeably absent from the al fresco reading session. I don’t mind as we’re trying to encourage her to not stick to us like glue all the time but eventually I get up to look for her and check she’s ok: she’s stretched out on the dining room floor, looking longingly at the door John left through. She deigns to join me at various points throughout the evening but her heart is elsewhere. She’s fast asleep though when he finally comes home and I have to interrupt her dreams to tell her he’s back – she runs downstairs so fast she nearly falls and circles him again and again before pulling him back up to bed. Lily loves her dad.

3BT – five from after dinner

24/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. The red, yellow, pink and white are all tinged with black.

4. As I refill the slug traps, I notice that the dark shiny courgettes will be ready for picking this weekend – I can’t wait!

3BT – skin tingles, head tickles, dusk chorus

22/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. I’m too hot but the room is cool. The air tickles my skin and I feel equilibrium returning.

2. Boron follows me into the bathroom and I ask him if there is anything he needs – there is food, water and he’s just had some milk. He rubs at my legs to say he just wants a bit of love. I take him back out to the sunny window seat and he purrs and purrs while I kiss his head and rub his chest.

3. After dinner (the first we’ve eaten inside for nearly a week), I take my book outside. Around me the world slowly gets cooler and suddenly all the birds start singing their pre-dusk songs. The cat on my knee and the dog by my side watch with tails wagging as the woodpigeons divebomb past us as they gather together for the night.

Last week’s Tweets (up to 2010-06-20)

20/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

Appear to have bruised the palm pad thing of my right index finger while spinning last night. I'm so frickin' hardcore. #lamecraftinjury #
While I was in the bathroom, Lily barked to tell me she had a) wrapped herself up in the duvet & b) was cute. http://twitpic.com/1wp8pc #
After feeding/pooping the neighbours' new puppy, I have a new appreciation for Lily's calmness. I also have a teeth-torn hoodie. #
Just had an awesome cup of tea – that one in a hundred that is perfect. #
@sixfour have you seen a local guy is doing the space balloons thing too? first launches from dewsbury http://www.robertharrison.org/icarus/ #
Been experimenting with more wild garlic seed pod ideas – made two pesto things – one with mint, the other with roasted cumin seeds – fiery! #
Hiccuping very loudly in bed. The dog keeps looking shocked and going into guard dog mode. #
@DougCoupland The sun is often the clouds' scapegoat. Not only "partly sunny" but also "the sun's gone in" or "the sun's not shining today". in reply to DougCoupland #
@tim_waters that sounds like a problem for @recycle_this ! I'll put it on the site tomorrow :) in reply to tim_waters #
OH: "can i put this down your crack?" / "oh i don't think it's long enough" #
Tried some of the wild garlic pods that I pickled at the weekend – yum! Will definitely have to do another jar ASAP. #
Picked more pods for pickling while perambulating with the puppy. #
Back from the Olive Tree with Katherine. Y.U.M. #
Hurrah! parasol enables garden working even with my stupid shiny screen! #
Should not feel this pissed off on such a lovely sunny day. #
@strowger78 thanks! i am now more confused about what you mean than pissed off with the other stuff ;) in reply to strowger78 #
@tim_waters cor, they look like real mushrooms! ;) are you growing anything else? in reply to tim_waters #
@sarahjarvis actually, i received a woolly blanket in the post yesterday so by that reasoning, it should be earth-on-fire scorching today. in reply to sarahjarvis #
@sarahjarvis I was responsible for the previous 2 cold spells though. Bought flipflops before the 1st, patio table set before the 2nd. Sorry #
Listening to The Divine Comedy's At the Indie Disco again – and laughing again. It's like my diary from 1997 put to music: scarily accurate! #
Have finally made the decision to cull what was once my full-time-earning website – will stop updating on its 5th birthday next month… #
In related news, anyone want to buy a 5yr old website, 14.6k decent content pages (12k unique), WP-based with custom community section…? #
@will_j heh, no not that one ;) It's way more embarrassing than that – celebrity gossip ;) http://fametastic.co.uk in reply to will_j #
Looked too much like riff-raff & the dog too much like a child-eater/fox to be allowed into Calverley boot sale. Walked in the woods instead #
@Kate_McP you'd probably be pushed to spend more than an hour there but it's fun, esp if you buy the grass nuts to feed the goats & sheep :) in reply to Kate_McP #
@strowger78 i planted those things yesterday too! hurrah for slug-free railings! :) in reply to strowger78 #
@strowger78 ooh, I thought you just meant on the balcony bit itself – they're very neat. Was thinking about something similar just yesterday in reply to strowger78 #
@strowger78 yes, quite dear compared to a normal ground trough. might see about making our own: next year, the Peach garden is going 3D ;) in reply to strowger78 #
@strowger78 strangely, no. The silver birch tree looks weirdly like a 2D cardboard cut-out when viewed from the right angle. ;) in reply to strowger78 #
Always amused when the cats use my boobs as a shelf for sitting on. Give it 20 years & they can sit on my boobs & my knee at the same time. #

3BT – five beautiful things before lunchtime

20/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. When I finally wake up, she’s stretched out next to me, fully stretched out with her stumpy chicken legs pushed out behind her. I ask her if she wants to get up – it’s late and she must need a wee – but she buries her nose back under the duvet. Hearing my voice, Carla jumps on the bed for a cuddle and since it’s the only space available, she lies down next to her – not touching at first but then they are. By the time sleepy John turns over to see and we both coo at the cuteness of it.

2. Everyone is brunching in their gardens. The intermingling laughter and conversations draws people’s attention from the woods as they walk past the gap in the trees.

3. If someone made a perfume from the slightly sweaty, slightly caramelised smell of sun-touched skin, I’d buy it by the gallon.

4. Ditto “sweaty cat” – as I’ve said before, my most favourite smell. Carbon was more renowned for the smell but after sitting in her favourite spot on top of the woodpile, Carla smelled delicious too.

5. The oak trees are big enough for us to hide behind so without speaking, we do. Lily looks around confused, then runs to the spot where we’d been stood a moment earlier and looks into the mid-distance. Her face says “huh, where have they gone?” until the giggling gives away our location and we run together laughing/tail wagging.

3BT – it’s working, always time for bread & jam, comfortable

19/6/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. I spend the afternoon pottering in the garden – sowing more salad, potting on small seedlings and planting out their bigger siblings. Growing veg is such a waiting game – waiting and hoping – but when I see the first courgettes forming, it feels worth it.

2. John’s out all day at a friend’s stag do but pops home between the go-karting and the evening activities to eat some bread & jam.

3. Boron discovers a new place to sleep – my yarn stash between the sofa & the armchair. I hear rustling as he circles around, padding it into shape but by the time I turn around to look at him, he’s curled in a tight circle, his chin resting on a fluffy magenta skein.

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3BT – five from after dinner

3BT – five from after dinner

3BT – skin tingles, head tickles, dusk chorus

Last week’s Tweets (up to 2010-06-20)

3BT – five beautiful things before lunchtime

3BT – it’s working, always time for bread & jam, comfortable