Pillowbook II...

... for Knots in the String.

I had thought to write another Pillowbook entry this week in the style of my last pillowbook entry. Things I like and things I don’t.

But when I began to look for negatives, it was as if an opaque veil drifted between me and life. I simply could not note such things. Maybe that’s my subconscious way of dealing with times of turmoil – to blithely tiptoe through the tulips. Does it matter, do you think? This week should I be more aware? I decided no – although it may be that a couple of things might pop up before the end of the article.

And so, Things I Like This Week:

1. Wearing yellow. Especially when it’s the hue of melted butter.

Gosh, even when it’s as bright as Tête à tête daffodils. I once had a pair of swish-o yellow pants back in the early 70’s and always felt brave and forthright when I wore them. The colour is positive, investing one with joie de vivre and it’s sooo much better than wearing black which always makes one look as though one is in perpetual mourning.

2. Wearing pale iced blue is rather special too, reflecting calm, peace and tranquillity. Colour has a way of enhancing, complimenting, and when it manages to hit the right note it’s a symphony.

3. Triple chocolate brownies – so sinful. I love making them as they’re rich in chocolate and raspberries. But one must be careful not to drop smidges on the buttery yellow or the iced blue. For obvious reasons.

4. Ballet in skirts. Feeling the fabric flutter and flow… it’s like underlining a sentence or placing words in italics.

5. Monday Project Company without whose guidance I couldn’t exist.

7. Buying the prettiest spring-coloured felts and the softest toned threads for more heart-making.

9. Listening to Fiona Leitch’s A Cornish Recipe for Murder. Keeps one guessing. With a judged called Esme at the Bake Off in the narrative, I wondered if I’d strayed into filming of the Great British Sewing Bee! Either way, I’m surprised I enjoy cosy crime stories as much as I do. I believe it’s a reaction to a bitter world. In the same way, we leave the TV off in the evenings now that the Tour de France has finished. The peace is soothing, our bodies wind down, our eyelids become heavy…

10. My pup. Such a little tumbleweed - all mussed up hair and very ‘who cares’ about his appearance. Hates being cuddled but is the best kisser this side of the Black Stump. Has just learned to give a high five too. He’s also the only dog I’ve ever had who does rip-roaring, doggy-sized burps!

11. My grandson turning seven and inviting us to his party at a bowling alley. I haven’t bowled since I was 14, apart from pétanque. Can’t wait! I’m making cupcakes to celebrate 7! We celebrated his birthday last night and amongst his presents, I gave him a handful of glass marbles and he had more fun with those than anything. It was like watching a child from history. Marbles, they say, have been played with since 2500BC. Can’t argue with the fun factor!

12. Honesty. Not telling lies, because the Truth never lies. Telling lies destroys integrity and respect. I despise liars (which probably means I despise many politicians and a few ordinary citizens too) and value something immensely good, like truth-telling.

But this week I’m resolving to see only the good.

Good things like 90,000 people marching in Sydney against the situation in Gaza. Good things like the UK, Canada and France declaring they will support a Two State solution to the Gaza Question. (I do wonder why this wasn’t explicitly spelled out in 1917, within the Balfour Declaration. It would have saved so much heartache).

Good things like seeing Megan Follows attend a Bookclub Meeting on Prince Edward Island on Instagram.

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Hearing the theme to Anne of Green Gables (the only series) made me quite weepy and I noticed in the comments that I wasn’t the only one. Ah, the world was a sweeter place then.

Good things like my brother beginning to mend after his double knee replacement only last week.

Like my son competing in another massive trail run and once again, running against himself and his disease and chatting with a chap as they both ran, and who was running for his brother who had cancer. In the end, my son came 33^rd in a field of 180. There’s a lesson in this from both these young men…

Like laughing so much at ballet class as we did a routine of single and double frappés and petit battements. I felt like the Durocell Bunny on Red Bull and messed it all up anyway and I’m still wrapped in a polar fleece vest! But then I finally confirmed the word soutenu for a sentence in the novel. It’s been sitting in red type for weeks within the manuscript.

Like eating Lindt’s limited edition Tiramisu balls. Be still my beating heart! It’s an explosion of coffee on the tongue followed by the creaminess of Lindt chocolate. Bliss!

Like listening to the water chuckle over dove grey river rocks in a creek where it hasn’t flowed for nearly a year.

Like remembering when my little grandson could only say ‘lellow’ and not yellow, so today as I write this, in honour of my now seven year old, I’m wearing the melted butter ‘lellow’ cardi. I’ve wrapped gifts for two newborns and my daughter-in-law (her birthday immediately after her son’s) all in ‘lellow’ paper too because it sings of spring and warmth.

Music for this week? Such a mixture of subjects. But I settled on truth and lies and couldn’t go past this song from Heartland (we’ve been big Heartland fans in our time):