Monday 31st Jan

Sea glass

Life has a way of polishing off your rough edges; like glass tumbled by the sea.

Sunday 30th January

Porridge cooks slowly as I sip tea and write.

Saturday 29th January - Laundry

The day is breezy enough to whip the wet out of the washing on the line and ah the smell as I gather it all in.

Friday 28th Jan

Suddenly there are catkins; dozens of them in all the hazels in the garden.

Thursday 27th Jan - Light

Still light when I leave work at five o’clock and all around the campus the blackbirds are pink, pinking their goodnights.

Wednesday 26th January

A day of drizzle means that the tumble drier rumbles away all day.

Tuesday 25th January

How cosy and quiet the cloakroom is, more conducive to writing than the open plan office.

Monday 24th Jan

At lunchtime I’ve been learning to sit in an Emperor’s chair, before parting the mane of a wild horse three times and becoming a large bird spreading its wings. I return to my desk refreshed.

Sunday 23rd Jan

At last a robin brave enough to come to the window feeder. So close we can see from the breakfast table the line of grey against the red.

Saturday 22nd Jan

Bronze Egyptian cat, how you remind me of Leo, sitting with your paws neatly placed side by side.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/aes/b/bronze_figure_of_a_seated_cat.aspx

Friday 21st Jan

The lost city is sleeping

Thursday 20th Jan

A birthday tea, faces aglow with the light from twelve candles

19th Day

More Frost

Pond hard frozen again. Dicks disconcerted.

Lunchtime stroll

Lunchtime stroll

Turned back by the flooded Ousel under the bridge we walk a long way beside the roar of the dual carriageway to get back to work.

This was Tuesday's stone - 18th January

Rainy monday

The street alive with rain; splashing through the air, gurgling and gushing down drainpipies and running along the road.

this is not the first stone about Rain. Here's another.

Cat's View

The cat at number three has a bird's eye view from the bedroom window. How it's ginger ears twitch as they fly past.

Jogger

A woman pounds past on the pavement, panting. Good for her, I think, getting fit without a gym.

From Saturday 15th January

Ousel

The river Ousel swollen with rain, threatening to flood across the football pitches. Much grey cloud in the sky and the low hum of traffic as Milton Keynes starts to go home.

From Thursday 13th February

Meditation

Meditation is still meditation even if my mind wants to occupy itself with 'to do' lists rather than the breath

From Wednesday 12th January

The cool of the evening air after a day in an over-heated office. A thin sliver of moon above the car park and Mozart on the radio

From Tuesday 11th January

Quiet

How quiet the house is
with nobody in it
but myself

From Monday 10th Jan

Frost Pocket

The frost hangs on in the shadow of the lamp-post – silver across the pavement and protected for the moment from the sun’s rays.

This was today's.

Pen and ink

My pen has all but run out of ink but I go on trying to squeeze words on to the page.

Breath

Breath
All that matters is the breath. Once you stop breathing it all ceases even if a few moments before you were a moving bundle of fur and I was fetching chard because I was worried you weren’t yourself. How quickly you change into a cold still creature with glazed eyes that do not look back.

From Friday 7th Jan.

It's catch up time. The great thing about this project is that I have been writing every day and not just small stones. It must be something to do with paying attention.

What I havent been doing, however, is posting them every day but I have allowed myself a couple of computer free days in the last week.

Anyway here is Thursday's

Blue Shoes
I’m wearing my new blue shoes to work. 'school’ shoes as I mistakenly called them in the shoe shop on Tuesday – glimpses of their glamour and shine under my desk constantly surprise me.

Before Sunrise

Getting up for yesterday's eclipse has made me aware of the sunrise - how late it is and how early we all have to get up to be ready for school and work.

Last day

First day back at work for the rest of the street- rituals of scraping from seven o’clock. We are nonetheless up by eight before sunrise to see the eclipse and celebrate our last day of freedom.

Garden

Winter digging
tangled mass of yellow nettle roots
beneath dead stems.

The second day

Robin so desperate for food
he comes to help me
open up the guinea pg run.


Ranbow maker
catches morning sun
fills the bedroom
with strips of moving light.

The first day

Actually I started earlier when Fiona first suggested it but have only just set up this blog.

Here's a couple from Christmas

Willow branches furred with frost.
Swollen buds show pussy willows to come.


Week old snow
crisped by ice
Christmas cake icing.

And today's

Turning out the cupboards
I unearth diced papaya
Four years old and stiffened
into a block of pink.