Third of January

The autumn planted onions have sprouted - so green against the dark earth

Up for the Prize

Not one but two poets short-listed for the prize – such an achievement for a small nation and both of them women which adds to the feeling of joy.

First Small Stone on 2013

The early morning Robin reaches the feeders before the ducks are let out of their house and rewards me with a song for the gift of corn.

Mindful Writing Day

The chrysanthemums picked from the garden a week ago remain perfectly tawny with not a petal dropped.

Last day

So cold my nose is numb but I still catch the clean clear scent of the Sarcocca in the hedge.

Clean Sheets - Friday 27th

My manuscript is printed. For the moment I'm content to sit with the pristine black and white sheets before I start with the red ink.

Tuesday Seventeenth

This morning the beech trees on the A5 roundabout are modelling themselves on a painting by Carrington - how slender their trunks are and look at the elegant tracery of their branches - but for the cars hurrying past