An Idea Some Day

  Herbie’s last day on Earth. Only last month I asked Char how we would know when he’s ready to go. But after seeing him lose so much weight this month and spending all his time looking sad and completely inactive with a forlorn face, it was clear his time had come. He’d lost 500g (1/6th of his bodyweight) in the last month, and when he was offered his bed after the vet had prepped his canular this afternoon, he willingly got into it and curled into his trademark resting pose with his cheek on his front paws and seemed ready (possibly even relieved) to go. I looked into his eyes as he passed. It was very quick and peaceful. I felt a mixture of sadness and relief, and knew it was the right decision—kinder than watching him wither away any longer.  RIP Herbie Big Paws, you were a sweet, silent, good natured cat who never asked for anything and always enjoyed a good stroke. I thought you’d outlast the rest of the gang, but your illness got the better of you. I hope you now have the peace

 Worked out for the first time this year. Felt good. Let’s hope I’m out of my physical funk and the habit sticks. Herbie is not well. He’s lost a lot of weight and is very skinny with a distended abdomen. Minimal movement and very quiet. No longer purrs or responds when touched. Sad to see. Might be his last night. Gave him some cuddles in the armchair, but he was pretty withdrawn. Poor guy. Work keeps coming in and next month is looking good. Still keen to find some new opportunities and keep things fresh though. Should hopefully find some time in June. 

  Sunday night after a lovely weekend. Bright and warm both days and a good mix of family time and getting things done. Took A to the tip to clear some garden waste this evening and drove past one of my favourite local views—looking down from the top of Calverton Bank to Woodborough in the valley below the farm fields, with the evening sun giving everything a warm glow—windows open with warm air billowing into the car. “Look over there Ansel, isn’t it beautiful?” “Yes, it’s beautiful, Daddy.” Great snsm last night, and my first bath in six days tonight, which was heavenly. Life is good.

 It’s Friday night. I’m enjoying a Hemingway Daquari after a week full of client work (all of which has been well received). Last Friday, there was a huge solar storm, which meant I could see Aurora Borealis from my garden. It looked different from what I expected. Less colourful and more static, but impressive nonetheless. Charlotte and I sat back on the sunchairs in the balmy nighttime air and gazed up at what looked like a huge cosmic eagle or angel soaring across half the sky. Shafts of light in subtle pink and green hues emanated from a single point high above us. It reminded me of the beams of light coming through the windows of Grand Central Station in those famous old photos but on an even grander scale. This morning, Ansel told me he could juggle and asked me to watch as he held two balls above his head and threw them in random directions. He was proud of himself, and when I tried to explain that the objective is to throw each ball and catch it in the other hand (giving him a

 I can’t believe we’ve already ripped through a week of the fifth month of the year already. New Year’s Day on the beach feels like only a couple of months ago. But here we are. Mid-spring and everything is suddenly looking green. Much warmer too. Almost looks and feels like summer. Took the boys to a cute family farm with a vintage car collection as an added attraction. Had a great time and fed my first cow (we all did). Drove home listening to Pete Doherty acoustic numbers in the late afternoon sun while both boys slept and Albion rolled by outside. Lovely day.  Haven’t worked out since before Christmas. Starting to get skinny fat.

 Early start for two children’s birthday parties after 4 hours sleep. V tired. Thankfully Char drove and I dozed in the car. I deserve a medal for getting through it. Beautiful weather. Got the chiminea set up in the garden and a random frog joined us for the inaugural marshmallow tasting, which made it extra exciting for the boys.  Swapped our bedtime routine so I did Z’s bath and bed. He protested a little at first, then we had a lovely chill time reading animal books before he laid down. Holiday has felt like a great little reset to help us shake up our evening routine.

 Took Z out for a morning stroll around the village in the backpack. Saw some horses and he immediately copied one when it started braying. Smart kid, and a great mimic. He has such a cool little controlled toe poke technique for kicking a football, too.  Char did both boys’ swimming lessons, which for me meant five times the stress and none of the fun. We need to figure out a better system now Z is swimming on Saturdays too. A took forever to go to sleep. Late night, but lovely snsm, so worth it :)