A Hangover, Chocolate Cherry Brownies and the Back of Beyond

1. Waking up with a bit of a hangover and feeling fine is a blessing. Yesterday had a few strange moments and in the evening it seemed like the best place to go was the Indian Lounge for a curry. I had a couple of beers there and then on to City screen again like we did last week. I got pretty squiffy. By the time we got home I was ready for bed and slept like a prince. When I woke this morning my mind was calm and I felt OK. A cuppa tea and some early morning sun made the day begin well.

2. I was determined today, no matter what happened, that I would make bread and bake a tray of chocolate and cherry brownies. This is a part of my attempt to stop buying shop mass produced rubbish. When the bread cooled a little I had a few slices with some of the gorgeous cheddar I bought yesterday in Harrogate. Home baking is a real beautiful treasure and especially chocolate cherry brownies. I made them with my tree-watching friend in mind, a man who deserves to have sweetness lavished on him. I really missed him today.

3. I read my friend's blog Back of Beyond this morning. It's simply a little journal about his feelings, events and some remarks he makes about his days. So many people do this now including me of course, that what was once remarkable is now almost quotidian. But he has designed it sweetly and he writes politely. I feel just a little guilty reading it so I left a comment on his last post. He'll probably take it off, but the intention was fine. This evening I played on line for a while and I came to appreciate how perfect the simplicity of communicating this way can be. Also how easy it is to be mistaken and misunderstood...but when something really does get said and communicated successfully it produces a blissful good fortune.