Digested happiness

Otherwise known as "little pockets of happiness", a concept that occurred to me this morning. After I'd been invited to an outing that felt like a little pocket of happiness (POH), I thought the key to current survival mode was to plan little POHs for us all, all over the place. The idea being that if planning long periods of happiness is elusive to you for a period of time you can plan a small amount, a pocket. I introduced the concept to Jackson who likes the idea but was not keen on the name as he thinks it sounds patronising. I think it sounds like something I would like to buy in a shop. But each to their own. He prefers "doing stuff" which I think lacks the distinction between having a shower (functional) with playing the piano (pleasurable). But whatever works.

My POHs today have been:

- dog walk with Carlos first thing...though it included a few errands so was slightly functional and involved us having to avoid a man in a hat that Albi seemed to take against in a loud barky way but who unfortunately was on a similar trajectory to us so there was a certain amount of doubling back on ourselves.

- coffee and visit to Chiswick Book Festival with a friend. The session we went to was hosted by the authors of these books - John Crace and John Sutherland - and was called The Incomplete Shakespeare. Amongst other talents John Crace is known for a Digested Read column in The Guardian and these books are a digested Shakespeare, with professorial comments from John Sutherland. They were joined by two actors who read selected scenes from each of the plays. It was really all very enjoyable.

- a very satisfying work session that has caught me up a little and helped me feel a little more prepared for a webinar I am running on Tuesday.

- lovely, local, lurker friends popping in for a cuppa who as well as good cheer brought presents for Carlos including these splendid bookends and the coasters on the right which have 8 designs of retro technology - youngster Anna identified 3 correctly, old man Jackson got 7, missing the one shown.

- Watching Singing in the Rain with Anna and Carlos. It is the show Anna's drama school are doing next year and auditions are coming up so she has it on almost permanent loop at the moment.

The paying attention amongst you will have spotted that there was no trip to the Blues Bar in there. Unfortunately my lurgy did not meet its buggering off deadline and is still here. Lessened enough to allow the above but not enough for a trip into town. Hopefully 'they' (Evil Developers, Inc.) will hold off paving over paradise (Soho) long enough for many future trips.

Ironically a not very digested write-up...

Lesley x