Small pleasures …

I’ve just sewn 2 buttons back onto my “Trinity” coat.  One dropped off last week so was easy to find – I had carefully stowed it in my pocket – but the other one dropped off way back last winter … When I considered the job yesterday I was a bit glum about it because I knew I wouldn’t be doing a full job – 2 missing buttons and I was only going to be sewing on 1.  However, to be fair I was fairly glum all day yesterday!  

It’s been an emotional and tiring few weeks through which I’ve helped by the kindness of friends – curries, drinks, phone calls, emails, AIM, hugs, texts, overnight hospitality, use of washing machines, lovely day at Kew Gardens taking in the Gardens of Glass etc etc. I’ve been very lucky.  So thank you all – you know who you are.

Anyway, much was resolved on Friday night and even though I felt that I shouldn’t really be ‘going out’ I decided to go and see Kurt Elling at the QEH.  Jazzshark had said that it would be a good thing to do, so I followed her advice and she was so right.  I met up with Catster and the Pringles and thoroughly enjoyed the show.  I love his voice anyway but it was great to hear it live; smooth, lyrical and all delivered with an air of effortlessness.  It was a perfect end to a less than perfect day.

Saturday dawned with an overwhelming numbness which was replaced by a definite attack of the glums. Strictly Come Dancing lifted me for an hour but numbness returned fairly quickly afterwards.

Today, however, dawned more promisingly. I’ve had a thoroughly productive day and am happily back to “list writing Jools” – it’s always a bad sign when I can’t even raise myself to write a list!  So, the list was collated thus:

• brunch with the Hausfrau and Catster


• a good old sort through my tax returns and papers delivered to the accountant for cross checking


• shopping


• washing


• ironing


• re-jig of my mobile calling plan (scary last bill at last got me to re-assess my the plan I was on)


• the beginnings of a list of things I need to pack to move into my sister’s flat next Saturday (I love it when the need to write another list appears on a list); and finally


• that job of sewing that single button back onto my coat …

As I say, I wasn’t feeling good about the final item on the list owing to the fact that it wasn’t going to be complete job.  However, just as I was getting my sewing box out of the cupboard I had a strange flash of inspiration and for some reason walked to the shoe cabinet in the hallway and lifted up the magazine rack that sits on the top.  There was the other button.  I have no idea why it came to me that that was where it was, but there it was.  So, the job could be done properly and I now have a coat with all its buttons again.  

As I say, small pleasures …