Life is so much more precious when you perceive it as slightly more tenuous than it was. I savoured my weekly swim today, the swelling and rippling motion of the water as I lolled about in it, the myriad shades of blue and green sliding through each wave and dip. As I looked out of my window I took in the blue blue skies above rolling green fields dotted with horses and cows, shaded by puffs of white cloud slipping across the sky. I could smell the sweetness of the raspberries sitting on my desk, little plump pink jewels of deliciousness waiting to stain my fingers red and my tongue with delight. I baked a loaf of ciabatta last night, massaging the dough into a silky pliable smoothness, soft and yeasty in my hands, filling the house with its homely baked bread smells. And last night I sat awhile under the night sky on the back terrace, the cool air swirling over bare limbs, sipping the silence alternating with the sounds of the city. Quiet, reflective, calm.