Glimmers, glimmers in the dark

The first Hellebore flower sneaked up on me today, as they always do. I stalk the buds as they hug the surface of the earth, checking on them daily through the early part of January when there is little or nothing to see, and then out of my head it goes. Next thing I know there is a full flower nodding its fringed face above the soil and the others not far behind it. What a feeling; the return of the flowers, the coming of the swifts and swallows, mackerel skies over heat haze... maybe not quite yet, but a hint does wonders to lift tired spirits out of the January doldrums. I have always felt totally cheated by my birth date; no one at all wants to celebrate anything a week after the new year and two weeks after the Christmas binge. Sod pretending to be younger than I am, how about relocating my birthday a few months into the year so I can lounge in the meadows drinking lemonade and watching the cherry blossom float by? Surely moving a birthday is as legitimate these days as shifting wrinkles ever skywards or fabricating a taut stomach with spandex and hope...? I think late April will do nicely.

Suffered with the usual stoicism the usual rejection from the yearly Society of Scottish Artists show; I think it is only my inner masochist that lets me enter in the first place when there is no suggestion that my work would be at home there; I just can't resist a competition. Its just an extension of the 'Vision On' gallery, which I entered until I was blue in the face and tantrumming, but never got in.

Recovered my resolve and 'calm centre of the world' stance by taking the cat to the vet (so calming!) and feeding her new pills wrapped in tiny pieces of ham (not mad at all) before washing her bum in warm water (highly recommended as a leisure activity!) and talking nonsense to her for a while before leaving for work. Returned to peace, serenity and no cat poo on the floor, so things are improving by the moment.

After all that there is nothing, literally nothing that I feel like more than reading more information on VAT and 'A guide to understanding balance sheets'. Luckily I am also luxuriating in the new semi-wealth that is creeping up on us (comparative to last year's poverty) and have a new CD to listen to - John Grant's 'Queen of Denmark'; man with a fine turn of phrase and a wry sense of humour, which are very hard to find successfully combined in an album. And some good sweary words, which I always find strangely satisfying.