Strawberries

Luscious-looking red fruit, bursting with sun-ripened juice, but ultimately disappointing in the mouth, as if the taste had been sucked out by the passing traffic.

Surprise

Well-spoken woman of a certain age, a John Lewis matriarch shepherding two quiet tween boys on the tube out of town. As she stretches out to her bag, a colourful armband tattoo fleetingly emerges from beneath her smart summer top.

Deja vu

The month ends just as it began, wet, dark and depressing but even colder. Huddling indoors with a book seems the only sensible option.

Playlist

The soundtrack to my life is contained in this playlist. I listen on shuffle, sometimes stopping to remember or sing along.

Catching up

A disappointing meal, but lots of chat and some happy news have an energising effect better than any drug.

Soup

Golden hues of butternut squash, carrot and sweet potato combine to bring sunshine to a dull, dark day.

Physical reaction

The wind is biting cold and as always my legs refuse to work as well as they should, alternating between painful stiffness and wobbly weakness.