THE PAPASAN CHAIR

I fell out of this chair today. With a cup of tea in one hand and my Kindle in the other, I sat down and leaned back. Within a second I felt the weight shift and then the terrible inertia of everything toppling and tumbling. The tea slopped everywhere - over me, over the Kindle, over the chair and over the carpet. Then the Kindle went flying as I flailed about in mid air. It all happened in slow-motion, certainly enough time for me to think, ' I can't believe this is happening, I am so embarrassed what do I do, oh I'm on the floor.'

No-one saw this spectacular fumble. Emmie and Nick were both downstairs. They seemed more concerned that I had lost a good cup of tea than the fact that I had spilt it everywhere.

In addition to tea-based disasters, we also went out for a brunch of salad and enormous omelettes, not to mention a hang out in the park and another walk by the beach. The Lake was sparkling today; catching the sunlight as though it were made out of thousands of diamonds.

On the way back I took lots of photos of fire hydrants. I don't quite know why, just fascination I suppose. Emmie told me that if you park in front of one, the firefighters might just smash through your windows to get their hose connected. Probably not worth the risk.

I tell you what else is not worth the risk - sitting down in a papasan chair with a hot cup of tea and a Kindle. A little later, when tea had been restored to me, I gently found a place for the fresh mug on the side table and then lowered myself carefully into the chair rather like the Apollo 11 lunar module. Success grinned its way across my face. 

It was about then that I realised I couldn't actually reach my tea on the side, and leaned forward to grab it...