Of course, I don’t know how to live a good life. I do not even know what I mean by a good life. I thought at first that I would call this How to live but I realise I want to search for a little more than just living. I think what I mean by a good life is that I wake up in the morning and look forward to the day ahead, and at the end of the day I go to bed happy, or at least satisfied, and ready to sleep soundly before the next new dawn. Good for me, in other words.

This morning I got up gingerly following playing football yesterday. I am too old to play football, or so my knees say.

I’ve been staring at the screen for a minute or two. As usual what I want to say is much clearer in my head when I am not near the keyboard. I already want to stop and do something else. I want to explain how I went into town to have a cup of coffee and buy a few groceries, and how I went into four different coffee shops but failed to stop for a coffee. I did at least get the groceries before I came home. I put two hours on my parking ticket and stayed for twenty minutes. I did not even manage to give the ticket away. When I got home I made breakfast, and coffee, and sat with my back to the cricket on the TV, in an attempt to simulate being out at a coffee shop. My neck is also suffering from the football excesses so I was unable to turn my head to see a great catch I heard described by the commentators.

All this adds up to confusion. After I had eaten the breakfast and drunk coffee I went to sit on the sofa and actually watch the cricket, highlights of a game between West Indies and South Africa in which I have less than a passing interest. I prepared to mope away the day. Then my cleaner texted to say she was sorry not to have been in touch and could she come today or Monday. She could not come on her usual day, last Wednesday, and the house is already deteriorating. I replied ‘Yes please,’ and immediately got up from my sick and sorry sofa and started to tidy up. I hung out the washing, gathered dirty dishes near the sink, and put the cover of the dog’s bed and her rug into the washing machine.