Nicholas Bate

The Simplest of Pleasures 101: 51-60

51. A small Italian town. An ordinary cafe. A spring morning. Fresh bread, unsalted local butter, perfect coffee.

52. Let's Go Surfing, The Drums.

53. A whiteboard filling with ideas of the start-up to freedom.

54. A man's shoes: seriously polished. 

55. The empty page. A head full of plans.

56. Kicking autumn leaves with toddlers.

57. A parking spot, just there, just perfect.

58. Running.

59. A note of love to you from him for no reason at all. Except he loves you.

60. Discovering a new cheese.

 

Simplest of Pleasures 101:

1-10, including: Books. Stack of wood for the burner. French-press coffee.

11-20,  including: Kisses blown to you from across the crowded departure gate.

21-30, including: A well-engineered fountain pen.

31-40, including: The French market and the glory of fresh, local vegetables. And simple French practised.

41-50, including: Conversation and not a phone in sight.

Jagged Thoughts for Jagged Times, 207

Don't wait for New Year. If a goal is 'itching', start plans now.

Don't wait for the 'permission' of resolution setting, nor the melodrama of 'New Year, New You'.

Start.

A decision is not a decision until you take an action. 

Mondays

Are simply there to sort the leaders from the followers, the serious from the not-so-serious and those who are taking action from those who are waiting. Love your local Monday.

The Simplest of Pleasures 101, 41-50

41. Chopin: Op. 28 No. 7 (Prelude).

42. Conversation. And not a phone in sight.

43. Winter tidying of the garden.

44. Any episode, Series 1, The Sopranos.

45. Your band hammering through some classic covers.

46. Learning lines for the play.

47. Baking your own bread.

48. A full order book. 

49. Sardines grilled on bamboo sticks.

50. God Gave Me Everything,  Mick Jagger.

 

Simplest of Pleasures 101:

1-10, including: Books. Stack of wood for the burner. French-press coffee.

11-20,  including: Kisses blown to you from across the crowded departure gate.

21-30, including: A well-engineered fountain pen.

31-40, including: The French market and the glory of fresh, local vegetables. And simple French practised.

The Classes

to which he wishes he'd paid more attention. 

Bach

the best.

In The Future

1. The 10-year Anniversary iPhone 8 serves barista coffee using Nano Nespresso Pod Protocol.
2. At the decadal meeting in the outer reaches of the universe, alien life forms decide to leave human beings alone for another ten years and hope that they accumulate enough wisdom to join the Galactic Peace Federation.
3. Self-maintaining e-mail bots delete the final e-mail and reveal to the world it was all a cover designed by human beings to avoid doing any work. They shift their attention to conference calls.
4. Matthew Lang opens a bike shop with only very, very, very cool bikes.
5. Following its success with bookshops, Amazon opens a range of supermarkets, movie theatres and installs booths in shops where you can listen to music before deciding to download. 
6. The EU has a closing down sale. Any member can leave for a very small fee.
7. Kiefer Sutherland Launches '2'. In an interview with GQ he reveals it is the same concept as 24,  it's just that people are a lot busier these days.

More In The Future

Even more In The Future.

The Revenge of Analog

here.

The Simplest of Pleasures 101, 31-40

(31) The French market and the glory of fresh, local vegetables. And simple French practised.

(32) New PB/personal best at the gym.

(33) The movie Casablanca: "we'll always have Paris".

(34) The longest, tightest hug.

(35) The Beatles: 'Here, There and Everywhere'

(36) Home made chicken soup.

(37) Courtesy and helpfulness from a total stranger.

(38) Reading aloud to an appreciative audience.

(39) First in the pool for the early morning swim.

(40) Making home-made jams and chutneys from autumn/fall produce.

 

Simplest of Pleasures 101:

1-10, including: Books. Stack of wood for the burner. French-press coffee.

11-20,  including: Kisses blown to you from across the crowded departure gate.

21-30, including: A well-engineered fountain pen.

Matthew Lang

meets a fellow blogger.