A child at the library wanted the same story again, and when I tried to offer a new one he looked offended, as if I had suggested changing his name. We read the old one. He knew exactly when to start laughing and watched my face to make sure I knew too. Such a small thing, but it made me happy for the rest of the morning. At the panyard we work and work so people will hear something fresh, then in the children's corner the joy can be knowing every word before it comes. I caught myself smiling while stamping returns. A colleague asked what was so amusing about overdue books. For once, absolutely nothing was wrong with anybody.

One of the younger players showed me a different way of remembering a difficult passage, with a pattern on her phone. My first thought was that she should put the phone down and listen. Then she played it correctly and I had to find another objection, which tells on me a little. I learned by ear and by doing it again until Mr Clyde was satisfied. That doesn't mean everybody has to get there by my exact route. Still not having people scrolling through messages while the section waits. The trouble is deciding when the phone is helping and when I'm simply irritated to see it. Those are not always the same occasion.

Went in the sea after practice with the others and spent the first few minutes doing nothing impressive at all, just letting my feet come off the bottom while the water held me. My wrists were warm from playing, so the cool water felt especially good around my hands. Someone started singing part of the tune and I told them the section was officially off duty. Naturally I joined in before the next line was done. Getting out was less graceful, wet sand under the feet and everyone looking for the wrong slippers. By the time I reached home I was hungry and pleasantly heavy, no energy left for an argument with Bradley over bedtime.