Thing To Make Today: an opuscule.

Are you going to start your novel today?

Thought not.

Are you going to start building your dream house, then? Painting that fresco? Designing the costumes for the ballet? Planting up the palace garden?

No?

No, neither am I. The trouble is that these projects are so vast the mere thought of them is enough to grind any burgeoning shoots into the ground.

But how about making an opuscule?

Yes, I know that opuscule is a thoroughly nasty word, but it's still a very nice idea: an opuscule is a tiny work of art.

So: why not arrange the left-overs from your dinner absolutely beautifully? Why not arrange that pile of books into an architectural delight?

A loaded dishwasher or draining board can be a lovely thing, you know - and so can a coaster on a table, if it's in exactly the right place.

It's all good practice for that major work.

And it will make the world just a slightly better place, as well.

Thing To Make Today: a opuscule. This word comes the French from the Latin opusculum, from opus, which means work.