I’ve mentioned it in passing before, but I’ve decided that it’s about time Bake a Difference had its own post, and as Easter approaches, now seems like the perfect moment! It is the recipe book that I use all the time. As a fan of baking, and a beneficiary of 13 chickens, I make cakes…
Praise for (Small Things)
Praise for the crescent moon that hung low in the blanket-dark sky. Praise for the first warmth of Spring and a chair on a beach, Praise for the families that clambered across sand and rocks, jumpers and blankets piled up, dogs and children never still, like the breeze. Praise for the abandoned sandcastle, shell on…
My Prayer for this Year
At the beginning of the year, I wrote about my hopes and prayers for it, about what I wanted to learn and how I wanted to live in 2016. You can read the full post here. I wrote: … I’ve been thinking about how there’s always something new going on, inside us and around us. I’ve…
Coffee
The other day I found a great blog on the website of Christian charity, Compassion UK. The blog shows people and communities in some of the countries they work in and some of the issues they face in a very positive, uplifting way. I loved the video (here) of the Ethiopian coffee ritual, and it…
The Grace
I’m working on a book at the moment about how the Bible is relevant and uplifting in my day-to-day modern life. It’s a bit like a journal showing how different Bible verses have impacted me. I shared an extract a while ago, here. Last week I was at home a lot and added several chapters…
Small Things
A few of the ‘Small Things’ I’m grateful for this week: *Jamie the dog. *Catching up with an old friend. *Sunshine (finally!). *Reading The Hobbit. *Home Cooking (one of my favourites being a Mediterranean Chicken casserole, which I might share soon). *Family and friends, who’ve really helped me through some hard stuff this week. *Chocolate…
Venice
Indulge me, and let me tell you about Venice. Among the best things about Venice are of course its nautical history and culture and the constant sound and sparkle of the water. Our first experience of getting out on the water was actually our airport transfer, which I had booked with VeniceLink. We started our holiday by…
All you need is Love…
Happy Valentine’s Day! I don’t hold much value in the consumerist version of Valentine’s Day, but I do love an opportunity to celebrate, whatever the reason. At its best, Valentine’s Day can be a time to celebrate love in all its guises, the gift of family and friends and the uniqueness of each person. At its worst,…
Non-alcoholic Cocktails
Lately I’ve been going alcohol free, so I’ve been experimenting with non-alcoholic cocktails to add a bit of sparkle and colour to my January and February. Herb Garden Seltzer If Gin and Tonic is normally your thing, you may enjoy this simple, elegant ‘Seltzer’, which I discovered here. I made mine by placing ice cubes…
A few plans for Venice…
In a couple of weeks, Andrew and I are going to be able to fulfil a long-held dream to go to beautiful Venice. We have limited money and time to spend there, so I’ve been researching how best to spend the few days . Pinterest is a wonderful thing! Here are a few of my aims…
Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Bread and Butter Pudding
Forget sultanas and nutmeg – raspberries and chocolate are where it’s at in terms of bread and butter pudding! Whereas other bread and butter puddings can be a little stodgy and reminiscent of bad school dinner food, the dark chocolate and bread combination in this one transports me to French village patisseries, while the sweetness of…
For the Love of Words
For me, there’s something about putting life into words. I love the process of translating the nuances of emotion and experience into language, allowing it all to cover a page or a screen. Writing helps me to live my life with a sense of engagement. We’re all finding ways to tell our stories and make sense of them,…
Life Lived 