Hooray for the Glorious Peanut!

In celebration of Peanut Butter Day, January 24th.   Even my mother’s feet showed distress as she pitti-pitti-patted down the stairs, “Poor Georgina! I’ve put her into a terrible mess and don’t know how to get her out!” she threw over her shoulder as she headed for the kitchen, and retrieved – of course — her… Continue reading Hooray for the Glorious Peanut!

Meeting the new community

“Hello, how are you? I’ve seen you out walking.  Are you new? Yes. My name is Judy.  We have just moved here to be near our daughter. I try walk each day.” This is the conversation I practised on my early walks in the countryside around our new home. I didn’t use it often because… Continue reading Meeting the new community

American Thanksgiving in a Non American Country

Well, we had roast turkey, sausages, gravy, apple-celery-bacon cornbread stuffing with cashews and cranberries, Amish sweet potatoes with apple and mace, mashed potatoes, squash with crystallised ginger, green beans almondine, broccoli, cranberry-orange relish, the obligatory creamed onions (which, I understand, is an Upstate New York addition), and mince-peach pie, apple-cherry pie, and of course, pumpkin… Continue reading American Thanksgiving in a Non American Country

Living in Limbo

I can find the Christmas plates, but not the base to the kettle. I can find my Grandmother’s jewellery, but not my socks. I can find 36 boxes of books, but two slow cookers have gone missing. Taking the paper off cherished and almost-thrown-out possessions – an unknown packer treated all items of equal importance..… Continue reading Living in Limbo

A Community Farewell

  Well, it had to happen eventually, didn’t it — time to leave this community. people who have welded themselves into our hearts, who know us well, have seen us in pajamas and no make up hanging up clothes, have lived through our tragedies and us theirs. Friends who have shared the ghoulish parts of… Continue reading A Community Farewell

Community Beautifiers

              Just look at these wonderful gates. They’re in Berkeley, California. The decorations are cut out of the metal – leaves of bog rosemary, blue oak, sugar bush, California Buckeye, California Maidenhair, and many more.  Rivers and trains, roads and tools are represented.  Looking at them you can see all of Berkeley life. Names of… Continue reading Community Beautifiers

A Day at the Festival

3 000 New Testaments burned, by order of a Bishop Fight, not facts, are more important to today’s press. The Malawian government seems to be preventing poor people from being educated We are killing our planet Racial prejudice is still blindingly rife in this country In the random events I chose to attend that day at the… Continue reading A Day at the Festival

Community Gardeners

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I once infiltrated a posh Herb Workshop on a massive Gloucestshire estate, hoping to pick up cooking tips using herbs.  Bad bad idea.  The situation turned prickly after the lemon balm tea and lavender-bud shortbread, when we had to explain why we were there. All had… Continue reading Community Gardeners