A Community of Activists

! This is Simon, literally breathing fire. We’ve known him since he grew up across the street from us– watching painfully as he hurled himself up and down our cul-de-sac on his monocycle, frequently crashing into fences, trees, and walls, then getting up and trying again.  And again.  And again.    Until he could sail past… Continue reading A Community of Activists

A Community of Researchers

I recently encountered the most beautiful glass sculpture I’ve ever seen – a huge work of art that spanned two storeys of intricately blown glass in various shades of blue. Its sculptor Dale Chihuly calls it Tre Stelle di Lapis Lazzuli.  Its 2,071 pieces of glass weigh 4,300 lbs in total.  It’s breathtaking. And where… Continue reading A Community of Researchers

A Community of Dog Walkers

             In a country where prevention of cruelty to animals gets Royal blessing (RSPCA) and the same for children only gets national blessing (NSPCC) I guess it’s not surprising that my articulately crafted, brilliantly witty poem against owning a dog never gets published. However, being a dog-less morning walker, I am free… Continue reading A Community of Dog Walkers

A Neolithic Community

    Well, because it was a ridiculously, harebrainedly impossible plan, we did it with enthusiasm. What better way to spend a summer holiday? Our California daughter Lizzie and her two children wanted to see Standing Stones in England. We managed 11. Stone Henge, Avebury, the Rollrights in Oxfordshire led us tantalizingly up through Derbyshire,… Continue reading A Neolithic Community

A Dangerous Place

A Dangerous Place If you are interested in food and live near Northampton UK, do be careful of visiting the Daily Bread Co-operative, a huge warehouse on the outskirts of the city packed with shelves of dried fruits, grains, flours, oils, and plenty of fair trade items begging you to take them home with you.… Continue reading A Dangerous Place

Bangladeshi Egg and Potato Curry

I stood in the doorway.  Fabric everywhere!  Diaphanous reds and blues and pinks and mauves and turquoises in the shapes of head scarves, shawls, and saris, lovingly wrapped around happily bubbling women.  Like a blessing on the packed room was a child-familiar scent as plates of food brought from the tiny kitchen  by more fabric-edged smiling… Continue reading Bangladeshi Egg and Potato Curry

A Community of Memories

Some people never die, do they!  I’ve known a host of beautiful people who have profoundly influenced my life, who still feel very close to me now. One such person is the talented Sophie, brilliant Bletchley Park code breaker, surrogate grandmother to our children, and the most humble, self-effacing person I’ve ever known.  Sophie is… Continue reading A Community of Memories

Wassail!

Wassail On a dark January night at the time of the new moon I arrived at an icy parking lot with my tin pan and wooden spoon, little knowing what was awaiting me. I joined 50 shadowy figures wreathed in black flowing clothing, black painted faces and amazing feathered flowered headgear.  Every time they moved… Continue reading Wassail!

The Blue Party

The Blue Party It was a dark, stormy, cold, rainy, yucky Monday morning in January when the parcel arrived.  Amid the usual get-ready-for-work rush, I stopped to open it.  The contents revealed a small bottle of blue nail varnish (polish) with an accompanying note from California daughter:  “Dear Mom,” it read, “I’m sending this to… Continue reading The Blue Party

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 510 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 9 trips to carry that many people. Click here to see the… Continue reading 2014 in review