Fiction, Food, Faith and everything in-between

There is something about cooking that is very centering for me. I think those few hours in the kitchen give me time to relax and create something that is both very satisfying and life giving. I get a huge sense of achievement and happiness from trying new recipies or old favourites. And then there is the eating which is always comforting and satisfying even when the recipie doesn't work out. Unfortunately after having stayed clear of covid for two and a half years I caught it and became ill. Despite vaccinations, mask wearing and reduced work/social contact I became unwell. It isn't surprising. I am clinically extremely vulnerable so I do my best to look after my health but there is only so much an individual can do when the prevalence of Covid is so high. The experience was unpleasant but I am feeling much better now and apart from a cough and fatigue, I am feeling more like my usual self.  Being ill disrupts daily patterns of activities and routines, especially those that giv...

     Source Wikipedia Luke 10:25-37 ‘But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And  who is my neighbour”?   The parable of the Good Samaritan is one that many of us are familiar with. It reminds us that we should always be willing to help people who are in trouble. And it raises an important question.  Who is my neighbour? At first glance this is a simple question. Generally, our neighbour is the person who lives near us, or the people we meet from day to day, but these days our neighbours also include people who are brought near to us in other ways. The digital age with non stop TV, 24-hour news, the internet and social media have opened us up to the world. Suddenly people in other countries and far places have become our neighbours. We now find ourselves involved in things that are happening elsewhere in the world. It might be really entertaining things like sporting events but it might also be really tragic things like wars and natural...

I came across this lovely pair of legs  just outside the Haywards Gallery at the Royal Festival Hall. They are slightly creepy and I am quite sure they stroll around the Royal Festival Hall at night looking for their torso and head. There wasn't any explanation but I am quite sure there must be more info in the gallery. For some reason this lovely pair of legs reminded me of the way women used to be cat called by builders years ago and how that doesn't happen any more (not to me it doesn't). Nowadays if you walk past a building site you might see a sign saying that the builders are considerate and the builders are busy at work instead of yelling at women like they used to in the 'olden days'.  The Considerate Constructors web site says it is a 'not-for-profit, independent organisation founded in 1997 to raise standards in the construction industry'. I am guessing that they are responsible for the cessation of catcalling. If they are t...