Count Your Blessings

HAVING looked through yesteday's post two things struck me - there seem to be a lot of lunches, and there seem to be a lot of friends. And, since food and friendship are two of life's great pleasures, that leads in nicely to item number two on the 'Reorganising My Life List': Count Your Blessings.

It may not always seem like it, but really I am very lucky, and have lots to be grateful for.

• My wonderful mother, who is always there to support my brother and I, whatever we do, and wherever we are.


• My Daughters, who may occasionally fall out with me, but are a source of joy and pride. They cheer me up, tell me off, make me laugh - and hug me when I need it.


• My friends, who are all incredibly talented, witty, humourous and warm-hearted, and always spare the time to listen and help.


• Muggins, my marmalade moggy.


• My health (touch wood!). Poor eyesight, creaky knees and bad back may be annoying, but they're nothing to worry about.


• The weather. We Brits love moaning about it but honestly, things could be much, much worse - we don't get the extreme conditions or natural disasters that many other countries suffer.

That's just a few things to be going on with, as I have been to a local credit union meeting (I am their secretary) and didn't get back until late, so I am tired.

But before I take myself off to bed with a book (Younger Daughter has lent me her copy of Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand That First Held Mine) I shall think abou the good things that happened today. I had some lovely comments about yesterday's blog (some of them on Facebook), and after reading it a friend is sending me John O' Donohue's 'Divine Beauty'; The Man of the House fed Younger Daughter, himself and The Cat while I went to my meeting, and YD washed up; I've got lots of new followers on Twitter; it didn't rain, and I finally fit into my size 12 orange dress again!

Small pleasures perhaps, but important nevertheless, I feel.

Always look on the Bright Side of Life

IT has been a while since I blogged - after all the excitement of being a guest on Vulpes Libris I was such a high that I guess the only way was down. I had started a new job, as a mobile care worker, which was very different to my previous career in journalism. Sadly, I discovered it was not for me, and I had no aptitude for it, so I handed my notice in and turned my attention to trying to find a job, all to no avail. I got a little depressed with the lack of response, so I drew up a list of things to do.

First: Look on the Bright Side. In fact, I have resolved to Always Look on the Bright Side of Life... and I may even sing a certain song to help me along the way! And I am to always think of at least one 'Good Thing' each day. This can be something really small and unimportant, but it has to be something nice and joyful and upbeat, which makes me happy, or a positive outlook on a situation, which means tying to be a 'glass half full' kind of person, rather than maintaining my usual rather Eeyoreish glass half empty approach.

I feel I need to be more like my mother, who remains optimistic about the bleakest of situations, and can always see the good in people, however nasty they seem to everyone else. And if you hand her half a glass of water she will say: "Oh, how lovely dear, a nice refreshing drink, just what I wanted - thank so much." She is the same with everything - even when the weather is dreadful she will say 'the garden needs the rain' or 'the snow looks pretty'. My father on the other hand, despite his whacky sense of humour and ready smile, was happy to be a pessimist, and I fear I must take after him. If the day started sunny he would forecast rain to come and if it did rain he complained that we needed a dry spell! For a single sneeze (whether it was him or anyone else) he would make a diagnosis of pneumonia - and as for that 'glass half full', he would ask why it was full up, then decide he'd rather have tea, or milk or squash! So, having decided to adopt a more positive outlook on life, I sat and thought about all the good things that have happened since I wrote my last post.

• A lovely evening with my friend Sonya and her friends at her spiritually group Anam Cara (take a look at her website http://www.anamcaraspirituality.org/). We chatted about Mother Julian of Norwich and the English mystics, and ate hazlenuts (plain and chocolate-coated) - because in one of her visionary 'seeings' Julian saw God place a hazelnut in her hand, and believed he was showing her the world, and his love for it. As I have said before, I am not really religious, but I find these things interesting, and Julian suits my mood, for she said: "All shall be well, all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well." Now you can't get more optimistic than that?

• Lunch with friends I worked with for many years BR (Before Redundancy), including prize-winning romantic novelist Phillipa Ashley, who has a fabulous website at http://phillipa-ashley.com/.%20On We met up at the restaurant in a craft centre, where we browsed around looking at paintings, candles, little sculptures, jewellery, handbags, scarves and beautiful clothes. All very expensive though! There was also an incredible wool shop, with more choice than I have seen anywhere, so I bought two balls of an orangey browny yarn, with a kind of coppery glitter runnig through it, and knitted a scarf with a twisted ruffle down each side - looked impressive but was really simple to do. To celebrate my guest blog they bought me the hugest slice of home-made cake, the layers sandwiched together with cream, all topped with a freshstrawberry. Scrumptious!

• A present from a friend of The Man of the House - he bagged a pile of books somone was taking to a charity shop, and among them was an embroidery book, in perfect condition, so he brought it round for me because he knows I enjoy fiddling around with needle and thread. Wasn't that thoughtful?

• A lunchtime coffee with Elder Daughter on her birthday.

• A Lenten 'souper' lunch with Sonya, her neighbours and friends from her church. We ate soup (naturally), discussed books, jobs, children, chickens, holidays and food, had a good laugh, put our spare coin collections in her Christian Aid Box, and left feeling happy and uplifted.


• A day in Birmingham with Younger Daughter, when we had lunch out and wandered around the Bullring - which I usually avoid - so it was a new experience. Best of all, we roamed around Selfridges (which is much nicer iside than out) and I bought two Cath Kidston eggcups, because a) I liked them, and b) they were the cheapest items I saw!

• Elder Daughter passed her driving test and is now sharing my car, which has its disadvantages, but I am very proud of her and, since the novelty of her achievement has not yet worn off, she is more than happy to act as a taxi for Younger Daughter - which means I don't have to!


• A walk in the spring sunshine in the Castle Grounds, with the trees bursting into leaf, and the terraced garden below the Castle a riot of colour and perfume - I just wish I could post the delightful aroma of all those beautiful spring flowers on this blog! I walked by the river and watched ducks, and geese and swans, listened to the birds chirping away.

• My size 12 jeans fit me for the first time in two years, so the diet must be working, even though I have blips.

My Family and Other Books!

TODAY I was a guest blogger on the Vulpes Libris site, writing about my family's bookish eccentricities, which was very exciting, and provoked huge respose - I was really touched by the number of people who visited the wonderful VP site (http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/a-bookish-family/) and left a comment. So, a big THANK YOU to everyone who took a look, and to the guys at Vulpes Libris for inviting me.

Anyway, since I was in writing mood, and since I can't review my current reading matter because I haven't finished it yet, I have been writing about writing ... but you will have to turn to my other blog... http://chriscross-thebooktrunk.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-guest-blogger.html

http://chriscross-thebooktrunk.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-guest-blogger.html

Let's Drink a Toast - to Tea!

TODAY, let’s drink a toast to... tea! Or, to be more precise, to Charles Grey, the second Earl of Howick, who was born on this day in 1764 and after whom Earl Grey tea was named. However, although he is best known for this delicate, fragrant brew, Earl Gray deserves recognition for his other achievements, which were far more important.

A Whig politician, he became Prime Minister in 1830, serving a four-year term of office. During that time he was responsible for the introduction of the Reform Act, which gave the vote to most British men, and the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.

According to one story, while he was PM a member of a diplomatic mission to China saved the life of a Mandarin – who was so grateful he sent the Earl a specially scented tea. The blend was copied, became extremely popular in Britain, and came to be known as Earl Grey tea. Other legends claim it was the Mandarin’s son who was saved, and give an earlier date for the gift.
Not only is there dispute about the Earl Gray’s origin, but there is also argument about the type of tea which should be used - some people claim it is not Chinese at all, but a mix of Indian and Ceylon. However, Jacksons of Piccadilly claim that Lord Grey gave the original recipe to them, and maintain it should be made from black Chinese leaves.

What is not in doubt is the flavouring which gives this beverage its unique taste. Bergamot oil is the magical ingredient, obtained not from the English garden herb, but from a bitter citrus fruit known as the bergamot orange.

Earl Grey tea can take a little getting accustomed to, especially if you favour the kind of brew which makes the spoon stand upright. Chinese tea has a very delicate flavour, and the addition of bergamot gives it a lovely lemony, flowery kind of taste – and the fragrant aroma is quite heavenly. It smells of summer and sunshine, and conjures up pictures of tea on the lawn in a bygone era, with damask table cloths, crustless sandwiches and tiny cakes, while bees buzz among the flower borders.

If you’re feeling down, a sure-fire way to lift your spirits is to make Earl Grey (preferably with loose leaves, not tea bags), in a ‘proper’ china pot (sadly, I dropped mine, so am making do with a glass ne instead) let it brew for a few minutes, pour it out (don’t forget the tea strainer!) into a beautiful china cup, with a matching saucer… shut your eyes, take a deep breath, then open your eyes (it’s never a good idea to consume hot drinks while your eyes are closed), take a sip – and enjoy.

You can drink it as it is, with milk or, better still, with a slice of fresh lemon – and a home-made shortbread biscuit. It may sound a long-winded way of brewing a ‘cuppa’ but, believe me, Earl Gray tea is something special, and the ritual involved in making it just adds to the magic.

If you need more detailed advice, then the late Douglas Adams wrote a brilliant piece on making Earl Gray tea (aimed at visiting Americans) which you can find at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A61345

Failing that, you could boldly go and follow the example of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, by firmly uttering the words : “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” You may not have a replicator at hand to dispense the required beverage, but hopefully one of your nearest and dearest may obey orders and march to the kitchen to switch the kettle on.

Anyway, what better way to celebrate the man who abolished slavery and reformed the British voting system than to raise a cup and drink a toast with the brew named after him – Earl Gray.

Cathedrals, Bookshops and Tea

CATHEDRALS, bookshops, tea and friendship illuminated my day. A friend and I went to Birmingham, where we visited both branches of Waterstones, both cathedrals (the Anglican and the Catholic) - and sat down a couple of times to rest our feet and enjoy a hot drink (coffee for her and tea for me).

Bookshops, obviously, are always a joy, especially as Tamworth doesn't possess a proper bookshop. I went intending to buy another copy of Seamus Heaney's Burial at Thebes since, much to my annoyance, I lost the copy I bought recently and desperately need a replacement as it is part of my OU course. Unfortunately neither branch had a copy, but helpful staff at the New Street store have arranged to get one sent over from another shop - so I bought an edition of Sophocles' Antigone instead.

Then we headed off for the St Philip's, the Anglican Cathedral, with its fabulous Burne-Jones windows, their glowing colours so intense that on first viewing they almost shock. The windows were donated by the artist, who was born nearby and was baptised in the church. Originally built as a parish church in the early 18th century, St Philip's didn't become a cathedral until 1905, so lacks the ancient feel of places like Lichfield or Chichester, and is quite small - it is, apparently the third smallest cathedral in England (I sometimes how statistics of this type are collected and analysed, and who carries out the work - does someone travel around the country with a tape measure checking out the size of cathedrals and historic budilings?)

Anyway, although the building is described as Baroque, which I always think of as being very decorative, it seems almost plain, despite the imposing columns, the gilding and the beautiful wrought iron altar rail. But it is a lovely, friendly place, providing an oasis of calm in the middle of a busy city, and it plays an active role in the community for as well as being a place of worship it hosts a packed programme of concerts and is also involved in a project to help the homeless.

St Chad's, Birmingham's Roman Catholic cathedral, is very different. Designed by Augustus Pugin the greatest exponent of the Gothic Revival, it is incredibly ornate. The impact of the exterior is a little lost now, with a constant stream of vehicles passing by, and modern buildings crowding in, so nothing prepared me for the blaze colour and decoration as I walked inside. Tiles, floors, doors, windows and ceiling - everything is carved and painted and gilded and patterned within an inch of its life. It could be tacky, but it is absolutely glorious, and I could only marvel at the genius of its creator, for Pugin not only designed the exterior, but also the interior, as well as the church furnishings and vestements for the clergy.

Later alterations and additions were carried out by three of sons and, later still, by his grandson, who all held true to his ideals. Even though the building is based on Medieval churches, it remains irretrievably modern - because, presumably, it has not yet had time to fade and weather - but it's worth remembering that in the Middle Ages, before the Reformation, many English churches would have been brightly painted and decorated.

We browsed in the cathedral's excellent bookshop before heading back home - where we relaxed over more tea and discussions about favourite books and poems... all in all in was a lovely and interesting day.

It's Pancake Day!

TODAY is Shrove Tuesday - better known as Pancake Day - which is the day before the start of Lent, when Medieval Christians used to make their pre-Lenten confessions, or 'shrifts' (from which the day takes its name) and could then be shriven, which means they received absolution for their sins. It was the feast before the fast, a day of feasting when people sized the chance to eat any luxury food that was still left before the Lenten fasting period kicked in, so things like eggs were mixed flour and turned into pancakes, a tradition which continues to this day in many parts of Europe.

Fairs and carnivals, like the Mardi Gras, are still held in many place, while some also stage pancake races and Shrove Tuesday Ball Games, like the ones held at Atherstone, in Warwickhire, or Ashbourne in Derbyshire. The Atherstone game has few rules, and involves teams scrambling for the ball as the mass of bodies surges up and down the main street. Whoever is left holding the specially-made ball when the final klaxon sounds is the winner, and is accorded iconic status by the townsfolk.

The game has been held every year since King John offered a bag of gold to the victors in a match between the Warwickshire Lads and the Leicestershire Lads but, according to local historian John Austin it may owe its origins to the camp football played by Roman soldiers at nearby Mancetter.

Shrove Tuesday is always 47 days before Easter Sunday, and Lent - the run-up to Easter - represents the 40 days Jesus spent in the wildnerness (but Sundays are not counted). Traditionally, Christians marked Lent with sprayer, fasting and almsgiving, and many people still follow this custom by giving up something they enjoy during this period, whether it is a personal choice to abstain from chocolate, or a community decision to hold events like Lenten Lunches, which make us think those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

You may not be a Christian. You may not be religious. But it is always good to puse and reflect on life, and Lent is a good a time to think about the world and your place in it. However, the emphasis of Lenten traditions seems somehow to be on the negative, rather than the positive; they are about 'not doing' rather than 'doing'. Perhaps, instead of using it as a period of abstention we should think more about how to improve the quality of life, for ourselves and far others. Something as simple as smiling at someone you pass in the street, or thanking a bus driver or shop assistant could make their day better.

Christian Aid, which runs its main fund-raising campaign during Lent, is urging us all Count Your Blessings and has drawn up a list of daily actions which will not only make you do that, but will also help provide practical assistance for those in need. The charity is using modern technology to get the message across - there is a website at http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ and a pdf showing what you can do to help at (http://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/cyb-main-resource.pdf) In addition you can follow the Count Your Blessings journey and read about the daily actions on Twitter, by going to twitter.com/Christian_Aid and searching for#cyblessings.

*The picture is from the BBC ood Food website (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/features/shrove-tuesday/1/) which has some lovely recipes, and really clear instructions on how to make pancakes.