birthday boy

A couple of days ago, I took my father out for lunch to celebrate his birthday.

We had a lovely time, catching up on friends' and family news, revisiting old memories and, of course, eating superb food and sipping luscious wine.

But it was the arrival of his dessert - a prune and armagnac tart with clotted cream - that made his day. Not just because of the tart itself - delicious though it proved to be - but because a neighbouring table of ladies struck up a gentle 'Happy Birthday' when they spied a candle in the said tart and raised their glasses to him.

It was a small, simple gesture - but it was so charmingly done, and so spontaneously, that it completely bowled him over.

To those ladies - thank you for making his day so very special!

carrot cake moments

I love carrot cake. I love the taste, the texture, the cheesy-creamy icing on top.

Since discovering carrot cake many years ago, I've had many carrot cake moments, all of them good.

And now, a very kind person has directed me to a shop just a short drive from my house - The Pantry - that does the most delicious carrot cake.

"It's the best ever", she said.

"Really?" I replied. "That's quite a recommendation."

And she was right.



Oh, happy days.

sometimes...

Sometimes the very simplest things can give the greatest amount of pleasure.

The other day, I spied a cluster of little white flowers while out for a walk. So simple, so unassuming, and yet so beautiful.

Somehow the crisp white of the flowers and the lush green of the foliage seemed absolutely perfect.

Devon delight

I've just returned from Devon, after a short five-day break there. It was sunny, warm, and altogether beautiful.

While out walking one day, we came across a huge wall - almost certainly part of an old walled garden. I confess to having a soft spot for walled gardens. They have an air of mystery about them, a promise of all wonder of magical things.

Sadly, there was no getting behind this particular wall to have a 'lookee see'. But no matter - for peeking over the top at one point were a few branches of an apple tree, bearing ripe, luscious-looking apples.

Pretty as a picture.

mmm, coffee...

There are some pleasures in life which really shouldn't need explaining. Coffee is one of them. Especially a soft, foamy cappuccino taken in the mid-morning summer sunshine.

Mmm....

the joy of small things - why?

Why?

Because it's all too easy to get dragged down by our daily drudgery, and to forget to look around us and celebrate life's little wonders.

As simple as that. My little celebratory blog.

Here's something to start:

Some grapes in the nextdoor neighbour's garden - beautifully lit from behind, just for a moment, by the sun.

And suddenly those grapes became jewels.