It’s amazing how the very mention of possible shortages creates panic buying. Actually, news reports that use the word ‘panic’ only make us panic all the more. Pictures of empty supermarket shelves or queues at the petrol pumps cause us to stock pile toilet rolls or fill up the tank, when normally we’d just buy … Continue reading Running on Empty? →

Masks are here to stay for a while longer I fear, and I have a love/hate relationship with mine. I was actually so happy to wear it when I broke a front tooth and had to wait a few days before the dentist could pretty me up, and it was great at covering the spot … Continue reading Musings on my Mask →

Polar ice caps are melting; forests are burning. The rate of global warming is faster than we thought. It’s a climate emergency and we need to act quickly. The simplest and most cost effective way to reduce our emissions of CO2 from the atmosphere is to plant trees. It appears that woods and forests absorb … Continue reading Planting Trees with a Cannon! →

Afghan forces capitulated; Ashraf Ghani has left the country and the Taliban have established themselves in the presidential palace. Thousands are internally displaced; thousands have fled the country. Although their rhetoric is conciliatory, Taliban actions on the ground are reminiscent of the 90s with forced marriages and reprisals for those deemed anti-Taliban. A return to … Continue reading Lost and Found in Afghanistan →

It’s good to see all the weddings, put on hold because of COVID-19, finally taking place. So many were postponed not once but several times due to changing restrictions. Brides were ready, had the dress, the venue, the guest list, but then felt they had to wait. The church, often referred to in scripture as … Continue reading Stains and Wrinkles →

Last Sunday was traumatic. Sevgi, our kitten, climbed the ash tree. It was easier to go up than down, so soon she was high above the ground and literally out on a limb! She is fearlessly adventurous and curious, but she’s still little, and though her sense of balance and spatial awareness are developing fast, … Continue reading Out on a Limb →

The Euros have given me a lot of pleasure these past weeks; it’s been good for us to be inspired again by watching football played well. I love the skill of a passing game when players know each other’s strengths and play as a team, discerning the path of the ball and keeping possession. I … Continue reading The Beautiful Game →

What a shock I got! I was standing over by the desk in the window of my husband’s study when suddenly I heard an almighty crash behind me. Almost a third of the ceiling had fallen; the floor was covered with plaster, dust and stour filling the air. I hadn’t noticed any cracks or sagging … Continue reading My Ceiling Caved In! →

Two of my friends died recently, a prayer partner and a prayer mentor. Esther and Freda had much in common. Both had been missionaries - Esther in Belgium and Freda in what was then called the Belgian Congo. Both lived life to the full, always thinking of how to serve others. Both were humble, unassuming, … Continue reading Freda’s Farewell →

The city of Glasgow was shocked when it was reported that Esther Brown had been found dead in her flat on Tuesday under suspicious circumstances. It’s still hard to believe she has been murdered and those who knew her are still reeling with the sad and tragic news. There have been many tributes in the … Continue reading Esther Brown – a Woman who Prayed →