A Little Willingness

Some of our apple crop. They look good on the outside. Nearly every single one is stung or bitten by a wriggly creature or an earwig -  burrowing shallow powdery channels through juicy flesh into the core.

The reddest and best at the very top beyond the reach of my husband on his ladder.

This morning we walk by the river Dart on the  Dartington estate with a friend

who I met 44 years ago when I worked at Cranks restaurant at the Cider Press Centre, honing my vegetarian cooking skills...

 On the way to the river we bump into another friend who I haven't seen for at least 40 years. My husband embraces her and says he's allowed to kiss her twice because he has a brain disease....

 in spite of the laughing I feel as tightly rolled up..... as prickly inside..... as these summer wheat fields...

On Sunday we drove to Midsomer Norton to watch my nephew complete his Triathalon Race, arriving just in time as he streaked over the finishing line after a 400m swim, a 25Km bike ride and a 5.5Km cross country run....raising money for the charity Food Bank..... so proud of him.... 

Tonight I sponsor the daughter of a dear friend who's planning to run a marathon - she and some friends made a pact to do it before they reached 30. She's running for a children's cancer charity..... she's having treatment for cancer herself.....I'm so inspired and touched by these young people and the way they are changing and transforming their own and someone else's life with just a little willingness....

I'm always struck by the naked fragility of these leafless crocuses.....

  and I've never seen this variety of Hydrangea before - a tree of giant snowy ice cream cones.....

tinged with raspberry sugar.....

This afternoon I buy two pink plastic food bibs, with pockets at the bottom, called Crumb Catchers, for my baby great niece who I'm going to visit tomorrow with her grandfather - being second support baby sitter -  while her parents are working.

I think we could do with some Crumb Catchers in this house - for the trail of scattered biscuit crumbs I'm always finding on the floor/carpet/desk/kitchen surfaces....

And finally - today I ate a divine Bakewell Slice at Riverford Farm Cafe....I think it was the crisp, buttery, almost shortbread base....and the slightest smear of raspberry jam....and the dense moist almond frangipan.....and the sprinkling of toasted almond slivers that transported me. It was so rich I ate half and wrapped up the other half in a napkin to take home.

As we were leaving I chatted to the woman who served us ( we both worked at Cranks all those years ago) and I said it was the best Bakewell slice I've ever eaten.

Oh, please write that in my book of comments, she said. They'll be so thrilled to know at the bakery.

 Which I did very willingly....

Which reminded me that ...If you think something's good or lovely about someone - don't keep that thought to yourself - let them know....it could make their day.....like the sweet answer phone message someone left me this afternoon....nourishing me even more than a slice of Bakewell Tart....