A Night and Day Away

My great-niece, nearly two years old, playing on the slide in her grandparent's garden in Luton. The game is to climb to the top step with a piece of plastic fruit, let it go rolling down, then slide down after it with shrieks of laughter, grab another piece of fruit from Grandma and do it again  - oh yes and climb inside the slide on the way up, peer through the frame, grin at me and say, Hello! before backing out and up the steps again. She can't quite say my name yet but you just can't help smiling at her sweet pixie face.... the way she looks at you with her bright serious dark eyes.

Making play dough with her Mama. When they make it in Beirut, where they live, she colours it yellow but in the absence of food colouring we grate in orange zest and flavour it with almond essence - but obviously not meant for eating. It's just flour and salt, hot water, oil and cream of tartar but it has the smoothest, silkiest texture - perfect for rolling out and cutting into stars and hearts - which she does on a tray on the sitting room floor. I was thinking  I might make some to knead over and over in my hands as a butter soft stress-release ball......

I couldn't resist snapping this colour co-ordinated washing on the line next door....

Later my niece and I leave her  sweet daughter playing on another slide in Stockwood Park..... in the tender loving care of my big sister ......and she treats me to a wonderful afternoon tea....

with colour co-ordinated salmon, egg and cucumber sandwiches, pillowy light scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream and these teatime one mouthful fancies which we cut in half to share,

at this elegant mansion hotel just round the corner from the park- Luton Hoo - garden designed by Capability Brown - if I remember rightly.  For over an hour, over our silver tea pots and fine china cups, we talk food and writing  - a glorious writer  herself, she set me on the blogging road all those years ago -  I feel completely spoiled and blessed....and totally stuffed.....

When I get home after my night and day away in Luton I ask my husband what he had for lunch and supper - I left the fridge full of food - he says cheese and chilli crisps  - and bananas and bacon -  his version of French Toast without the eggy bread bit....and I suspect quite a few biscuits. He's very pleased to see me.