Wednesday 27 April 2011

The Reluctant Entertainer’s Ten Commandments of Hospitality

Lovely title for the Reluctant Entertainer's blog. What great reminders these 10 commandments are! Though I have to confess to feelings of smugness: I have adopted these for years. Nevertheless, I break number 7 frequently and must remember not to do that: it's embarrassing for my guests.  Hmmm.

1. Hospitality is not about you. It's about making others feel warm and welcome.
2. Plan ahead, be organized, and know your recipe. Learn to delegate.
3. Set the mood. Keep ambience and the five senses in mind.
4. Avoid perfectionism. Put fear aside - it's a robber of anything good.
5. Share conversation. Foster friendships by keeping things real.
6. Demonstrate thriftiness. Buying things at cost or learning to pinch pennies makes entertaining attainable on a budget.
7. Don't apologize. It's okay to make mistakes. Learn to not bring them to light in front of your guests; it robs your guests of relaxation.
8. Be creative. Use what you have. Keep things simple.
9. Learn from others. Find mentors and learn to find a healthy balance and keep things real.
10.Life impact is everything. Experience intimacy and meaning in sharing a meal and gleaning from others' lives.

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Of ducks, rabbits and other dog substitutes...

Mama and baby - one of eleven, originally...
...growing bigger...
and then there were four...

....beginning to fledge...
...with friend...

...bunny kiss...



Endless Eastertime entertainment...

Friday 15 April 2011

Mpira

It is just over a year since Mpira died. I still experience the shock - it was so sudden. I suppose it was this week - I don't remember the exact date, save that it was a Monday, although even that has no particular significance. Why remember the date of loss? Better to remember those many days of gain...of love, of affection, of enjoyment, of laughter.

Anyway, we are experiencing spring in a different way without him. Nearly three weeks ago, a mother duck arrived in the garden, eleven tiny ducklings in tow. The numbers quickly diminished - she would take them on a walk, coming back with one or two less each time (cats? crows? just lost? who knows?) - until a week later there were only four.

But those four have stayed. And grown. They are beginning to look like miniature ducks now.

And because Mpira is not here to harass them, I spend my days gazing out of the window, fascinated as they rush across the lawn, between bird feeder and pond. Tiny rabbits eat daisies, barely hopping aside as I go backwards and forwards to the washing line. Tits, greenfinches, robins, chaffinches and goldfinches cluster around the bird feeder, jostling, maneouvring, LIVING...

And flowers have exploded.

Thursday 14 April 2011

Excitement!!


Now, this is just so exciting that I have posted this over on WordsFromGodforToday as well.  I have just stumbled across a tremendous Bible reference site - thanks, Bonnie!  It has parallel translations, cross-references, the contextchain referencescommentaries and many different translations such as Bible Gateway has. It has all kinds of other study aids too which I can't even begin to understand!  Interesting that there are different web addresses - I've added them all on here. The author of the sites has many other useful references as well.

And here are more sites: Bible study for children, free online Bible study courses, Bible research...And then there is the largest online Bible study, apparently!

I'm always a little bit careful about what I read on the internet - testing the spirits, and all that - but this does seem to be OK. It looks SOOO exciting!

(Do I want to go back to work after Easter?  There just isn't enough time to do everything!)

Wednesday 13 April 2011

A 'mean' day

After the amazing, marvellous, completely wonderful sunshiney weather it's strange to be back to a 'mean' day, as Catharine used to refer to the grey days of a Nairobi August, when temperatures were as low as 14 degrees and we wore sweaters...

But it has had its advantages. 

I've immersed myself in blogs - and blogging. (Most of my blog entries these days seem to be over on WordsFromGodforToday). It's been a good catch up - or the beginning of one, anyway. I'm not done yet.

I've still been outside - a little. Planted out the tiny lettuce and spinach seedlings into pots in the greenhouse, ready for succulent salads in another couple of weeks. Been for a short bike ride, combined with shopping - friends coming next week, so I'm slowly stocking up on things I think teenage boys might like to eat. How satisfying: exercise and saving energy - and time - all in one go!  I love it.

And I've caught up on some school work, which would have been hard to do on an amazingly marvellous sunshiney day.

Thank you, 'mean' day!

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Sweet photos

Not sure how to get these off facebook - so here's the link to some wonderful photos from a few years ago. Sweet.

Saturday 2 April 2011

The joys of waiting; fitting everything in; what I did in event of fog...

So, I arrived at the airport spot on time for check-in, after a worried sprint from the car park.

I fitted everything in first. Left lesson plans for the next day, photocopied worksheets, labelled the resources. Arranged meetings. Reviewed timetables. Checked the school garden. Wrote emails. Took the year group on a History trip.  Arranged for the children to be delivered to their parents. Rushed to the airport.

On time.  The plane wasn't. It wasn't anywhere near, in fact - we were fogged in, so no planes could land or take off.

So I waited. For 3 hours, until it was evident to everyone as the fog thickened and blanketed down for the night, that nothing would be coming or going that day.

What to do? I was going to a conference. Even if everything was running to time the next morning (which it wasn't, as the planes had to arrive first, causing a two hour delay at the start), I would still get to the conference late.  As it was, it wouldn't be possible to get there before midday.

So I cancelled. Went home to a delighted husband. Went to school the next day to a surprised and sympathetic staff.

Hmmph.  What a waste of resources - the conference fee and hotel costs and my time.  Still, I was here for breakfast. And that was wonderful.