Crackers

I've pulled any number of Christmas crackers over the holiday period, worn paper hats and laughed at terrible jokes. Last week I looked round the lunch table at family and friends and reflected that everyone there had a background that was from somewhere else; first generation British Polish and British Nigerian, with Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Lithuanian and other Eastern European ancestry all happily sitting down to eat together.

Today is the start of a New Year. It is also International Peace Day. Britain is a small island, it has been refreshed and reinvigorated for generations by people of differing race and religion. I think it is absolutely crackers that race and religion continue to be used as a reason for inflicting harm on others.

Wishing you all, dear blogging friends,

 a peaceful, happy and healthy 2014.

The weather outside is frightful, as the song goes, so I've been snuggled up inside looking at the books that came as Christmas presents. I requested the Reader Digest garden book as I had borrowed it several times from the library and was always loathe to hand it back in. It is so full of useful information and recipes and is destined to become very well thumbed.

I'm a great admirer of the English writer, Elizabeth Taylor. Last year I had the paperback of her complete short stories and this year three of her novels. Today I read 'Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont' from start to finish - an absolute joy!

Himself was given a book of John Bulmer's photographic studies of Northern England. Mostly black and white, the photos are powerful and evocative images of the area where we spent our childhood and youth. They are mostly very bleak and remind me how poverty stricken the country was in those post war years. 

We have had only one day without electricity so far but candles and lanterns are at the ready as the wind continues to rattle round the house. Wherever you are, keep warm and well.