Today's Friday Food for Thought is from Peg Bracken (1918 - 2007), American author of humorous books on cooking, etiquette and travel, such as The I Hate to Cook Book. Did you know? December 6th is celebrated as St Nicholas' Day. St Nicholas was a Christian Bishop who was noted for his generosity in helping…
The Staircase 9 17 Bookshelf choice for December is A Child's Christmas in Wales, by Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953) It's a nostalgic and funny account of Christmas time in Swansea, south Wales, during the years of Thomas's youth. Here's the description of what happens when there is a fire at the Prothero household:…
Dear Claire, I loved your post about little acts of kindness. I was reminded of our Season of Giving post a couple of years ago about a Trader Joe’s children’s advent calendar that suggested a kind deed for every day, with a little chocolate reward tucked behind each door. Advent is upon us again,…
Today's Friday Food for Thought is from the writings of Dr Suess, children's author, cartoonist, and animator.
Dear Claire, I discovered something interesting the other day. April being Earth month, there’s a lot in the news about recycling and reusing – especially reusing, now that the market for recyclables is so unpredictable and given how much energy it takes to recycle something. This reminded me of some of our tips about spring-cleaning…
Dear Claire, I'm roasting chestnuts as I write - no better tradition at this time of year, when December is almost upon us, the lights are twinkling in the windows and the snow is flurrying. I do miss the chestnut sellers on English street corners and their little blackened paper bags of steaming hot chestnuts.…
Dear Sam, I enjoyed reading about the difference the Free Rice game has made to so many children and it was nice to start September with some good news! Boat trips, food and sunshine... For us, since W left school, the autumn has become a time to take a break and, you're quite right that…