Fire and Water

…With the continuation of last Monday’s deluge, it’s been a good week for Lovers of the Great Indoors. Here at the monastery, cooking in the kitchen has been the plum job for the morning work period, whilst outside the less fortunate have been shovelling sand, cutting back the greenery and glazing the greenhouse to afford themselves some shelter. For a time, there was concern for the fish; too wet for the cat to be prowling, but would the golden beauties be floating free of the pond at feeding time? Each morning Ajahn Abhinando had to relinquish his bonfire plans, and for Saturday’s guided ‘Bolam Lake and Ratanagiri Walk’ he had more need of aqualung than megaphone.

All that changed yesterday with a windy dispersal of clouds that showed no sign of re-appearing this morning. Instead, it was a peaceful and sunny dawn, on the longest day of the year. Perfect for a bonfire. Less perfect for working in the kitchen - where the only news of note is yesterdays’ arrival of olive oil from Italy. At first I thought “ah-ha, a peace offering for Milan’s defeat of Liverpool.” Until I noticed that the box was marked with the chemical warning symbol “Corrosive”…… G&G, we look forward to seeing how it cooks. Anumodana!

Actually, there is one other piece of news. That Italian delivery reminds me that yesterday was Jay’s birthday, for which he baked his own biscotti (unparalleled in all of Europe) and extinguished too many candles in one breath. Too many, because it doesn’t leave us much for lighting the stove with - all our cooker ignition thingies being kaput, and therefore one item amongst many that would be gratefully received:

• green vegetables
• garlic
• cheese
• long-life whole/semi-skimmed milk
• milk powder
• mustard/mustard powder
• butter
  

and amongst the non-edibles:

• 'lighter gun'
• holster (just kidding)
• bottle brush
• wood for wood-burning stoves
• 40W/60W screw-in energy saving bulbs
• kettle(s)
• mansize tissues
• jay cloths

thanks too but we've now plenty of olive oil, kitchen utensils, toothbrushes, instant coffee and tea bags, towels, honey, pasta, lentils, spices, cakes and biscuits and juice.