Ten things about Greenbelt 09

Greenbelt 2009 AS 1193, originally uploaded by Greenbelt Festival Official Pictures.
Another great Greenbelt this year… here’s ten things I liked:

Having cups of tea with lots of friends and camping with Home folk… thanks to Jim & Mary for organising the spot, and Rich & Sarah for helping us get the tent up in the wind
Making [...]

Tea Making Tips 1941

All tea lovers know that there is an art to making a good cuppa… and that art is nothing new as this little clip from 1941 shows.
Do you follow the ‘Six golden rules’?

Thanks to the Tea Appreciation Society for the link to the clip.

Inspiration

Just thought I’d share a few things that have been inspiring me lately….

Conversations
Had some great conversations with a few people lately… sharing hopes and sparking ideas… conversations with people you love and respect surely have to be one of the best ways of finding inspiration.

“Be the change you want to see”
Enjoying the quote [...]

Age of Stupid

There has been a spate of films on climate change and environment themes of late – I’ve mentioned Home already, there is also End of the Line, a film about the effect of overfishing which I’ve not seen yet… and there is The Age of Stupid that I saw a few weeks back at [...]

May News

It has been a long time since any updates on the blog… and a lot has been changing for us…
Back in March I finished working at CMS, and earlier this month I started working for the Social Responsibility Department of the Diocese of Oxford. My work at the diocese is focussed around the environment, supporting [...]

The road not taken

path to the sea2, originally uploaded by mattfreer.

Being awoken by a baby early in the morning can have its benefits… one such benefit was discovering Radio 4’s Something Understood programme last year. Each week it looks at “some of the larger questions of life, taking a spiritual theme and exploring it through music, prose and [...]

Ayla’s Christening

We are family, originally uploaded by mattfreer.
We had a great time with family and friends on Sunday for Ayla’s Christening. It was special the way the occasion brought together our family and our church, work and house communities.
One of the things we focussed on during the service was the importance of those people that have [...]

As a coffee snob…

 As a coffee snob I was pleased to read the latest advice from Lifehacker: Brew the Best Possible Coffee Without Breaking the Bank. What they don’t mention is the importance of buying fairtrade beans… and if like me you care about what chemicals go in with your coffee, making sure they are organic. Remember, despite [...]

ME and My Shadow

I’ve had to take refuge these past few weeks… as I was suddenly struck down by my old enemy, ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The past few years I have had it under control, but sadly it never seems to go away fully. Rather, it’s like a shadow, following you everywhere, lurking in the [...]

Christmas is coming

 
the leaves are all but gone, and the mistletoe is nearly out…
Christmas is coming, originally uploaded by mattfreer.