Zahnd for lent

It has struck me belatedly that today is pancake day, which means tomorrow is the start of Lent. In the past I've given things up (chocolate, solitaire) and I've set myself tasks, like posting an image of gratitude every day.

This year because it has snuck up on me I haven't made any plans. No wait, that's not strictly true. I saw from the Linden church newsletter that several people were going to be following a Lenten journey book by Brian Zahnd. He is a very popular Christian author - that I've not read - so I thought I'd give it a go and order the book for my kindle. I'm not joining any sort of discussion group though! Heaven forbid!

* * * * *

I'm in a probably short phase of trying out new recipes. Last week I made Goan fish curry, then it was Greek meatball traybake. Last night we had sticky soy and honey roasted salmon with asparagus and sugar snap peas - which is a lot easier and quicker to prepare and cook than it is to write. Curry was okay, the Greek dish was very simple, not many ingredients but surprisingly tasty, and the salmon was yummy. I also did a slow-cooker chicken casserole, which was okay but I wouldn't bother again. Tonight it's going to be Sausage Meatball Stir Fry. 

These days I will only attempt a new dish if the recipe says things like, "quick", "easy", "delicious". Once upon a time I was ambitious when cooking but I don't see the need to get too fancy as long as the final dish is pleasantly edible.

* * * * *

Monday after exercise class has become Library Day for me. It's very handy with the library being opposite the hall. Yesterday I duly wandered across and as I did so I realised I hadn't brought my glasses with me. 

Much peering at arm's length, eye-blurring and guesswork led me to bring home three books: Dirt Music (have I read it before? I must check); The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, the latest from Janice Hallett, author of The Twyford Code: and An Untidy Death by Simon Brett. 

I am a big fan of Mr Brett. He has written several gentle crime series I've enjoyed. Some feature Charles Paris, a second-rate actor and amateur investigator, and others put the spotlight on Mrs Pargeter, widow of an old London crime boss. But the ones I've read most - all of - are the ones about two female amateur detectives. I've commented on the Feathering mysteries before as they do annoy me a bit as one of the woman is portrayed as being kind, laid-back, empathetic, while the other is abrupt and a bit prim. One's too perfect, the other's too prissy. That said I do enjoy the books very much.

I was delighted to discover that Brett has written a new series called The Decluttering Mysteries. The one I brought home from the library is actually second in the series but I'm sure I'll pick it up.

Oh yes, and when I checked out my books and told the librarian about forgetting my glasses she pointed me to a magnifying glass that they keep for people 'who forget their glasses'.  How kind. 

Incidentally this is the library I lived near when I was a child. It was a second home to me, so I've been going there for sixty-odd years, and this week I noticed, for the very first time, that in the centre of the adult library section there is a section of glass ceiling. It's not completely glass - how can I explain it? 

Does that make sense? Anyway, the librarian was telling me - because I told her I'd never noticed it before - that shortly after the library first had computers someone tried to break in through this glass roof to steal the components. He fell through the glass and was found in the morning, bleeding over the floor, by the librarian opening up for the day.

And I started off thinking I didn't have much to write about.