Raspberries and martyrs

The rain hasn't been good for the raspberries. Many are mildewed but there were more than enough to make some raspberry and white chocolate blondies.

I haven't been very successful in my attempt at growing gladioli either. They've appeared one at a time and usually bent. I haven't been picking them because I wanted the colour in the garden but with a storm forecast I weakened and picked the only one left.

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Claire, the Zac's chef, has a cold so wore a mask to work today; for extra protection I wore one too. I don't know what it was about my right ear but the mask kept sliding off. The left side was fine. I tried turning the mask the other way up but that didn't help.

Apart from that I kept forgetting I was wearing one and tried to pop things in my mouth. Like bits of mashed potato and blobs of chilli. Which I now have all over my mask.

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By @JdrAbell

Apparently it's St, Tydfil's day today. Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh valleys takes its name from her, with merthyr meaning martyr.

Tydfil was the 23rd daughter of King Brychan and lived in the fifth century. She established a Celtic monastic community in the Taff valley, where she and a small group of men and women lived peacefully. She was known for her compassion and healing skills, tending both humans and animals.

Tydfil was killed when a band of marauding Picts attacked the king who was visiting his daughter. While others ran away Tydfil quietly knelt and prayed, and waited her fate. She was buried amongst the people she had cared for and in the 13th century a stone church was built commemorating St Tydfil the Martyr.

There was very little law in Tydfil's time and her Christ-like attitude of meekness, humility, and compassion was very counter-cultural.