Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Good morning.Ìý Planning a menu can be a daunting task.Ìý Those cook books spread out on the worktop encourage us to be aware of taste, colour and texture.Ìý We need to know what people like and don’t like;Ìý their allergies and to try and remember what we cooked for them last time.

A meal out is easier.Ìý Then everyone – as befits this post-modern era - can more or less choose what they like.Ìý Sometimes, though, it’s the simple things that leave a greater impression and that last in the memory.

I’d made the mistake of thinking that, having enjoyed learning to ride as a nine year old, my muscles would adapt without any difficulty to a day of pony trekking across the glorious Preseli mountains in Wales.Ìý When we stopped for lunch amongst a few trees, my legs were pretty much frozen into position.Ìý Eventually I was able to sit down and lunch appeared.Ìý It had remained a mystery:Ìý wrapped in silver foil and polythene and shared between the saddle bags of the various horses and ponies.Ìý The horses were tied to handy saplings, with space to graze and a chance to rest and we opened the tin foil:Ìý supermarket white bread, iceberg lettuce and plain grated cheddar cheese followed by custard creams.Ìý As the best chefs would say, it’s the freshness of the ingredients that counts and this meal was fresh, crunchy, crispy and utterly delicious.Ìý The context helped.Ìý Fresh air had made us hungry and the location was stunning.

So a prayer for today:

Lord, give us a ready appreciation of the simple things of life and the opportunity to share them with others and to celebrate with them the blessings you have given us.Ìý Amen

Ìý