From the Cafe at the Water's Edge

Behind the lumps of jagged rocks, layers of turquoise and petrol blue sea ripple over the stones. Ahead, the low-lying mountains dip into the cool sea. Only with time to sit and stare, do I notice the crocodile shape of the landscape.

In such a place, I grow two hours older without question, simply content to absorb the warmth through every pore of my body. The flower be-decked terrace offers gentle shade. The photo reveals a limited shot. Being here in the moment, I appreciate the patient continuity of the sea in motion, framing the busyness of Greek cooks pitting olives and cherries, the blonde young mother exploring rock pools, hand in hand with her lithe, demanding young son.

An old man rides his motorcycle slowly past, his labrador is attached by rope lead and jogs ahead to ensure its morning exercise.

Hungry business, this, sitting and sipping coffee.

Let them eat cake

Spattered bits of wholemeal flour and egg adorn the old Cranks cookbook. Page 178 is falling out along with the rest of the old brown pages and we're in danger of losing the Luscious Lemon Cake recipe.

For friends and family, picnics and parties, some recipes need to be handed down. Today it was my monthly writers' workshop and we looked at shifting the words from chaos into order. These writers don't just need space and creative input. Cake fuels the words and helps make delicious connections.

Marie-Antoinette would be pleased: "Let them eat cake!"

For a little batch you need: a 100g butter, 150g sugar, rind and juice of one lemon, 1 egg, 100g of wholemeal self-raising flour. Triple the quantity because one batch is never enough.

Melt the butter and most of the sugar in a pan over gentle heat, stir in lemon rind, whisk the egg and mix it in, fold in the sifted flour, and bake for about 30 mins at 180 or gas mark 4.

Mix the lemon juice and a large spoon or two of sugar in a pan over heat, dribble it over the cake once cooked. (Poke a few holes in the top first.) Eat it before the gannets get it.

Interview with Kate

I've just been interviewed by my friend Ro Gorell on this writing world. See the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxFCfkzA5wg

Honesty

Honesty (its Latin name is Lunaria) has self seeded right through the dustiest border in the garden, offering a generous flowery white skirt to the new red leaves of the Cotinus Coggyria, the smoke tree. Soon a dark blue clematis will join the party, weaving through the branches.

The honesty came out of nowhere. I didn't consciously plant the seeds.

Watching this 'stuff' happen in the flower beds is like reading Fiona Robyn's new novel 'The Blue Handbag' as it unfolds sentence by sentence. Her book gently records the life of its main character, Leonard, an unassuming gardener mourning the death of his wife Rose. It's a mystery story.

Honesty cannot help but come out bright and white, and I'm anticipating the slow dawning of truth that will appear on the page, as it always does in the end.