door of hope

(doorway of an old Sussex church, England)

"A vision without a task is but a dream.
A task without a vision is drudgery.
A vision with a task is the hope of the world."
-- From a church in Sussex, 1730

Semolina and the Ginger Cats

NEWEST NEWS JUST IN: Semolina and this blog have just been tagged by The Ginger Cats (aka The Ginger Darlings) on their True Confessions Meme. (We had to check and find out what exactly a "meme" is. It's kind of a virtual "tag you're it" all around a theme, as far as we can tell. And clearly it's our turn... so now we know, here we go.)

(Semolina is of course the clever ginger cat seen in this picture of The Handbag Friends.)

We're supposed to give away deep dark cat secrets is the idea but of course Semolina is a cat far too clever for such things. However, she will say this. As anyone who knows her will tell you, Semolina loves to say the word "ACTUALLY" rather loudly, quite without warning and very much all the time. Because first of all, it sounds nice to say; second of all, it feels nice to say; and third of all, she doesn't have a third of all.

In case you don't believe her, try it and ACTUALLY you'll soon see what she means. And ACTUALLY now Semolina is going to ACTUALLY tag: Jago. (We aren't sure if he ACTUALLY has a cat, but we know he ACTUALLY can draw one!)

Tip toe through the bluebells

Blue bells are all very well but what must it be like to have them come up to your head?

Remember what that felt like? To be in a world where you weren't much bigger than blue bells? Everything so electric and startling and strange. I have one particularly vivid memory of walking through a busy departement store with my mother when I was about 5 and all the ladies' handbags coming up and hitting me on my head.

It's a wonder I am not in mortal terror of handbags. Thankfully I'm not. And only completely adore them instead.

(Just as well. Otherwise, where on earth would Handbag Friends be?)

(this photo, by the way, is of little Lily Peach, daughter of Jago, my friend and fab illustrator of The Jesus Storybook Bible.)