Monday Midnight Tea

Hello and welcome to Wildmoor Heath. We have to be quiet so as not to upset the locals. Their bushy tails and gleaming eyes are barely visible in the surrounding darkness, but we know that they are out there, somewhere.
Do be careful as you enter the den. The children made it today and spent quite a few hours finding the branches and twigs to create the little  hideout. In case you’re wondering what it looked like during the day, below is a picture of the finished product. 

Right! Now that you’re settled on the purple blanket, I’ll make some tea from the flasks we’ve carried up here with us. One lump of sugar or two? Sorry, no milk tonight – too much weight!

After we’ve had our tea and a packet of crisps (kindly packed by my youngest Sprog), let’s go for a walk in the rest of the forest and see what we can find. 

Earlier this evening, we spotted fireflies on the heath; a most spectacularly sight as I’ve never seen one before. The moment was spoilt as Henry decided to eat each one as it lit up! Needless to say we had to move along swiftly to avoid exterminating the few fireflies left. 
If you’re up for a little adventure, we could take the path leading through the red barked conifers. It’s so silent there, you can hear your heartbeat and flutter of your eye lashes. Further on, the stench of swampy water is a clear warning to watch your step in the darkness. If you miss the signs, Henry will remind you as he loves to take a dip in the stinkiest bog and shake himself close to you. So beware.

Once we’ve had our walk and return to the den, we can use our torchlight to make shadow puppets and animals until it’s time for bed. Fierce competition will arise between those that can create the perfect kangaroo and bear. Whomever wins getting bragging rights and the first share of the slab of chocolate. 

You look as though you’ve nearly finished your tea. I’ll pack up the rest of the things and we can start the evening’s adventures. 

I’m so glad you’re here to experience it with me. The kids loved it as the first activity for their summer holidays. I hope you do too! 

If We Were Having Coffee

Hi!

I usually have my coffee date with you on a Monday, but I missed you so much I thought it would be okay to meet a day earlier. My hot chocolate is pretty weak today and something stronger is required. It’s Easter and I haven’t even wished you yet,so Happy Easter!! How was your weekend so far? Did you get a break?

Late night coffee

It is with great pleasure that I share my coffee blog with you from a live location with an actual blogger sitting across from me! Yes, I was lucky enough to meet an author, blogger and friend for a Starbucks coffee earlier this evening after hobnobbing with wonderful intellectuals at a special workshop targeting the enhancement of Southern African countries. It was Lance Greenfield, author of Eleven Miles, who invited me to come along to this event and get a chance to promote my work to fellow Southern Africans.

The event was a success and I got to meet a variety of talented people in their own right. Lance was in his element chatting about his book and his friend Boikanyo who was one of the organisers. We were lucky enough to meet the Mayor and chat to him about literature, his term in office and the wonderful things he has achieved. His positivity and support for the evening was felt by all.

After exchanging details and promising to keep in touch with new found friends, we headed back to our lovely Bershire, but of course we had to make one special stop…at a local coffee house! It felt surreal to sit across from a fellow blogger and chat freely about things we could only get across in short bursts of conversation over the Internet. Lance chose a panini and coffee Americano whilst I stayed true to my classical hot chocolate and BLT. After filling our tummies and chatting incessantly, it was time to jump back into the car to continue the two hour journey back to my house.

Lance, ever the gentleman, saw me to my door, delivering me safely into the awaiting arms of the Hubble and munchkins. Promises we made for more coffee meet ups and hopefully a dinner too and Lance continued on his hour long journey to get home.

Thank you Lance for including me in your special day and I hope that the friends we met today stay in contact and I wish them every success in promoting the Southern African culture and heritage for the future generations. Best of luck to Lance and Boikanyo on their fantastic book and I am sure it will be a great success.

And of course to all my fellow bloggers – I missed you tonight and wished you could have been there with us for the coffee, the chats and the laughter. Today has inspired me to work hard so that one day I can throw a huge coffee meet up and invite you all from around the world to join us.

Coffee Anyone?

Trent and I sat in the corner, sipping rich french roast whilst discussing beers. He was pretty excited about the music cd he was producing with a collection of his work. I waved Mihran over and introduced the two so that they could compare music styles and absolute genius!

Coffee Catch Up

It has been a rather snowy day and as the last store closes, the dusk advances silently. The coffee house is not as full as usual – it might be the time I’ve chosen to visit. My Darjeeling tea is piping hot and I dare not sip it just yet for fear of scalding my tongue.

Trent was showing me pictures of Fiyero, Josephine and Albert and we spotted Lance pull up with a bus load of Bloggers and a musician! The coffee house warmed with the new guests and the sound of hot steamy foam fizzing and coffee beans grinding melted into the cacophony of voices and laughter. Colleen had a secret smile and when I asked her what was up her sleeve, she told me about her adventures with the Swamp Fairies. I could tell the crowd around us were listening, because the noise sank to a whisper as her tale unfolded.

Diana came to join us, sharing her tale of circuses and hurdles coming up in the weeks I ahead. Tooty lightened the mood with his humorous earplugs and Rochan caught my eye. He was replacing the art on the wall with new photos he had taken. The soft lilting music of Mihrank and his band filtered through the coffee house and the noise of raised voices in conversation lowered as people found their seats to listen to the lovely music.

I sighed and watched the beauty and culture around me, happy to be amongst people that are making their mark on the current world in a positive way. Yes, this is the reason for a good coffee house!

I haven’t had a chance to tag anyone in this post, but I am hoping you will take the time to visit The blogs I follow. There are so many more that I enjoy and haven’t had a chance to mention. Sending a big wave to you all. Come join me for a coffee soon. 😊

Monday Coffee

The air is vibrating with a thousand voices. The coffee house we share has been buzzing. One thought, one voice shouts above the rest and we all listen, enthralled by the message. It is not one of anger, nor of hate. It is a voice of hope – the hope that we can all make a difference in a world filled with voilence, abuse, hatred and a lack of compassion.