Millionnaires biscuit, sage seedlings and niavete

1. There was difficult news for some people in my office yesterday about a pay regrading review. I decided to make some very sweet shortcake to take into the office to cheer people up. The shortcake was appreciated and so much so that there were several people with severe sugar overload. I think it helped. The recipe I followed was from Tom Norrington-Davies' book "Just Like Mother Used To Make". He used to be chef at the Eagle. This is a great little cookbook with meals and treats that are pretty standard British fare. Everything works though and this is a particularly good sweet biscuit which is made of butter shortbread with a layer of soft toffee caramel and topped with milk chocolate. It was fabulous.

2. My sage seedlings are a very small beautiful thing but they have given me a good deal of simple pleasure. I planted the seeds nearly three weeks ago and I had almost given up on them but now I have a load of two leafed plants. I'm not that fond of this herb but I'm thinking that they make good bedding plants, so I'm looking forward to them in the summer.

3. I am grateful today for being able to laugh at and acknowledge my naivete and my self indulgence in the past. Both these elements of my behaviour have and continue to provide good lessons in compassion and humility. These are on-going lessons as I continue to be niave and self indulgent, but these days I just notice a little quicker.