Look....

...at this

link for a very delightful interview with a very delightful person - Dr Tracey Rowland, whose excellent book about Pope Benedict's theology is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what his influence on the Church will be, and what a gift he is to us all....

Hectic few days here: Mother not too well (better now), much work to do on some lectures to give later this month, and a massive stack of administrative work on the Schools Bible Project.

This Project is for all secondary schools in Britain and next year will mark its 20th anniversary. American readers will be interested to know about it - the situation re. Religious Education is v. different here, and British schools are expected to teach about Christianity...

The judging etc for this year's Project is just completed. A friend, Amanda H., loyally came and helped with a huge stack of administrative work, envelopes and certificates, beavering away on a hot afternoon. Today, as I toiled up Sutton High street on my bike, the street-market was in full swing, a voice bellowing "Luvly roses! C'mon, ladies, get a narce buncha roses!" And they were indeed nice - lovely golden buds just unfolding. So I got some and dropped them off at A's as a thank-you...

As I cycle between Mother's place and ours, I pass a house with a crab-apple tree in its small garden. Nothing else, just one tree, and simply laden with the fruit, the small lawn carpeted with it, and hundreds more still green and bending the branches low with their weight. I knocked on the door and asked if I could gather some of the windfalls to make jelly. The chap couldn't have been nicer - yes, please, take as many as you like, only too happy - and I said I'd leave them a couple of jars as a thank-you....each evening I've been gathering the fruit into my bicycle-basket, and bringing it home...and now have amost satisfactory array of jars glowing with the pink/golden glow of perfect jelly. It tastes good, too - took some to Mother and she gave it top marks...