Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa is a Russian holiday which takes place during Lent. It is a joyful, family holiday in which people say goodbye to the harsh winter months and welcome the season of spring.
I'd like to say a really BIG THANK YOU to Nadezhda who made the hugest pile of crepes for TABLEtalk last Thursday. In addition bringing along ham and salmon, and a whole variety of spreads.

I simply couldn't stop eating and consequently didn't lose any weight last week  ...  oh well :-/

On a personal note ...

Introducing my new great nephew, Reuben Caleb Martin, born Sunday, March 10th at 11:11am and weighing in at 8lbs 4oz

With daddy and big bro ...

Thought for the week ...

Day trip to Brighton

Though it was windy and a tad cold, the weather in Brighton was soooooooo much better than what had been forecast.

Fifty of us enjoyed a great day out, with the ticket price including entry to Brighton's historic Royal Pavilion.  Whilst the Pavilion wasn't quite everyone's cup of tea, only five people rated the over all day as less than 8 out of 10  ...  not bad, eh!!

Not sure if anyone saw these guys near the seafront. I thought it all looked pretty cool  ...  then someone told me how it was done (would rather not have known and just remained fascinated).

What is Pancake Day and the season of Lent?

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Saturday. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing to begin his ministry.

Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.

Traditionally, in the UK, on the day before Lent begins, we eat pancakes as a symbol of giving up luxurious foods. This day is known as Shrove Tuesday.  ‘Shrove’ means to forgive.  In much of the world the day is known as Mardi Gras (‘fat Tuesday’) and is marked by a carnival.

Lent is both a time of laying down and of picking up. Here are some things you might like to follow during these 40 days ...

Give up Social media and spend more time with friends  ...  Write a letter to a friend you've not seen for a long time  ...  Go sugar free for Lent  …  Pray for those who are homeless  ...  Take more walks and appreciate the beauty of God’s creation  …  Do a bread and water fast for a day and pray for those who are hungry  …  Pray for areas of our world that are in conflict  …  Commit to re-cycling more and use less plastic  …  Encourage TEN people today  …  Give to a worthy charity  …  Practise a greater level of patience  …  Keep a thankfulness journal  …  Say something nice to a complete stranger  …  Give up alcohol  …  Commit to budgeting your money more wisely  …  Let go of jealousy, anger and unforgiveness  …  Pick up litter around your community  …  Light a candle and say a prayer for someone you know who is unwell  …  Send an anonymous gift to someone who is lonely  …  Make something nice for someone you love  …  Smile more  …  Take some flowers to an elderly neighbour  …  Buy lunch for a homeless person  …  Find a good cause you can volunteer for  …  Pray for those who experience mental health challenges  …  Have a good spring-clean and give away stuff you’ve not seen, worn or used in the past six months.

Thought for the week ...

Celebrating St David's Day

Although there were only a few of us at TABLEtalk last night, it's amazing how much fun everyone had with some scissors and a supply of cardboard boxes, loo roll tubes, tissue paper, pipe-cleaners and foil and the task of creating their own Dragon ...


Lesley, Lina and Maysoon made this super cute squatting dragon.

Sue, Kesia and Amira made this fabulous creation with spiky hair and fluffy feet that remind me of a cross between a reindeer and a shire horse.

Wayne, Aiste and Yihan made this lovely fire-breathing dragon which they affectionately named Zeta Jones

All three of these creations are now sat on my dining table and I have to pluck up the courage to dismantle and re-cycle them  ...  oh well!!

By the way  ...  Kesia was the winner of our

'All things Welsh' quiz.  Well done :-)