A Birthday Cake to Nourish Body and Soul

My edit deadline is tomorrow, so I'm taking an easy route today and giving you a recipe.

Here's the cake I baked for Curly-Locks's birthday. Apologies for the blurry quality of the pic. No apologies for how the cake looks. Curly-Locks was thrilled. Small children are not critical, remember? Plus, they pick up the effort and love you put in.

It's all good, folks. And please note the beeswax candles. This is the third time we've used this particular lot. I made the wheels by taking an organic granny smith apple, cutting thin slices, then rubbing with a cut lemon so they didn't go brown. For a train rather than a car, use more wheels. I used pitless prunes for the headlights.

Here's the recipe. My ingredients were all organic, except for the icing sugar.

PENNY'S LEMON LOAF (Penny is my sister-in-law. She always has good and easy recipes.)

1/2 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups flour (organic wholewheat works fine)
3/4 cup sugar (the cake is not very sweet, so don't use less)
2 rounded teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2- 3 teaspoons grated lemon rind.

Combine all ingredients and mix to a smooth batter.

Bake in a loaf tin (I used 2, a smaller from Ikea and a larger), 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. (adjust if you're making the 2)

Icing:
1 cup icing sugar
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (I used a butter icing, as this is simply a glaze).

An Answer to a Question re Nightmares

In the comments, Inge-Barbara asked if any of my suggestions had helped my grandson with his nightmares. As his dad said, 'Magic!'. So, I'm happy and grateful to report that they did.

The Magic of Silver

Gifts are still on my mind because I went to a baby shower last Saturday. Actually, it was more of a 'welcome little stranger' party, because the baby was there and no shower had previously happened. Recently I've observed that more and more mothers-to-be are saying 'no' to knowing the baby's sex before it's born. Maeve lay there, so sweetly still, so heavenly, so very precious. I know it's almost a cliche, but truly, little children come 'trailing clouds of glory', as Wordsworth so aptly said.

I happened to be sitting next to an elderly German woman, and mentioned to her how one of the best gifts Miranda had received after she was born was a silver spoon. I used this to feed her her first solids, and gave it to her when she established her own home.
"We used to put our water in a silver jug," my neighbour told me, "because we believed that was healthy."

This made total sense to me. After all silver (argentum) is used as a remedy in homeopathic medicine. Silver is connected with the moon forces, and we know that we're affected by the moon in its waxing and waning, approaching and retreating. As we are to all planets, in fact.

Matthew was given a small silver cup. When I find it I'll take a photo because the shape is ideal for giving baby those first sips out of a cup, and manageable for a toddler to hold on his or her own.

How much more wonderful than plastic. And still unbreakable!

On another note, one of my blog readers remarked that I have a lot to say. Indeed! Almost every post leads me in at least two more directions! So I'll pick up some threads as I go along. In the meantime, I'm still on deadline and have to delay a longer post that's on my mind. Also, the family's move to a new home is completed. I want to share with you the wonderful thing Cheryl did to help the boys with the transition. So I'll ask her to tell me again, make some notes and then put them up.

Till next time, love and light to you all.

Birthday gifts that nourish the soul.

Tomorrow is the Blue-eyed boy's birthday, so I'm a little pressed for time. i.e. this'll be short. Really. And I guess this post applies more to older children rather than the under threes.

In any case, I'll be baking him a train cake. That will be a lemon loaf (yes, I have some organic lemons), made out of wholewheat flour and other healthy ingredients. Icing will have to be a given. But to cut down on the sugar overload, I'll make wheels out of orange slices, and use blueberries for other necessary knobs and such. Any suggestions for the chimney?

What to get him for a present was a problem, but I found something good in the floral department of our local store. It's a kind of gardening purse with outside pockets containing a small trowel, a fork and a hoe. Inside is a packet of pumpkin seeds, but I don't think that will work. So I'll replace that with sunflower seeds. One of our New Zealand grandsons received a packet as a party gift, and he was thrilled to watch the sunflowers grow and get taller than he.

For boys, in the past, I've bought such items as a small flashlight, and a measuring tape. Girls often love stationery. In general, my advice to you is to think outside the toy store.

Asta la vista!

A Picture and a Poem

We have the family staying with us. One more night and they'll be in their new home. I thought I'd share this picture with you. It was given to the boys' dad by his godfather, who carved the beautiful frame, and it normally sits in the Blue-eyed boy's room. The original painting of this angel can be found in the National Gallery in London. Go see it if you get the chance.                                       

                                                               

When Curly-Locks was a little more than two years old, Miranda send me a notebook from Florence, Italy, with a cover that showed the 'Birth of Venus' by Botticelli. That's the one where the woman rises from the ocean, standing on a shell. Curly-Locks would pick it up, hold it between his dimpled fingers, and gaze intensely at the image. He still loves to do this.

In the last post I mentioned energies. Objects and images can give off energies, vibrations, call them what you will. Whether you believe this or not, wouldn't you say this is a gentler, more beautiful image for a child to absorb than the bright cartoons so ubiquitous in childrens' surroundings today?

This poem I wrote is called 'A Baby's Plea'

Spread wide your Madonna veil
Enfold me.
Protect me from the unnatural,
the piercing, startling sounds of
electronics and machines;
the cold, unfriendly feel
of polyesters and nylons.

 Provide me rather with the truth
of cotton, silk or wool.
Let me hear real, gentle voices
And see shimmering, rainbow colours

To remind me of that
heavenly bridge so I don't
too soon fall
and forget
my heavenly heritage,
the gifts bestowed and brought
by me to earth.

For my eyes and ears are unaccustomed,
my senses open wide to you
and the world.
So I have no defences
only my trust
in you
to defend me.

What forms and influences us?

Our environment, surely. So that means, the physical environment, the soul and the spiritual.

Today it's the physical environment that's on my mind, because it's moving day for the Blue-eyed Boy and Curly-Locks. Not many people are fortunate enough to grow up surrounded by one set of familiar four walls. As a side note, I was once told by a wonderfully insightful woman who works in personal development that she'd noticed a difference in the soul configurations of people who had grown up in larger versus smaller homes. Nothing positive or negative, simply different.

Transition times are always difficult. Small children generally do not do well with change. You don't want them to see or experience their home being dismantled because they might feel as if they're being pulled apart. What, I wondered, would be the best way to handle a house move for the little ones?

Soon after I began school, my parents bought a house fairly nearby so I could be in walking/biking distance. This meant, of course, that I was older and so could cope quite well with the breaking up of our old home and settling into the new. But my mom did a good thing, I think. She took me to school that morning (two bus rides were involved! In Johannesburg at that time there were no such things as school busses), and after school I went straight back to the new house. My room was already set up, with all my dolls, books and other treasures around me.

This made me feel fine. She was a wise and good woman, my mother.

Of course, a period of adjustment was still necessary. Every place has its own particular geophysical conditions which affect us in various ways. For the first seven years in particular, the energies in our environment form and influence us. Even today, when I pay a brief visit to Johannesburg, I feel as if I breathe in a different way. I feel strengthened and affirmed.

Overnight gleanings and a link for you.

The Blue-eyed boy and Curly-Locks spent the night last night. A couple of things came up for me. Both of them have to do with making children's experience of growing up a good one. This is another of the greater aims for this blog, as it is in my book 'Magical Motherhood'.

The boys arrived in their pjs, and I didn't have any clothes to dress them in. With this in mind, I wanted Curly-Locks to put on a bib when he ate his oatmeal so that he didn't drip on his top. He had the bib on for about ten seconds, then he reached back and pulled it off. He's done this before, but I never thought much about why he disliked wearing a bib. This a.m. the penny dropped. The velcro fastening was irritating the back of his neck. You know how itchy a stiff label can make you feel? That's what it was.

Cheryl arrived early for a chat and to take them home. She mentioned how Curly-Locks always sleeps sideways in his bed. Now, I'd checked on him a couple of times, but he was in the normal position. However, when he woke early and came to join me in mine, he scooted around to lie sideways. Again I wondered why. Then I realized the beds in our guest room are oriented north to south, whilst mine is east-west. And I remembered my dad saying north south was the way to go. Now, my father was anything but a flake. Not only that, he'd learned to sleep well in the roughest of conditions because he was 'up north' in the Second World War. That meant, a lot of the time, he was camped in the desert.

So here's the link I found when I googled. Scroll down and ignore most of the stuff about cows and sheep until you get to an anonymous post that begins 'The Hindu sages...' Interesting too is the earlier comment that REM sleep is increased with a n/s orientation.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread385292/pg1

Maybe I'll move our bed. The good thing is, my computer sits east/west.

Hello Dolly!

Isn't she the darlingest doll you ever saw? And that old chair is beautiful too.

So why am I showing you this, and why does she have a pen on her lap? Well, that's to give you an idea of her size. She's quite big, and belongs to a slightly older girl (i.e. more than 3). Here's another photo for you to show how even active boys can relate!

You know how some children have imaginary companions? I think the bigger doll for older children acts like a kind of alter ego that's helpful for them. Plus, there could well be some social benefits in how they care for others down the line.

That's all for this weekend, folks. I hope to see you back soon because there's an abundance of thoughts I'd like to share with you.

Worth a squiz

(as we used to say back in S.A.)

 http://gu.com/p/2p92d

Evolution

This morning I drifted over to my neighbour to see what she had on offer at her garage sale. I scored a couple of good things for the grandsons: a wooden set of dominoes (not black), a globe showing the countries of the world, and a pack of Uno cards. Those last two I'll put away for use further down the road.

As I arrived, a three year-old boy from across the street whom I've never spoken to before came up to me.

He said, "I saw a spider in a movie. It was as big as your head."

I replied, "Well, I've seen lots of spiders in my life and I can tell you I've never come across one that's bigger than this." And I made a circle with my thumbs and forefingers, a little smaller than my palm.

Back at home, I got to thinking. There were a couple of issues there, the first being kind of connected to my last post. i.e. didn't the parents think he might be scared when they exposed him to the image of that giant spider? Maybe they hadn't taken the time/trouble to view that movie first?

And the second thing I asked myself was "Why did he straight away share this with me?"

For comfort and reassurance, I presume.

Some years ago, I was staying at a friend's cottage when her five-year-old daughter came to visit. It was the first time I'd met her. She came up to me and she said, "You have magic powers."

More than somewhat taken aback, I denied it (which was stupid, actually). "Yes you have," she insisted. "I can see them."

I'm still wondering what exactly she could see.

The point of my recounting this small anecdote is not so much to give myself some credibility, but more to illustrate that small children are very likely to perceive much more than we do. And this is where I think evolution comes into play.

I don't think we're likely to evolve any further on the physical level... well, maybe the brain, but who knows? No, to me, where evolution is really happening is on the level of our consciousness, and you could call this the soul-spiritual level.

If you read Stephanie Meyer's 'Twilight', you'll know that each of the vampires had different psychic gifts. This is a trope I see more and more in popular fiction today, especially when it comes to young adult books. Because I'm an author myself, I keep an eye on what's going on in these areas. What I'm also noting is that there's a great deal about the world of fairies, or rather, the fae. As in the old folk tales, these beings are not always benevolent. But to me all this indicates that we're becoming more and more of the 'unseen' world.

So, to get to the point of this post, I'd like to suggest you keep open to the idea that your children will be more evolved than you, and are likely to have perceptions that are beyond your grasp. Do them a favour, and don't deny them, as I did to that little 5 year old.

A habit you don't want to establish

I'm busy with revisions for 'Cape Town', my novel that's coming out next spring, so this post is going to be short and, perhaps, both sweet and not-so-sweet.

Before I start, here's a pic for you that may or may not have any relevance to what I want to say today. (sweetening the deal maybe?)

As you can see, this is what we use our TV stand for. As a place for toys and books to reside, it works rather well. On the wall behind, you can get a glimpse of 'the king was in his counting house', from 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'. This is a series of watercolour nursery rhyme illustrations my dad did for me when he was 'up north' during the Second World War. One of these days I want to publish them in a book because they're really quite delightful. And not cartoonified, as are so very many of the children's books available today.

Okay, so the habit you don't want to establish for your child is the TV/computer habit. More and more research is coming out that proves the deleterious effects and how the hours spent in this fashion are increasing year by year. Quite apart from content, and no matter how much this might be touted as 'educational', it means children are sitting passively instead of doing what they should be i.e. experiencing the world in real time and space.

The approach I'm advocating on this blog is all about life and having it more abundantly. When you're tempted to expose your child to the virtual world, just ask yourself, wouldn't the real world be better?  

Seize the Moment!

Sometimes I think the golden key to parenting is to sense the moment and seize it. If you can develop this skill and go with the moment, you'll be helping both yourself and the child. From the very early stages of babyhood when you start to learn, for example, just when baby needs to nurse, sleep, or have a diaper change, right up till the teenage time, when it'll be really important to sense when your teenager needs to talk.  Yes, your parenting will likely be easier if you can coast that moment.

Like so much about bringing them up, our children train us. For instance, babies will reach for the spoon you're holding, or maybe put their hand on yours as it comes towards their mouths. This gives you the clue that they're wanting to give feeding themselves a try. You may well balk, because you know this is going to get messy. Very messy. But you'll go with it if you're brave.

Then there's toilet training. Somewhere between two and two and a half years, I believe, a child will naturally start to acquire control of their bodily functions. Girls are usually sooner than boys on this. Co-operate by encouragement and even by leaving off the diapers and using underpants. Again, things are going to be messy for a bit, but the achievement will make all worthwhile. Let alone the eventual convenience for you. That is, of course, after you've discovered all the toilets around town.

Now there's a biggie which I'm going to address in a separate post when I'm feeling brave enough. It's one which rouses a lot of emotion, and has to do with breast-feeding. Here again, I believe, it's good to be open to signs that indicate the time is right to let go.

Of course, sometimes we may miss the moment, intentionally or unintentionally. Then we can take comfort in knowing there's usually a second chance.

These shoes are made for running?

I was listening to an interview/report on the radio this morning. The thrust of it was that the heels of running shoes have become more and more built up over the last ten years. Apparently this interferes with our natural gait (if I can apply that term to running), and there's a growing concern about damage to the feet. Professional runners who train barefoot, apparently, have an increasing advantage.

Children's shoes, unfortunately, follow the trends. When I was at ballet school we were obliged to wear a certain make and shape of 'Mary Janes' to keep our feet in as good a shape as possible. (Pointe shoes of course are a disaster.) The soles of these were leather, which meant they were not too rigid, and there was no 'turn up' at the toe. Unfortunately, these days it's extremely difficult to find suitable footwear for a small child, and usually the good makes are expensive. And then, of course, they're all too quickly outgrown. Our elder son used to wonder why his shoes shrank!

In winter our children need boots, shoes, socks and soft slippers for indoors. But now, but now, summer is a comin' in. Only last week the grandsons got out in the garden and pulled off their socks with great glee. And soon they'll be spending plenty of time at the beach. Nothing is better for feet than walking on beach sand. Gives a good workout, strengthens and allows our soles and toes to feel truly connected to the earth.

If you're interested, here's an article I can recommend.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/09/barefoot-best-for-children?

It's cool to be warm

The Blue-eyed boy loves to play that 'hunt the thimble' game.

I've just returned from the dentist, so this could well prove to be a scrappy post. Let's hope I can keep it to that and not end up by losing the 's'.

It's just that clothing is on my mind. This is because I'm rediscovering my summer wardrobe. Yay! I'm also thinking about that old English adage 'Ne'er cast a clout till May be out'. Britain must have been a colder place when that originated than it is today. I've always thought the 'clout' mostly referred to wearing a vest (undershirt, for North Americans). As far as I can see, when it comes to kids, this is a garment that's vanished from the stores and closets.

Maybe that's still different in Germany. In my book I talk about the study that was done to discover why the British suffered from more ill-health in their latter years than did the Germans. The conclusion was that they weren't kept as warmly dressed when they were little.

In our time, children's clothing, like books, toys and all other merchandise catering for the early years, is geared towards appealing to the grown-up buyers, rather than focusing on what's best for the child's present and future health. There's lots more to be said about clothing, but today I'd simply like to caution you. When it comes to dressing your little one, it's better to err on the side of warmer rather than cooler. If your child feels even a tad chilly, this will cause both bodily and psychical stress, and these are exactly what we want to avoid.

And don't forget the hat!

Self-discipline and high chairs

I've found the notes I made about the program I listened to on the benefits of being out in nature. One thing I forgot to mention is that this helps towards self-discipline. Who would have thought?

In Victorian times and even during the first half of the 20th century, child-rearing employed a very rigid approach. Then the pendulum swung completely the other way. Now, I think, we're grasping for a good middle road between the two. We want to help our children become self-disciplined. At least, I hope we do. A world where the undisciplined child is all-powerful is not something I'd like to contemplate.

It's worth establishing good habits while it's still easy. For instance, at mealtimes, you have baby in the highchair. It's good if the child can get used to sitting at the table while the family is eating, and only get down when everyone is finished. Within reason, of course. Once the child sits on his own, encourage him or her to sit with 'hands in your lap' until it's time to start eating. If a grace is said, that can also be helpful, and in my experience, children love this.

On the subject of high chairs, make sure it's comfortable. Don't keep 'em dangling -- the legs, that is. Old-fashioned high chairs always had a ledge for the child's feet to rest on. This is much more comfortable and better for them because it gives some support. So see if you can find one like that, and avoid the cheap chairs that simply have a seat. Secondhand can often be good.

Also, there's the question of posture. One of the most beautiful, tender and touching things to observe in small children is the way they sit and stand with perfect posture. It seems to me this extraordinary and wonderful gift is often undermined today with seating that offers an inclined back. Why would we want to encourage our children to slouch when the retention of a good, upright posture will help us throughout our lives?

And by the way, how are you yourself sitting right now? Crumpled forward means squishing our internal organs. So, just a quick check in!

An Article about Singing and Language

Worth a read: http://gu.com/p/2pved

And please note particularly what is said re writing, reading and numeracy skills.

Mothers' Help

On this Mothers Day in our part of the world, I wanted to share a couple of ideas as to what can help us mothers as we strive to do our best for our children. I'd like to start with a small anecdote.

This past week, a dear friend of mine posted a picture of her bruised and blue finger on Facebook. She'd caught it 'between a rock and a hard place' as she said. I immediately commented, 'See, this is what happens if you don't have Weleda Arnica ointment to hand.' She replied that, strangely enough, she'd just recently bought some. So she applied it and today has posted an update on the finger. The improvement she describes as 'miraculous'.

As I wrote in my book, I don't know how any mother survives without arnica ointment. If applied very soon after an injury has occurred (never to broken skin, though) it takes pain away and prevents bruising or eggs on the head. Now, there's a balance to this. We don't want to molly-coddle our kids, but we don't want them to suffer unnecessarily. So we need to sense when they need a little doctoring. Having said that, I always apply arnica ointment whenever there's a blow to the head. This is likely to be often when your baby grows into the toddling stage. You don't want lingering harmful effects when it comes to the brain.

But help doesn't always have to be so tangible. There's that biblical quote about lifting up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. This is usually misinterpreted to mean help comes from the hills. Instead, it's a question.

At the moment, I'm re-reading a book by Adam Bittleston called 'Our Spiritual Companions'. He writes so beautifully about the archangel Gabriel and suggests that parents can get help from him. But how to connect to this great beaing? Adam Bittleston writes, 'through your feelings'. That's interesting, isn't it, when so much of what we read in the way of parenting advice is connected more with our heads than our hearts? So, to feel what your child wants and needs, and be open to subtle intuitions.

He also provides another key as to how we can connect. This is via gratitude. On this mothers day, when we turn loving thoughts in gratitude towards our own mothers, it seems to me that's totally apt.

Scientific Validation (long post)

The way my life works these days means that some things relevant to recent posts presented themselves to me. (Big ups to you if you can work out what that sentence means. If not, please complain... uh, I mean, comment!)

Did you register that throw-away remark about how walking in nature was the best thing for my grandsons? Well, yesterday I happened to turn on the radio while I was making my mid-morning coffee. The topic had to do with the need for green spaces in our cities, not simply for cosmetic purposes, but for  our mental and physical health. It was mentioned that the Victorians got this right. Having lived near Regents Park in London, I can totally endorse that. Also, much was made about the latest brain research, especially around the difference of living in the city versus living in the country. Stress is higher in the city. No surprise there, although adults benefit from a certain amount of stress. Children? Not. And the sad thing is that children today are increasingly suffering from stress and anxiety. Apparently, the main cause of stress in the city is around noise. (another subject I mentioned recently) The antidote to all this, in case you haven't worked it out already, is to be in nature, walking through the green, listening to bird song and the whisperings of brooks and streams. More, being in a green space can restore something of what is damaged. It lifts the mood too (so, a good effect on the body and the pscyhe). In fact, the radio show mentioned that even looking out the window at green grass can give us a lift.

Now, I'm not a science buff. At school, the only scientific subject I had was biology. On the other hand I had arts in abundance, and religion when I was at primary school. These last two form the general bent of my soul, so I'm not complaining. Rather, I'm grateful. But I do feel a little tad ashamed at my lack of science. If I had more, I could throw all sorts of convincing terms at you so you wouldn't have to take my words at face value! Because more and more, the latest research validates the kinds of things I recommend and write about.

Now, too much noise = stress, which creates cortisol in the brain and that has a dampening effect on the immune system. As a side note, small children are more susceptible to noise than adults and their hearing can be damaged at a lower decibel rate than ours. So, if you can't eliminate electronic-sounds from their toys, at the very least avoid the loud ones. When you absolutely have to go into an environment which you know is going to be noisy, maybe investigate earplugs for your kid? These are not a good idea as a general rule, but okay in exceptional cases, I imagine.

Since I published 'Magical Motherhood' in 2008, much of what I wrote has been validated by the latest research, although with a slightly different twist. For instance, I advocate a back-facing stroller. That is, where your little one can face you and gaze at your face instead of being exposed and completely vulnerable to whatever is coming towards them. This makes babies and small children feel more secure. But research done in England says it also makes them more intelligent. And that's the general bent of the research.

All very well, but I sometimes wonder if I've done myself a favour here. The Blue-Eyed boy is much too smart and not only asks questions but, as he thinks through my answer, follows that up with more inquiry. Not only that, but he remembers what is said. And frankly, I'm not very good at finding imaginative ways to explain things to him. Wish I were.

Anyhow, the acquisition of an excellent memory is another benefit to bringing up a child in this manner. Our memories are increasingly under threat from our overloaded lives. I notice that friends much younger than me have worse memories than I do.

What all this boils down to is very simple. You'll be doing your children a favour if you let them enjoy the outdoors, take them into nature as often as possible and simply let them be and play under God's heaven whenever the weather is mild enough.

The Urge to Imitate: Use it to Advantage

One fine summer day I was lucky enough to be in the south of England, visiting daughter Helen and her two boys. I think the elder must have been a little under four years old at the time. Our regular walk took place along a disused railway line and just before we reached a stone bridge over the Medway (always fun to stop and gaze at the water running by) we had the choice to go left or right. That particular day, we turned right so we could greet a couple of horses in their field and see if there were any blackberries to be picked.

The time came when we needed to head back. Helen didn't say a word about that. What she did was this: walking along, holding her boy's hand, she made a swinging 180 degree turn and voila, we were on our return journey! No comment or complaints from either of the children. Easy peasy.

All small children bear a strong urge to imitate. They pick up what they need from the actions, habits, ways of speaking and being, of the people around them. Sometimes, when they come into contact with other children, this isn't necessarily a good thing! But this urge is something we can consciously make use of, as in my example above. Even such a simple thing as sitting down at the dining table and folding hands together before saying grace will help a child be still and ready to eat the meal. So see where you can use imitation to help, teach, and guide your child.

Angel guidance

I was going to call this post 'karma or coincidence' and you'll soon see why. But then I thought a little further...

Yesterday their parents took the Blue-eyed boy and Curly Locks on a seven kilometre hike. Yes, they had to carry Curly Locks a bit of the way, but the Blue-eyed boy managed fine. And of course, there were many sidetracks and interesting things to be explored on the way, like, for instance, trees that had fallen down during the high winds we experienced last week. The boys were fascinated by the exposed roots as well as many other things. They love being out in nature and nothing could be better for them.

Before I go any further with this anecdote, I need to share a little history. Sadly, Curly-Locks's nursery school had to close some weeks ago and he had to leave his beloved teacher. She is leaving very soon to fly out west. So, whom did they meet as they arrived at the parking spot, one which was the furthest possible for this hike? Yes, you guessed it. Curly-Locks's teacher. Call it coincidence if you like.

Our feet bring us to our karma, as I'm sure you'll agree if you think about your life for a bit. But more than that, we can wonder, how does it happen? Who guides us in such meetings? I suggest it's our angels, and sometimes our children's angels. And I believe it's good if we can try to be aware of such things. Yes, help is at hand! But it may not be immediately obvious.

When I was on the hunt for a good nursery school for Miranda (she was four years old), a friend arranged for us to have an interview at an exclusive and well-regarded kindergarten. Off we went, Miranda carrying a small purse in imitation of her mum. We met the director. She rejected us.

Now, rejection is never pleasant although those of us who are authors, artists, or in any creative field, have to learn to accept and deal with it... even if it always stings. I wondered if it had anything to do with that little handbag, but who knows? However, the result was that I continued my search, and then, through 'coincidence' found the perfect place for our small daughter, a place where she blossomed.

The rejecting director did us a favour. Sometimes I need to remind myself to trust.

Now, a couple of notes re the above. Imitation in small children is a good thing, and one we can use to good purpose in many ways. I'll be blogging about that sometime in the future.

If you think a picture is worth a thousand words, and want to get an idea of how the angels work to lead us to the right place at the right time, I recommend viewing the Wim Wenders film 'Wings of Desire'.