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Many years ago, a friend suggested that Balsamic Vinager and Strawberries went together. Have not tried it until this week. Was very apprehensive. Now, I'm a believer. Oh, taste and see…

So then, parts of America have had no power for 24 hours. No dishwashers, no air conditioning, no ice in their soda – no civilization. How many of the millions who had no power have been spending the time reflecting o­n the lives of the Iraqis who have had no power for months? How many…

To Edinburgh last night to hear William Dalrymple at the Book Festival. What seemed as though it was going to be mere social history turned into an amazing denunciation of those who would separate the peoples of the world into false polarities such as Christian/Muslim, East/West etc. Beginning from the wills and private correspondance of…

I was rather depressed last week looking through some old sermons. They were the o­nes that I preached when I was a curate in Perth. I was looking for a sermon illustration that I remembered from about 4 years ago. I was depressed because the sermons seemed to me to be quite good – I…

Have spent part of the afternoon reflecting o­n the life and death of SCOC, the Scottish Churches Open College with Jayne Scott, its Principal. I was involved in it, by convening the committee which oversaw the degree programme. It is so sad that the college is being closed this year. I still believe in the…

I read o­n someone else's weblog the other day that they thought that keeping o­ne was like having a dog – worth it, but a lot of work. I guess that is true. The number of page views is increasing as each day goes by and I have hardly told anyone about this yet, which is…

I'm just about to go to a meeting about the eco-congregation project with our local Green Apostle. The Green Apostle in question led a great Nature Walk last Sunday for members of the congregation. 14 people turned up and had a wonderful hour looking for the holy at Doune Ponds. I am in awe of how…

I remember someone o­nce saying a little unkindly of Richard Holloway (the retired Bishop of Edinburgh) that he never had an unpublished thought. Blogging can seem to be a bit like that. A whole new culture which will affect some of the things that I care about very much, for example, both politics and religion.…

The greatest achievement of this summer has been to finish Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. I've taken this book o­n holiday for the last four or five years and never got very far with it. The problem was the first few pages. I would read them and then stop in wonderment at the writing, put the…