Up And Under [Or Over?]

I know nothing about rugby* - or the differences between Rugby Union and Rugby League. But I do remember sports commentator Eddie Waring going on about "Up and Under" on TV [and Mike Yarwood impersonating his Yorkshire Accent]

My double-knit pattern this month is Block #157 "Up and Over", I presume because the vertical strips go up, and over, the horizontal stripes. The term Up-and-Over reminds me of the mechanism on garage doors!

This was an interesting one, I did it with cream as Yarn A, Blue as Yarn B on the 1st square, and then reversed the colourway for the second. My tension didn’t match the book – I only needed 13 repeats not 14 to get the 6” square. A very simple slipstitch pattern. Main colour 1 row K, 1 row purl, the contrast two rows with a k2, slip1 pattern. 

These are very similar to Kirsten’s squares from July, #24 Ridged Blocks, but they have a K2 slip2 row then a P2 slip2 row, making the vertical lines wider.  

I have chosen sea and sand colours because of the beautiful beaches in Cyprus! A lovely reminder of an unforgettable holiday.
Kirsten was concerned that it may take us four years if we decide to use our squares to make patchwork jumpers. I have suggested we might repeat patterns we like in different colourways for our own garments. If I do repeat any squares for the finished piece, this may well be one I choose to do again. This pattern produced an interesting square, quickly and easily. 

*I prefer knitting to playing rugby!

Eye Eye Kirsten!

Aye Aye Cap'n is an ancient phrase from the British Navy, meaning Yes, YES, Captain, we hear your orders! It is also part of the SpongeBob Song [my grandchildren understand this show. I cannot make head nor tail of it]
An AyeAye is a long-fingered lemur from Madagascar
An 'eyelet' in knitting is made by pairing an increase [usually yarn over] with a decrease [k2tog] so that the total number of stitches remains the same- but a small, neat hole is produced! This eyelet block arrived a couple of days ago.

Block #35 Eyelets - Kirsten says “They might not look it in the picture, but blocks are 6 inches square (ish). 

"I guess this pattern is a first step into knitting lace. 

"Looking back at blocks I made probably ten years ago, it seems I did several eyelet blocks of increasing complexity. I can see why it is will become important to remember to do ‘left-leaning’ and ‘right-leaning’ decreases when doing lots of eyelets close together… now, the question is, how brave am I? and how much patience and concentration can I muster? These weren’t too taxing, so perhaps I will persist with eyelets…”

K sent me the top, turquoise square, which goes well with my stack of existing squares. I think perhaps I should try an eyelet pattern next time - I have no experience of right and left leaning eyelets.
Kirsten included a cute little Rocking Robin kit [National Trust] as the flat gift. Quite apposite as at the moment I am rather caught up with Christmassy preparations for reasons I will not go into here!

Can you knit eyelets?
Do you understand SpongeBob? [does anyone over the age of 16?]

Is This Granny Square?

Back in 1885, in Prairie Farmer magazine, a lady called Annie Phelps released a crochet pattern for "A Crazy Afghan" [Afghan here meaning a blanket, not a hound, nor a person from that country near Iran]
It was so easy to do, it became really popular, and was revived in the 1930's. 

Over the years it came to be known as a Granny Square. [Because it was easy, even if you had failing eyesight, and thrifty Grannies like to use up odd bits of yarn] In 1967 I was 12, and the Beatles released "Magical Mystery Tour" - and Paul McCartney was wearing a Granny Square Waistcoat [or 'vest' as they say in the USA]

I did learn to crochet in Girl's Brigade, but never enjoyed it as much as knitting. Fifteen years ago, I visited Mags in Ireland, and the women at her library crochet group [Hookery in the Bookery] rekindled my interest.
This summer, Rosie has learned to hook, and is happily making friendship bracelets. She spent all summer in her charity crochet sunflower hat

I've just got this book from the library, by the exuberant and colourful Katie Jones. Not because I intend to crochet anything, but because her book is full of projects with Granny Squares. She turns them into vests, jumpers, hats, bags and more. This may help me decide what to do with all my knitted squares from the Double-Knit Collaboration

Katie loves mixing and matching her squares and her bright colours.

Maybe I could reinterpret one of her jumper patterns with my knitted squares [they tend to be sightly more muted colours, I am not really into dayglo greens, luminous lemons and eye-popping pinks!

The Merchants From Venice

Five hundred years ago, the beautiful island of Cyprus was under the control of the Venetians - it was a trading hub where ships from all round the Mediterranean docked to buy and sell goods. The island was rich in salt, copper, olives, wheat... and the wealthy Venetians increased their fortunes as they bought and sold all sorts of produce.
These Italians left their mark, particularly trough their cuisine. One important dish was stifado which is a corruption of the mediaeval Venetian word stufado meaning a slow cooked stew. These people introduced the idea of tightly covered pots on slow burning stoves, which produced a rich meaty stew. Usually made with beef, this dish can use lamb, pork, venison, rabbit or tripe! The onions can be shallots or small onions. The tomatoes, red wine, and spices give it a rich fragrance - and the recipe is so simple.
Wendy made us this recipe for us a few years ago, when they still lived in Norfolk. On holiday recently, I enjoyed it in one of their favourite dining spots. 

On Monday I made it myself.
I did mine in the slo-cooker, and it cooked itself whilst we were out at the Chapel. [We ended our Day Of Prayer with a brief service of worship and praise together.]  Recipe here on the BBC Good Food Site. It really tasted good, and I served it in a bowl with a slice of home made bread alongside [Bob had some more of the red wine to accompany his meal]
The recipe serves 6 - so I portioned it out to make 3 x two-person meals.

Thank you to all those who prayed for our little chapel on Monday - so lovely to think we were being remembered all round the world. 
For the first time in ages, Bob got out his guitar and he and Dan played, so we had live music for the songs. Twenty people were there which was great, so encouraging.

I am not sure what some of them thought about the ageing bearded rocker strumming away happily at the front in his ancient biker tee-shirt.

Small World

I was enjoying a leisurely breakfast on Saturday when Bob said "There's a Yard Sale on Etling Green today, I passed a sign yesterday"  EG is 2½ miles south of Cornerstones. It was 9.30am. So I got out of my pjs and dressed quickly. And off we went. It was the farm next door to the house where my best friend used to live. The guy is moving house this week, selling off bits and bobs. He was very friendly, and remembered Chris and her family. "We moved here from Swanton Morley just before they left" he told us. 
We said we were from Swanton - it turns out he used to live in the Close, in the bungalow next-door-but-two! He asked after some of the neighbours and we had a good chat - mostly reminiscing about older residents of the Close no longer with us. He didn't have any tools for sale - and Bob resisted buying an old tractor and a beer fridge. I went through a biscuit tin of cottons and took out the four spools I felt were the best quality, and most useful. "How much?" I asked "Oh you can have them for nothing!" he said. 

We were home by 10.30. Fastest Yard Sale ever, I think. Definitely the cheapest. In the afternoon I was chatting to some neighbours who did remember him. "We saw he had a Yard Sale because he's moving out" they said "anything good?" They laughed about the old tractor. This couple sell regularly at Boot Fairs. I asked about the Boot Fair held weekly in another local village, which I keep meaning to visit. "Pensioners, with the same stuff every week" they told me. I decided these OAPs were probably selling the sort of stuff I downsized 5 years ago! I shan't bother to go and look after that helpful heads-up.

This is a surprisingly busy week, lots of different things happening. But I am getting increasingly excited about next Tuesday - the British Museum Visit. I must just "possess my soul in patience" for a few more days...

The Hand Prayer

Today is our Church Day of Prayer - from 7am to 7pm. people will be taking a 30 minute slot, and using that time to pray for our fellowship locally, and our wider world. My task was to prepare an informative leaflet. I included lots of information about our specific situation.

Sitting in Church yesterday, I thought of the Hand Prayer I was taught years ago. A good way of organising one's thoughts and prayers.

It is very easy, and useful when working with younger children. Look at your hand...

1 - the Thumb, this is closest to your heart. Pray for the people who are really precious to you, family and friends. Thank God for them

2- the Index Finger - pray for people who point the way for us, teachers, pastors, youth group leaders etc. Help them to be wise, and set a good example.

3- the Middle Finger - the biggest of all. Pray for the Big Important people in our world, Politicians, Presidents, Royalty. We may not know them personally, but they need God's help to rule justly and wisely.

4 - the Ring Finger. Fold all your other fingers into your palm, and try to make that one stand up proudly...it can't! So pray for all those people who cannot stand up for themselves, the sick, the sad, the homeless, refugees, slaves, the marginalized groups...

5 - Finally the Little Finger, the smallest Pray for the children. Jesus had a special place in his heart for children. Pray for ones you know, and others you may have heard about who need a special touch of God's love.

If you are a praying person, please remember our little chapel, Foulsham Baptist today. We are relatively small in number, but working to make an impact in our community and show God's love to the people in the village. Thank you

I Will Sing Of The Goodness Of God

This is Falkland Park, South Norwood. From 1923 till 2025 it was the home of Spurgeon's College - the training establishment established by  Charles Haddon Spurgeon in 1856.
Its closure last year was very sudden and very sad. But hundreds of us joined on Thursday to mark the significance of this place in our lives. From 1981 - 1986, Bob was a Spurgeon's Student - the first year on a college placement as a Student Minister in Gillingham, Kent, then 4 years of fulltime study in this lovely building.
Our daughters were born during that time [82 and 86] Initially I worked as Warden in an OAP Scheme just down the road, then we moved to Orpington and became a full time Mum. For some time I worked as a volunteer helping with the college book-keeping, and student spouses were allowed to attend evening classes with paying fees. I did courses in counselling and church history!
Thursday's event was one described as "Remembering, Lament, Thanksgiving and Hope" Despite the sadness and great sense of loss there was gratitude for the legacy, for all those men and women trained there, and a sense of hope because God continues to call people into serving him in ministry and there are still ways in which they can be trained and encouraged.
It was a bittersweet day, but there was a real sense of God's faithfulness down the years and the certainty that he will lead us in the days ahead. We began the service with Wesley's hymn "O for a thousand tongues to sing my Great Redeemers Praise" [sung at our wedding] and also joined with confidence in a hymn of faith and trust

I love You Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days I’ve been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In darkest nights you are close like no other
I’ve known You as a father
I’ve known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God

[Bethel Music/Jenn Johnson]

The College may have gone, but our unchanging God is forever with us, and nothing can separate us from his love.

Tap, Tap!

We went down to Kent on Wednesday evening. On Thursday it was the Remembrance and Thanksgiving Service for Spurgeon's College - the wonderful place where Bob trained for ministry, which closed very suddenly last summer. We both really wanted to attend this event - but it was a day long programme, 10-4, and we felt it would be too much to drive there and back in a day. Knowing that our good friends Andrew and Eleanor would be going, we asked them if we could B&B on the Wednesday night. 

"Of course" they said immediately "You can have the house to yourselves, we won't be there!" They were a few miles away, looking after the grandchildren whist Mum and Dad away [the things we Grans do for our families...]

So after Bob got back from Men's Shed we loaded the car and drove south. I'd packed two lunchboxes and made a flask of coffee. We stopped in a layby on the A11, to enjoy our picnic.

We diverted to IKEA Lakeside, and I finally purchased new rugs for our bedroom. Our current ones are 17 years old. I wanted something fresher, and I am moving the originals into the back bedroom. All these rugs are machine washable which I like.

We arrived in Biggin Hill, and found the doorkey in the Hidden Place! After visiting the loo, I tried to fill the kettle. I struggled. The water flow kept stopping and starting. Bob came into the kitchen. "Oh I was looking at ones similar to that in IKEA!" he said. The sort with a pull out spray. I declared I didn't want one!

On the other hand, I did covet Eleanor's Bayeux Teatowel! She had left it out especially for me to look at. 

We had a good night's sleep and left early next morning for Croydon. I will say more about the event later. It was a large venue

I was not sure about the motion sensor lights in the Ladies loo. If you sat down and sat still, they went off very quickly, plunging you into Stygian Gloom. And Bob wondered why the Gent's loo had a hand dryer and a hairdryer!

It was good to meet so many old friends. But some conversations were slightly bizarre.

A group of us were talking about holidays, and people had certainly been to some interesting locations. I said "We have just spent a week in Cyprus staying with friends"
Another woman in the group suddenly said "Iceland - if you are over 60 and visit Iceland, then on a Tuesday you get 10% off" The younger ones looked baffled, so I said "You do mean the Frozen Food Shop, not the country, don't you? ..."

We got home around 9pm. It had been a good day.
Andf I got to sit with Eleanor at lunch and catch up with all her news. She was greatly amused by the Tap antics - and explained it is touch sensitive - the water only flows if you keep your hand on the tap. You have to tap the tap!

Count Bin Space!

No, not Bin Face, Bin Space!
In my first little flat, I had a small kitchen bin, a wpb in the lounge, and a small fliptop bin in the bathroom. Over the years, my bin collection got larger...everybody had a wpb in their bedroom, and under Bob's desk we had a regular waste bin and a bin for paper-to-be-recycled.

Leicestershire was ahead of the curve with wheelie bins - outside we had bins for regular, recycling, glass, food waste, garden waste, battery bags... We acquired Cornerstones and I retired here with a definite surplus of bins [back there were no food waste facilities]

That's changed this month. We now have a large blue food waste bin outside, and a smaller 7litre caddy to go into the kitchen. I appear to have very little to put in it! Thus far it has nothing except empty teabags [the contents are put in the compost caddy] When we did the 2025 kitchen refurb, we bought two IKEA Hållbar bins, in a pull out frame. These are for 'general kitchen rubbish' and 'recycling'. So I now have four different bins under the sink - labelled carefully so we throw things in the right direction!

recycling, general, food waste, compost

I am hoping this system will work smoothly. We still have two bins under our shared deskspace. Outside two wheelie bins [regular and recycling] and the new blue food one. We decided we didn't need to pay £64 p.a. for a garden refuse bin.

But there is one other category of waste which was not being managed properly. The 'soft plastics' stuff - the crisp packets, plastic 'belly band' wrappers round food trays, cheap carrier bags, pouches and sachets. There is a lot of it about. My system was to put a carrier bag inside a small bucket in the Futility room, and squash stuff down- knot it when full - and drop it off at a supermarket when I went shopping. This was not ideal - I kept forgetting to take the heap of knotted bags to the store!

The neatly squashed and rolled packets often unfurled and popped out...The draining board was often bestrewn with Bob's Cheese and Onion crisp packets. I think I have solved this. I got a smart 10litre steel bin, which I line with a carrier. It sits tidily under the cupboard in the F. Room.

Like Count BinFace, I am working and hoping, for a better environment. Are you?

A Week Of Joy

We flew out to Cyprus from Stansted on the Thursday afternoon and Peter and Wendy met us at Paphos Airport and took us to their new home. So good to see my friend again since she left England last November. We were tired! I was amused by the Greek/English handwash sign in the airport loos. [look at the Greek in #2]

Wendy has just had knee surgery and Bob did not want to do too much walking. So Friday was relaxing around the pool. I haven't really swum for years - but on the Friday I did thirty lengths! Each day we spent some time reading, relaxing and swimming, and some time going out, sightseeing, shopping and eating. It was a good pattern and we enjoyed the sunshine, and the freedom to just chill out.

Saturday evening we went on a lovely sunset boat trip from Paphos Harbour. Not on the Jolly Roger, but on the Wave Dancer [a former car ferry] 

We sailed out as the sunset, then further along the coast, they anchored so people could swim - entering the water off the back of the ramp. I actually went into the Med and splashed around for a while. Then they served a BBQ on board followed by a fascinating acrobatic display. As the boat returned to Paphos Harbour I stood and watched the twinkling lights. So much beauty, so much history. The Apostle Paul came to this harbour too. I felt so privileged to be there.

Sunday we went with Peter and Wendy to their Church and were made very welcome. Afterwards we had coffee and visited a beautiful bakery - the selection of breads, pastries and cakes was quite overwhelming.

Monday was a shopping day, we visited the Market to buy some gifts for the Grandchildren- after four days of swimming in the pool, I wanted to buy a new costume to celebrate. Wendy is a good friend and helpful fashion adviser!

Tuesday we visited Akamas - a cape which includes the blue Lagoon, an National Park, and stunning views. At the top of the hill is Viklari "Last Castle" restaurant, P&W's favourite eating place. We watched the quad bikes racing up the hill 

It is tradition to have your photo taken under the arch!

Wednesday P&W had a meeting at their Church, so Bob and I visited the nearby Museum and Roman Mosaics - a UNESCO World Heritage site. These mosaics were mind blowing! I was particularly taken with the "Christian House from the 5th Century AD" A large mosaic, regular pattern- but in the doorway a mosaic plaque with Psalm 117 verse 6 in Greek. The sign board informed us they'd made a spelling mistake! [The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man will do to me] In one of the new buildings was a huge display about Crafts in Cyprus - I was in seventh heaven looking at all the boards about different lacemaking/weaving/etc. That will have to be another post! It was very hot - I have great admiration for the Apostle Paul - I would struggle to preach in that heat!!

Thursday - our final day. To  have coffee at La Plage Municipal Beach at Polis, followed by lunch at Santa Barbara. That turtle sculpture on the beach is a recycling bin for plastic bottles! We both swam in the sea, walked round the marina, and had a beautiful final day with our friends. We came back via the Mall and Bob went in a DIY superstore, whilst Wendy took me to another of her favourite clothes stores. 

After getting back to their bungalow, finishing packing, and eating baklava we loaded the cases into the car. These two good friends took us to the airport. Final goodbye hugs and a prayer for a safe journey. 

Their hospitality was wonderful, and their friendship is very precious. I am so grateful to them for giving us the relaxing, reviving holiday we both needed. I hope I can return to their beautiful island again one day,

[Despite the fact that I swam over 200 lengths, there is no photograph of me in Wendy's pool!! And I forgot to take a picture of Jethro and Molly, their two cheerful dogs, sorry!

Wednesday Weigh In

At the start of the holidays, I was with Rosie and Jess in Starbucks, and Liz took a photo of us sipping our drinks. "Oh I am so overweight!" I said. Liz said firmly "Mum, I see a picture of a happy woman enjoying time with her grandchildren - not an overweight woman. You mustn't look at every picture of yourself and beat yourself up"

I suddenly remembered this photo of Jamie Lee Curtis taken 25 years ago. Then in her 40s, she deliberately posed in a bikini, no make up, just as she was - extra fat at her midriff, legs not as slim as they'd been twenty years before...and she looked really happy. At the time, it was unheard of for Hollywood stars to show their less-than-perfect-figures. But she said "This is what I look like now!" And was applauded for it
Now she has thighs, a tum, wrinkles, and grey hair - and celebrates them as part of her authentic life and experience. [she is 3 years younger than me]
Now she is quite a bit taller, which does help. But I have taken Liz's words to heart this summer, and celebrated the shape I am. And for the first time since the 1970s I've worn a bikini. And felt good about myself.

But as this wonderful summer moves into autumn, I have to admit that the comfortable retirement, and change of pace, and more time to prepare meals [and Bob doing more of the cooking, with his generous butter-rich portions] has added slightly more pounds than I'd like. I'm even heavier than I was in pregnancy. My knees are protesting because my thighs are so heavy. I know that I do need to get my BMI down - 5 feet high, 12stone in weight is well into the 'obese' category. This is about health, not fashion. I am going to cut back a on sweets and supper-snacks. And drink more water. Aiming for steady not rapid weight loss.

So I have made a little chart [stuck inside the bathroom cabinet] and every Wednesday morning I am doing a Weigh-In [and my mate Wendy in Cyprus is doing likewise] We will encourage each other [at a distance!] Last week my GP decided I ought to have blood tests for diabetes. If better eating can stave off such issues then it is my responsibility to try harder. 

Watch this space...

Holiday Habits

I have a strange holiday habit - I like wandering round foreign supermarkets, and buying interesting packets to bring home. I think that I may have passed this on to Liz, who brought back some Speculoos Pancake Mix, so the girls could recreate their Dutch holiday breakfasts once back in England.
Bob and I had a happy meander round the Supermarket in Paphos on Wednesday. 

Wendy's favourite shop is Sklavenitis, which she always refers to as 'ScabbyKnees' - its slogan is "As cheap as anywhere else"
Here is what we purchased

1. A jar of tahini, a basic ingredient which I shall use for dips and salad dressings, as well as in sweet dishes.
2. A large tin of Royal Baking Powder. Just because I love these tins*. Now produced in Spain where Royal is a synonym for baking powder, this brand began in Longhorsley near Newcastle, in the factory of Thomas Bell. He called his brand Bell's Royal and shortened it to Be-Ro. 
3. Some Cyprus Delight. Similar to the Turkish stuff, but a little denser, with different flavours. Some varieties have PG status [protected geographical] 
4. White beans.Because I ate a bowl of fasolia . I loved it and want to make some more at home
5. Olive Oil. Bob's choice. Agios Georgios [St George] is a very popular premium brand. And Bob liked the cool cuboid tin!
6. "Premium Nuts" We are not convinced everything in the bag is a nut, there are some rectangular biscuit looking pieces. But it will be portioned out as a TV snack [so someone does not eat the entire bag at one sitting!]

Finally a pot of salt. I know, you can buy salt easily in the UK, and it is not especially Cypriot. But every place where we had a meal had these cute little sailor pots standing on the table. I splurged 30p on this jolly little chap.

Today [August 15th] is celebrated in Cyprus by the Greek Orthodox believers as the Feast of the Domition Of The Virgin Mary  [In the Roman Catholic church it is called The Assumption, and marked on 28th August]  Traditionally it is the day when they eat Arkanata Bread Rolls. 

I did not know about the feasting when I picked a up a bag of these rusks in the supermarket, just that they were uniquely Cypriot. The name comes from the Greek word for labour because their overnight production is very laborious, using ground fermented chickpeas and ginger in boiling water . And they are baked twice- once as soft round roll, and then a second time to make the roll into a dry, long lasting rusk.  Unfortunately despite very careful packing, we got home to find our pack has been reduced to chunks and crumbs! Never mind. We can consume them with dips and dunk them in soups.
Do you ever buy interesting foods in foreign supermarkets?

*this tin has bolos fofos printed on it. I have no idea what it means. I tried various Spanish Translation programmes and got "Flabby Bowling Balls" can anyone out there explain???

THIS Gran Read The Book...

... And The Book Was Good!

NO SPOILERS HERE!

I am usually very careful about spending money - and if it is a book, then most of the time, I borrow from the library first, then decide if I want it. Then try and find a secondhand copy...But not with this one - I preordered [as my delayed plane sat on the tarmac at Stansted last week - it made me feel much happier, and helped calm my fear-of-flying]

Julia does not disappoint [and Axel's illustrations are really good] Twenty years after the mouse first stepped out into the deep, dark wood, the story continues. It is witty, and clever, and full of the wonderful rhyming couplets which are Ms Donaldson's forte. And I love it! I opened the book, and read it through [out loud] whilst Bob was trying to concentrate on something else.
The book is dedicated to her husband, who died two years ago. [he was, by all accounts, a lovely man. A paediatric consultant, his young patients called him Dr Gruffalo]

Thank you Julia - I shall read this to the grandchildren, and anybody else who expresses the slightest interest. Definitely 5 stars

*****

We Plough The Fields...

For many people, that is the harvest hymn they remember from schooldays. Today we have Harvest Festival at Church followed by a Lunch.
Here's a more more modern one - reflecting that crops are not always as bountiful as we might hope - and that we all have a responsibility to our world - to share our blessings with others [and to be better stewards of our plant] And to acknowledge God's goodness and faithfulness to us.

For the gifts of heaven in the fields of earth,
My soul will sing to the Lord.
For the fruitful lands as they yield their worth,
My heart gives thanks to him.
We may plough the soil, we may plant the seed,
But God will make it grow,
And the harvest comes from the tender goodness
Of the Father’s hand.

As the trade winds blow over thirsty plains,
My soul will sing to the Lord,
And the storm clouds pour with reviving rains,
My heart gives thanks to Him.
Every season whispers the mystery,
The glorious rhythm of life,
Till the harvest comes from the boundless goodness
Of the Father’s hand.

When the crops have failed and the fields are bare,
My soul will cry to the Lord.
When the hungry know only death’s despair,
My heart will look to Him.
For the call goes out from the heart of God
To share with those in need;
As we feed the world we reflect the goodness
Of the Father’s hand.  [Getty/Townsend/Bronleewe]

The top picture is a field in Norfolk about 8 miles from here - the farmer was lamenting his poor barley crop in the local paper - but at least he has some grain. The drought -ridden fields are in Myanmar, the flooded rice field in Bangladesh. 

We are collecting food for the local foodbank, and contributing to a project in Sierra Leone