I’ve been enjoying one of my favourite ways to relax – having some friends around to sit by a camp fire in the backyard. I have always loved camp fires, when I was younger and used to live near a river, sometimes in winter I’d wake early and go down for a swim, then light a little fire and cook up a breakfast of sausage and eggs. The smell of wood smoke relaxes me, it’s associated with so many good memories of camping trips and nights under the stars and the medieval fair. It’s a very peaceful thing to sit by a fire and listen to it crackle and watch the flames and the wood turn to coal and ash.

This year it’s become a bit of a tradition with some of my friends, we get together every so often and bake potatoes in the fire. Everyone brings drinks or toppings for the spuds. The taste is fantastic, they are creamy and smoky and delicious! Today we also did baked bananas with chocolate sauce, and it isn’t a camp fire without toasted marshmallows. I am so very busy at the moment with work and study and volunteering, art projects, the blog, and all the reading and writing I do. Taking a whole day off to put out chairs and set a fire, water the garden, find room in the fridge for the drinks… it’s so peaceful! My skin smells of smoke, there’s leftover tabouli in my fridge, I’ve lent a book of poetry to a friend who’s new to poems, and all is right with the world.

Tea light candles in glasses to light the table I’ve put under the apricot tree:

I hope you’re having a relaxing weekend too.