Passion fruit

Friday 8.36pm

What can I say . . . . passion fruit. Everytime I see one I think isn’t nature wonderfull. Like phoenix eggs, flame blackened and crinkly on the outside, cut them open and the most intense tropical smell and golden green colour flecked with charcoal seeds is revealed. And to taste ? well, a Bounty bar is very nice but to someone from Scotland this is the true taste of paradise. And what would you make with them ? You know, I do not think it matters it will all be glorious. If I had to pick a favourite though I suppose it would be Nigel Slaters pavlova ( quite appropriate as I now live in the home of the pavlova ) A big sweet squashy meringue topped with whipped cream splodged on and the passion fruit pulp poured over. Simple and clean - just three flavours synergistically playing against each other whilst still able to shine in themselves against the background of the other two.

My Wedding Ring

Thursday 8.12pm

I love jewellery but only on Nicola. Like a fashion designer dressed in black this is the only piece I wear – my wedding ring. A simple plain circle of 9 carat white gold, it has aged beautifully. It did not always look like this, when new we were told that white gold was not silver enough and had to be plated in rhodium. But a thin veneer of brittle respectability was not what I wanted on the symbol of our marriage, so shortly afterwards, when it got quiet at work I polished all the rhodium off to reveal the gentle yellow silver of the gold underneath. And now two years and nine months later, eleven and a half thousand miles away, just like me bearing the marks of life it looks even better. I often meet people who are approaching twenty or thirty or forty and dreading it, but why ? life is, and will be, and in the end is all too short – celebrate it now.