Peter and the email account

Sunday 7.09am

There once was a 47 year old man called Peter, who lived all alone with his wife and three children just beside a few trees in New Zealand. Peter was lonely because although he was kept busy working most of the time to pay for his wife's Trademe purchases, he had no "efriends". Everytime he went onto the internet he was reminded of this with little messages that just caught the corner of his eye. "You don't have any Lulu friends. Find some friends." it said as he uploaded some files. Some people did want to be his friend and kept putting messages through his e-letterbox. " find someone in your area today" they announced and " beautiful sexy girls are waiting to meet you right now" But Peter was a sensible man and had read The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood and didn't believe them. Then one day Peter needed another email address. Google had also told him that he needed some friends but they were more helpful. They had given him some invitations to send out to ask people if they would like to be his friend and have an email account as well. Well thought Peter, I don't have any efriends to invite but I do need another email account so why not invite myself? So he did, and he opened up that new account.

And do you know, that very hour he got this message - "Peter Coulter has accepted your invitation to Google Mail and has chosen the brand new address peterssoup@gmail.com. Be one of the first to email Peter at this new Google Mail address--just hit reply and send Peter a message. peterssoup@gmail.com has also been automatically added to your contact list so you can stay in touch with Google Mail." A new friend had found him after all and wanted to talk! Peter replied straight away before checking his new account. Well as soon as he did Peter just stared in amazement, there was a message there as well, two new friends in one day! Peter and his new friends had so much in common that they chatted away for hours. He was so happy, because underneath it all Peter is a man of very little brain and is actually quite easily pleased.

The End.


With apologies to Nicola and also "Little beaver and the echo"


Life is never dull when you have modern technology

The Landscape

Sunday 7am

I love the landscape that surrounds me. I love the colours and shapes and the patterns that the clouds make across it. I love the sounds of the wind in the trees and the distant bird calls. I love the way that the wind also buffets around me making me part of it all, including me. It is all just so achingly beautiful.

Why do I feel this? I don't know. I am not a country boy, I was brought up on the edge of London so it is not in my blood as it were, but as an adult I have always chosen to live in the countryside. And having flown across southern China I know that I am lucky to live somewhere that actually has some countryside left. Mind you I do enjoy being in a city as well, but even there I find myself searching for the places where the world breaks through - in all those little nooks and crannies that surround us.

Why do I feel this connection? I do not know, it is just something so deep within me so much a part of me that I cannot separate it out to look at it.

Perhaps I was an elf in a previous life.

Leek and Oatmeal soup

Tuesday 7.45pm

A simple restorative soup for when you are all bunged up with flu and feeling miserable.


Like me.



Fry a chopped leek slowly in some butter and olive oil until soft, translucent and faintly golden brown, ten minutes at least. Add in a good handfull of rolled oats, stir about a bit and leave to cook for a few minutes. Pour in a pint and a quarter of chicken stock and simmer gently until the oats are cooked but still have some bite, mine took a bit over half an hour. Season and serve.


I had mine with croutons and a handfull of chopped parsley.