Thank you

What a wonderful place this is!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the comments from all of you. It means a lot to me. I will be able to return comments over the next few days.

My anxiety of yesterday was for nothing. The desert was a success and so was the dinner. Phew. Two minor hurdles, hurdled and behind me.

We had dinner with Bridget Stutchbury, a bird scientist who researches birds in North and Central America. The forests in Central and South America are disappearing fast and as a consequence birds are too.

I always veer between hope and despair when it comes to the environment. As a birder, I've seen with my own eyes the drop in numbers of once common birds. Birds that were everywhere 20 years ago are now scarce. So fast! But what to do? And I don't exactly live in a cave in a mountain. I'm no better than everyone else.

Bridget rekindled my hope. As she puts it, "If we don't keep trying, how can we look our children in the eye? And giving up shows no leadership." She pointed out that there has been massive social change quite recently. With the environment, we are in the midst of change so we can't look back yet.

With that in mind, I'm resolved to do two things that will make a positive impact.

1. Drink shade grown, bird friendly coffee. These coffee trees grow in the forest. The ecosystem is intact, farmers get income. A win-win solution.

2. Eat only organic produce from South and Central America. The pesticides they use there are incredibly toxic and kill everything in their path. They are banned everywhere else.

I don't think that will be too hard.

Now on to my next cooking challenge. I am making Lemony Greek Potatoes food for my father's birthday party later today!