Been a mad week!  Lots of driving, lots of hospital visits, lots to do and not enough hours in which to do it.

Finally I think we're getting there with preparations for tomorrow's baptismal service.  All the heaters have been collected and delivered, the 'dry run' walk through has been completed successfully, gifts bought, certificates arrived from BUGB store, leaflets printed and collated, and my share of the tea now prepared!

Giftwise, in the end I went for a book token from church, as that's what they sell at the Leicester shop formerly known as SPCK, Christian Resource Centre, and then decided to personalise a white towel, sort of copying what a friend of mine did for me many years back:

Not a great photo - the only digital camera I have is on my phone.  The butterflies were already on it, and seemed quite a good image - new life, resurrection kind of thing.  So I added the occasion and date.

I will be using one or other of my white 'gift ' towels (my friend did me a second one for my ordination) so that will make it a bit special for me too!

I have since been busy making cauldrons of soup for the post service tea - a variation on this pumpkin soup recipe (without the chillies, to which I am allergic, and which is scrummy: I tried some of it) and some leek and potato, using up some frozen leeks one of my congregation gave me some months back.

Having purchased fresh coconuts I was left with loads of the stuff to use up, so made some coconut barfi (pretty much like coconut ice really) and coated it with dark chocolate - beats Bounty bars any day!  If you used fairtrade coconuts (which Sainsbury's sell, others may too) and Fairtrade chocolate you could possibly offset your ethical concerns over Carnation's makers.

Both services are ready and printed, I just have to buy some bread for communion (because it isn't communion week) and then all is ready.  Phew!