How's your Lent going?  Is it preparing you at all for Easter or is it just passing by?  Today we a third of the way there - already.

Adults

Almost 1 billion people don’t have enough to eat and go to bed hungry every night, even though the planet produces enough food to feed everyone.

Give £1 if you threw food away last week.

Children

In Guatemala, a country in Central America, half of all children under 5 are malnourished. This means they haven’t always had enough to eat, or the right foods to keep them healthy. This doesn’t just mean that they feel hungry, but also that their bodies won’t grow as well, or as healthily as they should. This might affect them for the rest of their lives.

Give 10p for every different vegetable you’ve eaten today.

I hate wasting food, but I do.  Often I buy more than I need, simply because things come prepacked in sizes that are, realistically, too large for one person. The truth is that almost every week I throw away food.  £1 seems quite a low price to pay, given the average per UK household in the UK is nearer £13 a week (here).  Hmm.  If the average UK household is about four people, then £3 feels more realistic by way of a 'fine' so I think I'll go with that.

My Pledge

Today - £3

Total - £17.25, three prayers and a little strop!

Routine breast clinic check-up this morning... I cannot explain how much I appreciate the team I have at Glasgow Western Infirmary they are just the absolute best.

Anyway, the fantabulous news is that I am still NED and that my surgeon feels confident to let me go a whole year before seeing me again.

Both he and my BCN stressed that they are always at the end of the phone (and they are) should I have any concerns... that there are no stupid questions, just questions.

As I said to my BCN, it's hard to believe that two and half years I was a terrified, quivering wreck and now I am dleighted to be told to go away for a whole year!

Mr Chris Wilson and Sr Diane McLeod you are simply the best.  Thank you.

If I could turn cartwheels, I would... As I can't, I ate a maple pecan danish instead, I'm sure it's just as healthy!

So tonight is our monthly social event at church - a fun quiz with an Easter theme.  Prize for the winning team is large chocolate hare; with mini bunnies for runners up, and a vegan Easter egg on standby in case of need...  Should be some pancakes courtesy of one of our people, and lots of laughter.

Here's a question or two that didn't make the cut:

• What's the difference between the ecclesial solstice and the astronomical solstice?
• Roughly when was the rubric for determining the date of Easter agreed?
• How do you explain, in words of one syllable, the relation of the dates on which Easter may be celebrated, to the dates on which Passover may be observed, bearing in mind the variants in both Judaism and Christianity?!

Bet you're glad about that, huh? May post a PDF after the event, we'll see how it goes.

Design you own 'mini marcher' and join the campagin here.  Look out for Catriona G... my mini me who is in the line somewhere!!

Adults

Hunger is the world’s number one health risk.  Every year, it kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Give 50p for each meal and 20p for each snack you will eat today.

That one seems pretty straightforward - breakfast, lunch, tea - £1.50; I rarely have snacks, but today we have our monthly social evening so will be snacking on pancakes (yum!) so 20p for that; total £1.70.  The sobering thought is that my daily cup of coffee costs more than that... a small skinny fairtrade latte from the shop opposite church is £2.15, which does rather give a different take on a pledge of £1.70.  So I will up my pledge to match the coffee cost at £2.15, which goes a small way towards the salving of conscience!

My Pledge

Today - £2.15

Total - £14.25, three prayers and a little strop!