A few things

Christmas, such a big deal in our house for about three weeks of the year, is largely forgotten by May. However, yesterday a large box arrived on my desk, containing four beautiful tins of first cold press extra virgin olive oil.  Such excitement! In it, a note: "Hello, Here is your Nudo spring package of delicious olive oil from your very own tree AL084 in the Aleandri grove."  And after much puzzlement, I remembered a present from Mr & Mrs L -- they had adopted us our very own olive tree in Italy.  I'm afraid I'd all but ignored it, thanked them perfunctorily, typically didn't read the fine print, and am ashamed hadn't fully appreciated what a wonderful thing it was.  It's brilliant -- and keeps on giving.

We spent the last four days at a horse show in Del Mar with Minky.  I dream of retiring to Del Mar, with its beaches, pine trees, hippy cafes and book shops.  Quite brilliantly, I managed to lose my iPhone for about 36 hours which forced me to unhook from the grid.  Initially panic set in, but then an overwhelming sense of calm.  No more jittery checking of email or twittering every move. Just the blissful sense of being at one with and happy in the world.  I'm not sure I was delighted when the phone was retrieved.  Would it be very outre or retro to have just a phone phone? Am sorely tempted.

Today is 17. Mai, Norwegian National Day, the day when Norway gained its independence from Sweden, and a day celebrated quite ferociously by everyone living in that small country. My mother has put up Norwegian flags at her house in England, my cousins are no doubt eating herrings and blotkake, and all over the United States, from San Francisco to Minneapolis to Brooklyn, Norges are celebrating. I've brought down Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light from its shelf, so that we can have a celebratory supper.  Quite perfectly, it's raining here in LA and everything smells fresh and wet, like Norway.

An unexpected pleasure at the horse show was running into, quite by chance, Minky's old pony, Moon Pie who has miraculously transformed himself into a little jumper pony called Pegasus.  His rider is a ten year old girl called Jackie.  He was standing by the pony ring with his groom when we spotted him. He recognized Minks first, pricked up his ears, mumbled something and then covered our hands in licks and nuzzles and love.  Finally we walked away, behind some temporary stalls away from the crowds, and cried our eyes out. (He's the cute grey pony in the middle & with his new little girl, below).