Autumn is here

 

These beautiful rose hips in my neighbour's garden reminded me of when I was a child and my mother
would gather a basket full and make jam and syrup.  Any sign of a sneeze in our house and all the
family would be lined up for a spoonful of rose hip syrup which mother told us would guard us from all known germs!   We didn't mind as it tasted much nicer than the stuff other kids got from the chemist.
Mother wasn't far wrong in her judgement (was she ever?) as I now know that a spoonful of rose hip contains 60 times more vitamin C than the average size orange and is the richest plant source available -
it is also used in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.  What an amazing plant - it spends all summer showing us the most beautiful and sweet scented roses and then gives the beneficial fruits of Autumn.

S Juan del Cruce

You never know.....?

Bart Connor is the most decorated gymnast in the world and has brought many honours to himself
and to his country the United States.
He represented the US at the 1984 Olympics where he met the Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci and they married the following year and now run a training programme for future gymnasts.
Bart was a very active child from the ages 2 to 3 years but insisted on  'walking' around the house on his hands more often than on his feet.  Visitors to their home thought he was  a very odd child but his mother never once told him to 'stop it'  -  instead she bided her time and as soon as she was allowed to took him and enrolled him into a gym.......and the rest is history.  Never ignore your God given talents.