We tried a new way of making jelly today.To condensed liquid jelly, bought in a glass bottle, addwater, pour mixture into a saucepan, bring to the boil,simmer for three minutes.Easy peasy, lemon squeazy, except Peter, who was put in charge of the proceedings, said it wasn't. Too much fiddling and stirring was his verdict and too expensive, too.

A block of jelly costsabout seventy pence, but the bottle cost 1.99. We had four generous servings, more thanwe'd have had fromthe jelly block. The bottled jelly took only three hours to set, which was a bonus.

We both agreedthejelly tasted good. ('I should hope so, considering what it cost', Peter declared). I spoonedChristmas compote over the jelly and we hadbrandy cream as well.

Yesterday, as a pudding, we had pears baked in white wine andhoney. I also addeda few cloves to the dish, to spice it up.

Next I simmeredblanched almonds in butter, placed them on a baking tray, sprinkled a few crystals of salt over them and left them in the oven for five minutes.

When the pears were ready, I mixed Amaretto liqueur into Greek honey and served it with the pears, sprinkling the nuts on top. All thisto avoida suetty Christmas.

I wasn't intending talking about cookery now.

I've just heard from Emma and family who are having a Christmas shopping weekend in Bath. Maudie went on the condition she would have a 'three course evening meal' (her own words).

These happy thoughts have led me elsewhere.

InFishguard today, Peter noticed a man he'd seen walking about when we arrived was still walking aimlessly around an hour later. I suggestedhe mightlive in a bed-sitter and had nothing to do.

Thiseveninga homeless man was featured on television and we started talking about the plight of the homeless.

I was approached bya young woman on Cardiff station whoasked if I couldsparesome money for her train fare to somewhere up the valleys. I askedhow much she needed and it was ninety pence. I gave a pound. Alright, she was 'trying it on', buta pound wouldn'tbankrupt me and yes, I know she wasn't catchingany train. She looked around at station staff watching her and told me they thought her a nuisance, but she wasn't, she assured me.

Next, she approached a man inhis thirties whorushed passed her without pausing. She then stoppeda teenager whogave her some coins.

This government is building only half the mount of homes required in this country, partly due to the economic situation. A recentletterin the 'Western Telegraph' complained about the nine hundred proposed new homes that are coming to this town and the writer decided, on what basis, I don't know, that Haverfordwest does not need these houses.

My aunt was the first house off the main road in a small country area. Tramps often came to the door and shepacked a 'cwdin' (paper carrier bag) with sandwiches and whatever she had to spare.

A friend of mine, in Fishguard, has a different tramp callingeach year at midday on Christmas Day and she gives a turkey dinner.

I haven't made a study of homelessness, why people find themselves in this situation, but I do know that it is very easy to become blinkered, when you're stirring the pudding and stuffing the turkey.