My little Gnudren,

Old Gnu has survived another year and is about to share his latest deep thoughts which usually result in him having to take  Paracetamol. If you hadn’t noticed, Christmas has come and gone, and so have the refuse and recycling Lorries. The New year has come but not yet gone, but from his great experience of Life Old Gnu assures you it will. Just give it time.

I have suspicion that some people have secretly visited eBay to shed some of the burdens of Christmas or capitalise on other people’s discarded burdens. Old Gnu tries to inculcate one simple rule to those who show him such kindness at the festive season: if he can’t eat it or wear it, he’s got nowhere to put it. Yet another equal part of him still delights in the sheer joy of receiving something unexpected and the pleasure of creating delight in someone else by giving a present. But the problem of what to give to each person to create this delight often leads old Gnu to a mental breakdown, so they get nothing. 

Now let’s get out of a state of indecisiveness to something more positive. Of course, old Gnu is thinking of New Year’s Resolutions! He has only made only one! And that is… (the necessary pause to create suspense as used by the entertainment media)

…..……(the longer the pause the more suspense)

…………….….yes, if you haven’t guessed already

…………………….to bake cakes!

I suppose the picture gave it away. This need has been created by Old Gnu’s multiple allergies which bar him from eating cakes normal people eat, plus the torture of watching them eat delicious cakes while he can only enviously drool….  But, jubilation! Those days are past.

This, as you may have already guessed by the smell, is Banana, Walnut and Cinnamon Cake. Old Gnu has alas, lost most of his sense of taste and smell, since having Covid. This loss has both a negative and positive side. The negative side is that he can’t taste most things. The positive side is that he can’t taste most things, so he can eat anything, however well it turns out. This dear friend, is also a parable to us about our life as Christian disciples: our trials can be a blessing in disguise. But let us add joy upon joy! This cake only took 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook in a microwave oven. And the photo above was taken only 5 minutes after it came out of the microwave. It went down a storm with a cafetière of dark roast coffee to wash it down and recover. 

The moral of this tale is that technology always creates problems. But it also comes to our aid. Every Saturday morning old Gnu checks in with the online family chat group to register that he is still alive. From now on he also checks in with his weight. He has restricted himself to one cake a week. Pray for him, that he sins not.

Vetus Pater Gnu
Academiae Musicorum et Theologia
Turris LA
XVII Mensis Januarius MMXXVI