The Penguinet

What a beautiful morning! And what's more, it's Mothering Sunday.  Do not confuse this with 'Mother's Day' as celebrated in Germany.
Mothering Sunday is always the fourth Sunday in Lent and goes back at least to the 16th century, maybe further. It was a Sunday when the fasting rules of Lent were relaxed, and  servants were allowed home to visit their families, specifically their mothers. The Housekeeper of the Big House where they worked would give them some eggs,or maybe baked goods to take with them, and so that's how it all began.

This year I arranged for cupcakes to be delivered to my mother,

http://www.cakesbyshellyanne.co.uk/

who was duly delighted.

As always, BBC Radio 4 is booming out as I write and I have just been listening to a Special Service for Mothering Sunday. One hymn was "For the Beauty of the Earth."
As a little girl I really hated this hymn. It had such a boring tune. Then I heard a

version by John Rutter - a British Composer, mostly of Choral Music - and have been captivated by it ever since.

Here's a Version with subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaMkj4_H8WM

And here it is sung by the choir of St Paul's Cathedral:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0qQyW0W0Rw

So appropriate for this beautiful morning.