those worldly winds know what they are on about for sure.  Here is me, dramatically depressed, lonely in our paradise on a hill, worried about hubby, about homelessness, about lack of motivation, and feeling useless, remember that?

So, after fixing the dryer yesterday I had a new determination to get on with stuff here.  Now last week I was inspired by the donation box for the Food Bank in Tesco, to come home and find out more.  I rang the number and offered to volunteer.  Come along they said, next week will be fine. Today was the day.

Now, I have been poorly all week, this horrid cold and cough have left me feeling knackered, and it was half in my mind to cancel the meeting and rearrange. Old habits die hard, and if I have said I will be somewhere, then that is where I shall be.  So, at 10am this morning I pulled up outside an uninspiring building on the outskirts of town.

It is true that you cannot judge a book by it’s cover and the inside of this building filled me with delight.  A bright, clean and lovely place, with a bank of computers, soft cushions, home made cake and a coffee machine.  So, how have I missed this treasure?  Along with the Food Bank this is home to lots of community projects.  I am greeted warmly by a smiling volunteer, who tells me he has come over on his day off from a new job to help out as they are short staffed.  A good cup of tea later and I meet the man in charge of the Food Bank.  We are chatting, as you do, and I am feeling very much at home.  I explain about working on a weekend and he asks what I do. I tell him I am a youth worker, he smiles. Apparently they need a youth worker. Of course they do.

Two hours later, after meeting with the most inspiring women I think I have ever met, I am back home sending my CV, fixing up how I can help and before I left I am booked in for a meeting with the Project director next week. Suddenly I am somewhere I recognise. I can feel the energy and the can do spirit in this place, it has been hard fought for and is closely guarded.  It feels right.

As I am leaving I go back to the cakes and coffee to say goodbye to the volunteers, and I notice a sign on the wall.  It says, Rules of this Place, and there is a list of expectations for everyone to follow.  The very first one, at the top, is simply this   ‘Always try to be kind’.

I feel at home.