It’s been a calm and quiet day today. I’ve been catching up on work for some of my Ad-Extra clients, crossed off a few ‘to action’ items, and relished a bit of baking. It’s terrifically therapeutic I’m finding. I cooked a ginger cake from my New Zealand Edmonds baking book, and a loaf of bread from a rare as hens teeth white bread mix I found in Morrisons last week. The store cupboard was just about emptied of flour at the end of that …
The duck eggs I bought at the Farm Shop the other day have the largest yellowest yolks I’ve ever seen.
Kim took some time out from her seemingly endless workload this afternoon, to cycle to Nantwich. I didn’t think to get a photo sadly. I was amazed when she returned with two packs of white strong flour! Last week all they had were 9kg humongous bags in Morrison’s flour section. I suspect they’ve realised no one can carry such heavy bags. Someone thought outside of the box (or bag!) and decided to divide these up. Awesome! I’d prefer wholemeal flour but beggars (and plebs!) can’t be choosers at the moment. I’m really pleased I’ll be able to continue my bread making efforts. I’m finding it surprisingly satisfying kneading by hand. Although I have an electric bread making machine, it sucks up too much power so I rarely use that.
I’m also continuing my Fender Play ukulele lessons. I can’t say I’m improving much, to be honest. However, I’m remaining ever hopeful my sore finger pads will harden up and perseverance will pay in the near future.
Barry meanwhile, has put my mosaic (that I made myself on a narrowboat workshop in 2016, with the word ‘freedom’ in its heart) and paua shell (a gift from Puawai Aroha Maternity Unit in 2009) back up on the shower-room wall. A job very well done thank you husband 😉
Continuing Symptom-Free
I’m thankful once again no symptoms were reported via the COVID-19 Symptom Tracker App 🙂
I think Marilyn put into words what a lot of your readers wanted to say,myself included, but did not wish to give more publicity to that obnoxious troll. Well done Marilyn for standing up and voicing your opinion so succinctly in public and to you Sandra for sharing it.
Hi Ray. Thank you for that. I toyed for hours on Saturday about the most proactive and positive way of ‘responding’ to the comment would be. Of course, I could also have just deleted it and said nothing. I realise it’s a drawback of ‘putting ourselves out there’. But to be honest, it’s the first vitriolic comment we’ve had, so the wind was taken out of my sails for a while. I wanted to acknowledge that the person obviously went to some trouble to make up a pseudonym (I guess we could see that as flattering?) and fake Gmail account too. I also hoped to show that we’d reflected mindfully on his/her words – we really don’t wish to offend or upset anyone intentionally.
I knew that people would be cautious of commenting on the post. Thank you to you and Marilyn for putting our heads above the parapet. The world needs more kindness and fewer trolls 🙂
There’s nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread. 🙂
Tasted pretty damn good too 😋 Especially with dandelion honey on! 😉
🙂
Hi Sandra,
Feel free not to publish this comment if you prefer.
Sweetheart, you need to let go of the pleb thing – it is just one person’s opinion from very limited knowledge and understanding. And it was designed to be hurtful and insulting. You are English and the words pleb and common have a particular pejorative inference that NZers don’t give a rat’s a*se about, because class doesn’t have the same hold on our heart, gut and head as it does for the English. I bet Barry isn’t anywhere near as upset by the insult as you are – yes?
Clearly it hurt you a lot – you have mentioned it at least once in each of the last three days. Not sure of you ever did the Landmark Forum? Their thing is about getting off it – just let it go, let it go, let it go.
Those of us who spend time on boats (not us this year or next, dammit!, but hey ho, better safe than sorry – or dead …) know that there are boaters with consideration for others and boaters without. You and Barry are very definitely in the former category. It shows through in your blog, the work you both do, the way you boat and the friendliness you exhibit.
And here’s what I see in your photos of your table, chairs and umbrellas – you are being responsible in that you have set them up more than 2m from anyone coming past, they are tidy, they are clearly not just dumped amid a pile of detritus, they have Barry working and enjoying himself and probably (he is an NZer after all) chatting to passersby and brightening their day.
So no more reference to plebian characteristics, you hear! All you are doing is giving that mean person reinforcement that he got to you. So don’t let him have an effect on you and your well-being from here on in – Get it? Got it? Good! (And be aware that this is probably the same coaching that you would give to someone, albeit you’d probably be a bit more gentle …)
Virtual hugs from 13000 miles away in sunny Waikanae,
Marilyn McD
Kia Ora Marilyn. Thank you for brightening my morning, making me smile and see the funny side. Barry too. All of our bubble have laughed about the ill conceived comment since Saturday. As well as feeling a little ‘betrayed’ I think by another boater (so obvious it’s a local boater!). I love the reference to the class oriented English and the open hearted kiwis. So true and one of the myriad of reasons my heart feels so much more ‘at home’ there. I’ve always detested the snobbery in England. Can you tell 😂?
I will do my best not to mention the ‘P’ word again … I love your forthrightness 👏👏😍🤗
A boater? I think it’s more likely an aspiring plutocratic local home owner …
Anyway, thank you for not being offended by my bluntness – it is one of my defining (and lovely) characteristics …
P words you are allowed: Party, partnership, piccallili, provenance, partnership, participation, partiality, patisserie, plumber, passata, pastry, PIES, patting, pate, PLONKER (better a pleb than a PLONKER, David says …), peach, plum, peahen, peace, pure, puerile … You get the picture: I looked in my Shorter OED and P words extend from page 2109 to p 2433 – aren’t you lucky I didn’t list them all? …
Big hugs, Mxx
😂😂😂😘👍