Purpose

Our oven is broken. I know what you are all thinking, that is hardly a big deal, yet to me it is. If I can't bake what am I to do?

In one of my favourite musicals, Avenue Q, they explore the meaning of the word purpose and how everyone needs to have a purpose in life. My purpose in life is clearly to bake as they say that  whatever you find yourself doing when you are procrastinating is the career that you should go into, although saying that maybe I should blog full time.

So having had come to the conclusion as to what my purpose is, what now?

Well I need to wait until our new oven arrives for starters. But what happens after that? Its easy enough to say to myself that I shall start baking things to sell at fairs and markets (and luckily for me food festivals have really taken off in recent years)  but dreaming didn't get anyone anywhere. If you refer back to an earlier post 'fears of flying' you may see some of my reservations.

What if I fail? What if things go wrong? What if nobody buys any of my wares? What if the oven breaks? All of these questions and the fact that I have like zero business nonce are just the tip of the iceberg of what makes me reluctant to dip my toe into the stranger tides of the business world. But
maybe Elpheba was right in Wicked, maybe it's time to "try defying gravity."

I hate Valentine’s Day

I know this a bit premature but I thought that I should get my rant out early this year. 'What is she on about this time?' I hear you ask, well if you look towards the title that may give you a clue.

 I can accurately estimate the number of cards that I will receive this year and that is zero, the same as most every year. 

Except from the rare occasion when a friend or my mother gave me one out of sympathy (a Valentine's card that is not a deepest sympathy one, although the latter may have been more relevant.) 

Now before all you loved up couples start shouting abuse at me that the whole point of Valentine’s Day is love and showing your boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband/partner/fiancée/mistress/gay lover/friend with benefits or significant other that you appreciate them let me just say that I’ll be the first to admit that I am a soppy romantic at heart but I resent the fact that there is one day when you are expected to shower your significant other (if you have one) with gifts and affection. 

If you really are in a loving relationship you already do this every day and one day in which society insists that you should be sappy and romantic is not just patronising but also terribly communist (as in people telling what you should do.)

V-day has been horribly commercialised and you are often frowned upon if you spend less than half your yearly salary on that one day. If you have ever tried going for dinner on’ that day that will not be named’ it is astronomically expensive sometimes even more so than Christmas! 

Valentine's day should really just be renamed singles' awareness day because I'm sure that that is the only thing that V-day achieves, making singletons everywhere feel inferior and boosting the sales of tubs of ice cream. Ben and Jerry’s is my tub of choice (I like most flavours) if anyone wants to get me one.  Couples often take it upon themselves to stare at you like you have two heads as you walk around on your todd, like it’s a sin to be alone. Well look at how much money I saved myself in not having to buy meaningless presents.

The observant among may remember (or you may not I did say it at the beginning of this post and that was quite some time ago) that I was quite forlorn that I don’t get any cards, if I hate Valentine’s day so much why should I care? 

My dear friends and strangers alike, I would like refer to a popular film reference. In ‘Mean Girls’ an iconic character whom we never actually see (well if you don’t count the back of his head)  or even has any lines is made into a legend when they receive 4 candy canes “You Go Glen Coco” and then there are “none for Gretchen Wieners”   

Well guess who feels like Gretchen Wieners when the Glen Coco’s of the world receive post and flowers and chocolates and candlelit dinners on that silly day. You may just think that I am bitter and that I would feel differently when I am in a loving relationship (although the question should probably be ‘if’ not ‘when’) but then shouldn’t Valentine’s day be everyday not just once a year? 

Ode To Cleo 2010-2013

 Ode to Cleo

For three years you have been my companion

My teddy, my comfort, my friend

I loved you more each day you were beside me

And I will love you more every day

You filled our lives with joy and laughter

Everytime that there was a rustle in the fridge

No more will we buy carrot crunchers

And watch you binky and do tricks

A happier bunny won't be found

As you were content as could be

As you rolled and showed us your tummy

You filled our lives with glee

You can go behind the sofa now

Chew on whatever you see

No longer confined by the pen or boxes

You can join your wild friends under the bunny tree