Saturday 25 March 2017

Allow me to "blather" . . .

 

 Well, what a week we have had, indeed what a month!!  Happy to say now that Todd has only one treatment left and he will be finished his radio-therapy.  He is not sorry about that.   It is kind of ironic, or maybe not . . .  that the last day of his radio-therapy is also the day I have to pretty much have my book finished.  There is no such thing as an accident, just a happy co-incidence, or God-incidence as I like to call it.  I think, I hope we will be celebrating on Monday evening!  If I was a drinker, I would be icing the champagne now!

This past week has actually been my "Septimana Horribilius."  I think I can call it that.  Knocked back by the worst cold/flu that I have had in over two years, there were a few days when I couldn't even bother to get dressed, and I didn't.   I brushed my hair, and washed, and that was about it.  Even now I still have a cough and some congestion, but compared to how I felt earlier this week, these vestigial remains are a picnic!


 I even resorted to this a few times.  Yes, I did. Me who never naps took a couple of naps. In fact one morning, after I had fed Mitzie, I even went back to bed and didn't crawl out of my hole until after 9 a.m! (I think that was one of the days I didn't even bother to get dressed or put any make-up on.) But I still had to write.   Deadlines mean you have to write no matter what, and I did.

I was largely absent from here for those couple of days, (I hope you have forgiven me) and Todd's dinners were nothing spectacular, I confess, and I probably watched more television than I ever wanted to watch (when I wasn't writing.)

In the mean time, and I do mean
"mean"

 

 Here is one comment that got left on my food blog the other day on a post from several years back that I did on "Spaghetti and Toast."

Unknown has left a new comment on your post "Spaghetti on Toast":

Well, there is pleasing me, but not with this diabetes inducing sugar laden excuse for food.



 I chose to ignore it, as I do a lot of things, because I am a nice person like that. But that wasn't good enough.  This person had come back and then leave this comment   . . .


Unknown has left a new comment on your post "Spaghetti on Toast":

So from Mary's comments above:
Energy 244 kcal
Protein 4 g
Total lipid (fat) 0 g
Carbohydrate 52 g
Fiber, total dietary 0g

As taken durect from the can. So let's look at the 'nutritional' content 4g pf protein. Okay, first, what is the serving size? How many servings in a can. Second the only two nutritional ingredients listed are protein and carbohydrates (e.g. sugar) What I would be curious to see off the label is how much added sugar there is.

There is no argument that the UK diet is sugar laden. The lack of fat does not make this 'healthy' by any stretch.

Personally I thjink people should eat this all day every day and then when the obesity and heart attacks hit, there will be one less burden on the health care system.


 They have gotten my name wrong of course.  I am Marie not Mary.   I had not suggested ever that people eat spaghetti on toast every night for their tea, nor was I even suggesting that it was a healthy option.  It was intended as a post about something that was quick and easy and that a lot of people over here enjoy for their tea on occasion.  I never once said that it was healthy.  And personally, I don't see it as "unhealthy" either, but as a once in a blue moon treat, I think its okay.  As a harried mother, even I have resorted to tinned spaghetti, and my own mother did as well. I would be lying if I said otherwise.  Both myself and my children have lived to confess the tale.


 Obviously this person was having a worse week than I was.  I did not publish their comments, but they did kind of wrankle, coming in a week which was already not such a great week.

And then this morning I got up to this comment which was left on my food blog post for Chicken Savoyarde. A most delicious dish I hasten to add.


 Back in 2014 this person had left this comment on that post . . .

why would you ruin this with cheddar cheese? Gruyere and parmesan are quite enough: this is supposed to be a French dish.


 Apparently I had committed some sort of culinary crime by daring to add cheddar cheese to the topping.  My response, a bit tongue in cheek . . . had been this . . .

silamb27, it may be a French Dish, but this is The English Kitchen. It's also MY kitchen. We like cheddar and this dish was not ruined in any way by the addition of some cheddar in the topping. If anything it was even more delicious. To each their own. :-P

 I was trying to diffuse things a bit, and to politely say, one man's meat is another man's poison, and it was my blog after all and I have every right to do things the way I want to do them.

Well, this morning a full three years, and then some,  later . . . this person felt the need to come back and leave this comment . . .

No, not 'to each their own'. Dishes have their own lineage and integrity - and I rather doubt your palette is up to the task of deciding when to override it with your (slightly xenophobic) 'English kitchen/MY kitchen' blather.


 Some people are just rude aren't they?? I have been called a few names in my lifetime, but xenophobe isn't one of them.  This person is clearly slightly un-hinged, but as my mother always said, it takes all kinds.



 I shall take comfort in knowing that I am a much nicer person than that, and that I would never resort to name calling in someone else's space. I am happy that I am a person who allows others the opportunity to celebrate their individuality and their right to express it.  I know I should not take such mean-spiritedness to heart or personally, but I do. Perhaps I need a thicker skin?

Probably so.

Oh, I am so, so, so grateful that the internet was not around when I was a teenage girl. How very wicked a place it can be where people think they are free to say whatever they want about whoever they want and whenever and wherever they want to say it.   Just this past week a food blogger over here, A Girl Called Jack, won a libel case against a prominent columnist who had dared to tweet something libelous  against her, proving that we have finally come to a time in space where you really can't actually get away with saying whatever, whenever and wherever about whomever if you come up against someone with the strength, know how, and dare I say it, "balls," to take you to task for it. Kudos to Jack for standing up for herself.



I have tried to always subscribe to this way of thinking and I actually really hate it when someone else causes me to feel unkind or to want to react in an unkind way.  I subscribe to Thumper's mother's theory which is . . .  "If you can't say something nice, then don't say nothing at all."  Its a better way to be.  I never thought it was so, but it is increasingly becoming a much unkinder world.  There is so much hate . . .  too much hate . . . and it needs to stop.  It makes me really sad that we live in a time where a man feels justified in driving a vehicle randomly down a pedestrian way, knocking and killing and injuring  innocent people simply because he can, and he has a distorted version of how the world should be.  It makes me really sad that we live in a time where one person can spend £1000 on a pair of trousers and millions of children are dying every day of hunger. It makes me sad that our Government spends billions each year in foreign aid, and yet there are children in this country who are forced into the position of being "Carers" to their sick or disabled parents because the Government funding just isn't there to allow them to be children when they just need to be children.  It makes me sad that I live in a world where others exalt themselves so much above everyone else that they think they can say, do, act in whatever way they want to act with impunity.

We live in a fallen 
world
...

 When people ask me how can I believe, why do I choose to believe . . .  in God?? My answer is because I must.  I could not survive in such an unkind and unjust world did I not know and believe that there was something much better to look forward to, and a much higher power that I mattered to, and that in the end . . .  All will be okay. That there is always, always light at the end of the tunnel, and that there is nobody who can sink lower than the light of Christ can reach.

Just my thoughts  . . . thanks for listening/reading.

 

 Baking in The English Kitchen today  . . .  Blueberry and Lemon Breakfast Buns.

 Have a perfectly lovely Saturday.  The sun is shining here and it promises to be a nice day. Perhaps we will take ourselves out somewhere. We will see.  God bless you all.  Don't forget  . . .

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And I do too!


14 comments:

  1. Good morning Marie. It would be great if you could get out today. I have done over 30 kilos of washing today. But after than was done I took Mum and Will out for fish and chips. It is still hot here. Yesterday was 34 while I was driving to visit dad.

    God bless you and keep you now and for always.

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  2. If you don't have anything nice to say..

    then SHUT UP..LOL..actually..get Mickey from Love to write to them;)

    Yikes..

    Why do people even bother?

    Watched a movie that makes you wonder also.. The Innocents..had no cLue that Polish nuns were abused by German soldiers but then raped and left pregnant by Russian soldiers:(
    Tragic movie..


    A story about faith..and tragedy..and caring..

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  3. Yes just because some one chooses to be rude is no reason for us to be. This flu you and I have had is a bod one. I don't remember a time I've been so out of it. I'm still weak but better each day. Sunshine here yesterday and it really felt good. Today is dark and cloudy with rain coming. Hope you have a beautiful day !

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  4. We are having a beautiful sunny day here today Suzan, and Todd has decided to cut the grass. I do hope that he doesn't over do it. I,worry about that man! I know it needs doing, but I would rather he ask the Elders to come over and do it. That's my grumble for the day! Xoxo

    Just plain nasty Monique! I seem to attract them! Oh, I am glad you are still watching LOVE! I am about halfway through the second season and I love Micky and Gus more and more with each episode. I will be heart broke if something bad happens! Lol. I think War, guns/ weaponry and testosterone are a bad combination. It has been ever so. Generally speaking it is not women causing the problems in this world. But I could be wrong and often am! xoxo

    You are right about that Pam, this is one nasty bug. I hope with each day that passes you feel better! The stress of the move has probably not helped your immune system much! Praying for you! oxox

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  5. People can be so mean. What business is it of theirs to make a negative comment? Love your blog and recipes! I hope you are feeling better and up to your usual self soon. I said a prayer for you and your husband. Yesterday, March 24th, was like spring here where I live in Michigan at 73 degrees. Today it is rainy and very cold and 41 degrees. oops that's 22C and 5C! I think I've written to you before...I love your blog and appreciate you sharing your life with all of us!

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  6. Glad you're feeling better. Please don't get down hearted. People can be mean (I wonder where they find the time). Just be happy that there are loads of us that like and respect you. I enjoy your blog and look forward to reading it every day.

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  7. There was mean people at this place I worked for years! I finally got sick of it and went up to them. I told them that their life must be really miserable and unhappy to be so mean to everyone! There was more than one person that was like that! One by one they started to confide in me bc they realized I kepted their secrets and it did help some. They just wasn't as mean bc I had no problem telling them what I thought either! Also I never threw what they said to me back in their face! I just got even instead, baking and eating yummy cookies in front of them and wouldn't give them the recipe. Lol. So clearly this person isn't happy with their life and she's trying to make other people's life miserable too! I hope she can find a friend to confide in. The best thing is u don't have to work with them and can just delete them! Lol. Jan

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  8. I don't know what people expect to gain from negative comments. If you don't like a blog, don't follow it. My advice is to immediately delete negative comments and focus on all the nice ones.

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  9. Wonderful blogpost today, Marie! Just wonderful! You mirrored my thoughts and feelings about this world today exactly. Thank you! God bless you.

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  10. I think being under stress weakens the immune system, so we tend to get sick, and more sick than normal as well.
    It's a shame that it's not enough to criticize your recipe, but then to add personal insults as well...this is not a person I would care to know.
    People are food fanatics in today's world. I think it's because of all the 'super food' 'the perfect diet' type press food gets. My DD once said she never knew what to eat, because today something is healthy, tomorrow it's bad for you, and the day after it's healthy again. I say eat what you like, just don't make it hot fudge sundaes at every meal. Now and then, a hot fudge sundae or whatever is not going to kill you. Neither is spaghetti on toast, although that is the last thing that would ever occur to me to eat. Ewwwww. It sounds even worse than beans on toast. :) Fish and chips I can do, beans on toast, not so much.

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  11. Oh, my sweet friend; I am so happy to hear you are feeling a bit better. Hope you cough and congestion goes toatlly away soon. I am extremely happy to hear that Todd only has one more treatment and that your book is well on it's way.
    So sorry to hear that you have had such unwarrented comments. It does take all times.
    We do live in a fallen world and it's hard sometims. I don't know what I would do without my deep faith in Christ and is infinite Atonement. We hear such sad stories of those who do not know how to bring about the enableing power of the Atonement into their lives.
    All the wickedness that surrounds us is in preparation for the sooner coming of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. At least I hope His 2nd Coming is soon. I fear for my sweet grands and great grands.
    Blessings and hugs for you dear friend and that awesome hubby of yours!

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  12. I think your blog is great and I'm sorry that you have had some negative comments on it. I think people must be jealous of your ability to keep two amazing blogs going . I certainly admire you for that. I have a blog that I rarely post to but I know that it would be hurtful to have petty comments made over my efforts. thanks

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  13. Thanks Julie H! Your prayers are always welcome and most appreciated! We had a beautiful Spring day yesterday, in fact Todd was able to mow the lawn which is something he had not been able to do all Winter, which sounds funny I know, but over here the grass grows all year round! xoxo

    Thanks Ronnie! Much appreciated! xoxo

    Sorry you had to work for some mean people Jan! I have had to do that and it is no fun at all. My last boss was a real tyrant and so unkind. I used to sit in the garden and cry when I got home before I went in the house because I didn't want Todd to know. He loved it there so much! haha baking yummy cookies and eating them in front of them. I could have spat in my boss's soup, but I am far too nice for things like that. I just made her diet cookies, twice as fattening. ;-) xoxo

    Thanks Angharad. Nice advice and one that I follow. xoxo

    Thanks Lynney! God bless you as well! xoxo

    Thanks Linda, you are right. I think everyone thinks they are an expert on food these days. And they are all jumpining on the gluten free/dairy free/ etc. free wagons when there is no need to do so. It boggles my mind. I love me some beans on toast, me! lol xoxo (And fish and chips, but not together.)

    LeAnn! Love you and your thoughts. I look forward to the second coming also, even though I know things are going to get a lot worse first. I fear for my sweet grandchildren also. What a world they are inheriting. Love and hugs. xoxo

    Thanks Susan! You made me smile. xoxo



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  14. This was interesting, a few years back I had a vicious email from a fellow blogger that I had exchanged gifts with (in a blog swap) in the past and thought was friendly. I don't really understand how I offended but found by reading between the lines of her blog that she had mental health issues and was struggling with depression and presume that's where she was at that time. It is hurtful, yes, but when you see how many lovely people enjoy blogging with one another, the bad apples are very few and far between.

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