Reaction, Escape and Death.

Now that the year is now about to start Summer (in the southern hemisphere), I look forward to a year of slightly less media drama – from the fires in Australia and California of almost three years ago, we have been bombarded by tragedy ever since – economic woes with all the lock-downs from Covid, floods, volcanic actions around the globe, Covid, riots, Covid, tornado destruction and death.

There’ been no escape.

No wonder we are all tired of it. I think that is the normal reaction of being continuously told what to do. And did I mention Covid (lol) – honestly – we all have to learn to live with it – we can’t continue living with fear.

***

Kids

“Do you like poetry?” Danny asked his friend.

Kevin screwed up his nose. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Well,” Danny said. “My Mum can recite all sorts of funny ones.”

“Poetry isn’t funny,” Kevin smirked.

Danny recited, straight-faced – “The boy stood on the burning deck

picking his nose like mad

rolling it up in little balls

and flicking it at his Dad. – that’s poetry.”

Kevin laughed. “That’s gross!”

Danny lifted his nose in the air and boasted. “Mum can also recite ‘The owl and the pussy-cat went to sea.’ and she says she can still remember a title of a poem, even tho’ she’s forgot the poem.”

Kevin looked down at the ground and wriggled his toes.

“What title?”

Danny scrunched up his face in concentration. “I think it was ‘Fireforefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell’ – it was about a cat, she said.”

“That’s silly,” Kevin flicked a piece of grass at a ant to see if it would be able to lift it, or walk around it. “Poetry is supposed to be serious – you know – Shakespeare and stuff.”

“Who?” Danny asked.

“Apparently he wrote things a long time ago – and MY Mum says, it was hard to understand, and anyway, everyone died in his stories.”

Danny nodded. “I wonder if they’ll teach us that sort of stuff when we get to school?”

“Who knows!” Kevin answered. “I’m not looking forward to starting school!”

Danny shook his head. “I am. You get to make new friends all the time, and play, and draw, and Mum says you learn lots, too.”

Kevin looked at Danny as if he had grown two heads.

“Yeah! Right!” he said, then got up, kicked the sand, stood on the ant and began to run towards the sea.

“Come on. Let’s go and have a swim.”

***

Mum’s Old-fashioned Lemon Curd:

200ml lemon juice

4 large eggs

500g sugar

250g butter or margarine.

Beat eggs and sugar in a basin till light colour.
Add juice and beat again.
Add butter, cut into small chunks.
Put basin over a saucepan of boiling water and heat, stirring all the time (approx 15mins) until thick. (Use a wooden spoon).
Put into hot sterilized jars and put lids on immediately. Makes about 2-3 jars.

***

With all the doom and gloom in the world, let us all try and follow the dream of success – whatever that means to you. It doesn’t necessarily mean wealth and notoriety – although it might – but being happy can mean a lot of different things to different people. Whatever is your ‘happy place’, I hope you strive towards it and achieve the result you are looking for.

My picture books for children talk about reaching a goal, and my booklet about starting a business may help the adults to pursue their dream, too. All these books are available form me – the children’s books for AU$18 and the booklet for AU$8 plus postage. Feel free to contact me on maureenlarter@gmail.com if you have any inquiries.