Friday, April 24: For a moment, it seems there will be no diary entry on this Anzac morning. The Last Post is playing on radio as I sit to record yesterday’s events, and it seems to be the Last Rites for my computer mouse. No sign of life, no amount of rattling and gentle banging will revive it. My first inclination, always, with a technology/equipment problem is to panic. Or phone a son for advice, or Guy-next-door. Then I hear Richard’s voice in my head, from previous occasions: “Google it, Mum.” So Google tells me to take the mouse apart and clean it, or to try plugging it into a new port. I locate a Phillips screwdriver (thank you, Bill, for the handy little kit in my desk), take the back off the mouse, dig out the dust and there’s still nothing doing. Next the port swap. Like a miracle, we have lights, cursor, action.
This Friday, ahead of Anzac, is spent in glorious sunshine and in the afternoon I walk to the cenotaph and meet Denise for another distance catch up. I think we’re both in need of company. We spend ages sitting together/apart on the memorial steps, autumn leaves falling around us from the giant oaks. I was not quite 18 when I met Denise, who was newly engaged to Bill’s older brother Chris. We’ve shared a name, a friendship, and a family, for more than 50 years. Times like this, I value her more than ever.
On the walk home, I speak to a young woman and her son who are pinning handmade poppies onto their letterbox. They’ll be standing beside the letterbox at dawn tomorrow, she says. Another woman stops and asks where I got the poppy brooch I’m wearing. Her father was a returned serviceman, too, and in normal times she wears his medals at the dawn parade at the cenotaph. We share our fathers’ war stories. Could they have met in Egypt? Would we stop and talk to random people like this in normal times?
Shout out to Papamoa Paper Plus: There are two Papamoa birthdays coming up in our family, Campbell and Penny, and the staff at Papamoa Paper Plus make gift-buying easy in lockdown. Penny tells me her wish list, Ellen suggests I phone their local Paper Plus; they’re not open but they’re taking orders and will deliver next week in Level 3. Staff member Hayley Butler sorts out Penny’s list, emails me photos of some excellent suggestions and I pay online. Hayley says she’ll gift-wrap in pink paper and deliver ahead of Pen’s big day. An order is also placed for Campbell. It is wonderful personal service.
Food matters: I’m making Anzac biscuits this week, along with everyone else, and have deviated from the Edmonds cookbook favourites with this crispy recipe by Rachael Rosel, from startsat60.com I’m pleased to unearth an ancient container of golden syrup from the back of the pantry. I’m sure it doesn’t go off!
- Anzac Biscuits
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 125g butter
- 2 tbs golden syrup
- 1 tbs water
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Preheat oven at 175C. Grease or line a baking tray with baking paper. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar, rolled oats and coconut.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add golden syrup and water. Stir the bicarbonate of soda into the liquid mixture.
- Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Place walnut-sized balls of mixture on tray and bake for 15-20 minutes. Biscuits will harden when cool.
