By Popular Request

Okay so one person asked for it, but with my limited audience that merits the 'popular request' tag so... here is the perfect Honey Joy recipe. It has been handed down from generation to generation ( although it's probably on the back of the cornflakes packet) so treat it with care, treasure it, enjoy the end product BUT don't make them too often or they just won't be special anymore!

Honey Joys

3oz butter
3oz sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
3 cups cornflakes
1 Tablespoon coconut

Combine cornflakes and coconut in a large bowl. Put butter, sugar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil 8 minutes then add to the conflakes/coconut. Mix thoroughly, but be careful not to crush the cornflakes too much. Spoon into paper cup cake holders. If you are being really fancy you can decorate with coloured sprinkles (or for those in Australia who have, by some bizarre feat managed to never taste honey joys, sprinkle with 100's and 1000's) .

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Big thankyous to those who left comments, you made me feel not quite so alone - except the self-proclaimed Protea King. You know who you are and you also know that you spoke to Hubby far longer than I spoke to your beautiful wife on the phone this evening!

Speaking of which, we had a lovely chat with the former Across-The-Roads tonight. It was so great to chat with them and catch up on their news. Offspring #1 loved talking to their kids who he used to see at least once every single day. He talks about them constantly and it makes me so sad that by making this move we took him away from R and J, especially J who is roughly the same age and adored by Offspring #1. On days that Offspring # 1 is not travelling so well all I hear is "I miss J, when can we see him again" and I'm afraid that telling him we'll see them all at Christmas doesn't do much to ease the pain for him or the guilt for me. It's all very well telling myself he's 4 and he'll get over it but a Mummy's guilt is a powerful force. It really doesn't help that in the list of The Top 5 Things I Miss the very same people are high on the list.

People in this town just aren't neighbourly like they are/were at home. We lived in a quiet street, with slightly-larger-than-average blocks on the outskirts of the metro area and all waved to the neighbours, said hi as they wandered past the front gate and chatted with them over the fence. The Across-The-Roads and the Next-Doors were the same age as us and our kids all fitted in together age-wise. It was great to be able to pass a kid over the fence for half and hour, or yell out that the kettle was boiling and did anyone want coffee, or run across and borrow whatever you needed. These people were such an important part of our everyday life and that interaction is what I miss so much. Our new neighbours are... interesting. On one side are a young couple with a couple of kids, lots of yelling and a number of late night Friday drinks with friends. Unfortunately their entertaining area is right next to our front door and sometimes it sounds like they are about to come through the door. Meanwhile, across the road are a very young couple with even more yelling, a baby, several car wrecks littering the yard and, as of this week a lounge suite, in their carport. They seem to prefer sitting in the carport to using their lounge-room or even the back patio. Of course, I realise this is not helped by living on an average sized suburban block for the first time in several years. But I have to say, as much as I miss neighbourly interaction, I don't think I'll be inviting any of this lot in for a cuppa anytime soon.

Question of the day: Are your friendly with your neighbours? Do you want to be?