Cheese and car trouble

Thorpes unpacked their cheese today, after a long cheese shortage. My mission for this morning was therefore to stock up on cheese (while I still can, before the cheese runs out again because everyone buys up products after a shortage, in case it runs out again, which of course causes it to do just that!), and buy brown rice, which I heard was available at Rose and Crown. I also popped in at Victoria’s for a fruit hunt, and was thrilled to buy about seven or eight small, red, firm tomatoes, two grapefruit, and three oranges, two of which Aaron ate today. He is very excited about having grapefruit at breakfast time, as am I! Elza came knocking on the door later in the morning, very frustrated at what the ship didn’t bring for her which it was supposed to bring. We had a good long chat about all sorts, and got on to the topic of witnessing, and being useful, as I am burdened by my lack of spiritual activity on the island. I don’t really see many people, and have little opportunity for ministry. I’m praying about what the Lord wants me to do! She encouraged me to renew my efforts at bringing God into any conversation, no matter how small the comment. After talking for some time, I had to get to town for bread, so urged her to come with me and buy cheese too. There are a few parking bays in a certain spot in town, mostly for taxis, but with a few public places. There was a spot there, but I told Elza that I always get parked in when I park there. Anyway, I parked there, and we went to Spar for bread (only about four loaves left, none of them sliced, as the bread slicer is now out of order), then to Thorpes for cheese. When we got back, true as bob, I had been parked in. I couldn’t believe it. I thought I might be able to just squeeze past the offending car, because it wasn’t directly in front of me, but after a few attempts I was just not going to brave it. We decided to rectify the situation ourselves though, instead of waiting around, so Elza opened the door, got in the driver’s seat, let off the handbrake, while I gently nudged the bumper with my knee to get it rolling back. This worked admirably, and soon enough we were on our way home. We laughed at the thought of this act appearing in the news – the Senior Medical Officer’s Wife and the Baptist Minister’s Wife doing this dastardly deed! Nick helped me get lunch together – he diligently sliced the loaf of bread, while I sliced cheese, tomato and onion for snackwiches. Nick had his under the grill, and the boys just had cheese snackwiches. Yummy!! Wonderful having cheese AND tomatoes again.

During the morning the rusks had been in the oven again, after having to change the empty gas bottle. I eventually switched the oven off at about 2 pm, I think…and have a successful batch of rusks!