Dear Down to Earth blog

Dear Down to Earth blog

I've been writing you for a few years now and although you feel like a very close friend, you also keep me on my toes. You make me accountable to myself, you provide a space for me to express my thoughts and the record you provide of the life I'm living with Hanno has been very helpful.

Flowers from Jens and Cathy's garden bought over when they had morning tea with us last weekend.

Having been born in the 1940s, I'm pretty much old school but writing you has given me continuing opportunities to seek out the new, remember the old, and blend it all into our daily lives. You push me on to better things. I doubt I'd have looked into so many cleaners if it weren't for you. And bread, instead of just making it, you made me think about it and keep tweaking until I got it right. I make a really good orange cake now because of you. My old version was okay, but you pushed me to make it better; now my orange cake is a moist and delicious piece of homemade loveliness. So thank you, you should come round for tea one afternoon and try a slice. 

Blog, you really have been life changing for me. If it weren't for you I wouldn't have a book about to be published, I wouldn't be writing for the Women's Weekly and I wouldn't have a New York agent. Even writing that for you now makes me stop and think if it's really true. If I were following my life's pattern, I would be slowing down now, doing less and becoming invisible. You made me do the opposite. I'm busier than ever, becoming involved in a lot of interesting projects, and people I don't know say hello to me now. I'm not sure I like the recognition but I enjoy the new  opportunities to express myself creatively and to share information through you.

More beans picked for freezing. Photo by Hanno.

You've brought a lot of great people my way too and I want to thank you for that. I doubt I'd have met such an intertesting bunch otherwise. When I think about your readers and all the people who comment on you, the wonderful women who help run your forum and the 6000 members there, the writers and readers at the Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op, the staff at Penguin and the Women's Weekly, and all the people who come to the neighbourhood centre for workshops they hear about through you, well, it makes me grateful you whispered in my ear to start you all those years ago.

It makes me humble too.

Thank you for not requiring too much of me - just a few words tapped away on our mutual friend, the computer, most days keeps you happy and functioning. I appreciate that because even though I've grown to love you, the short time I spend with you allows me to do so many other things you've made possible. We make a great team. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely yours,

Rhonda x

PS: Thanks to everyone who left a comment yesterday. I'm fine now; I was not sick, just tired. There is a lot going on here, I had some extra writing work I had to do in a hurry, and I spent the past two days at the neighbourhood centre. Both days were busy and hot. It takes me a while to get used to the hot weather again every year, so on that first very hot day on Tuesday, it really knocked me over. A couple of good long sleeps has put me right and now I'm ready for anything. Thank you for your concern and kind words.

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