tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post965046934403866744..comments2023-10-31T15:39:09.651+01:00Comments on box elder: Wrong kind of chocolate and other gripes, and talking my miserable ingrate self out of themLucyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-13039403011086945562015-12-03T00:25:31.200+01:002015-12-03T00:25:31.200+01:00Chocolate makers: not Rumpelstilskin but Rapunzel....Chocolate makers: not Rumpelstilskin but Rapunzel...not far wrong!Natalie d'Arbeloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757081405040926647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-68838223934086548782015-12-01T13:08:07.061+01:002015-12-01T13:08:07.061+01:00Pie shop in Golders Green? I don't think so. B...Pie shop in Golders Green? I don't think so. Bagels yes!! Yum.Fire Birdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13518190677399410354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-87150191722246297632015-12-01T08:03:26.169+01:002015-12-01T08:03:26.169+01:00Friend Richard, dead these last eighteen years fro...Friend Richard, dead these last eighteen years from hideous motor neurone disease, taught me the basics of what it is to love music and then took me off into all the nooks and crannies whereby music changes from being a luxury into a necessity. But at a price. Richard was frank even by West Riding standards.<br /><br />In insisting on the superiority of dark over milk chocolate he adopted a tone which I have noticed in other dark fans, an underlying belief that his preference was supported by a special morality: that dark is proof of an advanced form of adulthood, that dark - because of its bitterness - ceases to be an indulgence and becomes an expression of a higher order. And that milk is for those who lack moral fibre.<br /><br />For me chocolate's pleasures can be equated with those of, say, the hamburger, no more no less. And over the years I've had good reason to be thankful I arrived quite naturally at this judgment. Who would wish to connive with those in charge of advertising chocolate and who have taken note of its curious relationship with certain individuals, writing puffs which trade on hee-hee-hee "its wickedness". Go on, they say, you know want to. Uggh. As Horace said: <i>Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.</i>Roderick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16828395545197001637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-83446980078665314712015-12-01T02:14:04.901+01:002015-12-01T02:14:04.901+01:00Natalie's first paragraph had me giggling with...Natalie's first paragraph had me giggling with delight. <br /><br />And I luv ya, Lucy (said with swagger, with the American side of my German-American makeup). I hear ya!<br /><br />Schokolade ... in the 60-70% cacao range if there are hazelnuts or almonds involved. As I'm aging, the milk chocolate is often too sweet for me. Yikes. There, I've said it. You are younger at heart with your penchant for milk chocolate. Still luv ya!<br /><br />~ Smokey Swallow<br />Rouchswalwehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01393987883437907945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-76850007234751266152015-12-01T01:24:23.586+01:002015-12-01T01:24:23.586+01:00I absolutely genuinely and forever prefer dark cho...I absolutely genuinely and forever prefer dark chocolate and the best in the universe is in bar-form, made by a firm called Rumpelstilskin and the best of their many varieties is with grains of coffee added to the 80% darker than darkness edible ecstasy. Nothing milky can ever come close to that dark rapture.<br /><br />But oh Lucy, I do completely empathise with you concerning both the joys and the emmerdements of giving (volunteering, offering etc.)and receiving (not nearly enough or not appropriately enough considering the generous expenditure of self and other wonders). Yes I know exactly what you mean and indeed it's also important to appreciate the bounties that life provides us, if we're lucky.<br /><br />It doesn't look like you'll have time during your brief hop to London but in case you do (Golders Green isn't that far from me on the tube)it would be really lovely to see you both. Let me know if and when that might be possible but if not, I understand - no obligation! I wish you and Tom a safe and marvellous trip and look forward to your inimitable verbal and visual reports.Natalie d'Arbeloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07757081405040926647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-55799728267677221902015-11-30T16:17:29.660+01:002015-11-30T16:17:29.660+01:00It's a rare honesty to admit the trouble and s...It's a rare honesty to admit the trouble and stress that requests and obligations bring. Most of us are busy with the social pantomime. "Oh it was no trouble at all." I am good at saying no but sometimes miss my chance especially in unfamiliar circumstances when I don't see the request coming around the corner. But I love to say yes when it's something that's easy for me. The wonderful thing is that everyone and everyone's circumstances are different so the things that are easy for me are sometimes terribly daunting to others and vice versa. Nimblehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16426446791363667887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-54986705012408516832015-11-30T14:19:52.874+01:002015-11-30T14:19:52.874+01:00Dear Lucy,
"It all comes around in abundance...Dear Lucy,<br /><br />"It all comes around in abundance really." So true, but it doesn't come around evenly. I've dropped in every day and have so enjoyed the nablopomo posts - thanks for taking the time. And with regard to chocolate, I too prefer milk, but my son will eat all the 85% cacao I give him, and gradually, over the years, he has influenced me into enjoying dark as well. Abundance, I suppose. Safe travels to you and Tom.<br /><br />AlisonMailizhenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05436529384283869761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-21689630024953420732015-11-30T09:49:39.728+01:002015-11-30T09:49:39.728+01:00Milk choccos every time for me, Lucy!Milk choccos every time for me, Lucy!Avushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16512540148378201058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-77496510332169149272015-11-30T03:34:46.769+01:002015-11-30T03:34:46.769+01:00SWMBO and the BRD both prefer dark chocolate. Or p...SWMBO and the BRD both prefer dark chocolate. Or profess to. I generally prefer the milk, though I will eat dark if it's the only thing available. Actually, I just like chocolate and I'll scarf up whatever is available. Just watch me.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-63512500913294575732015-11-30T01:52:11.579+01:002015-11-30T01:52:11.579+01:00oddly enough i used to like dark chocolate as a ch...oddly enough i used to like dark chocolate as a child. i enjoyed it (though preferred milk) up to about a decade ago when suddenly, and for no good reason, the smell of dark chocolate started to make me feel ill. i can't even kiss mr. monkey after he's had some. and i will move away from friends who are indulging. even the very good stuff. milk, however, is delightful!<br /><br />i bitched and complained about a distant relative of mr. m's asking us to translate a ten page research paper on a topic that is foreign to us in either language. i was angry and thought her selfish - translation's not merely a question of speaking the two languages, especially not when technical terms are involved. it took us both 2 days to do it (mr. m insisted since he'd already said yes). <br /><br />i suppose i don't mind helping people up to a point, but when i myself ask for help, i try to make sure it's not an imposition, and am annoyed when others don't show similar consideration. still, the trick for the translation ended up being technology - throw the whole thing into google translate, then read through and change the silliness that inevitably pops up here and there. sped things up for sure. <br /><br />for the record, i am not a robot. <br />the polish chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09929281676865641560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-72781020621295376602015-11-29T23:31:07.503+01:002015-11-29T23:31:07.503+01:00Thanks!
Crow - in fact there are some instances w...Thanks!<br /><br />Crow - in fact there are some instances where I don't mind dark choc, round those nice little candied orange peel things, for example, which is odd because I'm not a great fan of candied peel normally, and there are one or two of these ones which are OK, including the lime ones and the raspberry ones. And I don't mind it round marzipan or caramel, or even on digestive biscuits, but I think in all these cases I'd just as soon have milk. In fact though, I'm slightly allergic to too much chocolate anyway, so it doesn't take many dark chocs at all to give me sweats, blocked sinuses and a headache, whereas I have to eat about a bar of the milk stuff to get the same result! <br /><br />Z - I think I'm often inclined to do that. Sometimes it's guilt about saying no, sometimes I just take the time to think about it and agree in a way that's more satisfactory to me, or just a better plan. I can seldom make good decisions under pressure. I don't have to deal with too many real bullies these days, but there are people, like the two women I refer to here, who can be bossy and/or overbearing and a bit demanding and insensitive. They're fine with a no, though usually, and don't get huffy or defensive with it, and I like and would call them friends. But it still worries me that I agree to things which turn out more problematic than I've foreseen, either because I've not liked to say no, or I've not assessed things well, or I've felt I should make an effort and stop being selfish and lazy, or whatever. And I've seen other people in situations where it's been said 'oh XYZ are so kind and helpful, they'll do anything for you' and it's just reeked of the kind of dysfunction and codependency I want nothing to do with.<br /><br />Sabine - yes, and I've had so much good fortune already, so many gifts. But things can be complicated. Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-6751546741807438412015-11-29T22:42:16.137+01:002015-11-29T22:42:16.137+01:00There you have it: The gift always returns.
Only ...There you have it: The gift always returns. <br />Only sometimes in a round about way, taking its time.Sabinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09015827501648296977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-21591339040238535062015-11-29T22:26:39.134+01:002015-11-29T22:26:39.134+01:00I will always leave you the milk chocolate.
My ...I will always leave you the milk chocolate. <br /><br />My reflex is to say 'no' , then think about it and talk myself around to yes, if I can. Certainly, I have fewer friends because of my defenses against potential bullies. The bullies get through, anyhow. <br /><br />Gifts from Aunt Peggy were never quite right, but they were always so wonderful. Never could read Water Babies, paint the complex paint-by-number set, nor wear the delicately knitted scarf in fine wool (still scratched.) I love that she thought so much of me to give me them anyway, which was the real gift. Zhoenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03515663141425057088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37070024.post-15244713560720356082015-11-29T21:33:58.095+01:002015-11-29T21:33:58.095+01:00Um...I like dark chocolate, but not the very bitte...Um...I like dark chocolate, but not the very bitter ones, unless they are flavored with things like orange or rum or coffee or mint or coconut, or any nuts, except peanuts and that nut from Hawaii, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Also like dark with raspberry or cherry. <br /><br />But I don't like dark chocolate to the exclusion of milk chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate with caramel and marzipan, but not with dark.<br /><br />Oh, let's face it - I like chocolates, period!<br /><br />Macadamia! That's it!The Crowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04846997590157958766noreply@blogger.com