recipes, happiness, thoughts for a sunday

This article by Liz Hunt about my book in today's Sunday Telegraph made me wake up faster than usual this bright, sunny Sunday morning.

Comments

[Diane Armstrong]

I haven't commented before, but I have read your blog daily for about 2 years or more.
Ignore this woman, she is obviously so jealous of your lifestyle, and talent. She is one of these who wants it all, work and a home and family life and she isn't happy with either. I, like you looked after my children and home full time for many years, and I wouldn't have swapped that for the world. Please don't let this woman spoil Sunday for you or your family. Now, the steam has stopped coming out my ears, I'm going back to lurking, good luck with the book, mines on order from Amazon.

[Sharyn]

Boy, she sounds a tad bitter! I love your blog and can't wait to get a copy of your book. I don't feel pressured at all by seeing "beautifully illustrated books and websites" - quite the opposite they provide constant inspiration and joy!

[Leah]

Icing a cupcake gives me joy, and eating it even more so. Where's Liz's joy?

[Katherine]

I found it really sad. The writer evidently doesn't 'get it' - it's not about perfectionism, or 'domestic porn' as she terms it. To me, your blog has always been about enjoying the simple pleasures of life, appreciating little moments of beauty within what can all too easily become the daily grind. My house is small, dark, cramped and chaotic, but I have two very young children, no cleaner and no desire to spend all of my days doing housework. It doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the colour and fragrance of the sweetpeas we've grown in the garden this year, or savour the delights of freshly baked apple cake. Your blog has been such an inspiration, it's really helped me to appreciate colour and beauty - it's about loving what you've got, doing the best with what you have, not beating yourself up for falling short of some ridiculous notion of perfection. Yes, it would be easy to look at your gorgeous pictures and be totally envious of your lifestyle, perhaps that's what has happened with the writer involved - there seems to be a lot of defensiveness in her tone! However, I prefer to anticipate a beautiful surge of colour with each new post, a little cosy treat to enjoy each day, and perhaps a little pep of inspiration to make my own life more colourful. I guess you can't please all of the folks all of the time, but those of us folks who love what you're doing would urge you to forget all about her and bake a cake; preferably cupcakes, with icing, for if there is really no time to ice a cupcake then life perhaps isn't worth living.

[Biscuitbear]

I guess if you become an author, that's one of the things you have to steel yourself for. I can imagine how unpleasant this article must be for you, but try not to mind it too much. Obviously this woman can't understand your book. For her icing a cupcake is not interesting ; it's a chore. So how can she relate to the pleasure a lot of us feel in doing things ourselves, by hand? My husband is a stay at home dad, and I'm very busy with my work. What keeps me sane is the time I can find to craft, crochet, knit, sew...Liz Hunt finds her pleasure in life in other things, and can't understand that other people are different from her, that's all.

[carlene]

I guess you are truly an author now, you've gotten your first snarky review, Get that poor woman a cupcake, stat!

[Jo]

I'll bet you a pound of home-pickled veg that Ms Hunt is at home right now, cup of tea and brownie to hand, drooling over each luscious, inspiring page in your book.

[Lin]

I was just going to say exactly what Katherines comment says! I just think that the author has missed the point of your book totally, and it is probably her job to write articles like that anyway. There will no doubt be many reviews, good and bad, everyone has their opinion, and everyone has a different take on life. Sometimes I feel a bit smug that people like us enjoy the small, homely things in life without having to spend large amounts on travel, career, gadgets and searching for pleasure in life. (I'd like to spend a large amount on yarn though!)

[sooz]

She really misses the point!

I was tempted to comment but I don't want to give her the pleasure of seeing she's gained attention so I thought I'd come here instead!

Some people will always find 'bad' in good *sigh*

Did she miss the 'doing it for enjoyment' ethic of your book??? Was she even reading the right book?

*sigh*

[eireann]

I understand what she is saying but the review doesn't allow the possibility that we can choose both, or either--that feminism is about exactly that choice, and not only one outcome. In that way it seems a little easy; of course you can criticize a book about the fulfillment and beauty of domesticity or traditional female occupations in this way; the question is, how else can it be framed and understood? What other possibilities than 'the author wants to send us back to the Stone Age' are there? Frankly, I want both my Ph.D. AND time to ice cupcakes; my solitary travel and independence AND a family, one day. Mutual exclusion doesn't come into play here.

Keep your chin up, Jane. We're with you. xo

[Pea]

Ouch! Seems to me that it's all down to choice, if we choose a high flying-working all hours career we can. If we choose life at home and that's what we love, then that's fine too. Surely we should be supporting all women and all the choices they make even when they're so different to what we are doing?

Anyway, I'm excited and can't wait to see the book.

[hazeljoy]

"...if i write something bitter and controversial, i might just get it published..."
she's a fool - maybe all those women who 'drop the balls' because of 'you and your ilk' (though i doubt these ball droppers exist) weren't capable of holding them anyway, or maybe the one that they wanted to hold onto the most was their high powered dullard career. hmmm ms hunt, what's that around your feet? ...dropped balls?

[Noo]

What a lot of nonsense (in the paper, of course). You - "proselytising", I don't think so. I sympathise entirely. I had the knitting group I set up mischaracterised in an article about the rise of the domestic arts (link below). The bit about cashmere shrugs gets me every time (not true!). The article culminates in the quote "If Jonny Wilkinson was at the door I don’t think these women would be too bothered about making fairy cakes do you?". Argh(!) (As it happens, I was at school with Jonny and I'd not let him interrupt me if I was lost in a cookie dough fug!).

Oh well, I have no doubt this article about your book will be an exception.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article554972.ece

[Sherpa]

Ouch! Such vitriol (seems to be her speciality from what I can gather) but then she was previously a columnist on the Daily Mail...

Guess you'll just have to struggle on without her as part of your readership :o)

Keep up the good work

[Jane]

My generation (I'm in my 50s) could be described as on the cusp - many became housewives and mothers in their late teens and early twenties whilst others embraced the new liberations of the career women. In some ways we could never be right - our mothers were fearful for our children if we worked even part-time, and our peers with heady incomes belittled our homemaking skills as trivial. Thank goodness we can now celebrate whatever role we choose. I have been all things in 30 odd years of marriage - a full-time mother, a full-time worker with a very demanding job and am now self-employed and work from home in partnership with my husband. No law says I must hoover or bake or knit and I'm certainly not cushioned by husband's income (I wish!): I make things because it gives me pleasure and I do the minimum to the house to make it a comfortable place to live. There are plenty of us out there who find time to ice a cupcake - we're also computer literate, well-read, thoughtful, and expert life-jugglers and we, hopefully, can admire others achievements without envy or malice.

[greta]

This *backlash* nonsense makes me SO sad. I'm hearing a lot of it, and it reminds me of the really mean girls in grade school....*oh, you MADE that? Can't you afford to BUY clothes?*
Jealous and petty.
HUGS and appreciation for your wonderful work.
Can't WAIT for the book!
xoxox

[littlejennywren]

Oh Jane . That's not nice on a Sunday morning.
I was talking to a journalist the other day who writes a features column and he said he tries to write something as controversial as possible so it generates lots of mail and he keeps his job.
I guess she is just doing her job - a quick scan of the book,some scathing comments and condescending views and on to the next job.
But how exciting to be reviewed by national papers. Well done.

[Maryjo]

I'm sorry -- I laughed heartily at the whole article. I feel it was definitely written "tongue in cheek" and actually was a total backhanded compliment to the book and in a very strange way, said that Jane was a lucky person.

I feel lucky anyway -- I'm sitting here on a Sunday having a grand time knitting a tea cosy from the pattern that Jane recommends on her blog here!

[Eva]

Well, I can imagine that the two little words "gentle" and "domesticity" already sufficed to wind her up. I haven't read your book yet, but from what I gather from your beautiful blog is exactly what already has been said in the comments: It's about enjoying the little everyday things, to take time out for yourself and make something YOU enjoy, or sharing time with your daughter baking, for instance. Also it's about a little fantasy, a small haven from everyday life, doing something as (as it seems) totally anachronistic as icing a cupcake! What's wrong with that? In my opinion the fact that the writer got so personal is reason enough for you not to think or worry too much about what she said. I guess the "d-word" got her thinking you sought to sell an ideology instead of sharing little treats. So she apparently saw red and stomped all over you without taking a closer look. What a pity! Please don't let her take you down! You could console yourself by icing some cupcakes! ;-) That'll cheer most people up in a hurry! ;-) :-) All the best!

[Maryjo]

sorry -- I really didn't explain why I thought the article was "funny."

Honestly, we've all seen this attitude before, and it's old. But one has to laugh at the author of the piece -- she obviously WAS interested in parts of the book, otherwise she wouldn't have commented on them.

And she also hasn't done her homework: Jane's book is one of many along these lines that is being published, so there must be a market for these things. Writing a book is WORK.

AND crafters and sewers -- do we need to go into what a billion dollar industry quilting etc is now?

Also -- guess what, there are male knitters/crafters that "work" AND like to come home and cook bake and knit and keep a nice house. It's all so tiresome that people can't enjoy life a little more!

I guess I was laughing at the article because I was laughing AT the author of the article! M

[Freefalling]

OOOOO - how did that make you feel?
What do you think of the point she tried to make?
Did you ever think you were responsible for all that?
I just think you have a really cool surname, Ms Brocket.

[Luisa]

Poor woman, that's all I can say. Doesn't one have the right to choose how one wants to live anymore! I support your choice 100%, Jane, even if I can't make it!

[Christine]

I've also not commented before on any blog but yours is one of the few i read almost daily, and it brightens my day when i check it at work! Some people just can't stand to see others happy and content. I agree with Katherine's comments. Your blog has made me look at the simple things in a different light,to look and enjoy what's good, instead of looking at the garden and thinking what a mess it is i can see the beautiful colours of the flowers, the different shades of green in the grass. Ignore this woman she's obviously jealous. Life is about choices and being happy with those you have made. Your blog shines with enthusiasm for life, regardless of our circumstances we should all strive for that.

[Clare]

Oh my God! I wanted to comment on the article on their site but I'm too wound up to find the words. If that's how she makes her living then I pity her. Is she intimidated by people with creativity and talent do you think? I for one will be buying your book rather than her newspaper.

[ambermoggie]

Sour grapes I'd say. I was so fired up I've stuck a comment on the telegraph website. I never do that:)
Have ordered your book Jane and it sounds a real delight if it is anything like your wonderful website
amber