Yesterday
It was a proud Nana moment again yesterday, when Willow received another certificate at her prizegiving, this time for enviro and enquiry. We were told that the certificates were awarded to students who showed the most growth in each of the topics, while a single student received the over-all prize. I did write about this last year and the delight of the students as they saw their parents and grandparents amongst the visitors. There were eight or nine prize winners in each class so a large number of students who would have gone home feeling proud of themselves.
We were treated to a beautiful lunch afterwards, which included a lovely mutton roast, cooked by Genevieve the night before. I don’t usually do this, but I asked Genevieve how much the roast had cost – a staggering $69. I rarely buy mutton and that is for a number of reasons. Firstly, coming from a sheep farm, that was my staple meal, and in the shearing gangs and as part of the job my ex, Paul had, we were given muttons regularly. My children would often supply me with it also, so I guess it is the principle, one doesn’t buy that meat. I am still given plenty of wild pork, fish and beef, though the mutton is a much rarer commodity these days. Of all the meats, I always found mutton the easiest to eat on a regular basis. But it is obviously the cost that has shortened its supply. I am told that shearing gangs are not provided with sheep anymore as they once were. When I was the cook in the gang, I was given a whole mutton each day, and I used it, roasting, casseroling, stuffing, making chow meins, anything I could do for variety, to feed the hungry shearers. When we were living in the Hokianga and Paul managing a large sheep and beef block, muttons were made available to the locals for a mere $20 each.
I don’t know what it would cost to buy a whole sheep these days. The last one Stephen bought was about $70 or $80 but judging by the price of Genevieve’s roast, I would have to guess that it would be pretty high.
I am pleased for the farmers that they are finally getting a decent price for their meat as the costs and work involved in running them is huge, yet at the same time, I feel for shoppers trying to provide nice meals for their families.
There is nothing as nice as a lamb roast, accompanied by new potatoes, mint sauce and fresh vegetables. Yet how many people get to enjoy that meal these days? I feel so fortunate that I was served this luxury item yesterday. Thank you Genevieve.