September 2020

How to look friendly behind a face mask?

I touched on the subject in the last issue. But one month on and more experience my thoughts on the subject have changed.

It is lovely to see all the brightly coloured and sometimes humorous masks that people have donned. Especially our friendly customers waiting patiently outside the farm shop.

Reading the signs behind the mask was brought home when I was in hospital last week having a total hip replacement. I might have been able to cycle 75miles but could hardly get my leg through the dropped cross=bar. If I hit a pothole or extra bump the agony was so much that a few times I ungracefully toppled off my bike or my trip ended up as a fall. All too boring to chronicle but of course in Hospital everyone uniformly had a large white mask on that seemed to cover half the face. This is now true uniformly in Supermarkets, cafes and pubs.

Lying up and doing a few forays into Blandford and having to wear a mask all day in the shop I am now acutely aware of how body language now plays a part in our interaction.

Yet whether it was the surgeon, anaesthetists, nurse, kitchen staff, pub or shop owners. The minute they walk into the room I can feel their personality. . The way they walk/talk and move says a lot. One of the kitchen staff made me feel as if I was in the Ritz. The way they checked my table was clear, I could reach everything and even poured out my tea. Had a smile to the voice, things were done quickly but not in haste.

Even before masks, a stomp to the foot fall, the door opened with a bang and things plonked down. Would make me smile and think, why are they in the service/hospitality industry. No smile to the voice It made me realize, as we can't see peoples faces we have to make more effort that the rest of our body language says the right things. It also shows how much we rely on seeing people's lips move as part of understanding what people are saying. The elderly and hard of hearing must be having many confusing conversations because I am!.

The first thing I yearned for when out of hospital was really fresh fruit and veg. So french beans, oven chips and a minute steak went down well, along with one sweet corn cob a day boiled for 2mins and drizzled with butter. The plums straight from the tree have yielded well this year. Lovely. We should be having sweet corn for another month and its such a quick meal. The savoy cabbage and swede are now on the menu.

I hope Phil and I give off the right vibes behind our masks.

Apple Days at Gold Hill Organic Farm

Sat 26 Sept 10-4pm

Sun 27 Sept 10 -4pm

Book your 1/2hr time slot at goldhillorganicfarm@gmail.com

Bring your own sterilized glass bottles and we will pasteurize the juice for you.

50p/bottle