Jacinda

Jacinda Ardern, the last prime minister of New Zealand, left office this week. Dressed in a ceremonial Maori cape of feathers, she spoke at her country's parliament in Wellington:- 

“You can be anxious, sensitive, kind, and wear your heart on your sleeve, you

 can be a mother or not, you can be an ex-Mormon or not, you can be 

a nerd, a crier, a hugger – you can be all of these things,” she said, 

tearfully. “And not only can you be here; you can lead. Just like me"

Still only forty two years old, Jacinda Ardern has led her country with steadfastness, compassion, intelligence and good grace. She has proved that leadership doesn't have to be about looking tough, denying the truth, getting angry, warring with your opponents. Leaders can lead with sensitivity and kindness as well as determination.

Maybe there are conservative New Zealanders who view her differently with their insider knowledge but from the outside, it seems to me that that faraway country has just lost a really special leader. She was a true champion of her people, looking them squarely in the eye and sharing in the ups and downs of their lives.

In March 2019, in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings, Jacinda Ardern reacted by rapidly introducing much stricter gun laws. There was little resistance in her nation and this is surely something that America could learn from. Guns kill people and it possible to change the laws that surround gun ownership.

She was also instrumental in protecting New Zealand from the worst of the COVID pandemic.

I wish that Great Britain had had a thoroughly decent prime minister like Jacinda Ardern these past six years. Instead we have had to suffer the likes of hapless David Cameron who blindly  paved the way to Brexit, Teresa May who only pretended to be "strong and stable",  the pompous clown known as Johnson to whom lies come as easily as breathing, crazy-eyed Liz Truss who must have learnt about economics on a desert island while under the influence or hallucinogenic drugs and Rishi Sunak who presides over a national cost of living crisis even as his questionable personal wealth mushrooms.

Yes. Jacinda Ardern proved that there could be a better way.

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Heart

 What is on your heart today?

Love you all

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Being Productive

 The apathy of yesterday’s hangover has got on my tits this morning.

I looked for a diversion and saw there was a play on this afternoon at Theatre Clwyd with the occasional tickets left. 

But I was good and gave myself a kick up the arse instead

The kitchen was feeling like a bomb site what with piles of papers, and other such detritus flung everywhere so I rolled up my sleeves and channelled my own inner Joan Crawford in order to take back control. 

Cleaning and organising are like dieting, it’s a control thing and I’m thinking that right now in our history, there couldn’t be a better time for us all to be taking control over as much as we can.

Roger has enjoyed the momentum as he has had the opportunity to look into the back of cupboards he’s only dreamed about raiding in the past.

Already I have found his secret stash in the garden where he has hidden, an out of date packet of pasta shells, a burnt wooden spoon, a vegetable bag and a sprouting onion .

A walking group have stopped by the corner of the lane and the leaders are spouting all sorts of information I gave them earlier in the week about the history of the cottage.

“ He has a lovely honeysuckle over the front door “ I heard one woman comment

But another butted in with a more pithy “ Yes but his windows are in need a good clean “,…cheeky cow

That’s  another thing on my list today.

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