We all have days when we get out on the wrong side of the bed. That’s the saying, isn’t it? Well, this past Saturday was one of my worst – talk about me being sulky! I couldn’t place my finger on what particularly made me grumpy that sunny, Saturday morning – it’s just how I was, and I was letting everyone in the house (i.e. my loving husband) know about it. The frustration from the prior week’s donut hunting didn’t help, with the thought of having to find and eat a donut becoming a chore. That’s never a good sign, if I’m not even in the mood to eat a donut – well something must be seriously wrong.
With a few coffees on board – which, for the record didn’t take the edge off but made me even more snappy – I grumpily rolled out of the driveway and onto South Road to head to Becks Bakehouse. My hair was an unbrushed mess, my makeup from the day before was smudged under my eyes, I was wearing a jumper with a stain on it, and I’m sure the lack of deodorant didn’t help with my smell. I had yet to smile all morning and the traffic down South Road, with a large, fancy sedan cutting me off, didn’t help. Parallel parking led to a parade of horns behind me as I had multiple unsuccessful attempts to wedge my car into a parking space down Winston Avenue. Knowing my luck, I was also pretty certain the bakery would be either shut or out of donuts – it was that kind of day.
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The bakery was open, its doorway’s thick plastic sheets blowing in the wind. It’s an interesting bakery which takes on the aesthetic of a general store with large flour sacks stacked by the front door, and a small but well-stocked counter of baked and fried goods. To my delight they had a generous selection of donuts available, with different icings and patterns – perhaps things were looking up.
One of the girls behind the counter got to me quickly. Despite my unkempt appearance, she gave me the biggest smile in the world. She was so bright, enthusiastic and chipper, I couldn’t help but feel my grumpy facade cracking. Going through my general enquires about the donuts (they are all made fresh in the back of the store) she eagerly accepted our Holey Grail business card. I’ve never seen someone so excited at the prospect of a donut blog, I was quite taken aback! Quickly her happiness, friendliness and eagerness brought a smile to my own face.
For the first time all morning I felt the glow of the sun on my skin as I nearly skipped out of the bakery. How infectious joy can be! And with that, I went home and shared some deep-fried joy with loved ones. It was a great Saturday after all.
