Solitary photowalk and farewell dinner

I woke up this morning wondering what I was going to do with myself all day, with no plans, engagements, or packing to do. I don't enjoy days that are wide open like that as they tend to drag! Nick took himself off on a long walk as he was wanting to do Lot's Wife's Ponds, a walk which I was not keen on. The boys and I left for town around 9.30, finding Nick along the way so we gave him a lift cross-country to White Gate. We did a bit of shopping in town then shared a toasted baguette at the coffee shop before heading up to the manse to drop some boxes off. Spent some time with Graeme and Hazel, then came home around 2.30 and watched an episode of Thunderbirds. Nick came home at about 4 pm after a long day of walking about. He got a bit lost, he says, and couldn't find the path to the ponds but had an excellent photographic walk around the area: In the evening we had supper at Gavin and Tammy with another family as well, who we have gotten to know and enjoy over the last couple of weeks – a very companionable evening!

1 week left

We wanted to spend a large part of the day with Graeme and Hazel today, so went to the manse in the morning. I had some errands to do in town and visited with a friend, leaving Nick and Graeme chatting church business. We took a picnic lunch to Rosemary Plain, delighting in showing Graeme and Hazel some new sights. Went back to the manse after lunch and chilled for a while before coming home. Read about the day from Hazel's perspective...

Nick in the chair

Nick had an extraction this morning – all that was left of the tooth anyway was a stump, but it needed to come out. He had the injection first then came back to the waiting room, and was called in a little later for the actual removal. It took literally about two minutes in the chair for that part! He wasn’t in too much pain so we called in at Graeme and Hazel and had a cup of tea, then went to Sally’s for lunch. We wondered if this was our last Sally’s take-away at Castle Gardens! We came home after lunch and Nick worked on his music, finalizing Tammy’s next album which she can now launch some time next year. I spring-cleaned the lounge, moving furniture around and getting it really neat. Did a quick vacuum of the rest of the house, then I tackled the boys’ clothes. I think I’m at the point now where if we were told that we were leaving the island tomorrow, I’d be ready. By about 4 pm I had finished with the packing and as much cleaning as I wanted to do, and then wondered what to do! I decided to make a batch of coconut ice as I have a whole packet of unfinished coconut. I guess it would have been cheaper just to get rid of the coconut, as I had to buy condensed milk and icing sugar to make it! But it was fun and it’s something extra to take for Christmas on Friday.
Meanwhile, "back at the ranch", things are hotting up for our arrival. My dear Popsie is becoming somewhat of a soup chef (or should that be sous chef since my Mom is still the boss of the kitchen), and this particular batch of soup will last in the fridge long enough for us to taste it! Plans are also underfoot for a welcome-home lunch, and there is a general sense of excitement about our homecoming.

Nearly packed up

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the packing now. I think I am about 99% done with the house. All that remains really is to sort the boys’ clothes, and for Nick to do his end of things in his office. It’s exciting to see the chaos giving way to order. Amy and the boys dropped by during the morning and while the boys watched a Thunderbirds episode, Amy and I had a chance to chat over tea. After lunch I took the boys to town; dropped them off at the swimming pool and then ran errands and did shopping. I ran into Pam in town who although is not really on school holidays as some kids still have classes, was only working a half day. After wandering around town for a while we went up to her place where I had a cup of water and a short sit-down. I was about to go to the manse to drop some things off and then head home, when I remembered that I should have had the boys with me! I was half an hour late in picking them up; what a shocking parent I am. At least I remembered before actually leaving town. In the afternoon Nick had a guitar lesson with Elizabeth so I chatted with Shanling and Elizabeth’s uncle who is on the island on holiday.

Schoolroom reopens

To God be the glory, great things He has done!! A fitting hymn for the opening of our schoolroom this afternoon as we gave thanks to God for His provision, enabling us to repair and refurbish the schoolroom for services again. It was a marvelous service; Nick made a short speech of thanks and acknowledgements which featured on the local news today (a very good thing, as many people and organizations were thanked for help and donations who were not at the service), and Graeme preached an excellent message about the gospel which essentially was the gospel. After the service we had a time of tea and fellowship, during which time Nick and I were called to the front for an official send-off. Vincent made a short farewell speech and then all the deacons gathered around Nick to lay hands on him and pray, followed by prayer for me and the boys. It was a very special time I think and many people were very touched and weepy, Nick and I included! After church, when the schoolroom had been tidied up and all the teacups packed away, we headed over to Pam’s place to wait until it was dark so we could do some night time town shots, since the ship was in overnight. I think Nick got some great pictures but I seemed to constantly have the wrong lens on!

Sane same Saturday

The weather has been gorgeous again today, although the mornings are starting off cool and cloudy. Afternoons are a good time to have washing hanging on the line! It’s been quite a blissfully usual Saturday except that we didn’t have Good News Club. Instead, we went to town around the same time and I dropped Nick off at the schoolroom so he could set up the Augustine Booktable, then continued on to the shops. We called in at Pam and Geoff as it wouldn’t have been the right kind of Saturday if we hadn’t seen them, and I went armed with rolls and ham in case we decided to stay for lunch. Just as well we didn’t renege on our usual lunch arrangement because Pam had bread out on the counter ready for in case we invited ourselves to stay! Bless her. Maddison was out with a friend so Geoff let the boys play a racing car game on his laptop, complete with external steering wheel and pedals. We came home around 3 pm, and Nick went straight out again to Tammy for what I think was their final recording session.

Supersonic, man!

The boys and I were selling goods in the market this morning; they didn’t sell a lot but made enough to buy themselves a new book on combat airplanes and things which apparently interests them – they have spent a lot of time poring over it together. We got home at almost 2 pm and Nick had just been fetched for a meeting in town. He phoned around 5 to ask me to collect him from the manse so off went the boys and I to town again. It was strange to spend the whole day apart from Nick! Steve and Maureen were also visiting; we had a cup of tea together and then came home (but too late for me to make the traditional Friday pizza!).

Movie, packing, dereliction and dinner

I didn’t go to town at all today which was really great after so many days spent in the schoolroom and in town generally. We started off the day, after a bit of packing, by watching “Monsters vs Aliens” with the boys which we all enjoyed. Then onto a bit more packing – the cupboards are drastically emptying now and I have packed all my kitchen goodies, leaving only the things that belong in the manse to work with. After lunch we met up with Jamie and Amy and the boys at Teutonic Hall where Nick and I were specifically wanting to photograph ‘dereliction’ following an article in Practical Photography. Didn’t really get what we were looking for though but had a good meander in and around the place, and then Nick and Jamie walked back to our place while Amy and the kids came straight here by car. It took the walkers an hour to get here. Nick just stopped in long enough for a cup of tea and then had to head off to a deacons’ meeting at 4.30. The others stayed for a while, with Jamie even playing a bit of tennis with the boys while Amy and I chatted. We ended up by having an impromptu supper back at their place across the road from Napoleon’s house, although the meal itself was not so impromptu as Amy had earlier put a chicken in the oven to roast. Mmmmm! Our NZ visa applications are now being processed in London but there is going to be a delay – they say that Nick needs to have a UK police clearance certificate as well which we didn’t think he would need. Had we known that it was necessary we would have applied ages ago! We can now only send off an application when the ship leaves on Monday.

2 weeks left :-(

The hours and hours of labour that have been poured into the schoolroom are really yielding dramatic results, and today it all pulled together as the pulpit, organ and piano were removed from the manse into the schoolroom, and the 100 news chairs were put into place. We hadn’t realized what a massive undertaking it was to unwrap all the chairs, and it took quite a few of us several hours to get it done! So, presenting our all-new post-rockfall schoolroom…ta-da!!

Nick had a dentist appointment during the afternoon at "tooth hurty" (2.30) (courtesy of the new Baptist Pastor who has a keen wit!).

Piccolo starts to empty

Another day in town – just as well we have so much to do in the schoolroom otherwise we might be hanging around at home with nothing to do! I had a few things to do in town before joining up with Nick in the schoolroom, and caught a Christmas parade by the Pillings Primary kids. In the late afternoon we met up with a clump of ex-pats at the docks to see off two Piccolo families who have left for their Christmas holidays, and another UK family who are leaving for good. I had to choke back a few tears, but I think I was putting myself at the docks two weeks and a day from now and imagining how awful it’s going to be when we’re the ones departing and saying goodbye.

Web connections

The weather was a bit of a surprise today following the weekend’s brilliant skies – in the afternoon it totally fogged over and rained. Got to take the good with the bad though. Had a low-key sort of day, as I’m guessing a lot of our days will be now prior to departure. We were in town early afternoon for some more work in the schoolroom, and I helped Hazel set up a blog – will be great to continue following the happenings and events of our island church! I’ll advertise her address when she is up and running, with her permission!

Go into all the world

It’s been a glorious day all day today – blue skies and sunny. Nick left home earlier than usual to pick up Graeme and Hazel to take them with him to the services at Knollcombes and Sandy Bay, and then brought them back here to have lunch with us. I made my standard ‘guest lasagna’ and we had a great afternoon together, enjoying getting to know the new pastoral couple before we leave the island. Graeme led all three services and Hazel shared her testimony, and then Nick preached his last message on the island in town last night, neatly wrapping up his Acts series and bringing in the ‘Acts 29’ perspective, that we are the ongoing church. The task of spreading the gospel has been passed like a baton from the apostles through the generations to us. 2,000 years after the Great Commission there are 6,647 unreached people groups out of a total 16,348 people groups in the world. That statistic, from the Joshua Project website makes me feel so sad. And of the people groups that have had the gospel, how many have rejected Christ? How many still reject Him, seeing no need of His work on the cross for salvation? Oh that the Lord would open their eyes and penetrate their hearts!

My baby is seven!

We had a long and busy day, so stay with me…the first thing to happen was that Aaron found his birthday present at 6 am and couldn’t wait to open it. Nick and I managed to keep our eyes open long enough to capture and experience the moment of Aaron unwrapping his junior-sized nylong-string guitar, then drifted back to sleep until 7. After our usual prayer meeting on the golf course we got ready to go to the Good News Club Christmas party which happened at the pool this year. Poor Caleb was sorely vexed not to be allowed in the pool, and I must say that the water looked exceptionally inviting. The kids had a great time. We left around 11, popped in at Pam and Geoff (what’s a Saturday without a visit there?). Had coffee, then went up to the schoolroom to see the progress and say hello to all present, in this case Steve, Maureen, Teddy, Vincent and Vilma. The floor has now been completely painted and I do believe that Steve is neeeeeearly finished with the kitchenette. Maureen resurrected the hymn-number board which apparently had three inches of dust on it (a slight exaggeration perhaps, Steve??), which will go up on the front wall. We can only continue to praise God for His provision for the rebuilding and refurbishing of the schoolroom. Home around 1pm, then got things ready for Aaron’s birthday party. Our guests arrived around 2.30, and the kids dispersed around Piccolo while the parents chatted. It was alright I think, exceptionally low-key and informal. By 5 pm Nick was wanting to go for a snorkel with Graeme who had arrived on his motorbike during the afternoon (what, the Baptist Minister on a motorbike?). Nick did a fabulous job of putting the house back in order so we were ready to go in no time once Aaron’s party had wound down. Pam, Geoff and Maddy met up with Graeme, Hazel and us at the docks, and while the swimmers swam, the remaining five of us hung around the steps and enjoyed a beautiful sunset – it’s not often that the sun has a clear path into the sea without being obscured by cloud. Pam invited us for tea at her place, courtesy of Get Carter’s pizza. While we waited for it to arrive there was a movie on the go, and Graeme and Hazel got to see how things happen at Pam’s place. They’re not quite at the point of making their own tea and coffee yet, but a few more weeks will get them there! We got home around 9 pm, thoroughly exhausted but glad that the day went well. Thank you Lord for the beautiful weather today!

10 years on

On the occasion of our 10th wedding anniversary, Nick and I were up early…with a wheezing boy. I had to rush Caleb to the hospital at 7 am to be nebulized (I could have unpacked our nebulizer but I was out of meds). What a way to celebrate a decade of marriage. We had plans for the evening but had to cancel them. Not that I blame Caleb in any way of course, but it would have been fun to at least go on a date or something. Ah well – life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans!

Filing

Spent the day largely reorganizing bits and bytes, transferring data to an external HDD (I accidentally ordered an internal one which we can’t use – anyone in the market for a 500GB drive? Had to repurchase an external one at a much higher price locally). During the evening I looked after Tom and Milly while Clare and Rob were at a farewell – happily they all watched Thunderbirds quite successfully!

3 weeks left

Nick had a dental appointment this morning at 10.30; the boys and I dropped him off then went to the docks to collect some things we had ordered. We had a bit of a misunderstanding about meeting up again so missed each other, but eventually we all reassembled in the schoolroom where Nick did some poly-filling of the schoolroom floor which it badly needs before a coat of paint; Steve continued with the finishing touches of the kitchenette with Maureen’s help, and the boys tucked into some grapes fresh off Monday’s ship. This will be the last fresh produce the island gets this year. During the afternoon our brand new chairs were delivered from the docks. We have long been trying to order these and it’s been a bit of a stress both for us and for the supplier in Durban and the shipping agent in the Cape, all the more because we really wanted to get them here ready for use at the induction service on 13 December. There are 100 chairs; after the service we will distribute 50 of them among the three country chapels and leave the other half in town. This will certainly make church a more comfortable experience!

Ho, ho, ho

In preparation for the Good News Club Christmas party coming up on Saturday, I bought presents for 25 children. In past years the presents have magically appeared courtesy of Enid, but she has been off her feet due to a heifer accident earlier in the year (recovering well now), so the lot fell to me. I now know what a difficult task this is – my hat off to Enid for Christmasses passed! It took all afternoon to wrap them but I am satisfied that a pile of 25 presents is ready and waiting…