Country break

The boys and I went with Nick to Knollcombes after lunch, where Nick was scheduled to await the delivery of 40 concrete blocks. We were there at 1.20; the truck was supposed to arrive between 1.30 and 2. By 2.30 the truck had not come and so we left. It turned out to be a beautiful day though so we (well, me) were more than happy just to be outside and not at home. I wandered around taking photos; the boys climbed trees and threw pinecones and catkins about, and Nick walked around examining various parts of the property and then just sat waiting. Back home I decided to amuse myself during the afternoon by cleaning the house, although I got side-tracked and only spring-cleaned our bedroom. While I was busy the boys were tidying up in their room and then vacuumed by themselves without any prompting from me. I think they enjoy vacuuming. I also got them both to help me hang up the washing this morning (sun at last – the washing was dry by 3pm!), and occasionally I ask either one to wash up the few breakfast dishes. It’s wonderful that they are able and (usually) willing to help.

Trapped!

While in the courtyard hanging up washing, a mouse scurried across my path, trying to get away from the three cats trying to catch it. I grabbed the camera and waited while the cats played with the poor little thing some more. Male cat eventually claimed it as his own and carried it to the grass for further terrorisation. He had no problem with me getting really close to him and his prey! The mouse eventually got away (I confess that I helped a little).

But which is the real me?

I was up at 6 this morning and drove to Millenium Forest to take some sunrise photos – it was a lovely morning although just one thing was missing – sun! It came through the clouds for about five minutes. I had a bit of fun with a double exposure though, which sort of sums up how I’m feeling at the moment – trying to wait patiently on the Lord and be content in all circumstances, but the sinful nature wars with me! The rest of the morning was somewhat dull, and not helped at all by the grey skies and fog. The boys had a birthday party in the afternoon at Cleugh’s Plain which Clare kindly drove them to, along with Tom and Milly, and then we fetched them a bit later, staying for about half an hour. Wow, lots of kids running about, and the weather had forced a move of the jumping castle into the house – fortunately it’s tiled so withstood the dirt, and was big enough to accommodate the whole thing! Church was excellent and it was wonderful to be encouraged and refreshed from the scriptures.

Pumpkins for Piccolo

Nick harvested a large crop of our pumpkins this morning, which he distributed amongst the neighbours. We just kept one. There will be more coming – there’s no way we would be able to use all of them, even if we liked pumpkins!

The birds and bees and some weeds

I popped in to see Clare during our tenzees break, to see how she’s doing now that her parents have left and Rob is away. DT was visiting too, and I had taken my cup of coffee along for the walk. It was good to visit and gave me a nice break from school. When I got home Nick had nearly finished the science pages with the boys, as I had asked him to do that bit – he’s helping with school on Fridays where possible. Actually I was most grateful for the timing, as it was a section on human reproduction best left to the father! In the afternoon I got some more necklaces and earrings made, and then made pizza for supper. I took a walk outside during the late afternoon while the sun was setting (the regular Friday pizza complete with pineapple was in the oven so I had the timer in my pocket).

Mizzley farewell

Today was almost an exclusively at-home day again, but we were able to meet up with Jan-Hendrik and Chrizette at the docks to bid them farewell. We left Longwood in the rain, and were surprised to see that it seemed to be island-wide with a strong drizzle in town. We sat and chatted with JH and C at the Coffee Shop until about 4.50, when we were starting to get cold. Their embarkation was between 4 and 5, so it was time for them to get going too. My PotD would have been of the newly-weds, but Chrizette suggested that she take one of us for me to use instead – so here it is, the first PotD not taken by me or Nick.

Spoeg net 'n bietjie

We met up with Jan-Hendrik and Chrizette at Castle Gardens for a planned picnic lunch, whereafter we drove down to the landing steps for a swim. The weather wasn’t all that great, overcast and just bordering on a drizzle, but we all snorkelled anyway. Chrizette is a certified scuba diver, and as such was full of helpful tips – such as spitting in one’s goggles before swimming and then giving them a cursory rinse, which prevents them from fogging up – and this really works! We all got as far as the wreck together, but then Nick had to turn back to take the boys, who were getting cold and tired, back to shore. The rest of us three explored the wreck right to its other end which was quite a distance to swim, but it was really remarkable to see. We could hold on to the part that sticks out of the water which I think is the steering column, which was covered in coral and shells and floaty things. Many fish to see out there – I was concerned that perhaps the pipe fish, who were swimming just below the surface of the water, might want to swim into me, but of course they have internal mechanisms which prevent them from bumping into things – they scattered amazingly quickly when I got close! After the swim we headed over to JH and C’s flat in town for some coffee. I was really cold and my fingers were numb in parts which was a bit weird.

Suited up for fencing

Today I beaded…and beaded…and beaded. I devoted the entire afternoon to it, in fact, only going outside once to photograph the boys. I didn’t even have to cook as we had left-over tuna curry from Sunday for supper. The boys were out all afternoon playing in Piccolo, or simply being outside with each other. They had taken up sword-fighting with sticks at one point, so I encouraged them to don face masks for safety – Aaron took me up on the suggestion. Caleb thought it would look silly so he rather wore a big jacket which gave him all-over protection except the bit that needed it most – his face! When Aaron saw the photo of him he asked that I don’t put it on the blog because he’s concerned that people will laugh, but he was okay for me to use it as the photo of the day…so here is a different one which he’s approved!

Souper

There’s reason to celebrate when I can boast a pantry and fridge which contain all of the following, in random order: chicken breast fillets, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, mince, fish, milk, pineapple, pumpkin, chocolate, apples, pears and raisins. It’s been a long time since I’ve had both potatoes and onions together – all of last week I wafted in my cooking, finding it difficult to make a proper meal. I bought fresh fruit and veg on Friday, and potatoes from Clare yesterday. Tonight’s supper was therefore a very special and celebratory soup... and I used the first of our pumpkins which had just been waiting for the arrival of fresh produce on the island for its coming-out. Mmmm, tasty!

Happy

My mothers’ day started off with lots of whispering, increasing to whining and shouting, as Aaron tried to rouse Caleb so they could make cards for me. A little last minute, yes, but understandable with a wedding the day before. Nick made tea for me and wrote a letter, and the boys came in with their cards, and I was given a pair of fluffy white slippers. After the cards the boys scuttled off to prepare breakfast…oh, it’s wonderful that as they get older, their mothers’ day efforts are more personal and sweeter…they came in carrying a tray between them laden with honey puffs floating in lots of milk, an apple and accompanying knife, and a milo bar. Then they sat with me while I ate. That was a very special start to the day! The rest of the day was very chilled, and after Nick got back from church we spent the afternoon at home, except for a short trip to the playground where Nick particularly wanted to try some tracking shots with a slow shutter. It’s a work in progress, but this is one of the best shots of the afternoon’s hundred or so.

Mr and Mrs

Wedding day…I just love weddings, and to sit in on the bride’s preparations was a real honour for me. Since Chrizette didn’t bring any friends or relatives with her, I stood in on the morning. We all got to town at 8; Jan Hendrik took Nick and the boys out for breakfast at the consulate then they disappeared to Longwood to get ready while Chrizette and I stayed at their flat in town where I learned heaps about make-up! It was a super morning of chatting and girly stuff. Chrizette made a truly stunning bride, and photographing her was easy; I had exclusive photographic access as the official photographer was only on duty from the chapel onwards. We stopped at the top of Ladder Hill for a few pics, then again en-route to Sandy Bay where the scenery was so beautiful…I was frustrated with my inexperience and couldn’t get the settings right for the exposure etc, but overall I was satisfied with my attempts (let’s hope the bride is too). We arrived at the chapel 15 minutes late which was just bordering beyond the fashionably late line into the concerningly tardy territory, but all was well. The ceremony was lovely – there were no hitches and the register was successfully signed! They had a small reception at Anne’s Place in Castle Gardens which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Preparations

Apparently it’s not flower season on the island – at least, not white flower season. Nick and I drove around looking for flowers for the wedding but there was not a single arum lily in bloom. The best we could find were orange lilies of some kind, but fortunately the bridal couple made a better plan for the bouquet, finding a spider-lily from Castle Gardens – one stem had several blooms on it in a lovely subtle colour. The rehearsal in the evening was very quick. Nick likes to run over the order of events so the couple knows what to expect, and what to answer in response to the “Do you” and “Will you” questions. Good thing the bride was awake because she noticed that Nick would have omitted the signing of the register!

Construction 101

In the late afternoon the boys went outside and found Tom and his grandad sawing branches for a treehouse. Tom’s grandad taught design mechanics or something like that (I should have been paying better attention when he told me what exactly it was instead of wondering which white balance settings to use) after retiring from the navy, so teaching the boys how to properly handle tools is right up his alley. Caleb and Aaron both found themselves under his tutelage for a short while. This pic of Aaron is so typical - ever the clown. Recently he’s decided that affection is good after all, so now I am showered with kisses and hugs after a long moratorium on kissing.

Wharf buzz

We were out of here at 7.40 this morning to get to the docks by 8, which was really much too early for a 7 am arrival. The passengers didn’t disembark until about 9.15, I think, and even so we had to wait until just before 10 for our people to come off. Part of the reason for the delayed disembarkation was that every passenger and crew member had to have a quick medical examination by Dr Bloem before they would be allowed ashore – a Swine Flu precaution. Everyone was healthy though and there was no need for a quarantine. What would happen if someone were infected, we wondered? Would they be allowed to disembark and be whisked straight off to hospital, or would they simply have to remain on board and sail the seas until they were cured? Also in harbour, along with the RMS and the other scattering of smaller boats which I always think of as litter on the clean blue expanse, was the Europa sailing ship – here’s more about it from the tourism newsletter: “...a well known Tall Ship that has covered many miles and is often known as the ‘Ocean Wanderer’. She has a professional crew of 14 people and can take 48 trainees of all ages and nationalities. Europa is a steel-hulled barque from the Netherlands, originally built in 1911, as a light vessel at the H.C. Stülcken und Sohn Shipyard in Hamburg Germany. Europa cruises worldwide and accepts paying voyage crew (trainees) for short or long trip segments, including Ocean crossings, STA races and annual voyages to Antarctica, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Cape Town.” Okay, so that was pure trivia, but I have to throw in facts occasionally. Jocelyn was also waiting at the docks for her mom to arrive – I love being privy to family reunions and the excitement of the ship’s arrival. Our people were on the last boatload to come ashore. They are a South African couple who Nick will be marrying on Saturday at the Sandy Bay chapel. We had not met them before although had had e-mail contact, so didn’t really know who we were looking for, but it’s not quite like at the arrivals terminal of a busy international airport…one simply has to pick out the likely looking ex-pats and then see if anyone else is meeting them! So, here are Jan-Hendrik and Chrizette. We met up with them again late afternoon to go over some wedding arrangements, and had a most friendly and interesting visit with them. Looking forward to the wedding rehearsal on Friday night.

Mom's helpers

The boys tried their hand at ironing this afternoon. The ironing board is at chest height for Aaron so he gave up pretty quickly, but Caleb managed to successfully iron at least two shirts before tiring of it. I figure I’d better get them used to the idea that they’ll be ironing their own clothes as a rule not too many years from now! Nick and Aaron took a quick walk to the Longwood store while I was making supper. I love this photo by Nick – I feel motion sick if I look at it too long.

It's just the school voice

We started school this morning after our marvelous two-week break…and it was great! True, I raised my voice a few times, but what would twittering sweetly in the presence of two rambunctious boys do? A time and place for everything. In the afternoon I had to go to town for a few things, and snapped this pic at Castle Gardens of the water fountain.

Joining a Royal Fleet

Remember the naval ship I mentioned on Thursday? They allow civilians on for tours, and so it was that we were at the docks at 8.45 for the official tour of the RFA Gold Rover. We had to wait for the Gannet Three to be able to pull alongside the landing steps as there was such a huge swell, but once the water was a bit calmer we all donned lifejackets and enjoyed the ten minute trip out to the ship. The Gold Rover is a RAS ship, which means Replenishment-At-Sea – its main function is to replenish Royal Navy warships with fuel, lubricants, fresh water and refrigerated stores. We had a very interesting tour of the ship, which is a relatively small one in the British fleet – we saw the bridge, the officer’s lounge and mess, the refueling area and the flight deck where helicopters can also replenish supplies. The boys had a few questions to ask – Caleb’s request to fire off a large gun was turned down, but at least he tried! The tour lasted just under an hour, and then it was time to suit up again for the trip back to land. We marveled at the wonderful opportunities we’ve had and the things we’ve seen on the island. We had a combined service at Knollcombes during the afternoon (good timing, otherwise we couldn’t have done the ship tour). The church was quite empty which was a pity because Nick preached an excellent message on Paul in Corinth from Acts 18, drawing in a few applications for us all which were very relevant. After church we just came home and scattered in various directions – the boys outside, Nick to the computer and me to bed for a snooze.

Seven destinations

To cut a long day short, here’s a summary: Left home just after 9 for town: Popped in at Jocelyn before Good News Club, then had a bit of shopping to do before heading out to the St Paul’s area for the St Paul’s Middle School Fun Day, where I had been invited to sell jewellery. Spent nearly three hours there (Nick and the boys were a bit on the bored side). Left there just before 3, stopped at Pam’s house for a while so I could make a pudding. Nick left for Tammy as they had a band practice; Pam, Geoff, Maddy, the boys and I walked the short distance to the Jamestown Community Centre for Clare’s 40th birthday party. Kids played skittles, grown-ups chatted, all ate supper, ate pudding, grown-ups played skittles. Got home at about 8.40 after being away from the house for nearly 12 hours – almost unheard of for us island-dwellers!

Door duty

While it was a quiet day for the boys and me, Nick was in and out and quite busy. He joined up with some other men at the Sandy Bay chapel to fit a brand new door, to replace the ancient and weathered one which was looking well past its day. They got the door on, but it will need to be sealed in with cement. I worked on a necklace to replace one which I sold on Tuesday – it was one which I had made for myself but I was wearing it on the day just in case someone wanted to buy it, and someone did – for $35! Nick came home around lunch time, and then was off again in the afternoon for his prison service and a band practice. He was home for supper (a delicious pizza, complete with pineapple AND tomato!) and then dashed off. The boys were playing outside mostly with Sappho. It drizzled during the afternoon but I had brought in the washing by then which had miraculously dried.

Thursday's things

We’ve nearly finished with our school holiday. I must say that it’s really been a good one. I’ve had a break from the boys as they’ve been outdoors almost all day, every day, so I haven’t heard much bickering or needed to sort out brotherly squabbles. I’ve also been able to chill out, read camera magazines, do some casual beading when I’ve felt like it, a bit of scrapping – it’s been relaxing. I think I’ll be ready for the next term, which is 7 weeks. Of course Nick will be going to Ascension halfway through the term, so that will be tough – but we’ll get through. Today I met up with Elza, Maureen and Pam at the coffee shop. Elza and I had to move to an adjacent table to get the shade, but Maureen and Pam seemed to find plenty to chat about, and Elza and I caught up on scrapping and photography. A naval ship is in the harbour, and some white-uniformed crew came into the coffee shop while we were there. Our cameras were on the ready..three out of the four of us were aiming lenses at the flattered party, who even gave us a posed salute! After an hour at the shop, we dispersed. I went to Elza’s house briefly to see her latest scrapping and to look at a few other things, and then popped on at the hospital to see new Arabelle – Jocelyn had her c-section this morning. I had assured her that the pain after a c-section was minimal and well controlled with pain medication, but when I arrived she was nearly in tears with pain. The baby is lovely though – looking very new born! The room was quite dark and I didn’t want to use the flash, so didn’t get a photo.