Lynn {heart} varnish

Although we said we weren’t going to be moving back into the manse, we do seem to have taken up semi-permanent residence there…today we spent another happy afternoon in our former abode. Nick and Caleb continued with the painting they started yesterday, and Aaron read while I varnished. I lightly sanded some of the stairs which had paint blobs and concrete spatters, then vacuumed and wiped them down again. The varnishing job was extremely satisfying – even with just one coat they look fresh and new. Varnish is my new favourite thing. In the evening we babysat Angus and Louis at their house – they were already sleeping (or close to it) when we arrived so all we had to do was be there.

Junior painters

I’m fairly sure that this will be the last time I mention the moles…the dressings had to come off today so before school Nick sat me down with plasters, cotton wool and Betadyne. The boys watched in a combination of amusement and horror as their mother again produced an Oscar-deserving performance of hysterics, although justifiably this time as two of the wounds had started healing into their coverings. Caleb took photos of the obviously entertaining expressions I was wearing. Anyway, after the ordeal I am more comfortable with the less cumbersome dressings, and all seems to be well. The afternoon saw us at the manse again with paint and paintbrushes, to touch up some rockfall damage and general wear in the back yard. Steve and Maureen divided their time between the manse and the schoolroom, putting in a shower rail over the bath and doing the edgings in the kitchenette.

5 weeks to go

The boys were hoping that yesterday’s battle scars would prevent me from doing school but since it was my arms that were affected and not my voice box, I was happy to continue! We finished before 11.30, and Aaron volunteered to walk to the shop to get the bread so I didn’t have to go anywhere. (He had a hidden agenda in wanting to buy sweets from the shop). I packed a box and then cleaned the house quickly. I was just getting ready to pack another box when Sharon and Nate arrived, along with Sharon’s nephew Ryan. Sharon had come primarily for a GIMP demonstration but we had a good time together just chatting generally as well. Elizabeth arrived for a guitar lesson while Sharon was here and Nate was mesmerized by the music. Nick had to change the dressing on one of my wounds this morning because the second-skin waterproof stuff was peeling off and it was getting annoying. I was terribly squeamish about the whole business and didn’t even want to look at the hole in my arm…how can a grown woman make such a performance over such a silly matter as applying disinfectant ointment??

Holey moley

After school we didn’t have much to do at home (I thought I had used all available boxes so couldn’t do any more packing), so we headed off to town. Steve and Maureen were busy in the manse with the bathroom floor which is now looking very smart with a new flooring of cream-coloured vinyl (aka vanilla linoleum – try saying that a few times). Shortly before 2.30 Nick took me up to the hospital and then ran the boys down to the pool. I didn’t have a long wait before seeing the doctor who did my mole removals. On the first one he gave me a local anaesthetic and then started cutting almost immediately. I told him I could feel it but he assured me I would feel some sensation. The sensation was rapidly becoming that of pain though and I cried! What a baby. It was really sore though. For the next one he gave me a higher dose of anaesthetic but it was still painful, so he kept upping the dose until the fourth mole was almost painless – still not entirely numb though. I was trembling by the time he was through, but thankfully the whole process was so quick. I had arranged with Nick that he fetch me at 3.30, but I was finished by 3.10 so decided just to walk down the road to the manse. Felt a bit conspicuous with four huge bandages adorning my iodine-stained arms and by the time I got home they were really hurting. Nick was just about ready to leave but just needed to help Trevor and Steve a bit with the bell, which they can now ring using a rope from inside the chapel again – so that’s all done. We collected the boys from the pool and came home. The boys have been very helpful and concerned – Aaron opened the car door and Caleb offered to help me put my jersey on when I was feeling chilly. So sweet. Nick made me tea and then organized supper of smoked chicken on baguettes, and then washed up afterwards. Being incapacitated definitely has its benefits! The mole holes weren’t stitched – just dressed and now they must heal on their own. Not sure what kind of scars that will leave but who cares.

More of the usual

Today was school as normal, and we’re into our second last week. The boys are pleased that we will finish all the work on or before next Friday, so will not need to use any of the two extra weeks of padding in December that I built into the schedule to catch up on any missed work. Things will get pretty exciting when our school holidays begin next Friday afternoon as Graeme and Hazel arrive the next Monday (two weeks hence), and then it’s just three weeks after that until we leave, with a lot to happen in between!
Took a quick trip to town so I could say goodbye to a friend leaving on the ship, and because Nick wanted to do some cleaning up in the back yard, specifically the washing line area which was hit in the rockfall. He took down one of the cross beams (the ceiling where the boys had their tree house had already been dismantled), and rewired some of the electrical works. The boys meanwhile had been amusing themselves in the school yard where they have discovered a huge hole…Arnold, who had been renting a small part of the school yard for his garage for many years, had furnished it with a mechanics pit, partially covered over and with metal rungs forming a ladder. It made an ideal HQ for the boys, especially when they found some cast-off Perspex sheeting which made the rest of the roof. We didn’t really stay in town for long, and were home early enough for me to finish with the section of packing I had started earlier.

Don't look down

Did the usual at-home stuff this morning, and the boys helped me make lunch consisting of boiled eggs, crumbed fried chicken strips (my own recipe), sliced tinned pineapple, baked beans, sweetcorn, potato salad, and fresh tomato for Nick and me. In the afternoon the boys went outside to play but came in a while later, upset over an incident with one of the girls who lives nearby involving some unusually aggressive behaviour with a touch of physical assault thrown in. Caleb is usually quite contained and unemotional, so when the tears started spilling over during his retelling of the incident our parental hackles rose and Nick went out straight away to sort it out with her. She ran away but was suitably scared not to try it again (I hope). Sometimes other kids just need to see that the smaller or apparently defenseless kids have a champion. Neither boy was really hurt, just shaken. Anyway, Caleb didn’t want to go back outside to play straight away and it was getting to the time of day where the joy of being at home wears thin, so we got in the car and drove, ending up parked near the top of Ladder Hill. We climbed over a wall to get into a place I’ve never seen containing some lovely old cannon and structures. There was a terrifying and dizzying drop all around, not cordoned off at all, but thankfully the boys stayed far away from any edges. I was scared for my own safety just sitting cautiously at the edge where I could look down to see several Arctic Terns swooping and circling far, far below us. The boys found some underground tunnels which were also historically interesting, to think that in bygone days these had been used by soldiers guarding the island. We took a long time exploring the area, then finally left around 5.30, getting home just in time for the boys to have a quick bath and sandwich before going to church. Nick is pushing to finish his Acts series, so he tackled a long section of three chapters which did not contain a lot of doctrine, but he wove in a strong gospel message with an urgent call to ‘make right’ with God. It was very good.

Rocks away

Another Saturday, another workparty…Steve and Maureen continued their worthy efforts with the kitchenette; Nick, Nick, Iona and a few GNC kids carted rubble from behind the church and the backyard of the manse out to a waiting PW&SD truck; Teddy and Trevor carried on in the bell tower, and Anya and I, with some help from Caleb and Aaron, focused our efforts on the study in the manse – the last room to be tackled. With just over two weeks until Graeme and Hazel arrive, things are coming together fabulously. We called in at Pam and Geoff when we had finished with the day’s work at around 3 pm, vegging there until we came home for a late supper.

Beach ramble

Nick took us to “the place where shoes go to die” – a little bay a short walking distance along the beach from James’ Bay. It’s the most curious thing – the current washes up old shoes here and just a tiny bit of other rubbish. There were probably well over a hundred bits of footwear scattered around in all sizes and styles. I noted that it’s more of a shoe-afterlife though and less of a burial ground as it seems to be mostly just the “soles” that wash up. The boys had a great scavenger hunt for interesting shells and sea-urchin skeletons while Nick and I took photos of the rockpools and formations. Interesting to see this green seaweed growing in a rockpool.

Ding dong merrily on high

A night or two before coming to the island in 2005 we watched a home video made by our predecessor. In it was featured a man ringing the church bell who later become known to us as Teddy, one of the deacons, but who always stuck in our minds as the bell-ringer. Well, it was over two and a half years ago that Teddy was ringing the bell one Sunday night when the rope providentially came away in his hands, sparking an investigation into the general state of the bell which revealed that its cast iron supports were so corroded after 100 years of holding the heavy bell in place that it was a wonder the whole structure hadn’t fallen right through the roof. Teddy took it upon himself to remake the supports, and after many months of labour and discussions about different options, the old bell was heard ringing up and down the valley this afternoon for the first time. It was a grand and glorious moment of triumph. While Nick was up in the bell tower helping with the reinstallation, the boys and I were in the manse – they paged through National Geographics to entertain themselves while I found more bits to clean. All in all, a highly successful afternoon. We also had a brief meander through town in search of a new pair of sunglasses for me to replace my misplaced ones, but when we enquired at a certain shop whether they sold said items, the lady said she had found mine and had passed them along to someone to give to me. Careless of me to leave them in the changeroom, but a reminder of one of the things we will miss about the island!





(These last two - vegetable delivery to Thorpes. Just look at all that local produce!)

Six weeks to go

Yes, that is really six weeks until we leave the island. Our ticket has been paid for so I guess it’s officially official. Still feels like it’s months away though – our lives seem to be going on in the usual routines and at the same pace.
With much pleading and cajoling I managed to get the boys outside for a photo-shoot, with a specific goal in mind. Caleb, the mini-Nick, usually tells me I have one shot and that’s that, but today he complied once he knew what I was aiming at and I managed to get at least five decent pics of him. Was just packing away the tripod when I heard movement in the bush. My South African instincts whispered caution but four years of island-living squished any apprehension about what might be lurking…and I discovered a few very innocent goats having a nibble in the grass around their tethering ropes. I find goats generally to be quite photogenic, and this dear chap courteously lay down in the grass and posed, statue-like, after giving me the hugest yawn.

Portrait practice

Sharon, Nigel and baby Nate were the subjects of a photo shoot today, requested by them. I was more than happy to oblige and we spent a good half hour together in different locations around their house. Nate was all smiles and entirely co-operative; what a pleasure.

Board game bedlam

Caleb designed a board game this morning during breaks in school which he inflicted upon Aaron during lunch. It seemed to involve a lot of complicated maneuvering and adding up of points, losing turns and general confusion, and I do confess that more fun was had by Caleb than by Aaron. Still, we applaud Caleb’s creativity and engineering. The afternoon saw us in town again, primarily for Nick to assist Steve with the kitchenette assembly. Aaron and I left Caleb helping in there and went to collect post and I was thrilled not to peer into an empty postbox…three issues of my long-awaited subscription to Practical Photography had arrived. Thanks again Pam for a fabulous birthday present! Disappointingly the October issue features a large article on nude photography, so that one received a drastic crop with my craft knife as well as further duct tape censorship.

Eating, walking and swimming

Today’s fancy Sunday lunch was a chicken roast complete with lard-roasted potatoes, gravy, rice and mixed veggies. I helped Aaron make pudding and we were quite stuffed by the end of the meal (and I don’t want to receive any comments on the subject of gluttony – I assure you we are not overstepping!). Not much time to wallow in the post-meal haze as we had an arrangement to meet Amy and Jamie and the boys at the George Benjamin Arboretum for a short walk. It was very pleasant as always in the shady woods with huge trees and so on. The boys all enjoyed clambering over several fallen trees to the side. The walk was only about an hour long, whereafter we went to town to see if the Garnetts were available for a swim. Only Maddy was as Geoff was playing football and Pam had lesson prep to do. We took Maddy to Ruperts and I even swam although the water was very cold and I didn’t stay in long. We also didn’t have much visibility as the water around the coastline seemed quite choppy with a lot of air bubbles. Still, it was good to be in the ocean again.

The Big 4-0 and thoughts on onions

Geoff turned 40 today. I guess we should have figured this out for ourselves since we knew in the back of our minds that he has been 39 up until now, and that Pam mentioned last weekend that it was Geoff’s birthday this Saturday, but we forgot to make the connection. There was no party or celebration planned, but we hung around for lunch and birthday cake after Good News Club which we actually cancelled because so few kids arrived. I had a load of washing going though so we needed to hover around the manse area, so we chatted with Steve and Maureen who were working on the kitchenette in the schoolroom. The whole schoolroom has been painted now, a creamy colour (I think it’s called Magnolia) and is already looking a whole lot better. Most of the building rubble and junk has been removed although there remains the scaffolding and a few other bits and pieces, but it will be ready for the official and grand reopening which will also coincide with the induction service of the incoming pastor.And I don’t know of any other country in the world where onions make great gifts. It’s not a weird cultural thing; it’s simply a matter of practicality. If someone gives you an onion when there is a shortage and you’ve just used up the last of your spring onions, and this is following a conversation in which shortages were discussed, you know that it is more than just the sharing of produce. It is a token of care and empathy – even an affirmation of friendship!

Town meander

I sold jewellery in the Market, although only sold ₤20…I was hoping sales would pick up prior to Christmas but perhaps people aren’t thinking in that direction yet. My next opportunity will be on 28 November when there will be a cruise ship in. Nick did school with the boys while I was out. During the afternoon we all went back to town together; the boys had a swim while Nick and I meandered along Ladder Hill Road and the mountain although the sky was grey and didn’t really lend itself to photography. While we were walking back up the road to fetch the car we passed Pam and Geoff who were coming home from school, so once we had retrieved the rather chilly boys from the pool we popped in for a cup of coffee. Didn’t linger long though as we had an evening supper arrangement with one of our neighbours, wherein much pizza was eaten and great conversation enjoyed.

My bright-eyed boys

During the midst of a productive afternoon of scrapping (and despite earlier fears, I have not forgotten how to do it or lost my love of this hobby despite a pause in it for a month or two), I went out to the fields behind Piccolo to try get some B&W shots but the sky was a dismal grey and then it started drizzling. I heard Aaron shouting as loud as he could for me and thought perhaps there was some sort of emergency but no, he was just looking for me. Once he knew where I was it got a lot quieter. He played around in the mud a bit, overturning a plank which revealed a colony of grey woodlice. Very exciting. The boys went off to Beavers at 4.40 or so, and then Nick was off to bible study at around 5. When the boys got home from their meeting at about 6.20 I gave them a sandwich then they got ready for bed. It was around then that I realized I didn’t have any suitable photos for the day, so I tried to get a good one of the two of them but Caleb was not really in a modelling mood and wanted to get back to his reading. Aaron, however, was the very paragon of co-operation as he posed for me, helping me try out some different lighting.

7 weeks to go

The boys have been watching the original 1965 Thunderbirds series, on loan from Pam – for those of you who are not familiar with the series (by the time I was watching it as a young girl they were already reruns), it is set in 2065 on a secret island base. The Tracy family runs an International Rescue organization whose mission is to aid humanity – it’s essentially a superhero series but without the supernatural powers. The heroes have air and sea craft and high-tech gadgets and so on. Anyway, the reason I am blogging about this is that it occurs to me that the Tracy family are positive male role models, in an age where the media presents men as weak, foolish, thoughtless and generally stupid. This is not a good example for our boys to follow. The Thunderbirds, on the other hand, was written and produced in an era where men were allowed to be men – the characters in the series are intelligent, courageous and brave, self-sacrificing and even co-exist in a strong family unit, with the widower father and adult brothers all being part of the rescue team. The females in the series are feminine and although they are strong characters also, they serve in supportive roles. And who doesn’t enjoy scripting like “golly fellers” and “what the heck are we to do?”. Go Thunderbirds – it’s F.A.B. We are now the proud users of a home-based washing machine again. The replacement was to be delivered while we were in town, so we gave the driver our house key and let him get on with it. One of the things I love about St Helena!

Sugarloaf, oh honey honey

My DH took himself off for a walk this afternoon, this time to Sugarloaf, one of St Helena’s many peaks. The last time he went on a solo walk he was mapping out his own path along cliff faces and precipices and said it was quite hairy, but this one, he assured me, was quite safe. When he wasn’t home by 5.30 I started to worry, as he normally leaves here at 5.45 for his first Tuesday bible study so I was sure something had gone awry. I went across to Clare and Rob with a very twitchy face, nigh unto tears, to borrow Rob for a rescue mission. He had no sooner left than our Fiesta, dusty but intact, came driving home bearing a sheepish-looking driver with no broken bones or bruises to claim as the excuse for the lateness of the hour – the walk had simply taken longer than Nick had anticipated! It yielded some great landscape shots though. I felt foolish at having initiated a search-and-rescue operation, but with no cellphones, what’s a girl to do? Thanks anyway, Rob!

Swimming lessons

Since I have a headache I will just give a brief summary of today: We had school. After lunch we took some family photos in Longwood Gardens (aka Napoleon’s House). Then we went to town to do a load of washing and Nick took the boys swimming in the pool to teach them some breathing technique and strokes. The End.

Youngest adherent

First Sunday of the month means a combined service which was at Head o’Wain today. We spent the morning doing bits and pieces at home, then left at about 1.30 for church. The service was fairly well attended and led by Vincent, with he and Vilma playing their guitar and piano accordion respectively. After the service there was a very short time of fellowship...pictured here is Nate, who quietly sat through the service with just the odd squeaks. We delivered our two extra passengers back home and got to Piccolo just in time for the cake part of Arthur’s second birthday party which had been going on during the afternoon.