I have no photos to show for the weekend that was but, goodness me, it was full.
The much anticipated Friends arrived on Friday evening and, with the fire burning beautifully, we all enjoyed the opening game of the Rugby World Cup. I've been a rugby girlfriend/wife/Mama for the best part of 18 years... since Lib, Michelle and I sat on the sideline of a game in Germany and admired the Zimbabwean's rugby thighs, whilst working our way through a jar of Nutella and videoing a rather attractive Dutchman running laps around the field. O Sorry. Anyway.... the World Cup is much more exciting for me now, with the whole family getting in to it. The three boys watch it, and my job is to record the scores.
It was a delight to have Lenka, Jules and some of the little Lala's at our house for the weekend. We all enjoy the laughter, the stories, the sun on our top deck in the morning with tea, cookbooks and newspapers, the drum kit etc. etc.
I dragged myself from my sunny spot on the lounge at one point to go for a wee. Hmmm... that's strange: toilet not flushing. [I'm sharing my intimate thoughts with you.] O dear! Taps not working either! Must be the pump.
Quite a bit of mumble-grumbling followed, with the Zimbo's head under the house as he tried to establish why the trusty water pump wasn't working. Eventually he headed up the backyard to see what was going on at the water tanks... only to find that O NO! We had NO water! It was a reality check moment: the tanks had been sucked dry by our clothes washing (approx. 12 loads in my new washing machine last week), lazily long showers, excessive children's baths.
Luckily, our island has an impressive system of water pipes for an emergency (bush-fire) water supply (another community initiative, just like the island chook coop co-op, but on a much grander scale) and within 24 hours we were able to hook up to that and replenish our tanks with about 37 000L over 10 hours.
I feel as though we've cheated.
I salute the people who are responsible for creating, and maintaining, that emergency water supply, and I've learned two things:
The much anticipated Friends arrived on Friday evening and, with the fire burning beautifully, we all enjoyed the opening game of the Rugby World Cup. I've been a rugby girlfriend/wife/Mama for the best part of 18 years... since Lib, Michelle and I sat on the sideline of a game in Germany and admired the Zimbabwean's rugby thighs, whilst working our way through a jar of Nutella and videoing a rather attractive Dutchman running laps around the field. O Sorry. Anyway.... the World Cup is much more exciting for me now, with the whole family getting in to it. The three boys watch it, and my job is to record the scores.
It was a delight to have Lenka, Jules and some of the little Lala's at our house for the weekend. We all enjoy the laughter, the stories, the sun on our top deck in the morning with tea, cookbooks and newspapers, the drum kit etc. etc.
I dragged myself from my sunny spot on the lounge at one point to go for a wee. Hmmm... that's strange: toilet not flushing. [I'm sharing my intimate thoughts with you.] O dear! Taps not working either! Must be the pump.
Quite a bit of mumble-grumbling followed, with the Zimbo's head under the house as he tried to establish why the trusty water pump wasn't working. Eventually he headed up the backyard to see what was going on at the water tanks... only to find that O NO! We had NO water! It was a reality check moment: the tanks had been sucked dry by our clothes washing (approx. 12 loads in my new washing machine last week), lazily long showers, excessive children's baths.
Luckily, our island has an impressive system of water pipes for an emergency (bush-fire) water supply (another community initiative, just like the island chook coop co-op, but on a much grander scale) and within 24 hours we were able to hook up to that and replenish our tanks with about 37 000L over 10 hours.
I feel as though we've cheated.
I salute the people who are responsible for creating, and maintaining, that emergency water supply, and I've learned two things:
- Be mindful. It can end. (so relevant to O so many things)
- Keep one tank full and use the second for daily water use, in case of bush-fire. Bush-fire day would not be a good day for anything to end.
Our weekend concluded with a(nother) communal dinner and a very close (!) Springbok v Wales rugby game. The Bokke just scraped in and we all collapsed in a tired heap. Though exhausted, we had a full and happy weekend.
PS.. I really do have to mention that I caught Jules in the act of torturing his child. It was 10pm and poor little Wombat-Seal-Tom just needed to crawl into his sleeping bag and have a sleep. But no. Jules insisted on Tom standing up and singing "I love Jonny Jonny Jonny Wilkinson" or some such lullaby. I hope Tom remembers when I'm old and grey, that I saved his life that night.
Am sure I witnessed Jules age 10 yrs whilst he watched his beloved roses
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