We've been in this beautiful place for over a week now and it feels good. We are past having porridge and a bath at two or three am. We are settled. We have met the farmer, Matilda, who tends the sheep in the next field and can now identify the sheep called Licorice(!) And little Spring lady is perfecting her 'statues' approach to visiting the sheep so as not to frighten them away.
The first birthday, that so blessedly happened before illness really got hold of us, was lovely. We made a chocolate cake, that mostly worked. We explored the family farm, we had a wee picnic on the grass. We were wonderfully cared for by Uncle Tim and Tisha who had lovingly made sheep shaped cheese biscuits (featured in the last post), came home from work early, and had toys for each small person. There were a few gifts from her Mama and Dada including this little Baa, baa, black sheep and cards from some very thoughtful people (thank-you Aunty Shirley). The card Granny sent from Australia was one I had made as a 'template' kind of card when I was little. With the To.... and the From...left blank and 'Have a happy and great day!!!' as the note. How funny that as a child I made the card that my parents and siblings would give to my third child on her first birthday!
The rain that hung around for a few days has eased to showers and the sun is making the odd appearance.
And now the temperatures that were frighteningly high and not responding to medication are almost gone.
For these days at home in quiet I found activities to gently entertain tired bodies. I made play dough, we went outside and did colour mixing, and the pastels made things brighter.
I've shed a few tears in happy disbelief that we are actually here, doing all of this together.
And I knew exactly where I was and am still smiling at the good humoured sentiment my Aunt ended the phone call with in the midst of it all:
'KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON'
Oh, yes.
We really are here.
No comments:
Post a Comment