Meet Calvin

Forgive my soppiness about our pets, but this is going to be a "pet post". Because our Clawd has been so "lost" since Missy's death, we decided to try and get another kitten. Last week Graeme saw a family of cats (3 adults and a few kittens) being delivered to the vet. The adults were put to sleep, but they were trying to get homes for the kittens. So Graeme phoned the vet, and found that there was one kitten left. He has named him "Calvin". He is about 5 weeks old, and not as pretty as Missy was, (he has a tail that looks like a lizard's) but he has already crept into my heart.


The Half Tree Hollow Bible study resumed again tonight, and Arthur was encouraged by the participation.

Sad

After posting my entry on my blog, I went to have a nap. I woke up to find a lovely second hand kitchen table installed in the kitchen - one that can seat more than 2 people comfortably. It was delivered (in a rather poor condition) while I was asleep. Graeme cleaned and "doctored" it as a surprise for me. Muchly appreciated.



At about 10.00pm there was a knock on the door. The neighboors told me that they thought our kitten was on their front step, and it "wasn't moving". Our darling little Missy had been run over by a car. She was already stiff. The other cat, Clawd, seems quite at a loss. The 2 of them had become mates, and were often seen in a tree together, or just romping, or grooming each other.

Unhealthy week

I had a relapse of what I thought was a really bad bout of flu, starting on Monday night. By Thursday, Graeme insisted that I go back to the doctor. Blood tests and an xray showed that I actually had a bad bout of bronchial pneumonia. I am now taking HUGE doses of a cocktail of antibiotics, and feel that I am finally on the mend. There is always so much work to catch up after a bout of illness, though. I have to learn to pace myself.

All the Bible studies and group meetings are back in full swing from this week onwards. Thankfully, Arthur is sleeping back at home again.

Boys' sleep over

5 boys came to the sleep over. While Arthur tried to teach them a new game, I was busy cooking spaghetti in the kitchen. When it was cooked, I called them to collect their plates and go outside where they were to eat it without knives or forks. The boys wandered into the kitchen and stared at the plates with spaghetti and a tomato/onion/bacon sauce on it. One brave boy asked me "what is that stuff on the pasta?".... 4 out of the 5 boys asked for spaghetti without anything on it! They then happily went and ate it without the help of "instruments".


For breakfast, I had made bran/fruit muffins. When I looked at the table, there were 4 abandoned plates, each with a muffin that had had a single tiny bite taken out of it. One boy was bravely wading through his muffin, picking out all the fruit....


It was a calmer sleep over than last year, but still difficult for the adult on duty (Arthur) who had to try and get them to go to sleep as close to midnight as possible.

Pickles

Graeme and I visited Ethel and Harold Clingham, and were given a bag full of small red onions. 2 hours of tearful peeling and a few minutes of heating vinegar and spices, ensured that we have pickled onions for a while to come.

Graeme no regularly makes a bucket full of "diabetic friendly" ginger beer - based on the recipe my dad used to use.

Well again

With much gratefulness, I woke feeling like a human again. Truly He gives to all "life and breath and everything else". I went to work, and was alert the whole day. Praise the Lord.

Although it was 2 days after Graeme's birthday, I booked a table for us at The Consulate's restaurant for a fancy dinner - prawns, sirloin steak and veggies, baked apple pie and ice cream, coffee. Most yummy, and rather expensive. Graeme enjoyed receiving the outing we usually have on a birthday or anniversary. (I suspect that he thought that I was just going to forget about his birthday this year, after the way I ignored him on his actual birthday)

Arthur is spending a lot of his time working on assignments for his O levels. He has received encouraging feedback from his teachers. But things will get hectic from next week when the schools reopen, and all our Bible studies and meetings resume their routines again.

Retreat & Girls' Sleep-over

Our Church leadership (and one or 2 others) met from 8am this morning until 1pm for prayer and planning for the coming year. We agreed to focus more on prayer - especially to find a prayer 'buddy' and pray regularly for the extension of God's kingdom on the Island, as well as the 'pulling down of strongholds' on the Island.

In the evening 6 girls came to the manse for their sleep-over. I was grateful that they were a 'calmer' group than last time. We watched a DVD, ate pop corn, I chatted a bit with the girls about choices they make in their lives, then made necklaces and scooby doos, then watched another DVD, chatted, and ate more pop corn. Finally, when it was way past time to go to sleep, I started getting the shivers, then a raging head ache, and a fever. I thanked the Lord that they were such an easy group. At 6am, I got up from the sofa that I had been sleeping on in the lounge, and crept up to my room, where I could lie under a ceiling fan, and try to cool down.

The girls woke at about 10am, but were reluctant to leave. I felt awful (physically) - sweat was pouring from my face as I tried to serve them breakfast. I tried to put on a cheerful face while encouraging them to leave.

As soon as they had left, I collapsed in a heap and slept the rest of the next 2 days and nights (including Graeme's birthday on Monday) On Tuesday I was slightly better, but went to see the doctor. Finally, on Tues night, the fever broke. What a waste of 3 days that I was planning on doing so much in... Yet, God reminded me again, how we take our health for granted when we are well, and plan our lives as if we were our own masters.

God's provision

Last week Hazel W made a decision to cut back even more on staff working hours as the business that she expected over the Christmas period just did not happen. This meant that Arthur (being temporary staff) did not have any work. Although we understood, it was a bit disappointing.

BUT, yesterday, Hazel W asked me whether Arthur would be willing to sleep at the Consulate for a month, and receive a small payment for doing so..... She needs a "presence" on the property at all times. The chef has been acting as this "presence", but his partner arrived from SA for a month's visit, and they have moved to other accommodation for this time. Arthur's first night at The Consulate was not too restful. His room has windows that open over the courtyard area, and he also has to keep alert for possible intruders.

Arthur's duties at the Consulate have been varied - gardening, scraping down rusty cast iron chairs and repainting them, carrying baggage up and down 2 flights of stairs, moving furniture, waitering, serving at the snack bar, and now, being a sort-of night watchman.

Tiny tomatoes

I was given my 2 tomato plants before they started budding. I was delighted to see a number of small fruit appearing on them. But then, the tiny little fruit started turning red... they are obviously little cherry tomatoes, and only ripen at a rate of one or 2 at a time. I can see that I am going to be learning many lessons through my feeble gardening attempts.

The physio only has a doctor's referral to work on my back, and the pain in my leg is being caused by the "IT band" - not connected to the spinal nervous system - so I had to get a separate doctor's referral for him to treat this problem. (Silly red tape) Anyway, when I saw the new surgeon, he pressed hard on the spot that, according to his knowledge, would hurt. I nearly screamed with the pain - BUT then, as the day wore on, the pain started easing. Praise the Lord! I now have the necessary piece of paper, and will start with physio on my leg next week.

Cheered up

Tuesday = Deanna's day! Praise the Lord for her. A cheerful, thorough worker who also enjoys our pets.
I did a bit of shopping (after having closed shop doors for 4 consecutive days) then tried to do a bit of tidying in the craft room. After a while the pain in my foot and leg just got me down, and, all weepy and sorry for myself, I went to try and get some sympathy from Graeme. In the most sympathetic voice he informed me "It is going to get worse my dear, and then you will die".... I burst out laughing, and felt strangely cheered.

Governor Gurr

When I went to wake Arthur to get ready for church, he was not in his room. Strange. I called, but there was no answer from any of the rooms in the manse. I went from room to room looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found. My SA conditioning started taking over, and I started imagining all sorts of terrible things that could have happened to him. I went to check whether he was in the car, but the front door was still bolted from the inside. I went to check whether he was in the church - empty.
I forced myself to think rationally, and remembered that he sometimes slept on the floor if his back was hurting. I checked on the other side of his bed - still no sign of the lad (or should I say 6 foot 2 inch man).
"Think, Hazel, think! What did he do as a child?" I remembered that he occasionally crawled under his bed. And there he was!!! He was so wedged in under the low bed, that he had to lift it up in order to extricate himself from under it.....
Apparently, his back hurt, so he got onto the floor. Then he got cold, and was too dozey to get up and get a blanket, so he just slid himself under the bed to keep warm.

Graeme had the Sunday off. Andrew Gurr, the governor, and a member of our church, agreed to preach on the first Sunday in 2011. His message was well received. One thing that he mentioned, was that St Helena has the purest air - zero % radiation as well as almost no pollution. I thought "there is a reason why God brought us to this place".

After the morning services, Graeme and I went to have lunch together with 3 other couples from our church, while Arthur stayed at home to have a "one-on-one" Bible study with one of the local Saints.

New Year

After the midnight service, Graeme and I went home and watched a sloooow moving Jane Eyre movie "Mansfield Park". We were both irritated by the mannerisms etc of the day, but just could not switch the silly thing off. Went to bed at 2 am.... woke at about 9am.

I spent the day lazing around - napping or reading. Most enjoyable. I seldom have a whole day off - i.e. morning, afternoon AND evening - so this was a treat.