weekend snapshot

Emma

Mountain villages

Well in the last two days I have done things I would never have thought I would do. We went to a mountain village yesterday morning to help lead a church service. It was a very poor village, the houses are on stilts and the people have nothing. It was a small church, but thru all wanted to be there. Afterwards we had lunch with the whole village. The toilet was in a bamboo hut, with a soil floor.
In the afternoon we went to another mountain village, and Jill sent up an impromptu medical clinic. Loads of villagers came who would normally never see a doctor. We handed out medicine and prayed for the people. There was a very ill baby who may not survive. In the evening we did another service, and slept in the houses of the mountan villagers. They have no toilets apart from those at the church, to wash you had to use a bucket from water in the hole in a ground. The houses have no beds, nothing we would expect. But they are still so generous, they gave Ellie a pillow when she had none, one of their children did without. All the kids are dirty, have holes in their clothes and beautiful smiles. I have never felt so dirty or humble.
Today was hard as we were tired, but did go elephant riding! The contrast is surreal.

Jane

Images

Jane

First impressions

Well, here I am finally in Thailand. After all that waiting, completing of lists and preparation we are here. It feels very real but unbelievable at the same time. So impressions so far; it is so hot, I had forgotten how warm heat can be, the kind that makes you feel really sticky and sweaty. The place where we are staying most of the time is amazing, very western and nothing hard about it. However, today is the easy ride as tomorrow we go and stay in the mountain villages. Today has been an easy introduction, we went to a country park and swam in the river. The kind that in the uk you'd probably go it doesn't look very clean, here you just think it's cool! There are lots of little street stalls, and we have met some other families who are living out here. Everyone is very real, no edge.
So first day it is good,and it is easy. Today was for settling in, spending time with friends and making new ones. Tomorrow is when I need to be brave.

Jane

it's about perspective

this is where I sit in my garden.

i sat here to read the papers on sunday.  i had a cushion, i put up the parasol. sunday was a beautiful sunny day. i sat here on monday night with grant.  we sat out until it was dark.  here in the north that was until nearly 11pm. i know, crazy. these long summer evenings are my favourite.  these are what i long for in the dead of winter.  not the kind of snow on the ground winter but the rain all day and all night winter when going out isn't crisp, it's dank, damp and annoying.  i sat here last night.  i talked to a friend for nearly an hour.  there was no cushion involved that time.  there was humidity with a little wind.  the kind of pleasant warm wind that cools you just enough but not too much so you have to reach for a cardi.  

this is my view.

these are my veggies.  this year i'm on tomatoes in a big way. five of them. strawberries too.  last years plant is looking sorry for itself but this years is growing quickly and already has four feeder plants growing from it.  my peas are a disaster. the snails and caterpillars have got them.  beyond repair.  my courgette is healthy with so many shoots and flowers coming i am excited.  this year i am trying to grow butternut squash.  it's coming but compared to the courgette it's slow.  i need patience.  i water.  i feed.  i talk to them.  slowly they will come.  these green leaves will turn into flowers and from them fruit.  they have been happily growing for a couple of months now.  we've had too much rain and not enough sun but that is coming and growth will be put on and progress made.

i have a lovely neighbour who tells me you can't stay on top of your garden when you are working full time.  i am sure this is her way of trying to make me feel better about how overgrown my garden is.  

when i was on the phone last night i got up and wandered around.  now i could tell you i looked at how dirty and green my deck is.  i could tell you i wondered if i should just scatter wild flower seeds and properly let my overgrown boarder come into it's own.  or i could tell you it's all about perspective.

i looked at my veggies from the other side.

i have no idea why i have got two months down the line until i've done this.  but there it is.  my first tomato.  and look at it. (you know that if you click on the photo it goes to the bigger picture, don't you?)  it's not a tiny i've just arrived tomato.  it's a tomato that has been growing underneath all the big green leaves for weeks now. how could i not have noticed it?  what on earth have i been looking at?  there it was.  getting on with the business of growing all by itself.  in fact we all get on with the business of growing all by ourselves come to think of it.  but that movement, that change of perspective, caused me to shriek down the phone. caused me to beam.  caused me to stop and realise that you can get caught up just looking at things from one point of view.  your own.  if you don't move around you don't get the benefit.  you don't get the full picture.  just around the corner, on the other side could be the most wonderful new thing.  it brought into sharp focus we are not meant to sit still.  move your perspective and wonderful experiences occur.

Emma

Waiting.......

Well... in 4 days time (not counting the rest of to-day) I'm off to Thailand, to join up with 10 other people who went on Friday.
To-day has been about waiting....after all the build up to everyone going it has felt very strange to think that the rest of the group are already in Thailand.
These few days are also about preparation...doing all those lists of things like canceling the papers, paying the milk bill, and getting suncream. However, it feels like the gap between...a waiting time.....and with that comes unease and a not being sure how to spend your time. The sense of delayed expectancy, of saying goodbye to friends you won't see for a while, knowing there will be new stories to tell when you next meet.
So, will post again before I go, but for now am going to go and do another thing on my list....and then I will deserve that glass of wine:)

Jane

a snapshot of today

Emma