23rd March - food - generosity - family - just about time to leave

Saturday 23^rd March

 

Countdown 2XS…

 

The boat leaves tomorrow.  Without me but with a stalwart crew of Rachel and James, under the confident leadership of Captain Pete. D with, aboard, ten delicious looking meals from Food2U…

 

I was going to cook all day today but…a kind and sensible friend said, WHY don’t you buy some meals, from the above shop?  I still am going to cook today, but without quite the same amount of frenzy.  Just a few quiches, for lunches, and maybe a macaroni cheese thingy.

 

I have also bought some flags, from Peter Johnston – the whole alphabet, a cheery-looking string of pennants – and a red Australian ensign.

 

Pete, in the meantime, has achieved electronic and marine miracles and I think the boat is all ready to fly up the coast.

 

Yesterday I took a day off work and had a wonderful Launceston day.  Chris came in the car with me, and we had nearly two hours with Mum and Marcel.  I was so proud of them; they were in fine form, full of chat, yummy snacks for us, good cheer.  I am very blessed with my family, each and every generation!

 

It was also a day for being proud of friends!  A whole motorcade of Pauline Shelley’s friends had converged on the Launceston Casino, to see her inducted into the Tasmanian Womens Honour Roll.  There were, I think, 25 nominees, and it was a most fascinating experience to see the level of achievement from these very diverse women, from very old (one, in fact, dead since 1945…) to very young.

 

We got back to Hobart by about 5.30 – plenty of time for a convivial (and delicious…oh I do love food! BBQ with 50% of my children and 75% of my grandchildren.

 

We were SO tired last night… Pete fell asleep in mid sentence – he was listing, in a rather frantic way, all of the things he still has to do by 8.30 tomorrow morning.  I was 99% asleep as I heard him suddenly STOP and start breathing deeply and contentedly.  And…my eyes flew OPEN and I lay there, heart pounding, mind racing, for far too many hours.  So very annoying…but never mind…

 

It wasn’t all unpleasant, lying there with my brain  a-buzz.

                                                                                        

I was able to think of the most recent kindness bestowed on 2XS.  Heather and Irna have dropped off a bag of beautiful summer clothes, for the Islanders.  Sally has donated a big bag of colourful beaded rings.  And Barbara has given us  a big pack of carefully selected sewing needles and cotton, which will bring much joy and delight.

 

So much generosity, and thoughfulness.