Change of scenery.

We are at Rathmines on Lake Macquarie for this week attending a church conference. K has volunteered here for 25 years organising the dining room...not the catering but all the other things that need to be done to get food to a big mob of people. There are a tribe of helpers here today setting up chairs, checking rooms, moving beds. painting and cooking afternoon tea ready for the attendees to arrive for dinner tonight. Watching them scurry around I am once again amazed at the impact that volunteers have on society. First Aid, Fire Fighters, SES workers,  hospital volunteers, church groups, charities, soup kitchens ... the list is endless. At this time of the year when many are full with the happy memories of Christmas, and full with the food as well, I guess it is a bit humbling to remember that others are out doing things for the love of their neighbours. If you are a volunteer I thank you.


Back to my topic. Change of scenery.  We are not in the caravan, although quite at home here at Rathmines. We have  the use of a room here, bed ensuite and a couple of cupboards, that is a bigger piece of real-estate than our caravan and annex. Really comfy digs. Not flash but nice. And I don't have to wiggle past the end of the bed to go to the loo. If we took the extra bed out of the room we could even have a proper lounge chair or two.

While I quite enjoy my spacious room here, contrary as I am, I miss the other things that are usually on hand and here I have to walk to find. Laundry down stairs not in the annex, coffee machine downstairs not two steps away, that sort of thing.   It makes me appreciate just how much is crammed into a caravan. Storage for food, clothes, cooking utensils, tools, gas, batteries and whatever else we carry, and a fridge, wardrobe, toilet, kitchen and bathroom sinks, shower, stove...this list goes on. The careful arrangement of all this is what makes tiny living possible.

Our room is on the corner of the building and looks down into the playground ideally placed for a  grumpy grandma or off duty teacher to  lean out of the window to settle a dispute.  Not that I would do that of course.

The centre is right on the lake with a grassed area for morning teas. Christmas Eve day Santa blew by in a speed boat and every now and again the vintage Catalina airboat gets flown in.


For many years the caretakers and other volunteers have encouraged the local kookaburras and their babies to nest nearby.  I took this photo last year in April.

 I am really looking forward to time to fill up the spiritual batteries.

 

There is a sober note to this time as well. The photographer who was killed in the crane accident in QLD recently was well known to most of us here.  There are quite words and tears as well as prayers for the family mixed in with the joy of renewed friendships.

Settling into a very different week and not sure how much blogging will get done. I hope you have safe and happy holiday time and I will blog you all soon.



Cheers Sue


A Ferg on the Move