New life

It's been a very full weekend here. From the minute I wrote the Biggest Kitchen Table post, It's been non-stop. I've been visiting friends, Shane and Sarndra have been here, and we've been settling in some new chooks and Princess, Sarndra's little black cat.

But the most important new addition to our home has been Sarndra. In all these years of being married, then having babies, I've always been the only woman. Shane and Sarndra are staying here, on and off, while they prepare to go to New Zealand for a holiday. They finished up at their jobs last Friday and have brought all their worldly possessions to our place for safe keeping. Having Sarndra here these past couple of days has been an absolute pleasure for me. There is giggling, someone else's dresses and skirts, and order; Sarndra is tidy. So the bed is made, she helps with dishes and folds things, and she talks, the way we women do. She seems to be very comfortable with Hanno and I. :- ) We talked about babies the other day, and Shane, and a whole lot of other innocent inconsequential topics that, with another person, may not seem important, but between us, are creating a glue that will hold us together for many years. It's the first time I've formed this kind of friendship and I know it could go wrong, but I've seen no bad bits yet, it's been the best kind of discovery. I know we are all flawed, well I know I am, so I hope when I see her not so good side, and she sees mine, we will take it all in and accept it as part of our all too human package. She is all I ever hoped for in a daughter-in-law and I am really pleased she's here and part of our lives now.

Our cat Hettie, has no clue yet there is another feline in the house. Little Princess was found by Sarndra living on the streets a few years ago, an obvious lost pet. She had a collar and bell on but she was skin and bones and extremely hungry. Sarndra started feeding her on the street on her way to and from work, and over time, built up trust, and then took her home. Advertisements in the local paper didn't find her owner, so she's been with Sarndra ever since. But she's still a very frightened cat. Having that time on the street, probably fighting with other cats and dogs every other day, has made her ever watchful and anxious. She's always slept in a cupboard, in the dark, away from what's been happening in the house. Since she's been here, she's lived in the second bathroom, in the cupboard. Hanno put a flyscreen on the window in the big shed, so she can live in there with the window open. We think if she was let outside she'd run into the bush and we'd never see her again. Anyhow, it's a slow process, Hanno is talking to her and playing with her, with a little mousey and a shoelace - her favourite toys. She lets him pick her up now and I've patted her. So progress has been made and we hope she will come to accept us as her friends.

And here are the new chooks. That's mama Lucy there on the left, with some of her chicks. They're a mixed bunch of Old English Game, possibly a Leghorn, and what look like a couple of Australorps. One of the EOGs has green legs, which you can see in the photo below. We think there are two roosters, so the flock might be smaller soon.

Here are the green legs. Strange eh? They're pretty wild and have been roosting in trees before coming here. They're locked in an area away from the other chooks and we'll keep them apart, but within eye contact, for a week or so, and then let them live together. The task now is to get them used to eating greens from the garden, grain and porridge. We'll have our hands full for a week or so before they all settle in, but it feels good to have new life here, both inside and outside the house.