A Moment of Reflection
It’s Friday afternoon, the wind is howling but the sky is blue and the sun is shining. The “Lollipop” is asleep in her rocking chair. My lifelong friend, visiting from Auckland has left her son with me for an hour or two and he and the Butterfly are happily playing in her room. My house is tidy, the washing is sorted and the need to cook supper is hours away. After a hectic nine weeks of settling into a routine with a new born, helping the Butterfly adjust to all the changes that a sibling brings and being a shoulder to lean on while the Mauritian processed and dealt with his father’s death I finally have time for a hot mug of coffee and a decent sandwich for lunch. So I make my coffee and sandwich and find myself relishing that first sip of hot steaming coffee. I take a large slow bite of my sandwich and it dawns on me that I haven’t written a blog in months. So I settle down at my lap top and start to reflect over the last few months and weeks to find a story to tell.
The weather today reminds me of one lazy Sunday afternoon at “World’s End” the sky is a cobalt blue not a single white cloud to be seen in any direction. The skeletal trees are standing forlorn and motionless on this windless afternoon and there is the smell of ice in the air. It’s mid winter at World’s end and its freezing!
Having tried desperately to sleep in past the sunrise both the Mauritian and I decided to brave the cold and emerge from under the covers. While I made the coffee and the Butterfly slept on the Mauritian relit the fire to take the chill out of the pre sunrise air. So our day started with our Butterfly sleeping peacefully and the Mauritian and I snuggled on the sofa sipping hot coffee and watching the flames in the predawn darkness. So began what has become a very mellow family day.
The Butterfly surprised us both by sleeping in till way past nine o’clock, I guess there is a first time for everything. I have spent some of the day engaging my muse and trying my hand at some poetry again, something I haven’t done for a while and feel rather rusty. The Mauritian has been the model husband and waiting on his family hand and foot. He has kept the home fire burning through the day keeping us comfortable and not in need of layers of clothing to keep the cold out. There is a constant supply of tea, coffee or hot chocolate with the odd glass of juice thrown in to ensure no one dehydrates. He has made sure the Butterfly is constantly entertained and I’ve been allowed to just wallow in a hot bath without disturbance for as long as the hot water lasts. Complete and utter bliss!
The Mauritian has also managed to indulge in his two favourite pass times listening to music and cooking. He started the morning off with a breakfast fit for, well for a family of three on a cold world’s end winters morning. The Mauritian prides himself on his ability to crisp the bacon without burning it and frying eggs without breaking the yolk. He can always be counted on to make some sort of onion and mushroom mix and throw in a fried banana if there are any in the fruit bowl. Satisfied we all retired to the lounge to bask in front of the fire and then get roped into a round of “bowling” with the Butterfly who proceeds to a convincing win over her Papa because her Mum forgot she was supposed to keep score. Two rounds of bowling, numerous colouring activities and three pots of tea later the Mauritian decided it was time to roast lunch. Soon the house smelt rather edible and the sounds of sizzling pork fat filled up the silence.
After lunch the Mauritian retires to the sofa for a well deserved afternoon snooze, the Butterfly settles down beside him to watch her TV programs and I waddle about the kitchen cleaning up the remnants of a delicious roast lunch. I contemplate a cup of coffee and joining my family on the sofa but its Sunday afternoon and the reality of Monday morning was looming. Being around eight and a half months pregnant I wasn't always guaranteed bondless amounts of energy when I needed them or a good night’s sleep on a Sunday. So I forego the desire to slouch on the sofa and tend to the tasks of preparing for Monday morning.
Satisfied that I have used my time wisely and can do no more I make coffee wake up the Mauritian turn off the TV and settle on the sofa with my family and a game of “Ludo.” The Butterfly is a horrendous cheat and wins the game. So we move onto a memory game after extracting from the Butterfly, a promise not to cheat. She doesn’t keep her promise and her parents are, among lots of laughter, yet again beaten squarely. Though she tried to make us we did not agree to another game and instead sent her off for a bath where she happily splashed until the water went cold.
What a wonderfully laid back and stress free Sunday that was,the three of us together for an entire day in one room, warmed by a roaring wood fire, good food and hot beverages while life past us by and the winter cold remained at bay. We past the time playing games or listening to music, we had discussions about important or random things and we laughed because we could. We spent quality time together as a family of three for what was to be the last time.
The Butterfly summed up our day when we put her to bed that night when she said “I had a great day thanks guys!”
Two weeks later we welcomed our little Lollipop into the family as slowly we begin a new journey into the future together, a future that hopefully has a few more lazy family Sundays in store for us.
The Lollipop is stirring, the Butterfly and her play mate are making their way down the passage bringing their play into my quiet place, my time for reflection is at its end and I must return to reality.
And as I prepare to upload this to my blog site I realise that my coffee has gone cold and my sandwich lies untouched.
The weather today reminds me of one lazy Sunday afternoon at “World’s End” the sky is a cobalt blue not a single white cloud to be seen in any direction. The skeletal trees are standing forlorn and motionless on this windless afternoon and there is the smell of ice in the air. It’s mid winter at World’s end and its freezing!
Having tried desperately to sleep in past the sunrise both the Mauritian and I decided to brave the cold and emerge from under the covers. While I made the coffee and the Butterfly slept on the Mauritian relit the fire to take the chill out of the pre sunrise air. So our day started with our Butterfly sleeping peacefully and the Mauritian and I snuggled on the sofa sipping hot coffee and watching the flames in the predawn darkness. So began what has become a very mellow family day.
The Butterfly surprised us both by sleeping in till way past nine o’clock, I guess there is a first time for everything. I have spent some of the day engaging my muse and trying my hand at some poetry again, something I haven’t done for a while and feel rather rusty. The Mauritian has been the model husband and waiting on his family hand and foot. He has kept the home fire burning through the day keeping us comfortable and not in need of layers of clothing to keep the cold out. There is a constant supply of tea, coffee or hot chocolate with the odd glass of juice thrown in to ensure no one dehydrates. He has made sure the Butterfly is constantly entertained and I’ve been allowed to just wallow in a hot bath without disturbance for as long as the hot water lasts. Complete and utter bliss!
The Mauritian has also managed to indulge in his two favourite pass times listening to music and cooking. He started the morning off with a breakfast fit for, well for a family of three on a cold world’s end winters morning. The Mauritian prides himself on his ability to crisp the bacon without burning it and frying eggs without breaking the yolk. He can always be counted on to make some sort of onion and mushroom mix and throw in a fried banana if there are any in the fruit bowl. Satisfied we all retired to the lounge to bask in front of the fire and then get roped into a round of “bowling” with the Butterfly who proceeds to a convincing win over her Papa because her Mum forgot she was supposed to keep score. Two rounds of bowling, numerous colouring activities and three pots of tea later the Mauritian decided it was time to roast lunch. Soon the house smelt rather edible and the sounds of sizzling pork fat filled up the silence.
After lunch the Mauritian retires to the sofa for a well deserved afternoon snooze, the Butterfly settles down beside him to watch her TV programs and I waddle about the kitchen cleaning up the remnants of a delicious roast lunch. I contemplate a cup of coffee and joining my family on the sofa but its Sunday afternoon and the reality of Monday morning was looming. Being around eight and a half months pregnant I wasn't always guaranteed bondless amounts of energy when I needed them or a good night’s sleep on a Sunday. So I forego the desire to slouch on the sofa and tend to the tasks of preparing for Monday morning.
Satisfied that I have used my time wisely and can do no more I make coffee wake up the Mauritian turn off the TV and settle on the sofa with my family and a game of “Ludo.” The Butterfly is a horrendous cheat and wins the game. So we move onto a memory game after extracting from the Butterfly, a promise not to cheat. She doesn’t keep her promise and her parents are, among lots of laughter, yet again beaten squarely. Though she tried to make us we did not agree to another game and instead sent her off for a bath where she happily splashed until the water went cold.
What a wonderfully laid back and stress free Sunday that was,the three of us together for an entire day in one room, warmed by a roaring wood fire, good food and hot beverages while life past us by and the winter cold remained at bay. We past the time playing games or listening to music, we had discussions about important or random things and we laughed because we could. We spent quality time together as a family of three for what was to be the last time.
The Butterfly summed up our day when we put her to bed that night when she said “I had a great day thanks guys!”
Two weeks later we welcomed our little Lollipop into the family as slowly we begin a new journey into the future together, a future that hopefully has a few more lazy family Sundays in store for us.
The Lollipop is stirring, the Butterfly and her play mate are making their way down the passage bringing their play into my quiet place, my time for reflection is at its end and I must return to reality.
And as I prepare to upload this to my blog site I realise that my coffee has gone cold and my sandwich lies untouched.
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