Sunday, April 27, 2008

a weekend away

I spent the weekend away and I am quite refreshed. I was in bed about 9.30 pm both nights - which blew me away totally. It was cold and the wood fire made me feel toasty and content, so much so I couldn't resist my bed for too long.

The first night I slept in a tent while the chill settled around. I had my super-dooper sleeping bag and I was told I looked like Kenny from South Park. I am not sure if others experience the cold hip issue but I took an extra sleeping bag to get the hips warmed so I wouldn't have to get out of bed too often to visit the 'long drop'. (A toilet without any plumbing - just a big hole in the ground with the toilet seat above it.)

The rains came on Saturday afternoon and a good 8mls fell over night. Many of the others had gone through the late afternoon and early evening so I was able to move into the 'shack' for the night. I was quite warm and slept all the way through (which for me is a novelty!)

There was a beautiful purpose to the weekend - a memorial for my friend's sister who died late last year. It was sad but it was also quite uplifting. Her father gently guided us through the sprinkling of the ashes (undertaken by the daughter's partner) in a hole where her favourite native tree was to be planted. Her goddaughter read a poem, the nephews and nieces helped back fill the dirt, solar lights were placed either side of the tree so that "she would not be in the dark" and then the youngest sister read a poem.

I missed the funeral last year as I was on a school camp. It turned out to be a bad week that week - a friend's sister lost her battle with cancer, my brother-in-laws mother died and then the guy I was on camp with had to leave on the second morning as his father had passed away as well. Even if I had wanted to go to the funeral I was suddenly in charge of the camp. Being at the family bush house was important to me to show that I was with them - but it was also a chance for me to say my goodbyes.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The memorial is a really lovely idea. Sounds like you and the great outdoors get on well with each other!