We are heading for Greece this afternoon and as usual before travelling, I am full of reluctance to leave home. It is so lovely here. My beanstalks are full of little beans on the roof and it is a magically sunny autumn day. A crazy narcissus thinks it is spring and has a flower. I have a row of red beetroot seeds and one of leeks. Will they wait for me to come back and plant them out? And two loofah seeds have germinated in their cotton wool. What will they do without me?
The ridiculous packing is done. I'm taking twelve little koalas for whom I've knitted tiny scarves for any refugee kids who might like them. I have taken their little "I love Australia" jackets off as they didn't seem likely to cheer up kids stuck in Greece. I am undecided about whether to let them keep their little boomerangs. I have also packed a doll which bewitched me in a charity shop. It had a naked cloth body and solid pink hands and feet (and a head of course). I bought it baby clothes and got a rush of love when I cuddled it just like I used to have when I was a scruffy little girl. I hope I'll manage to give the dolly away.
I am just a bit ambivalent about the Lesbos week now. I was hoping to help the refugee situation somehow, working in the laundry or whatever. But there's a nasty new word out now - "voluntourism". Much money is made by entrepreneurs out of voluntourists who apparently sometimes create problems instead of helping. They skew the local economy. I must be cautious and thoughtful about anything I end up doing.
The song from Bernstein's Wonderful Town which we sang last week in the Festival Chorus keeps running through my head
Why oh why oh why oh
Did I ever leave Ohio
Why did I wander
To find what lies yonder
When life was so cosy at home
I hope I'll be able to answer my own whyohwhyohwhyoh question with confidence and delight over the next few weeks. Meanwhile I'll have a last cosy cup of tea and get the butter and cheese out of the fridge before the Vegan part of the family takes up residence. And I'll put on my elephant T shirt for luck.
The ridiculous packing is done. I'm taking twelve little koalas for whom I've knitted tiny scarves for any refugee kids who might like them. I have taken their little "I love Australia" jackets off as they didn't seem likely to cheer up kids stuck in Greece. I am undecided about whether to let them keep their little boomerangs. I have also packed a doll which bewitched me in a charity shop. It had a naked cloth body and solid pink hands and feet (and a head of course). I bought it baby clothes and got a rush of love when I cuddled it just like I used to have when I was a scruffy little girl. I hope I'll manage to give the dolly away.
I am just a bit ambivalent about the Lesbos week now. I was hoping to help the refugee situation somehow, working in the laundry or whatever. But there's a nasty new word out now - "voluntourism". Much money is made by entrepreneurs out of voluntourists who apparently sometimes create problems instead of helping. They skew the local economy. I must be cautious and thoughtful about anything I end up doing.
The song from Bernstein's Wonderful Town which we sang last week in the Festival Chorus keeps running through my head
Why oh why oh why oh
Did I ever leave Ohio
Why did I wander
To find what lies yonder
When life was so cosy at home
I hope I'll be able to answer my own whyohwhyohwhyoh question with confidence and delight over the next few weeks. Meanwhile I'll have a last cosy cup of tea and get the butter and cheese out of the fridge before the Vegan part of the family takes up residence. And I'll put on my elephant T shirt for luck.
The beans are lovely, thanks Mum.
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