Yesterday was... Different. The morning started out quite relaxed. I had a leisurely breakfast, then Steve and Rita's granddaughter Sophie came over. We watched movies, or as they are called here, films. A very nice way to spend the morning, sipping tea and spending time with and adorable little redhead... Then it all went nuts...
At abut 12:15, people started showing up. Once a month, all the Sri Lankan folks, and a few other members of Steve and Rita's church come to their house. The men go on a long walk, and the women and children all stay here... ALL day. They are all wonderful people, but... That many people in a small house, with a bazillion kids, all really full of energy... Well, it's... Different... It's astonishing how much energy those kids have, and how long the energy lasts. The noise... Wow. It was very overwhelming. I visited a bit, but after a while the level of activity actually made me feel very stressed. I developed a headache. I feel horrible about it, but I really didn't feel well after a while. I spent a lot of the day in my room. I came down periodically to say hi to everyone, because they are lovely people, but even hearing how loud is was from behind a closed door was hard. I think they need to figure out how the kids can maintain that level of energy for so many hours. Then they need to sell the secret for billions of dollars, or pounds rather. They could not only repair their church building, they build a new spectacular one. In spite of my headache, I was very impressed the kids. :) Talk about culture shock! I didn't think that would be much of a problem in England!
When things quieted down, I came and said good bye to those who were left, got a bite to eat, and went back to bed... At 7:30. I was exhausted! Exhausted from sitting on my butt just hearing the activity! Crazy! Needless to say, Steve, Rita, and Harold were wiped out. (I'm not sure if I told you about Harold. He's Steve's dad and lives here with them. He is the sweetest old man. He's 89 and still quite active. He loves animals as much as I do. He spent 5 1/2 years in the British Navy during WWII as signal man. He was responsible for using torches and flags to signal other ships and ports. So cool! I got him to tell me some of his stories last night!) Tired as I was, it took ages to fall asleep :p
This morning was church. Steve and Rita's church is called New Life Church Radcliffe. It is so full full of life and love. You feel, walking in, as if everyone got up and came to church, specifically to see you. It's awesome. I got to see my new Sri Lankan friends, a couple of people who had come t my church for our conference, and several new faces. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely interested in everyone else's life. It was remarkable. I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to visit, and hope I can make it back again soon.
After church, we took the long way back home. I got to see some lovely green fields and hills, full of sheep and horses. It was breathtaking... The afternoon has been quiet. Rita's sister is here chatting with her and Harold, Steve is working in his office. I have some laundry in so I can pack tonight. I got to sit and have a glass of rum with my buddy the retired sailor. :) I am quite sad that my time with Rita and Steve is nearly over. They are my extended family. Bu tomorrow brings new adventures...
I just remembered a funny conversation I had with Steve the other day...
Steve: "If it wasn't misty, you could see the Welsh mountains over there."
Me: "Mountains? Really?" (I was thinking that was odd, I didn't remember there being mountains in the UK.)
Me: "When you say 'mountains' do you mean 'mountains' as I understand them, or...?"
Steve: "No, they're hills."
Me: "Ah!"
hehehehehe!
To see all the pictures from this leg of my trip, visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=128242&id=652229566&l=31d55d3144
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