It was a long overdue thank-you.
The initial horror of leaving the children for 6 weeks wasn’t just about not being with them, it was about the logistics. How, where, when and what. G and I tossed around lots of ideas. We thought about taking the children out of school and staying with Granny, or bringing someone from Australia to be here with them. We looked at hiring a driver. None of it sat well with me, I just couldn’t see how it would all work. And then eventually, in desperation I did something that too many of us forget to do in a time of need. I took people up on their offers.
“You know how you said you were happy to drive the kids home? Were you serious?”
Every single one of them said yes. Every single one of them made me feel like it wasn’t an imposition.
I handed my friend Lisa a schedule, on it were the names of 8 different women. I gave one to G and one to the kids, and then I left the country hoping that it would all work out. I was sure G would get a phone call from a child in tears. They were all over the place with their activities, surely something had to go wrong.
Nope. I forgot who I was dealing with. These women don’t drop the ball, they know what it’s like to have to rely on friends when family isn’t around.
They were amazing. They shuffled schedules, changed plans and sent me emails. They assured me everything was fine, not to worry, just get better.
I will be eternally grateful for what they did.
Today it was time to say thanks. I bought some flowers, chocolates and smelly stuff.
At 10pm last night there was an altercation between myself, a beagle and a pavlova. I saved the pavlova base as I caught it mid air, but cracks were beginning to form. And thats when the distress tweet came out.
“How do you disguise a broken pavlova?”
Caroline Overington showed she’s not only a bloody good journalist, mag editior, brilliant writer, and a bit of a hot spunk. She’s also a culinary genius in a time of crisis.
“Throw it in a tall glass…”
And that’s how we made our way to pavlova supreme. Or Eton Mess.
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| Pavlova Supreme, Passionfruit and Lemon Tart, Zucchini Bread (and one beagle hiding under the table) |
Success.
Thanks guys
xx
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gorgeous x
It all looks great xx (I’m still trying to spot the beagle… s/he’s hiding well)
Nothing better in the world than being surrounded by amazing capable women.
Exactly!
Thank God for good friends!
Ingenuity combined with friendship extraordinare = invincible!
I doubt if any of your wonderful friends felt this was necessary – my kids are adult now but still talk of friends of mine as people they can rely on when the chips are down. (They refer to them as ‘the coven’). Which makes it all the more wonderful that you did this for them – women friends are simply the best!
And you’re definitely one of those wonderful friends, Kirsty! – Colleen x