Take last weekend for example. Already hosting the absolutely awesome Loic and Manon, our house was stretched to bursting point with Vanessa's arrival for a few days. This number of people in his vicinity would normally produce a flight reaction in my beloved husband. Not this time.
His birthday and Father's Day both fell on Sunday. He rang his Dad. He was showered with love. Vanessa spoiled him, groomed him, cooked his favourite cupcakes and presented him with gifts and goodies. Both my boys rang and sent him birthday wishes via Facebook. As did plenty of other family and friends. Manon and Loic gave him a lovely and not inexpensive bottle of vino, warm wishes and cards. Not bad for a couple who had been under our roof for just over seven days.
Better still, he seemed much more at ease with those in his life, rather than those who are not. And he no longer feels alone at significant occasions. Meeting the gentle giant Brett at the pub on Sunday night reinforced this new reality. After enveloping us both in one of his famous bear hugs, he and Michael briefly acknowledged the absence of some whilst rejoicing in the genuine affection of others.
And the transformation of our property has left me speechless. Michael has been able to overcome his fears with the help of our fantastic HelpXers. Before Loic and Manon arrived, the task seemed overwhelming. So twenty years of metal had remained in sheds, in the paddocks, in the garden like a nightmarish and insurmountable pile of chaos.
Over the last week (!), Michael has been fortified by the presence of our two smart and energetic backpackers. Trailer load after trailer load of metal has been moved, sorted and arranged. The garden has also been whipped out of its winter hiatus. Mountains of weeds have bee removed by Manon and stacked on top of the burning heap. Loic has proved himself Master of the Whipper Snipper. Ryan, as his parting gift, mowed our house lawn and removed seemingly endless deposits of new and old dog pooh. And over the last two days, Michael has worked tirelessly on traipsing up and down with the lawnmower in the paddock. He was compelled to tackle this task due to the overgrown state of his paddock collection. Loic commented that when he knew he was going to be moving "treasure", he didn't realise the vast majority would be buried in undergrowth.
The results are extraordinary. The two sheds are ordered and tidied. No spiders is an additional bonus. The paddock is almost completely mown. Stands of weeds have been whipper snipped away. The Workshop behind the Gallery is filled to capacity, as is the fence line along the driveway. But, there is a sense of method in the madness. Michael is now aware of his collection, the position of items and there is a general feel of organisation. He is thrilled.
The piece de resistance has been the Granting of our New Loan. After three months of varying degrees of terror, our debt has become manageable again. I can breathe. I can take a break from playing Bill Roulette. Our repayments have halved.
The only downside is that the Bank has closed my Mastercard after paying it out. I am sure I didn't request that. Perhaps the Bank came to the decision that I cannot be trusted with credit. And they are probably right. And so for the first time in living memory, I have no credit card. This actually feels pretty good.
Hopefully, the last change for a while will soon be over. We are aware that Michael needs a stent in his abdominal aorta to allow improved blood flow to his legs. The idea of having a garden hose shoved up his thigh again does not overly thrill him. But this has to be done, the effects will be immediate and if I can keep him off the fags, we shouldn't have to revisit this procedure in the near future.
Change? Bring it on!
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