Blue barrels (3.5.2007)

I had to take a couple of weeks off from work to start packing up the home. I have finished two barrels by now (120 liters each), it is quite amazing how quickly they are full even if we are as selective as possible. I have quite a clear picture of what we need and what we don´t need out there in Africa, so I don´t have to waste energy of thinking of that – but physically it is really exhausting. I have been running from the basement to the first and second floors and back countless of times, pulled and pushed heavy luggage here and there, broken my nails and get covered by dust – now I just had to put stop to that and shovel things out of sight and decide to continue some other day. I want our home to look like a normal house as long as possible - seeing those blue barrels is an unavoidable reminder about what will soon happen. We have two large wooden boxes and as many as 13 barrels of three different sizes, but I don´t think we need all of them this time. They have served us faithfully and followed as to Tanzania, back to Finland and now they are on duty again. They get more and more battered each time, have an old address covered by paint and new one written once again. No wonder they look rather pitiful by now. They don´t complain, even if they are then forgotten in some attic or cellar for many years before they are needed again.

Jyri has one more exam left for this spring and that keeps him occupied while I am doing all this. Kaisli had her 12th birthday party yesterday, she invited some friends for home-made pizza and cake and then Jyri drove them to movies to see how Mr Bean manages his holiday. Pihla will have her 8th birthday next week, which means another party, this time for about 10 little girls. Kaisli has promised to organize some activities and plays which she is very good at. June is a really busy month in terms of birthdays: my sister, brother, nephew, goddaughter and myself all have our birthdays in June, as well as my parents anniversary – and five of them within four days!