a room full of strangers

drilling to install the piping for ground source heating!









a room full of strangers. not to each other, just to me. their lives intertwined in a dozen different ways, friends, family, neighbours, fellow members of the kirk.
here today, in this gracious room, to take tea and cake and enjoy an afternoon together.

i was about to meet a goodly percentage of the village population and be reminded that my ability to remember names was as unreliable as ever.

i had been carrying my plants from car to new home when RS hailed me.
"aye eryll, just the woman i was looking for, i need to explain the heating system to you."
my new place of abode has very sexy underfloor heating. very modern, very green. the heating and hot water system are provided by ground source heat pumps.
ten minutes later i knew where the on/off switch for the pump was located and i had been invited to join the village pensioners for tea. BRICC, my landlords run a tuesday club for the retired in the community.

i entered the room, filled with silver heads and wise eyes. i was introduced...

"eryll...all the way from south africa (skip the fact i've been running around ayrshire for a while). eryll is a reflexologist"...damn, i love free advertising...

another voice pipes up in the background...

"eryll is adam and michelle's mother..."

ah well, what can i say... the kirk is central to village life...
michelle sings like an angel.
adam has a rare talent for speaking.
and then...they might well be the only youngish members of the congregation.

i enjoyed crumpets with black current jam, a delicious cup of coffee, met a whole bunch of delightful senior citizens, i have remembered two names and my mind has faces firmly attached to said names!
i have found a place to spend my tuesday afternoons...serving tea and cake and washing dishes.

i think i am going to enjoy village life.
.