Warmer weather and vegies
Well, it’ a warm night in Alice. First night for ages I haven’t had to use the slow cumbustion fire. Can’t say I’m hapy about it. I like winter and don’t want spring to come too fast. Nevertheless, when I was watering the vegie garden and all our newly planted trees, it was good to not have to be rugged up against a chill night. I could just wander around in jeans and a T shirt. I love coming home here and wandering around the property, watching the sun set and checking on what’s growing. I have a lot of broccili at the moment and the cauliflower is really coming along too. I love picking stuff from the garden and eating it not long later. Feels so good. We’ve been here a year now and this place is really getting into my bones.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comment (1)A Bit of Hell Theology
I figure I should blog because it’s been so long. But what to say? Keith gets in first to talk about the really special things like smoking ceremonies in our hut. That was really wonderful. I can maybe tell you about the little Catholic church I go to here in Alice because Keith never goes so he can’t beat me to it. I like this little church because it is largely indigenous and there’s kids everywhere and Sisters of Charity nuns and they sing some songs in Arrerente and there’s ritual and I quite like a bit of ritual. I still haven’t told them I’m not Catholic. Father Russ, the Fijian priest thee usually makes me laugh rather than annoy me, as so many sermons do these days. Any way, last Sunday we had a whole heap of visitors from so many different countries, some of whom struggled with English and were utterly baffled trying to read the Arrerente songs on the overhead. They were young people on their pilgrimage back after World Youth Day. They were all really high from their experience in Sydney, which was great. Any way, the gospel reading for the day last Sunday was the bit where Jesus talks about hell and all the people there gnashing their teeth. Russ picked this reading for his sermon and I was sititng there worrying he was about to really piss me off with a bit of hell theology. Instead he told the story about how the last time that was the gospel reading for the day the bishop was down and he had launched into a sermon warning about hell and the gnashing of teeth, when old Rosie up the back called out saying “But Bishop, I haven’t got any teeth” to which the Bishop, without missing a beat, replied, “Teeth will be provided.” I’m happy to know that teeth will be provided in hell. Good ol’ Father Russ! He even managed to make me laugh in a sermon on hell.
Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (3)smoke and septic
sunday was a complex day filled with simplicity.
there was the simple joys of locating john and mallees septic tank because they had septic fluid running all over the backyard, clogged toilets and clogged drains. no real clue of where the septic lay under the ground so we got out the tractor to do a bit of reconnaisance work. glens wife diane, a patient woman, watched the fever pitch activities. she was also looking carefully at this tacky little map i’d located of the house extensions. she called up to me on the tractor have you got a tape? i instructed her to the appropriate place she’d find it from my princely tractor seat. she came back with dust from the tractor filling the air. she measured a couple of things. she then got my attention again and suggested that just maybe the septic tank might be located about 12.5 metres from where i was digging. i felt a bit silly but given that finding the septic was a higher priority than me driving the tractor I dismounted, got a shovel and within minutes we’d hit the septic. a fine band we are indeed. i’ve learnt alot about septics in the last week and the system is now nearly working which is particuarly pleasing. maybe another week and it will fully work.
this complex day full of simplicity was also the allotted day for the hut smoking. after our sterling but unscheduled work on the septic it did set me back a bit in getting the hut ready. but this was the day. john was signed up a few friends David & Sue Woods, Margie herfernan Glen and Diane and Stephanie and her new man Greg. Greg is the head engineer for Alice Springs Town Council and he did note that the hut was a little suspect which isnt an ideal start to the hut opening. simplicity can be complex. he also said he has very poor recall.
the next simple complexity was that just as our guests were arriving we noted that john and mallee had disappeared. i said teh show goes on. stella much more persistent than I rang up mallee who said they’d gone into town to have a shower because of the septic. they assured us they’d be back in a jiff, well, half and hour. we had a cuppa on our verandah with the guests and true to their word they came back.
it actually got quite moving then as we all walked up to the hut John emerged from his shyness and as Aboriginal elder he ushered us through a lovely smoking ceremony that would cleanse the hut and heal those who would come here. it was wonderful seeing this man bring his wisdom and love of country and traditional cultural practice to us. he was also wonderfully comfortable in this role. Gentle but also clear and strong.
Stella had prepared a few prayers, we talked about the genesis of the hut and its building and then we finished with ‘Bless this Hut’. Which for most of the people reading this will know it is a variation on John Colemans song which we sang and Mil and Martins wedding.
we finished with a BBQ back at the house which was nice because i like functions where there are Aboriginal people and non Aboriginal people sharing simple things together. that BBQ has its own story but if i tell that this will never get finished. suffice to say the Aboriginal politics around kangaroo tail makes Kevin Rudd look like a beginner.
Yes it was a complex day full of simplicity.
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alice springs show
well friday was the alice springs show day and we got an extra day off as one should if its is such an auspcious occasion. we did skip off to teh show for a bit which was really quite good for a little bitsy town bit it was just better to have a day off. Stella and i went for a ride along the bike path which is always fine and dandy. It seems to be a good way to touch the desert at a reasonably efficient speed.
Sundaywas a sort of subdued day so i went and made a porch for the hut. Its a shame (Vernon) John wasnt there for the rock laying. That would have been nice. Its now close to finished and we are looking to (Arrente) John to give it a ceremonial smoking. So smoking it will be in the near future. That is an aboriginal custom to ward off bad spirits. I remember what I said when I was on the roof hitting in a nail and decided to hit my thumb instead. I think it is that sort of thing we are trying to cleanse the hut from.
i have enjoyed working on the hut because its such a nice contrast to the vagueness of work. Its a nice place to spend a few hours. i like it there. i have got to know our place much better because I often choose different ways to walk back to the house. Theres the fence track, the tank hill track, the bore track, the middle hill track, the whitegum track and the perimeter track. Each one is very nice in its own way. Alice Springs is teaching me to enjoy familarity. Sydney teaches you to enjoy difference. They are both good in there own ways.
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