Once, Twice, Three Times a...

 ...lady with COVID.  The test kits we have access to are only 65% accurate.  School is now closed for a few days as so many staff tested positive last Friday.  I was very ill with 'flu' last week.  A 'flu' that I kept telling Luke was very similar to my last bout of COVID.  I tested negative but still suspect that it was COVID.  

So, still nursing that horrible post COVID fatigue and crackly lungs.  I wasn't so ill this time, or, I am getting better at knowing not to move?  Do not fight it.  You cannot shake off the lethargy.  Just sit still to wait for the main wave to pass.  I also took three days off work.  Dr Pinney does not believe I have had COVID.  He has strong views on health; his health, my health, the health of anyone (ask our children).  He supposes that he has contracted and fought off malaria numerous times.  If you have something, keep it quiet.  Despite this, he did look after me and even came home one lunchtime to check I was still alive.  Bless x

We have some beautiful trees in our little compound.  In particular, trees that have stuff that you can eat.  Akee, bananas and mango.  We have been watching the mangoes grow with increasing excitement, best fruit ever!  The plan was chutneys and jam.  It was to be this weekend.  I went out to start picking but some bugger had had them.  Intent on starting a full scale investigation, it then dawned that the people who had taken them were probably our cleaners, guards and gardeners.  People with little or no money had picked our mangoes for a bit of pleasure or maybe a bit of profit.  OK.  Full scale investigation called off.  I cannot be that person.

No woodland walk this morning, still too tired, so we will cycle down to the stables market.  Our flights are booked and I am thinking of buying some further basket ware from the basket weaver, as homeward bound for the summer is now on the cards...

Hitting the UK for the summer months will be great.  We have a short time during which sheep need shearing.  House needs a few bits oiling and sticking back on.  Our tractor shed needs re pointing outside and plastering inside.  This will be our personal little bolt hole when we come home.  We have put ourselves forward as Oxfam stewards and will be litter picking at the Wilderness Festival.  Eskfest too.  The plan is to get the vw van on the road and slowly move around to where we need to be.  

We have a great Friday after school routine.  We have moved our French lessons to a table in Simplices' street bar.  Which, as all our friends turn up, moves seamlessly into an early Friday sesh.   Which then has an even more glorious dimension, on street shopping.  The vendors come to us now.  We have bought socks, tools, vegetables, fruit...all from the comfort of our seats.  I love it.  With each transaction, we improve our French through the inevitable banter.  The Lower School Principle has his shoes polished and pays depending on how much beer he has had.  We can sit there for hours.  

google image, but it is sold in bags like this...

Last time we bought some attieke.  This is soaked, fermented and ground cassava.  Delicious steamed.  The way it is processed makes the product easy to digest.  It is hotly tipped, and researched, as a food that could help to sustain a hungry planet.  Cheap to produce and highly nutritious, starchy and can make you quite sleepy as it fills you up.  It is eaten as a base for other things, a bit like rice or couscous.  Always served topped with chopped salad of tomatoes, onion and cucumber.  We talked to kids at school about it.  They love the stuff and the top tip is that we should eat it with fish, using our hands.