It never rains…

…but pours. Literally. And then proceeds to make its way through the ceiling and drip drip drip into your home. This was the delight we returned to on Monday after a weekend away. Fortunately shortly before another two storms hit that evening, so we could at least catch it in buckets. 

I’ve mentioned before that the South African interior is known for its summer storms with rolling thunder, cracking lightning and heavy rain. The sun beats down all day, the clouds build up rapidly towards mid-afternoon, darkening the sky and then there’s a downpour that damps down the heat and dust before clearing into another glorious summer evening. Well, that used to be the way they played out.

I can only think that this is our global warming burden, here on our speck of Earth. For the storms are now violent. They arrive at any time of day or night, throwing down sheets of water so thick you can’t see through them and sometimes staccatos of hail that batters and bashes trees and cars alike. A natural phenomenon that used to be revered and something to revel in as an indicator that the dry winter was now well and truly over has become an often fearful element of the weather, especially if you get caught on the road in one of these storms. The sheer volume of water turns roads into rivers, rivers into flash floods and floods property causing damage and destruction.

And yet there’s still something about these storms that definitely makes you feel alive. Perhaps it’s the adrenalin they now induce.

So you can imagine how the rainwater collected on the roof of our building and, with nowhere else to go, made its way through our ceiling. The roof has since been repaired, but our ceilings bear the evidence. And as if a leaky home wasn’t enough, our kitchen taps had to go on strike as well. And naturally it’s turned into a bigger job than anticipated, complete with a gouged out section of wall that now has to be replastered and tiled.

Add to this tendonitis of the wrist – fortunately my left, so I’ve still been able to do some embroidery although I shouldn’t really – and a “jammed up” left shoulder and upper back, and this week’s been rather trying. I am so grateful for the small mercy of having a chiropractor for a sister and am feeling a lot better for her ministrations. But really, everything at once? 

Now that I’m almost on the other side of all the drama, things are definitely looking up again. The Christmas designs are coming along nicely, I’m slowly but surely working my way through the never-ending To Do list that is life and the cherry on the top is that today is my wedding anniversary, so I’ve a nice dinner out to look forward to this evening.