My daughter who lives in Melbourne, Australia and her boyfriend Jack have been here for a very fast visit on their way to Mexico to climb some cliff faces.
So what better work to do than help your Mum by replacing a couple of windows in a barn, that came down in a storm not long ago, and the barn face looks blind without them. An excellent job for strong climbers. 
The windows are way up high in the North side of the West barn – only a tiny challenge for these young people. These two climb together often and are totally equal on a wall – instructing and guiding each others feet with verbal commands in gentle voices. Even for a short climb like up a barn wall they prepare, plan and use their hands and feet efficiently. I love watching them work together. 
And they were happy that they could start and finish a job that I desperately needed help with.
They are leaving in the early hours of the morning tomorrow so we are going up to the Big City this afternoon to get a head start on that journey. 
The sweetest thing for them was that yesterday my new layers came. Twenty-five white Leghorns. Three days old. The suppliers sent me a batch quick quick so we could slide them in before it got cold again. So they took the job of dipping each little beak into the water and placing them in the box under their heating tables. 
And this morning is blowing and cold and wintry.
Here is the weather:
So today will be cold. Never mind. The chicks are all safely in their box and sleeping under their heated table and I have family sleeping in a warm room in my house. I must take the joy and run with it and try not to think of tomorrow when they will be gone again and travelling far away.
Being an immigrant to a country means that we miss our families unless we are lucky enough to be able to bring our families out to live with us. I think sometimes people forget that immigrants are often just sad, and always feeling around at the hole in their bellies left by absent loved ones. (I actually hate that term “loved ones” but I cannot think of a better word this morning).
And today we have a full day and one more all night together. Which will be wonderful! So off I go!
Have a lovely day.
Love celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
53 responses to “From A Far”
Everybody wins! Love those days/ weekends/projects.
Winter is back again here too in Northeast Ohio. *sigh* Enjoy your family!
J > This post reminds me of when D and I would visit her parents. I’d come in through the house door, into the kitchen, and D’s mum Betty would say “Ah, Jonathan, glad you’re here, can you reach me down that pan from the top shelf?”!! … Cliches and fixed expressions obscure meaning and blunt understanding. I was taught never to use a generic when a specific is available and appropriate. If you mean family, say family. Or friends and family. If you mean son, can you use his name? If you mean children, would it be too long-winded to say son and daughter. As a civil engineer I find it difficult to say ‘concrete’ when what is actually required is in-situ 30N concrete 100 thick with 25mm coarse aggregate size and 100mm slump, with plascticizer and retardant. However, I do accept that sometimes just ‘concrete’ is quite ‘concrete’ enough!
Here they say cement – is that the same stuff I wonder. As writers we are always looking for another word to say the same thing as repetition is so boring in a paragraph. But you are right – call a spade a spade.. c
I L ❤ V E the pic of them out the windows!! 🙂
Morning fellow farmer!
Your post is serious and beautiful and true, but I am laughing over your “loved ones” comment. I hate that phrase too. What are we to do? Say “peeps”? Lacks seriousness. Oh well.
Peeps! Here come my PEEPS!! Perfect!!!
I’m so glad you had this time with your daughter and her family. I understand the missing of “loved ones.” Although I am not an immigrant, I have a son who lives half a country away (in Boston). My heart aches sometimes for missing him; I see him once or twice a year.
And the American Half Country away is a Very very long way indeed. Such a big country this one.. c