Oddly October

Janine is working hard out over the holiday weekend to finish her art portfolio for Year 11 NCEA. We have set her up in a small room at church so she doesn't take over the kitchen and living room, or have to pack up for meals! She has been incredibly diligent, and didn't seem to mind stopping Sunday morning for church, helping out with sound and filling in looking after children. Sadly, she hasn't time for baking at the moment! She has taken over this role more or less much to the appreciation of her father and siblings. I find dealing with flour makes me unwell.
Even with the holiday weekend, church at Wai-iti road was full, with 10 children, where last year there would only have been ours. The nice thing about Timaru is that while the locals may head away, we have plenty of visitors! We also had a couple of earthquake refugees, as St Paul's is closed in the meantime due to earthquake damage. The damage is relatively minor but impacts access and we are concerned about evacuating a number of elderly people through one exit if necessary. So, we are currently worshiping in two or three centers, depending on the weekend. The irony of the situation is that we were already looking at changing our services; I think it probably just goes to show that people can make almost anything work - if they choose!
Katarina has a much more relaxed attitude towards her studies, but her report was very good, and she is quite confident that she will be finished on time.
I am off to the scenic reserve with the dog and the youngest two children. The days are lengthening and I've spent two lovely days in the garden.