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| Massive beams in here... |
By Maryanna Gabriel
For some reason, it is absorbing watching two women clear rubble from a burned-out chateau in France. Seemingly hopeless, but their hard work and determination are utterly commendable. I am as excited as they are when a tree growing out of the floor of the Grande Salon is felled. It was then I heard my wall pop. Discounting the sound, I continued with my show, and heard the pop again. The wall was probably contracting from heat loss. Nothing compared to what the two chatelaines were experiencing.
It was a few minutes later, I saw the movement. Meaning the wall. That got my undivided attention.
The concrete tile roof that was recently removed weighed several tons. I tried to think... with the massive beams in here, if wood is compressed and a load is lifted, of course. It makes sense the wood is moving. The surrounding drywall is the concern.
Given the roofer's intermittent presence, I forfeited my usual supply trips to town. It has been two months since a major shop. Not a problem. The British government and parts of Europe recently recommended at least three days worth of food in case of emergency - even better, a month. Am in awe of people who shop for their needs daily. Living on an island, it is a different mentality being loaded up on basics (enough black beans for a lifetime. In fact, I might put a codacil in my will. Dear Grandson. I bequeath thee ten pounds. Use them wisely, but here I digress...). Except for pototoes. So I went to the local store and purchased a hearty fellow, thinking to tide myself over. A dollar, she said. What? You gotta be kidding me. It's just a little guy!
Launching into a potato tizzy, I asked myself should I brave the storms and go to town? How important are potatoes anyway? Given the onslaught of rain, tail winds of typhoons off the Pacific, every day is a new adventure. The major issue is wind because with it, the power goes out, and ferries are canceled. So yesterday, I gauged the contradictory weather reports, which delight in hammering on the catastrophic, and made a run for it.
Ferries? All good. Potatoes? Thirty pounds for less than five dollars. Hah. It was nice to be in the hustle and bustle of the city, but it was even better to return to the peace of home. Now if I can only make my Christmas Cake without a power failure.