sorry to hear about shipmates caught in these floods up north. I'm glad to see that people are doing ok in the circumstances. It must be a horrific experience to have to climb into your roof cavity to escape flood waters, and then to be rescued by helicopter or boat.
I was reading about songs at funerals. I am planning to do a video to play at the service, which begins with me saying, "If you are watching this video at my funeral it means that I am probably dead."
Good news on the wrist front. The operation seems to have gone well, and I am returning to work on light duties from 10/3. The plan is to return to pre-injury duties gradually over the next few months. I will be looking to transition to a new job in the medium term, and the indication is that workcover will help with any training etc.
Prison chaplaincy is a possibility that excites me, because of my experiences with mental health and a gambling addiction. I am going to make contact with a service provider and see if I can do some voluntary prison visits to see if it is a job that I might be able to do. Last time I looked prison visits were very restricted due to covid.
Prison chaplaincy is a possibility that excites me, because of my experiences with mental health and a gambling addiction. I am going to make contact with a service provider and see if I can do some voluntary prison visits to see if it is a job that I might be able to do. Last time I looked prison visits were very restricted due to covid.
I think that the sort of voluntary visits you talk of would be very difficult in ordinary times, and next to impossible now.
I heard the Mayor of an Australian town that I didn't catch the name of being interviewed on the radio this afternoon. He talked about 3 elderly women's bodies being found in the roofspace of their homes. My heart went out to him as he sounded like he was suffering from shock himself.
YaY - my replacement hearing aid has arrived. I will pick it up from the audiologist on Friday.
In other news the protesters have left Parliament Grounds but there is a small core group still resisting. Police are using foam bullets while the protesters are hurling tent poles paving stones and gas bottles and spraying fire extinguisher foam. Before they left Parliament grounds they lit some fires, one of which destroyed the children's playground. This hard core group seem to be QAnon and right wing supporters. The ones that had the nooses ready for Jacinda Ardern and other politicians.
There have been a good many demonstrations at Parliament over the years- some of which I have taken part in myself, but I don't remember any with this kind of vitriol before. I find it disturbing.
There's a sad clip on one or other of the news sites of cattle being swept away, with the message that it was half the farmers herd. Maybe they'll be swept to somewhere they can get a footing and scramble to safety, but from the extent of the floodwater, that looks unlikely.
Conversely we had the story on our regional news of the farmers near Grafton who looked out towards the levee after moving their stock to higher ground to find a solitary beast standing there. Upon ringing the contact number from the eartag they discovered it had come from a farm near Tabulam some 150km higher up the Clarence River.
... ones that had the nooses ready for Jacinda Ardern and other politicians.
There have been a good many demonstrations at Parliament over the years- some of which I have taken part in myself, but I don't remember any with this kind of vitriol before. I find it disturbing.
Anyone who wants to put Ms. Ardern in a noose must, by definition, be a complete loony - she's one of the most decent and sensible politicians ever to have walked the earth.
There's a sad clip on one or other of the news sites of cattle being swept away, with the message that it was half the farmers herd. Maybe they'll be swept to somewhere they can get a footing and scramble to safety, but from the extent of the floodwater, that looks unlikely.
Conversely we had the story on our regional news of the farmers near Grafton who looked out towards the levee after moving their stock to higher ground to find a solitary beast standing there. Upon ringing the contact number from the eartag they discovered it had come from a farm near Tabulam some 150km higher up the Clarence River.
Better enter it for the next Olympics. That's amazing.
You're still OK, are you? I have strong memories of Maitland being flooded in late summer 55, and seeing the aerial photos (rare at the time). Has anyone heard from LKK?
You're still OK, are you? I have strong memories of Maitland being flooded in late summer 55, and seeing the aerial photos (rare at the time). Has anyone heard from LKK?
I was not quite 4 when the 55 flood hit and recall sitting on my father's knee as the train crawled through Maitland on our way to Singleton. The sight of cars, trucks and houses all in various states of disrepair has remained with me all these years. Dad's mother, sister and her husband lost many of their possessions in Singleton just a few weeks before, grandma talked of the impact to their lives for many years and my cousin still talks of it.
You're still OK, are you? I have strong memories of Maitland being flooded in late summer 55, and seeing the aerial photos (rare at the time). Has anyone heard from LKK?
The heavy stuff just skimmed us today, squalls and showers mainly, although north of the river copped a hammering. Our little town sometimes seems to be in a rainshadow, as storms often veer to the north or south of us. At times the radar image neatly divides around us!
You're still OK, are you? I have strong memories of Maitland being flooded in late summer 55, and seeing the aerial photos (rare at the time). Has anyone heard from LKK?
I was not quite 4 when the 55 flood hit and recall sitting on my father's knee as the train crawled through Maitland on our way to Singleton. The sight of cars, trucks and houses all in various states of disrepair has remained with me all these years. Dad's mother, sister and her husband lost many of their possessions in Singleton just a few weeks before, grandma talked of the impact to their lives for many years and my cousin still talks of it.
I worked with a colleague whose childhood home was inundated in 1955 and who recalled the stink of flood mud emanating from the walls every time there was wet weather thereafter. One of our parishioners was telling us at morning tea yesterday of her evacuation from the family home when either end of the street was under water and they rode out on a timber jinker [a large skeleton semi-trailer]. When they returned home the family car had disappeared never to be seen again. The family believed it had been washed into the river, carried down through Newcastle Harbour and out to sea. I curse myself when I realise that I should have used the voice recorder on my phone on such occasions.
So much is happening!
The 3-week 'occupation' outside Parliament was finally broken up by hundreds of police, with the violent core of protesters throwing broken paving stones etc at police, burning tents, burning part of the children's playground etc. These were the ones who got their inspiration from QAnon and similar 'foreign' extreme right-wing sources and were nothing to do with mask mandates. It's to be hoped that families with children had cleared out before the violence started, and maybe the wearers of tinfoil hats and purchasers of protective crystals had too. There's (I think) a couple of hundred charged, a number of police and some rioters in hospital, and small groups of protesters are congregating in open spaces on the edge of the city and round the coast, where locals (especially where they tried to get into a marae) pushed them away.
Then there's Ukraine.
And closer than either of these, the new minister of our Presbyterian parish, who was ordained and inducted just over two years ago, will be resigning and looking for a new call, as it became clear that his fundamentalist theology was not a fit in a congregation that's half Progressive (as well as being, in many cases, octogenarians with a lifetime of theological training or study, while he's just 40). A distressing situation. It's not just his theology (other clergy have happily led our mixed bunch), but his services are uninspiring and those of us who came to him for pastoral care concluded that he lacks empathy and is probably in the wrong job. Pray for us — and for our Donald and his nice wife and two kids. He's not a bad bloke; should have stuck with IT, which was his previous work.
And we also pray for the flood victims on the other side of the ditch. We are not so wrapped up in our own problems that we cannot feel for your grief.
Hi GG, really good to see you and especially to read your view on the protest. On the whole I was impressed by the police handling of the situation, although I'm sure people who live nearby would have wanted it closed down earlier.
Regarding the right wing element, I've been I've been following up comments about QAnon and the Counterspin groups because I think they are a particular danger. Paul Spoonley, Emeritus Professor at Massey University stated several times in news interviews that NZers access on-line right wing propaganda on the internet twice as much as Australians and three times as much as Canadians. When I go to the library I'm going to print out a paper entitled Sustaining Aotearoa New Zealand as a Cohesive Society produced by Koi Tu: The Centre for Informed Futures at Auckland University.
I was surprised a group of protestors thought they might be welcome at the Marae in Wainuiomata as a very successful vaccination programme has been run from that Marae, and I was heartened that when the cry for support to block them from just moving in went out many people from the valley provided their support. Makes me proud of my hometown.
I have also been wondering if a national campaign to fundraise to replace the children's playground at parliament would allow people through the country to feel that had contributed or whether it would be more divisive and make it a target for vandalism.
Very good to hear from you GG, despite the very sad news in your main post. Sad for everyone, the new minister, his family and of course the congregation. Perhaps he just did not have the call he thought he did, then spent years of study only to discover that he may well have made a mistake.
Very good to hear from you GG, despite the very sad news in your main post. Sad for everyone, the new minister, his family and of course the congregation. Perhaps he just did not have the call he thought he did, then spent years of study only to discover that he may well have made a mistake.
I'm not sure that he feels he's mistaken his calling. He speaks of continuing his work in our parish until another parish calls him, which I think is unlikely in that he's two years into a five-year engagement, and there are a decreasing number of parishes looking for a minister — our own numbers are dwindling, and ageing, and the makeup of the area has changed over the years.
It is so horrifying to see the flood pictures on TV. If only Putin — and other world leaders — would focus on climate change, the future would not look so scary. If one thinks that one won't still be around for the worst of it, then one is scared to imagine what one's lovely grandchildren might be faced with in a few years' time.
And our case, I suspect that grandchildren will be quite some years down the track....
As to the minister, I understand just what the problem is now you've outlined the background. The numbers at St Sanity are considerably lower than 4 or 5 years ago. Many parishioners have left over that time to worship elsewhere, and there have been precious few new people join. A couple of other parishes have merged in the hope of reducing costs and getting viable numbers.
G.G there's a vacancy down here but he wouldn't suit for some of the same reasons.
I have done several hours in the garden this morning, mainly attacking the elderberry trees, and am now exhausted. This afternoon I intend listening to a talking book - until I have a cat nap with Aroha 😽 who has been supervising my efforts.
The internet was restored this evening. It's good to be back in communicado. Much of the biggest little town has been deluged by the flood. Roads are cut and some bridges are wrecked. The locals, including lots of young people, are making great efforts to take supplies to flooded and remote areas, or clean out muddy deluged places. There are lots of volunteers at the local Disaster Recovery Centre where I have been placed as a Disaster Recovery Chaplain.
Local events have taken my focus off world events.
It's amazing how the volunteers appear in response to a disaster. That was one thing I learned during the quakes here that has stayed with me ever since. As well as my gratitude for them doing so.
The internet was restored this evening. It's good to be back in communicado. Much of the biggest little town has been deluged by the flood. Roads are cut and some bridges are wrecked. The locals, including lots of young people, are making great efforts to take supplies to flooded and remote areas, or clean out muddy deluged places. There are lots of volunteers at the local Disaster Recovery Centre where I have been placed as a Disaster Recovery Chaplain.
Local events have taken my focus off world events.
Thanks for posting - we were getting a bit worried about/for you. Prayers continuing for you and all others affected.
Good to hear you are well and that lots of people are helping the flood victims. My brother-in-law's sister and family are staying with her husband's father. Most of their cattle were on another property that was not flooded, but sister's niece has a small herd of cattle she breeds to show that were washed away. Last I heard 3 out of 10 had returned, including a calf.
Queensland friend has had lots of help to clean her house and those of us far away have donated to a fund to help as all their household goods were destroyed.
Our rector has been in touch with the rector of Lismore, where the opshop is fortunately located on the heights in Goonellabah. They have as much stock as they can deal with at present, but our opshop has undertaken to ship a truckload of clothing and other goods to them when the other donations start to wane.
Devastating news to see on breakfast TV still. more flooding videos from NSW. Prayers for all, whether you are flooded or, if you are safe, for your friends and relatives.
Heartbreaking to find another internet appeal to save Amazon rainforest areas from exploitation — if only world leaders would stop amassing weapons and threatening (or attacking) neighbours and get to work trying to slow climate change.
For those who want to examine the origins of QAnon, Van Badham's book, QAnon and On is a good resource. It does involve some very sexist, very ugly stuff as it originated on some very seedy chatrooms and is related to the mountain of misogyny called Gamergate.
Simon Toad I realise that knowing what we are dealing with can be useful but I avoid even reading about men who hate women because I've met enough of them in my life, and their toxicity is overwhelming so I don't choose to give them any of my energy.
Fortunately I have met many more who are intelligent, principled, loving and caring, but for a while it was a close run thing.
Oh dear ... I forgot to hit "post" a few days back ...
Thanks LKK - my prayers continue for a chunk of the world I deeply love
Hi @Zappa . You did post this a few days back. I have been finding that some of my drafts are still appearing as drafts after they have been posted. I am watching to see if this because I usually have multiple SoF tabs open in my browser.
I have been providing disaster relief chaplaincy (I call it spiritual care for a person's hope, purpose, meaning, and love) through the Disaster Relief Chaplaincy Network NSW since Sat 5 March, broken by a few self-care days. This was my first ever assignment by DRCN, but you learn on the job quickly. Yesterday a chaplain from the Sydney region came for a few days and joined me to spread the load and I was able to help him learn the ropes that I had learned. I'm taking a break today, but will be back tomorrow. On Thursday I will be joined by some Victorian chaplains whom I will be help to get settled in.
All the people working in the recovery centre, from the Council, Australian and NSW agencies, Red Cross, Salvation Army, counsellors, insurance companies people, legal, medical and first aid people have come together to work really well as a team to support flood affected people. There are also army people (including a chaplain) who have been able to go out with their vehicles and choppers to reach areas cut off by normal means.
At the moment divisions in the area have been forgotten as people help one another.
Simon Toad I realise that knowing what we are dealing with can be useful but I avoid even reading about men who hate women because I've met enough of them in my life, and their toxicity is overwhelming so I don't choose to give them any of my energy.
Fortunately I have met many more who are intelligent, principled, loving and caring, but for a while it was a close run thing.
LKK - Many thanks to you and others with whom you're working in those areas. It's almost as vital as the work of those getting people physically to places of safety.
The local hardware and garden shop was selling daffodil bulbs cheaply so I bought forty, then realised I don't have the time or energy to plant them due to the tree felling etc I'm doing so I contacted the school in my street and they are delighted to take them off my hands. It's a win/win situation because now I don't feel bad about wasting money or feel pressured into exhausting myself.
A day off from chaplaincy today. We have two chaplains from interstate joining the recovery centre on Friday and I have been asked to be team leader. I think I will be low profile about that. Just letting them know how the centre operates, making sure breaks are taken while always having at least one person on site, and being available to answer questions.
There is a constant stream of people coming to the recovery centres. Some have lost everything. At the moment disastrously affected people are nearly all saying they were lucky.
The DRCN (Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network) has a model with the phases:
Impact
Heroic
Honeymoon
Disillusionment
Reconstruction
We are mostly in the Honeymoon phase but Disillusionment is coming on.
The perception is often that government response is slow, and the initial decision to not include some LGAs as flooded has not helped. Also, there are definition discrepancies so that e.g. some people without flood insurance are classed by insurance companies as flooded, but do not get government flood relief as they are not classed as flooded by government. This has lead to protests to get the situation (partially) corrected.
The drive to one of the recovery centres I work at is along a road lined along both sides with the contents of flood affected properties. It is gradually being removed.
The mud is horrific. The phrase "Sticking like mud" has taken on a whole new meaning for me. LKKspouse has done a lot of cleaning and washing loads for other people. Even after three washes mud dust can be found in materials.
We have had a few sunny dry days recently, and vehicles now blow up the dust that still lies heavily on the road.
The work of chaplains here has been to sit with people waiting to see one or more of many agencies in the centre. Some tell you their stories. Some you just sit with quietly. The Red Cross and sometimes other agencies refer particularly distressed or withdrawn people. Mostly there are also psychologists or social workers or counsellors to refer people to. For some people the flood has exacerbated an already stressful life. E.g. some people who were living in their cars have now lost their cars to flood.
In a nutshell, my spiritual care aims to help people be in better spirits in hope, purpose, meaning, and love.
LKKspouse and I have only really been affected by tiredness. Our house has only minor reoof leakage. Chaplains check in with the DRCN duty officer each day they work and they monitor our self care. From time to time I tell them I have to take a day or two off, and I think they are pleased with the way I manage my self care. Most chaplains are out of time. Being local means I am in for the long haul, and I don't know how many weeks that will be. Being local has the advantage of going home to my wife rather than a hotel or motel. Some of the government workers are put up in large tents, and the ADF set up their own camps.
The Byron Shire Echo is a good source of the news for the region.
A member of the Board of Trustees is apparently a keen gardener and the woman in the office contacted her to see if she could spare the time to plant the bulbs, which she can. She will pick them up from my front doorstep.
Today I picked up a new ear mould for my replacement hearing aid. It's fantastic and will make it more difficult for this aid to be flicked off if it gets caught up with the mask. Apparently there are quite a few hearing aid users who have had the same thing happen, so the manufacturers are not trimming so much off the mould. The audiologist said I could have the same done with the other hearing aid, but it would cost $150 because it wasn't covered by insurance. As far as I'm concerned it's well worth doing for the extra peace of mind. It will take about 6 weeks as it comes from Australia -time enough to save up.
LKK - thank you for the update. I'd imagine that another advantage of being local is that you're more likely to be accepted than are outsiders. Prayers continuing for you, and for all in the affected areas there and on Sydney outskirts.
Huia - That's good news, especially getting the bulbs planted. Right time for spring flowering.
Raining again today and predicted for another week. There will be lots of nervous people. I spoke yesterday with one who was already nervous. For some reason there is a lot of helicopter activity. I suppose they are going out to people who are still cut off. There are areas where the roads cannot be traversed. You have to get across the break to where others may have a vehicle to get you down to town.
Comments
I was reading about songs at funerals. I am planning to do a video to play at the service, which begins with me saying, "If you are watching this video at my funeral it means that I am probably dead."
Good news on the wrist front. The operation seems to have gone well, and I am returning to work on light duties from 10/3. The plan is to return to pre-injury duties gradually over the next few months. I will be looking to transition to a new job in the medium term, and the indication is that workcover will help with any training etc.
Prison chaplaincy is a possibility that excites me, because of my experiences with mental health and a gambling addiction. I am going to make contact with a service provider and see if I can do some voluntary prison visits to see if it is a job that I might be able to do. Last time I looked prison visits were very restricted due to covid.
I think that the sort of voluntary visits you talk of would be very difficult in ordinary times, and next to impossible now.
YaY - my replacement hearing aid has arrived. I will pick it up from the audiologist on Friday.
In other news the protesters have left Parliament Grounds but there is a small core group still resisting. Police are using foam bullets while the protesters are hurling tent poles paving stones and gas bottles and spraying fire extinguisher foam. Before they left Parliament grounds they lit some fires, one of which destroyed the children's playground. This hard core group seem to be QAnon and right wing supporters. The ones that had the nooses ready for Jacinda Ardern and other politicians.
There have been a good many demonstrations at Parliament over the years- some of which I have taken part in myself, but I don't remember any with this kind of vitriol before. I find it disturbing.
Conversely we had the story on our regional news of the farmers near Grafton who looked out towards the levee after moving their stock to higher ground to find a solitary beast standing there. Upon ringing the contact number from the eartag they discovered it had come from a farm near Tabulam some 150km higher up the Clarence River.
"Disturbing" doesn't begin to cover it.
Good news about the hearing aid though!
Better enter it for the next Olympics. That's amazing.
I was not quite 4 when the 55 flood hit and recall sitting on my father's knee as the train crawled through Maitland on our way to Singleton. The sight of cars, trucks and houses all in various states of disrepair has remained with me all these years. Dad's mother, sister and her husband lost many of their possessions in Singleton just a few weeks before, grandma talked of the impact to their lives for many years and my cousin still talks of it.
The heavy stuff just skimmed us today, squalls and showers mainly, although north of the river copped a hammering. Our little town sometimes seems to be in a rainshadow, as storms often veer to the north or south of us. At times the radar image neatly divides around us!
I worked with a colleague whose childhood home was inundated in 1955 and who recalled the stink of flood mud emanating from the walls every time there was wet weather thereafter. One of our parishioners was telling us at morning tea yesterday of her evacuation from the family home when either end of the street was under water and they rode out on a timber jinker [a large skeleton semi-trailer]. When they returned home the family car had disappeared never to be seen again. The family believed it had been washed into the river, carried down through Newcastle Harbour and out to sea. I curse myself when I realise that I should have used the voice recorder on my phone on such occasions.
The 3-week 'occupation' outside Parliament was finally broken up by hundreds of police, with the violent core of protesters throwing broken paving stones etc at police, burning tents, burning part of the children's playground etc. These were the ones who got their inspiration from QAnon and similar 'foreign' extreme right-wing sources and were nothing to do with mask mandates. It's to be hoped that families with children had cleared out before the violence started, and maybe the wearers of tinfoil hats and purchasers of protective crystals had too. There's (I think) a couple of hundred charged, a number of police and some rioters in hospital, and small groups of protesters are congregating in open spaces on the edge of the city and round the coast, where locals (especially where they tried to get into a marae) pushed them away.
Then there's Ukraine.
And closer than either of these, the new minister of our Presbyterian parish, who was ordained and inducted just over two years ago, will be resigning and looking for a new call, as it became clear that his fundamentalist theology was not a fit in a congregation that's half Progressive (as well as being, in many cases, octogenarians with a lifetime of theological training or study, while he's just 40). A distressing situation. It's not just his theology (other clergy have happily led our mixed bunch), but his services are uninspiring and those of us who came to him for pastoral care concluded that he lacks empathy and is probably in the wrong job. Pray for us — and for our Donald and his nice wife and two kids. He's not a bad bloke; should have stuck with IT, which was his previous work.
Regarding the right wing element, I've been I've been following up comments about QAnon and the Counterspin groups because I think they are a particular danger. Paul Spoonley, Emeritus Professor at Massey University stated several times in news interviews that NZers access on-line right wing propaganda on the internet twice as much as Australians and three times as much as Canadians. When I go to the library I'm going to print out a paper entitled Sustaining Aotearoa New Zealand as a Cohesive Society produced by Koi Tu: The Centre for Informed Futures at Auckland University.
I was surprised a group of protestors thought they might be welcome at the Marae in Wainuiomata as a very successful vaccination programme has been run from that Marae, and I was heartened that when the cry for support to block them from just moving in went out many people from the valley provided their support. Makes me proud of my hometown.
I have also been wondering if a national campaign to fundraise to replace the children's playground at parliament would allow people through the country to feel that had contributed or whether it would be more divisive and make it a target for vandalism.
It is so horrifying to see the flood pictures on TV. If only Putin — and other world leaders — would focus on climate change, the future would not look so scary. If one thinks that one won't still be around for the worst of it, then one is scared to imagine what one's lovely grandchildren might be faced with in a few years' time.
As to the minister, I understand just what the problem is now you've outlined the background. The numbers at St Sanity are considerably lower than 4 or 5 years ago. Many parishioners have left over that time to worship elsewhere, and there have been precious few new people join. A couple of other parishes have merged in the hope of reducing costs and getting viable numbers.
I have done several hours in the garden this morning, mainly attacking the elderberry trees, and am now exhausted. This afternoon I intend listening to a talking book - until I have a cat nap with Aroha 😽 who has been supervising my efforts.
Local events have taken my focus off world events.
Thanks for posting - we were getting a bit worried about/for you. Prayers continuing for you and all others affected.
Queensland friend has had lots of help to clean her house and those of us far away have donated to a fund to help as all their household goods were destroyed.
Heartbreaking to find another internet appeal to save Amazon rainforest areas from exploitation — if only world leaders would stop amassing weapons and threatening (or attacking) neighbours and get to work trying to slow climate change.
Simon Toad I realise that knowing what we are dealing with can be useful but I avoid even reading about men who hate women because I've met enough of them in my life, and their toxicity is overwhelming so I don't choose to give them any of my energy.
Fortunately I have met many more who are intelligent, principled, loving and caring, but for a while it was a close run thing.
Thanks LKK - my prayers continue for a chunk of the world I deeply love
Hi @Zappa . You did post this a few days back. I have been finding that some of my drafts are still appearing as drafts after they have been posted. I am watching to see if this because I usually have multiple SoF tabs open in my browser.
I have been providing disaster relief chaplaincy (I call it spiritual care for a person's hope, purpose, meaning, and love) through the Disaster Relief Chaplaincy Network NSW since Sat 5 March, broken by a few self-care days. This was my first ever assignment by DRCN, but you learn on the job quickly. Yesterday a chaplain from the Sydney region came for a few days and joined me to spread the load and I was able to help him learn the ropes that I had learned. I'm taking a break today, but will be back tomorrow. On Thursday I will be joined by some Victorian chaplains whom I will be help to get settled in.
All the people working in the recovery centre, from the Council, Australian and NSW agencies, Red Cross, Salvation Army, counsellors, insurance companies people, legal, medical and first aid people have come together to work really well as a team to support flood affected people. There are also army people (including a chaplain) who have been able to go out with their vehicles and choppers to reach areas cut off by normal means.
At the moment divisions in the area have been forgotten as people help one another.
Will check back in as recovery continues.
A couple of riot squad police wandering up and down.
I suppose
"The riot squad they're restless
They need someplace to go
As lady and I look out
At Desolation Row"
I had you in mind when I issued the warning.
Oh, that rings my bell
The local hardware and garden shop was selling daffodil bulbs cheaply so I bought forty, then realised I don't have the time or energy to plant them due to the tree felling etc I'm doing so I contacted the school in my street and they are delighted to take them off my hands. It's a win/win situation because now I don't feel bad about wasting money
The DRCN (Disaster Recovery Chaplaincy Network) has a model with the phases:
We are mostly in the Honeymoon phase but Disillusionment is coming on.
The perception is often that government response is slow, and the initial decision to not include some LGAs as flooded has not helped. Also, there are definition discrepancies so that e.g. some people without flood insurance are classed by insurance companies as flooded, but do not get government flood relief as they are not classed as flooded by government. This has lead to protests to get the situation (partially) corrected.
The drive to one of the recovery centres I work at is along a road lined along both sides with the contents of flood affected properties. It is gradually being removed.
The mud is horrific. The phrase "Sticking like mud" has taken on a whole new meaning for me. LKKspouse has done a lot of cleaning and washing loads for other people. Even after three washes mud dust can be found in materials.
We have had a few sunny dry days recently, and vehicles now blow up the dust that still lies heavily on the road.
The work of chaplains here has been to sit with people waiting to see one or more of many agencies in the centre. Some tell you their stories. Some you just sit with quietly. The Red Cross and sometimes other agencies refer particularly distressed or withdrawn people. Mostly there are also psychologists or social workers or counsellors to refer people to. For some people the flood has exacerbated an already stressful life. E.g. some people who were living in their cars have now lost their cars to flood.
In a nutshell, my spiritual care aims to help people be in better spirits in hope, purpose, meaning, and love.
LKKspouse and I have only really been affected by tiredness. Our house has only minor reoof leakage. Chaplains check in with the DRCN duty officer each day they work and they monitor our self care. From time to time I tell them I have to take a day or two off, and I think they are pleased with the way I manage my self care. Most chaplains are out of time. Being local means I am in for the long haul, and I don't know how many weeks that will be. Being local has the advantage of going home to my wife rather than a hotel or motel. Some of the government workers are put up in large tents, and the ADF set up their own camps.
The Byron Shire Echo is a good source of the news for the region.
Today I picked up a new ear mould for my replacement hearing aid. It's fantastic and will make it more difficult for this aid to be flicked off if it gets caught up with the mask. Apparently there are quite a few hearing aid users who have had the same thing happen, so the manufacturers are not trimming so much off the mould. The audiologist said I could have the same done with the other hearing aid, but it would cost $150 because it wasn't covered by insurance. As far as I'm concerned it's well worth doing for the extra peace of mind. It will take about 6 weeks as it comes from Australia -time enough to save up.
Huia - That's good news, especially getting the bulbs planted. Right time for spring flowering.