I now believe in angels!!On Wednesday 1st September I get a phonecall saying "we are in Portagem".
Oops, slight misunderstanding - I thought they were arriving after the 1st sometime. So it was a case of a quick tidy round & then off down the road to meet 2 more Helpxers Mona & Ben who were from Bavaria (**for an explanation of the Helpx scheme see below)
Photo of Mona & Ben with visiting friends in my kitchen - Christmas 2010
From the moment I met them we have chatted & got on like long lost friends. Thursday lunchtime we all went to visit friends of mine for lunch who got the impression we had infact known each other for years as we got on so well & were so relaxed in each others company.
It says a lot that 2 weeks later I confidently set off for my dance fix in Islantilla Spain with Mona & Ben minding the forte. As all my very best friends know I do not leave my 2 & 4 footed critters very easily! But with a big smile on her face Mona waved me on my way telling me not to worry ..... and I didn't! I was confident that Mona & Ben could cope with the piglets, dogs, cats, sheep, guinea fowl, chickens & the at war cockerels Liberace & William. Infact Mona had great fun continuing the piglets training of sit, spin & back up with the use of fresh figs as rewards. I think Sean, Arthur, Dennis & Pudding rather enjoyed it too!!
It all went so well infact that not long after my return from the holiday I asked Ben & Mona "you wouldn't by any chance like to do a long stay ........ like maybe 6 - 8 months ..... or a year or two? " !!!!
To my delight they said 'yes' for the 6 to 8 month period. This enabled me to go back to England and concentrate on learning how to teach dance. Regular updates via email help me to feel connected with home & although I admit to feeling very homesick I'm sure it will all be worth it.
Without Mona & Ben's help this would have been a very difficult quest as not only are they looking after my pets but they are also looking after the land (the brambles are always threatening world domination) & overseeing various jobs. A perfect exchange as Ben & Mona love the peace & quiet of my place and are enjoying staying there longer which means they can grow their own fresh veggies!!
** Helpx is a fantastic worldwide scheme where work is exchanged for food & accommodation. There is no exact formula other than that there is an exchange - the full details are worked out between Helpx hosts & helpers. I was a bit wary at first as although I'm someone who is very sociable I also very much like my own space. But the scheme has turned out to be just perfect for me. I learnt from a couple of experiences (!) like for example the person who thought that an hour accompanying me for a walk with the dogs was a fair exchange for full board & lodgings, being taxied around being shown around the area and being included in all the things that I went to!! Hmmmm - a big NO! I tried every subtle trick in the book & then decided that enough was enough. Within a few days of the unbalance in the fairness of the exchange being pointed out the person rapidly left!
I have made some fantastic friends from around the world thanks to Helpx & keep in touch with most of them. The scheme has also saved my bacon ..... particularly when the land went nuts last year spring. After all the rain & at the first hint of sun everything just exploded into a growth spurt that beggared belief. I was somewhat overwhelmed but my wonderful Helpxers just rolled up their sleeves & we tackled it all head on. I couldn't have done it without them.
Maybe the Helpx scheme is a secret angels in disguise club?!!
