Saturday 28 March 2020

What to do

All my grandchildren are teenagers except the youngest and she's on the brink.  One family of four , 2 adults, 2 teenagers, live in our old house.  Two bedrooms, one kitchen , one balcony now roofed and turned into a sitting area.  One room leads into another, no hallways.  Try keeping four people cooped up in that with the 2 teens sharing a bedroom.  

My father-in-law built the house for K, his dowry, although it's the woman who is supposed to provide the house.  F-in-law and his 8 siblings were brought up in a 2 roomed house. One room a storehouse and kitchen with an open fire, the other a bedroom and room for the loom. The 8 children slept on blankets on the floor.  That's the way it was back then and he considered this house he built more than big enough for a family of 4.  Times have changed very fast and dramatically.  The good thing about this house is their roof terrace, up a narrow spiral open staircase, where they have a fantastic view of the island and the bay.  At least they will be able to go up there when the weather is better and let off some steam.

Meanwhile .....






Keeping the children amused in a small house
Cooking is one way to go, especially when both of them like meal making
Grandson is king of the tzatziki but here he is rolling out naan bread
He had already mixed the tzatziki and cooked the gyro for homemade souvlaki


Luli made the naan bread by hand
She is the one who kneaded all the dough for the large loaves of unleavened bread at the beginning of Lent.
Naan bread -
Equal parts of yoghurt and flour
I still haven't made mine but I'll be phoning her for the recipe and tips



Remember the game 'twister'.  
Bottoms up 
I won't tell you which is which


Other family lives next door to a deserted tennis court, away from the road and other human beings
Family exercise in the open 

And to end
here is a message from the NZ police



16 comments:

  1. People are having to learn to be very, very creative!!!! And looks like your 'Grands' are doing well with this. Of course, it's mom and dad, who have to come up with ideas!!!!!!

    This is city living, so no little green space, of their own. Wonderful that the other family, lives by a deserted tennis court!

    Yesterday, I saw the new family next door, playing some sort of a paddle game,out in back yard. (Yard, what Europeans call a "garden" I guess.) 2 parents and 2 girls, one finishing HS and the other, in college.

    But their _new_ home, has rooms and rooms and rooms, and a screened in back porch. So they could easily fully "stay home."

    Gentle hugs
    🌸🌸🌸

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  2. So much easier for kids if they have some sort of a yard/garden. At least they are allowed out for a short walk every day and have a dog to chase too

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  3. I have a feeling that your grandchildren will keep themselves amused admirably. I love the NZ Police message, a few people round here where I live could do with seeing it.

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    1. Even here where there's a fine if you get caught outside without a good reason people are still wandering around, going to the beach, hanging with friends. Stupid

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  4. Oh yes, Twister. Not a game to be played after eating lots of pulses.

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    Replies
    1. All those bottoms are far too close to one another

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  5. Anything's got to be better than them stuck on the X Box all day and night.

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    Replies
    1. They all love their phones but are bored even with that

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  6. Here, too, the houses are very small, which is why despite the closure, I see some families strolling down the street.

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    1. They can at least go for a short walk together. Small houses are normal here too

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  7. I hadn't seen the message from our Police. Yes, isolation in a small place is more stressful.

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    Replies
    1. They've endured two weeks together. A miracle

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  8. Our house is small, but we have plenty of land, and open countryside all around us so it doesn't feel small. The problems only arise when we have lots of visitors.

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    1. Makes a big difference when you can step out the door and walk around the garden . They at least have the terrace on the roof when the sun shines

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  9. I would hate to be locked in with children unless you could let them out in your own yard. Thankfully we have the room but our kids are all gone lol

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    Replies
    1. I wish they could have been isolated up at our house. They would have had the garden and the empty fields

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