January's blog, a little later than usual. Something happened that required all my attention:
After the wonderfully quiet December month, we were to start up again with a group of volunteers. Through work-a-way we had received many requests and from these we invited eight people to come. We were really looking forward to this. Helay from England came first, she is the heart of the permaculture gardens we are going to build. Beforehand, she had done a lot of research, taken the course, made sketches. We made plans and Nuno, our Portuguese contractor, came with his excavator for the rough work. Wim cut down some more trees which he has been doing for 35 years without any problems and then.... then the power saw shot away, into Wim's lower leg....
In a second of inattention, a lot changed.
At the time it happened, Wim was there alone and we heard nothing and so he stumbled towards our house on adrenaline. I saw him in the valley and immediately realised it was very serious, huge amounts of blood and a very large open wound. With bandages and painter's tape, Wim tried to close his leg as best he could. I ran upstairs where the car was parked. Fortunately, Haley was there too and we immediately jumped in the jeep, with Wim in the back with his leg raised and drove at great speed to the fire brigade in Aljezur. There the ambulance was ready and it drove Wim to the hospital where he was operated on.
What a terrible hour this was.
Fright, shock, fear, panic, acting.
The moment that Wim was in the ambulance, surrounded by doctors with knowledge of wounds, made it possible to unload little by little. Also Wim himself, who until that moment was in his survival mode.
I had quite a lot of fear about whether Wim would still be able to use his leg and foot, so I was glad that Haley was with me, who could keep clear thinking and reassure me.
At the hospital, Wim was operated on and then his leg stitched shut. We were fortunately allowed to pick him up in the evening. He was in a lot of pain, was nauseous and slept for days and nights. Difficult to watch. The man who always goes on and on and is always there and has a solution for everything. My powerful safe rock, now barely able to turn himself over in bed.
Wim felt defeated, sad and also very angry. Angry at himself. Painful to see.
It frustrated him to be unable to do anything at all and especially now exactly in the week that Annie, Floris, Cadance, Chay, Thea, Brieuc and Nadia were coming. A whole club that we were going to have a good time building with. In which Wim, with all his carpentry experience, would lead the group in building a beautiful wooden toilet block.
There I was suddenly alone with all these people. I couldn't cancel them anymore. Some even arrived on the day of the accident. Fortunately, they were all very nice people, they cooked every day themselves and in the evenings they took the food downstairs and we ate it all together in our tiny house so Wim could enjoy the group on the sofa. Very nice warm evenings, the ten of us in our cosy little house. But I had a tough time, managing the people, explaining everything, arranging, welcoming but especially seeing Wim was tough. I had a hard time emotionally but kept myself big and strong as often as I could.
After a week and a half, Wim was doing better, in less pain but he did have to undergo another operation because the wound was inflamed. Every other day he goes to the medical centre in Aljezur to take care of his leg, which is nice, that care.
Mentally and emotionally, Wim also started working on understanding and healing from the accident. This brought him more peace, he could talk about it better and better and his anger and frustration slowly eased a little. Beautiful and nice how he tries to embrace gentleness.
Meanwhile, Wim can move around with beautiful wooden crutches that were made by Floris from found tree trunks in the forest right on the first day. And he can now drive around because the wound is on the left leg and the jeep is an automatic.
Despite all this, a lot has also been done.
For instance, the whole valley has been mowed, four big 'De Waard' tents are up. Two compost bins have been timbered from eucalyptus trunks.
We are in the process of creating a beautiful garden. With beautiful steps, stone walls, beds full of vegetables. Trees have been planted. We have even already eaten our first lettuce!!!!
Celebrated Wim's 65th birthday with a delicious pizza party.
Our beach is getting more and more beautiful. The group kitchen is completely finished and is being used fully and with a lot of love.
Also many beautiful moments, a special full moon ceremony led by Cadance, campfire evenings and guitar and singing. Flowers are felted in the yurt, nature meditations are given, many games are played and on weekends everyone knows how to find the sea to play in the waves.
But above all and most of all, I look forward to Wim's full recovery, and we can stand next to each other again because our motto is: 'Together everything is more fun!'
