We’re in that time of year when things suddenly warm. We don’t know whether a given day will be spring or summer, normally. This year we don’t know if the negative temperatures of winter will also appear. It’s a bit too exciting and not good for those of us who handle chronic illnesses.
Each and every time this happens, there are cherries to ameliorate the pain. Another thing that ameliorates the pain is everyone’s children, at school, getting excited about the end of year activities and the count down to the long summer holidays.
This week, in the Australian Capital Territory, so many schools were closed down because of asbestos in sand. I do not know how the asbestos got through all the checks, but every parent I know is asking to work from home or taking early holiday, or rearranging shifts. A bit more warning may have made this straightforward, and friends like me could have taught random child-friends how to make spice mixes or bath bombs, but there wasn’t enough warning and all our days are being rearranged.
It’s a small excitement, compared with the rest-of-world, but it’s a lot of work for young families. We’ll be through it soon, and whoever ordered that sand will never, ever do something that stupid again. Then I can return to thinking about seasonal produce and what I need to do today myself. I have a very long list to work through, but there is no asbestos involved.
Here on the other side of the world (in all instances), we got some winter weather. California Bay Area winter weather, which means rain and colder than we’re used to.
And the asbestos! Someone should document the product and the company it came from and so forth and put that information in a safe place so that decades from now there will be evidence if some people get sick from this exposure.
It’s quite likely this has already been done. Canberra is good at that kind of documentation, being a city of public servants. We have other problems…