HELP!!!

Hi all, c'est moi. Michelle doesn't do French so I'll let you guess who. I have a problem at work. Doesn't that sound like some appalling teenage agony aunt page beginning? Well, I do. Horsey persons, please sit up and tell me what to do. I have a stray horse which is likely to end up slotted without help so alot hangs (excuse the pun) on your thoughts. This horse has ended up on a smallish triangle of grass. Plenty tucker, problem; no chance of starving the bugger out. to the rear, an extremely steep bank which leads onto a busy State Highway. If we managed to drag said beastie up the bank, it is likely it will be spooked by the traffic. In usual NZ Police helpful way, it is most unlikely that we will be able to count on their help to stop traffic whilst this manouver is carried out. both other sides of the triangle are railway lines which though not electric (a thought for our Pommie readers), the horse will not approach. No owner has come forward and Alice is desparately hoping they don't. If we get it off the triangle, we don't know if we can get it on a horse trailer or truck. It seems to be 1 year to 18 months old. Bay, thouroughbred? Thouroughbred x young stallion. It is used to being handled as even I managed to get a halter on it and lead it a little to tie it up. There are no fences around the rails! Your thoughts please. Mine are in order of preference; 1) attach it to my vehicles winch and drag it by a halter across the rails slowly but firmly. 2) a group of us get together and using ropes around its back end and halter, drag push it across manually. 3) lead it up the bank and onto the road. 4) and this is a final resort, slot it and have the Wallace Corp. pull it out with their winch. Despite you all believing that I'm heartless, I don't mind destroying animals when there is no other way or if it is a means to my plate, but I don't really enjoy it. Really. No, I mean REALLY!

This little problem has been taking my time up at work for the past few days, it cannot go on indefinately. Please help.

Apart from that, not alot to report. I'm just finishing off the woodwork in M's office, hopefully finished / almost, over the weekend. Then, weather permitting, I aim to help Richard and Robyn get their pool up and running in time for the summer proper. It isn't that big a job Richard really. Really must be the in word at the mo'. Take care my loyal readers and please send me your ideas.

One stressful day, one easy day.

Isn't life good! There is nothing to confirm that for me more than working in my veg plot on a warm summer's evening. It still looks a mess but there is progress evident. I then collected fresh broad beans and handfuls of parsley to go with the asparagus and pasta.

Had an interesting parcel today. Bridgets Mom, bless her sent me a magazine article on Linda Clark (which I'm about to go to bed and read), car stickers and other bits of National Radio promotional material. Thank you Trish.

Today has been the least stressful one I have had for awhile. I did a clinical assessment this morning and had the afternoon for office work. Only thing is, I have no computer so could not do much. I went through to Hinuera to watch Alice in cross country!!! Now there was no doubt that she would be last by a huge chalk. The question was would she run more than the first 200m which is all she managed last year. Well I was so proud of her. She stuck the full course and ran some walked some. She kept her head down and concentrated hard. All the school kids were cheering her on and she got a big round of applause when she finished. 2 of the teachers went up and gave praise for her efforts and Louise Robb (who has pushed Alice hard in this department) said if they gave a medal for the children who had put in the most effort Alice would get the girls one! Definately a trip to the dairy afterwards (for ice creams). Shock horror. Jack has changed from Kiwi ice cream to Tip Top (which is Walls). I think we will have to go elsewhere as Kiwi ice cream is far superior in my opinion.

Had a doctors appointment later in the day. I have the lurge. Different variety to Alice but a red itchy rash over my chest (no rude comments) and getting worse despite all my efforts at home treatment. Andy (GP) thinks it's bacterial and gave me a concoction of creams and some antibiotics. $95 later!!!

I had the most stressful day yesterday. Not only did my computer have to go back to Auckland but my phone line died. I mean how is a girl to work? I poured out my frustrations to Loretta who told me to take the rest of the day off. As it is I still worked until 4pm. I was planning to de-stress in my veg plot but Eric was busy butchering the calf and I had to do supper and wanted to paint the office (seriously bright blue - not sure if I like it!). As I painted I realised that I had only planned on doing the 2 new walls and of course I have the 2 purple walls to cover as well - bugger. I think they need a coat of white first or they will need about 5 coats.

I am working in Auckland all weekend. planning to drive up early Sat am and come back Sunday afternoon. I am helping to man an IMAC stand at the Auckland Child and Parent Show. Should be interesting, and from what my colleagues say, exhausting!

Well nothing else to report at the moment. Take care all.

Just to make Carol turn Green..

Lovely to see you all again. Cx my dear, with that lovely grey cardy on, you just require a few cats sniffing around to complete the look. If that is, that is indeed the look you are looking for. That is not what I wanted to write about however. I had to visit Richard and Robyn's new farm today on business. A calf had been injured and possibly mauled by some stray dog. Today was not a good day for me to be visiting work wise however. My ute had to go in for a major service, cam belt etc., well I was lent a Mazda 323 in champagne until the work vehicle came back. I ummed and arrrh'd over whether or not I should take my rifle with me or leave it here locked in my gun cabinet eventually deciding that it would be far safer if I locked it up here. Anyway, pitching up at the farm, I was greeted with Richard saying that this wasn't my work vehicle! I explained the situation and we went to find the poor wee timerous beastie. It was standing in the racewayhead on and looked fine, then it turned side on and from a distance, I could see what appeared to be a lump which had been taken out of its hind leg. Getting closer was a bit of a problem until Richard practiced his wrestling skills and put it on the ground. It became very apparent that it was in fact a very nasty wire cut right around the leg which had severed the tendon at the hock. Richard decided that it had just bought itself a one way ticket down the offal hole, unfortunately, I didn't have my rifle as stated. I turned to leave to come home and grab it, when Robyn phoned and Richard gave her the good news. If it can be called that! It wasn't a dog.
Richard then told Robyn that I was placing Veal on the menu, (I think in jest at that point,) the idea had passed my mind. When he put the phone down, Richard said that strangely, Robyn didn't seem to batt an eyelid at the suggestion! I can't think why. Anyway, I returned and did the deed and Richard and I took it over to the other farm where we strung her up from the front end loader with bailer twine. Useful stuff bailer twine, every boy scout should carry some along with his tuppence for the phone in an emergency. I don't think that has ever been updated! Cx ARE YOU AWAKE THIS IS FOR YOU!! When I returned after work to do the 47 bit all over again, I got to drive the big red new tracker! And use the FEL! Nah nah de nah nah. Bet you're jealous aren't you? It was just like driving a BMW auto cabrio with the lid down! Anyhow, that's all I wanted to say really. Rest of the evening was spent reducing said beast to sizes suitable for Tanner meals, one cut should do it! I was going to comment on Michelle's splendid piece about picking the girls up, but after all the excitement, I can't be bothered. Sorry if reading about slotting etc offends any of you, but I've left out the gory bits. Take care my avid readership, until I can get onto MY laptop again, fare thee well.

I couldn't let this pass without comment, Cx, you now have one less reason to stay in the UK. God rest John Peel, he will be sadly missed by many.

A present from the Tatler Fan Club.



Cx , Stan & Bloo

One very stressful day!

I don't know what was up with the girls this morning but they got ready for school in plenty of time and Alice even made her bed!!!!!! I yelled at her as she walked down the drive not to forget that Daddy would collect her from school for riding so wait by the gate as usual. Eric said they had had enough of us after 3 days off and were glad to get back to school!! My work day started with with me trying to do a quick hours office work before going out. We got new (well they told us they were new but they are 2nd hand!!) laptops last week and being so busy on Friday this was the first time I had really tried to use it. I could not get into Outlook at all, found out that they had removed Outlook Express (I have never used Outlook), my address book was empty and I have absolutely no battery. Needless to say I was not impressed! I got nothing constructive done and dashed to Te Awamutu for the parenting group talk. That went well and I then drove down to Kawhia to do some practical teaching with a doctor. Kawhai is very isolated and very beautiful, situated on the west coast below Raglan. The harbout is huge and the scenery very dramatic. I'm sure I've raved about this place before. The population is predominantly Maori and John is the only GP there. Had an interesting afternoon. As I left I got a text from Eric asking if he should take H with him or leave her at home, he was just off to get her from school. If I was going to be home shortly he would have left her at home but I was still in Kawhia, a 1.5 hour drive away, so replied to take her with him. 10 mins later the Intermediate phoned me saying that they had Harriette there, she had missed the bus. I said not to worry her father was on his way in to collect her but should have been there by then. They took his number and said they'd phone him. 2 minutes later Alice phoned to say Daddy had not picked her up (by now it was 3.30pm so he was 30 min late). My immediate thought was panic, and that he had had an accident. I increased my speed considerably and tried his mobile - voicemail!! 10 minutes later he phoned me. His version of events.... Mistral had no diesel so he had to go into Matamata to fill up. Decided that as H needed to come with him he'd collect her from school. (She is in Matamata and finishes as 3.10pm). It was raining and all the kids dashed for the bus. He thought he had missed her so when her bus left he left to collect Alice (who is 10km out of Matamata and finishes at 3pm). In the interim Alice had left the front gate as she had waited 30 min and no Daddy and went to the office to phone me. Eric gets to Hinuera and no Alice, so he asumes she got the bus. Gets a call from Intermediate saying H needs picking up and goes back into Matamata to collect her. Meanwhile he phones me and I let rip because a) I was so relieved he was alive and b) he cocked up so badly and caused complete confusion (this is the second time Eric has botched up arrangements around horseriding evenings) and huge worry. He had 10 minutes to collect Alice and get her the 30 minute drive into Cambridge so gave up and phoned to say Alice would not get in. He was still livid when I got home but finally agreed that if he had collect A at 3pm then gone in and got H at 3.10pm he could have then got petrol and gone to the riding stable. I know, that's female logic! Why do men have such difficulty arranging things?!

Labour Day

Hurray, the start of summer!! Actually today has been gorgeous. Some threatening clouds this morning but no rain. From mid-morning it got sunnier and I actually sunbathed this afternoon for awhile. We came in at about 5.30pm and the heavans opened shortly afterwards. Perfect timing. The girls spent a good part of the day in the pool. Yesterday I blobbed out all day. I could not get motivated to do anything, attacked the fridge at hourly intervals and wasted the entire day! I lept out of bed full of resolve this morning and have had a very productive day. I have waded through the flower bed opposite the deck which, like all the garden has been so neglected. I dug out a walnut tree that had self seeded and was hoping to transfer it elsewhere but the tap root was soooo stubborn I had to cut it off so will not bother trying to re-plant it. I emptied compost bins and put the compost round the strawberries after weeding. With the warmer weather the weeds everywhere are going mad and I am going to have to try and do my 1/2 hour every evening in the veg plot to get and keep on top of them. Last year I planted some globe artichokes that I had dug up from the roadside out side the home of the lady we bought the pigs from. She had no idea what they were and thought me mad wanting to dig up and plant a huge thistle! Anyway today we had our first harvest from this. I picked 3 globes and they were lovely. I always think of Cheryl when we eat GA. Many years ago when we lived in Whitstable we had Mark and Cheryl round for a meal along with Mandy and David. We served GA's for starters and Cheryl just stared at them and said 'What the ---- do I do with this!' I would never have known myself if it was not for Delia Smith. The girls shared one and actually ate it. We forgo-ed the hollandaise sauce for dipping. Can you believe it Eric has suddenly, since doing his CPR course, had a conscience about his fat intake. Not only did he not have hollandaise sauce, but he declined ice cream this afternoon and even cut the fat of his (home-made) bacon yesterday morning!!!!!! This is rather a large ajustment for you to make after 18 odd years together as those of you who know Eric will appreciate.

Well so much for my determination to take the children somewhere this weekend, yet again it didn't happen. Mind you NZ does not cater for wet weather in the way that the UK does and we don't have historic buildings to visit so when the rain threatens it is difficult to know what to do. I had phoned Juliet on Saturday to see if they would be in but they were busy all w/e. Kev was thrilled with his early Xmas/birthday pressie from his Mom and parents-in-law. He had a chocolate lab puppy. Their neighbours Ian and Judy breed labs and have had very little success of late. However one of the bitches has just had 6 choc coloured ones. With Kev being so down about the unemployment situation some cheering up tactics were engaged and this was the result. Needless to say he is bowled over.

The children are making lots of noise in the kitchen, I think they are slapping tea towels at each other. I shall go and lay down the law before it ends in tears. Night night all.

Colostrum, camp and a long weekend.

I was sure I'd blogged since returning from Auckland but apparently not! It's Sunday of a long weekend (Labour Day tomorrow) and the promised rain has arrived. In fact I just jumped out of my skin at a huge crack of thunder followed by long rumbles. I am sitting looking out across the front paddock, where the cows are and Saddle (Alice's heifer) jumped as high as I did. The weather yesterday was fine in the morning and stayed dry until late afternoon. I managed to get another bed in the veg plot edged with a wooden frame, with Eric's help, and planned to paint the new office if the weather deteriorated. However the paint that I had bought in the morning I forgot to pick up!! I left Anne in the paint shop to mix it while I popped into the supermarket with the intention of picking it up afterwards. I can't tell you how cross I am with myself for forgetting it!! They won't be open until Tuesday now.

So what have I been up to. Not a lot really. Auckland was full on and busy, as per usual. With the new MeNZB vaccine the Ministry of Health has decided that all practices must be 'Cold Chain Accredited' which means they have an audit of their vaccine storage. They reckon each audit will take 1 -1.5 hours and I have about 90 practices to do in Nov/Dec. The training on Thursday was all around this. On Wed night I went through to Harriette's camp to watch the Talent Quest. All the cabins, 12 of them, had to put on a show. The boys shows where noted for their brevity!! Some were good, some were not quite so!! Harriette's group did a fear factor. They blind-folded their victims and told them to eat worms. They were actually sugar coated ones that they'd soaked to make them slimy and covered them in Milo. The power of suggestion is amazing. These kids really believed they were eating the real thing. One boy was gagging so badly they had the teacher up by his side ready to perform a Heimlich manouvre!!t They didn't win but I think they had some good ole kiwi fun. They did a 4.5 hour hike that had some of the parents on their knees and did some amazing challenges. Harriette climbed a 7 metre high pole using only large staples in the side to shimmy up. At the top she launched off onto a flying fox. Yes they were in saftey harnessess but it was a massive challenge for her and she earned a lot of respect for doing it. The support the kids gave each other was fabulous and the cheering for other groups in the talent quest was so good to hear. Still I guess that was the whole point of the camp, building camradery and team work. On a lighter note they had a mud slide (a channel dug into a hill which ended in a mud pool) and did a bush night trail (ropes and no torches) to see glow-worms. How many UK kids get to do this sort of thing? The food was excellent and plentiful. I had a wonderful roast chicken supper in the hall with about 100 children, teachers and camp parents and was quite amused when I got back to the motel to hear of the awful meal and disaterous service my colleagues had endured at the motel.

On Friday I had a bad start to the day. I needed to leave at 8am and at 7.15am Harriette asked if I had done the hem on her summer uniform. Damn, I didn't think they were in summer uniform until next week. So I had to rush to do that. I then had a surprise phone call as I was about to rush out the door that bowled me over. It is all hush hush and I cannot reveal more at present as I know Eric will read this. I promise to enlighten you when I can. I had to get out early sd I had 5 Clinical Assessments to do. Now 5 in one day is a big ask and I have told you how they were all so horrible at this practice. Well we got through the day and at the end they were very nice, even saying how they know they had been a bit anti but it turned out to be a very good learning experience for them! On Tuesday I was hoping for a deparetely needed paperwork day but I am doing a teaching session for a parenting group in Te Awamutu and then going to Kawhia on the coast to do a teaching session with a GP there. We are going to vaccinate triplets.

Yesterday was a bitty day. A trip to town for provisions and paint, or not, to start the day. On the way back I passed Eric on his way to R+R's to get sour colostrum (what did you do on Sat morning?). H and A were then up in arms as they wanted to go with him. I dumped the shopping and took them up there. I intended to drop them off but got chatting with Robyn who was baking and we ended up having tea on the deck with the boys when they had finished. We were looking at their pool, or rather the hole in the ground that has not seen any water in it for 18 months now. Despite efforts they have not been able to get anyone in to undertake the necessary repairs and put in a new liner. Eric has said he will do it with help from Richard if they have no luck pinning anyone down this week. And the colostrum? Richard has 2 tanks about 2000 litres in size that they use to store colostrum to feed to the calves. It has some preservative in (I'm sure you've had this rural lesson before). Now the calves are on pasture and the tanks need draining and cleaning. And pigs LOVE this globby stuff in the bottom of the tanks. As R+R's pigs are now in their freezer it was offered to us. I cannot tell you how awful it smells and was glad I was in the house while they worked! Anyway we bought home about 200 litres and the piglets go mad for it. They are so funny to watch climbing over each other to get to it. Oh and Freckles is definately a heifer-in-waiting care of an escaped jersey bull from a neighbours farm last summer.

Well I really ought to get up and do something, but then again it is Sunday afternoon.....

I'm at the helm again!

Well, M is away again and has asked me to bore or befuddle you all. Alice and I have had our now traditional steak, egg and chips for tea whilst M is away. I have put a, hopefully, final coat of stopping on her office walls. I should have got to this stage yesterday but as M had made a timetable cock-up and thus had to work late. This made it essential that I should take Alice to her riding lessons. By the time I returned and fed the pigs then we had our tea, it was too late to press on any further yesterday. I had hoped to be at the stage where I could have cleaned up tomorrow before H gets home from school camp. She will have to wade through the dust and corruption.

I gave Alice a strong word of advice regarding her homework this evening. After testing her on her spellings, on which she had improved by two since Monday, I had occassion to glance through her book. Well, I was disgusted by the standard of work she is handing in and the quality also. Alice of course became indignant and huffy despite me making it clear that whilst I was not telling her off, I thought she was slacking and left her in no way uncertain that this was so. I hope she improves.

Work has been quite quiet, I am catching up on those unregistered dogs still, now making my second tour of those addresses where I had no reply previously. One chap felt my wrath today as he presented me with a very iffy set of answers in respect of my questions. I happened to notice that there was at least one other dog which was not registered on our system and so he had a polite notice asking for him to register the mutt forthwith. I can't stand people who are so stupid as to think that they can get the better of one by being a pain in the arse! People please note.

Well, I shall leave you on that note and hopefully, M will be steering a better course than I by Friday night. Sleep well all. Eric

Happiness is......

...looking at blog only 9 hours after posting an entry and finding 5 comments!! Especially as I haven't blogged for 4 days, I'd have thought people would give up looking. Emma, so nice of you to join us (Emma is my neice).

(Eric has just walked in and told me that I have to be quiet if I go into the bedroom as Feral is asleep on the bed and she has had a busy night. I know she woke me up at 4.30am!!)

I was thinking that as I know you all and you don't necessarily know each other I would do a brief who's who. Nothing rude you understand. Maybe at the w/e.

Wonder who will be hit number 2000. Do put a comment to let us know if it's you. I must just watch Eric, he said he is determined it will be him and he is going to go on and off the site until he gets there!!!!

Dry around the pigs! God know's why, it's rained forever here. When it's nice it is very nice though. Long weekend coming up, and a good weather forecast. I want to try and catch up with emails. I have recently been contacted by a cousin I had had no contact with and must write back to Steve. Mom he says Auntie Cath is back Tuesday. And Fred, if you are there I will write and answer some of your questions.

Off to Auckland shortly.

The pool, camp and the weekend.

I really meant to blog over the weekend but it didn't happen. I took a days leave yesterday (Monday) to take Harriette to camp. She is at Camp Adair south of Auckland, about 1.5 hours from here and in some ranges the name of which I cannot remember. The camp is pretty basic but they have lots of 'challenges', a night trail, glow-worms etc. I am up in Auckland on Wed and Thursday so will go through to the camp on Wed night to watch the show that is traditional on the last night. Harriette's cabin are doing a fear factor thing. Blindfolding their victims and getting them to eat worms which are swapped at the last moment for the lollies (sorry sweets) sour worms. I think they are going to have a fabulous 4 days. I do miss her terribly!

The weekend was marked by the first swim of the season (well apart from Eric who went in a few days earlier). Now you would really need to have stayed here to understand the significance of this. Eric tends his pool lovingly for months before this auspicious occasion. If he disappears you know he'll be on the pool deck trawling leaves, filtering or back washing. That or he's waving a test kit in front of a window asking you if you think it's 8 or 9, .5 or .6 or x ppm of something. Everything is then thrown out of kilter when the kids jump in and their body chemicals mess up his numbers!!! Seriously though there is nothing more satisfying than hearing the kids laughing and having fun in the water, especially for Eric who worked so hard to install the pool in the first place. The next occasion will be me getting in. That does not occur until the temp reaches 24 degrees minimum and occured on Xmas Eve last year. At the moment it's just hitting 20.

I promised to relay something of Harriette's schools arts evening. Well it was an evening performance of speech (this terms 2 year winners), kapa haka and various music and singing events. The kapa haka was excellent but went on for rather too long. It was incredibly loud and the boys seem to have a competition to see who can draw blood from their chest!! Some suceeded. The musical events where good. It is amazing to see how far Harriette's band has progressed in 7 months. The year 7 choir was not brilliant (we found out that Harri was in the choir when she got up on the stage!), the Yr 8 one was smaller and much better. The school has a rock band which was excellent. One boy, on some sort of electric guitar looked incongruous in his school uniform (long shorts, long socks) and this huge guitar!



The weekend. Well Friday I went and paid for the piano and Eric took the trailer up to Hamilton to collect it. Poor guy almost got a hernia moving it - I was useless, couldn't lift a corner of it. Anyway with a few sheets of ply wood and lots of effort it was finally ensconced in the dining room. Not the prettiest thing in the world but it sounds a hundred times better than the one we had and Harriette and Alice are delighted with it. We are going to give our old one to Juliet and Kev. I made pizzas and we sat down to watch the rugby in the evening. Sadly Waikato lost to Wellington in the NPC rugby semi-final. No doubt about it, the better team won. Waikato made some terrible handling errors. It wasn't a walk over by any means and for awhile we were ahead. A disappointing result but we have had a very young and inexperienced team this season so they did well to get this far.



On Saturday Alice went in to the A and P show in town to do some fun races with her school. Bridget was there having shown some of her cows and kindly supported Alice (whilst I did some shopping), took photo's and brought Alice home. I hope giving her a couch for an afternoon doze and supper was a suitable reward (Bridget milked Sat am). I was busy cooking an Indian meal for The Scotts for that night and you know how long cooking Indian dishes takes! I did Rogan Josh, Pork Vindaloo (Alices favourite) and Eric did a duck in ginger. I had found some homemade chapatis at a greengrocers owned by an Indian family on Friday which I was delighted with as I cannot make them to save my life. I also made a wonderful sweet milk pudding and Robyn bought trifle and cheesecake so we did not go hungry!! Another pleasant evening. Poor Robyn is shattered at the moment. She left her job working in a kindie, sorry kindergarten (she is studying pre-school teaching) to work on their farm for a year as they have found it difficult to find a suitable farm worker. She reared all the calves through Jul, Aug and Sept and now is milking. Up at 4.30am at the moment as they are AB-ing at this time of year as well. Yes I know Richard also gets up that early but he's always done it so doesn't get the same degree of sympathy!!! Kathryn was at friends on Sat night so did not come but the famous Paige Gooch was staying overnight with Sarah so she did come. The 4 girls wanted to swim, but after dark!!



Sunday the weather was gorgeous, so warm. It was delightful. I tackled the garden bed around the dining room and Harris bedroom and again did some serious rationalisation of what's in the beds. It was so crowded. I am currently working out of the living room and as I sit at my computer to work I have been looking at a lot of weeds. It looks so much nicer now. I also cleared up a bit at the end of the drive on the road. In an attempt to avoid cooking we had left overs so no roast or BBQ. I took lots of photos of the piglets and will try to get some posted.






Eric went to R and R's to collect 200 litres of left over, 3 month old colostrum. I cannot tell you how disgusting it smells but the pigs love it! If Eric splashes some on himself when feeding it doesn't matter how well he scrubs himself it still smells. Boiler suit and leaving clothes outside time! He also fixed the taranaki gate (a Heath Robinson affair of a gate made of pig netting and posts), checked all the electric fencing, mowed lawns and sorted out the last of the silage bales. H and A swam and sunbathed!!!!

Last night (Monday) Bridget and I went to see Booke Fraser in concert at a chapel (remember this is NZ so don't think oldy worldy sort of chapel!) in a Hamilton high school. I enjoyed it and because I thought it started at 7.30pm (when actually it was 8pm) I got their early and got us seats in the 5th row. Ms Fraser is incredibly talented with excellent songwriting skills and a wide vocal range. And so mature for her age. I did feel that the music was rather loud for such a small venue and over-powered everything at times. The girl who did her backing vocals was excellent. I enjoyed most the ballardy songs with just her on keyboards or her and a guy both playing acoustic guitars. Does that make me sound old?

Well I think that just about brings everything up to speed. Wonder how H is getting on at camp? Oh and Alices cheeks don't look slapped any more.

Thursday night

Alice is still itching! 2 trips to the doctors and 4 different medications now and nothing has helped! Her back is worst and she is constantly rubbing up against things, walls, door frames the backs of chairs. She reminds me of Balloo! (one or two l's?). The rash is heaps better today though.

I have been flat out this week and am off to a practice tomorrow where they are a miserable lot who really resent doing these Clinical Assessments. You'd think I'd decided that they should do them just to be difficult. Doesn't help that I've changed the date twice! Not looking forward to it. I have to cut them short as I have a Regional meeting at 11.30am and I will have to go back there for the whole day next Friday.

Went in and bought the piano today. Eric is collecting it on Friday evening. Scotts here for supper on Saturday.

THE WIND DROPPED!!!!!! Hurray!!!! I have been waiting for 2 weeks to copper spray the fruit and managed to get out there this evening. In fact it was a lovely warm, if overcast evening. The australian magpies (a huge pest but with a very pleasant and distinctive flute-like song) were in fine voice and the piglets looked so cute snuffling around for wormses and grubses in the fading light.

Well I am fading. Will relay all about Matamata Intermediate's Art evening yesterday when I next write. Night night

Monday's news

Don't faint, Harriette has blogged!!

I have delegated her to cook supper so am blogging early evening. I forgot to last night!

Aren't some people so kind. If you have been reading comments you will have seen that Bridget has offered us her piano. We are looking to upgrade ours as Harriette is taking her piano more seriously now and ours is very old. We have decided to decline though as getting to view it was going to be difficult, it sounds as if it is rather older than what we are looking for and I am conscious about keeping the one we have looked at on hold for much longer. It seems a good buy and I don't want to loose the opportunity to have it. It restores ones faith in human nature when faced with such generosity.

Alice has 'slapped cheek syndrome'. Poor mite she looks dreadful. Slapped cheek syndrome, or Fifth Disease as it is more correctly called, is (so I am informed by the GP) an allergic reaction to a virus she had a week ago. It looks like a horrendous rubella rash and she is covered, with a classic redness across the cheeks that looks like she has been slapped. She is not sick or infectious but itches terribly. We were due to go into Hamilton on Sat to look at said piano and then on to The Stokes but had to take Alice to the doctors as I had run out of Vallergan (and didn't know what she had). WHY does Alice always have to get sick at the w/e when doctors visits are more expensive?!



We eventually got to Glen Murray and had a good day with J and K. They are coming to terms with unemployment and have sorted themselves out now. Kev could not do anymore to find work. I just hope things come right sooner rather than later. Needless to say they are dreading Xmas. Whilst there Juliet and I went to their neighbour Judy who has 6 choc lab puppies, 6 weeks old. Can you believe it - I left my camera at home!!!! I don't need to say how cute they were do I! We timed our visit, coincidentally, with the last few minutes of the Waikao v Taranaki match which was gripping. We won which secured us a place in the NPC semi-finals. Came back and told Eric and Kev who were miffed as they thought the match was in the evening! Go Waikato! Juliet and Kev are a little concerned that Judy and Ian are subdividing their farm more. land ajoining to them will be sold and their unadulterated views may have houses put on them, just 1 or 2 but at the moment they can see for miles in every direction and look only at hills and a lake. Spent the day eating and generally having a nice time. Hannah is heaps better since going dairy free and was a pleasure. The kids all got on and we had a lovely relaxing day.

Eric is supposed to be gib stopping but keeps diving outside with his rifle to shoot rabbits. I am torn between wanting my office finished and not wanting rabbits eating my veg! Nil else to report. Will go and check on supper! Just heard on the news that Christopher Reeve has died. How terribly sad. No other details at the moment.

Just to prove I can do a short blog!

Nothing to report today. So much for planning to take some hours owing today. I worked flat out on paperwork for best part of 8 hours, 3 of which were trying to sort out 6 weeks of mileage and my x's.

Rained all day when the sun was not shining. Took the girls into school and did a few chores in Matamata this morning. Remembered that Harriette's summer uniform was meant to go back to the shop to have the zip replaced when they went into winter uniform so popped it in. Luckily it will only take a few days as she is supposed to in summer uniform next week I think.

Bridget what a kind offer. Will speak to you on Sunday. Where is it (we are going to Huntly on Saturday)?

Finished now!!

Thursday night jottings.

I love this time of year - Spring. The oranges in the shop are wonderful at the moment, better than last year I think and about $1.50/kg (25-30p/lb) and asparagus has just come into season. We buy from a farm locally for $5/kg which goes down to $3/kg (50-60p/lb) later in the season. Consequently we eat it about 3 times a week at the moment. Supper tonight was a wonderful fettucine with cream, fresh herbs and asparagus - absolutely divine (and from your book Robyn - Thank You!) Yes, I know, I shouldn't need a recipe for such a simple dish. Spring would be perfect if someone had told the sun - pouring with rain today!!

Stan has just phoned and Alice is regalling him all about horseriding as I speak. She loves her lessons and I guess it will be a riding hat for Xmas. She desparately wants to do a holiday course so I have told her that she needs to ask for money at Xmas to pay for this!!

Harriette is still being nice. Not only did she wash up, in hot soapy water this evening but she wiped the work surfaces down as well. Very strange! Oh, come to think of it she did actually ask why she should wash up!!!!!!!

Eric enjoyed his First Aid training day yesterday. The tutor sounded like good fun and had some interesting stories to relay. He has put the Safari back on the road and has collected plasterbaord today for my office. Progress continues. He will be going into mourning soon at missing another Old Boys over Rememberance Weekend!

I had lunch yesterday with a solicitor friend Jo whom I used to work with. I think I have already said this. I returned a pile of books of hers that Eric had borrowed and she signed a heap of forms for me for Mom and Daddy's immigration application. (in the post tomorrow, I want to see if I can send them recorded delivery M and D). They only have to wait another few weeks and they can put their application in. Juliet's parents applied in August and have been accepted already. I thought applications for the oldies would take months as they would not be in a hurry to get them out here. The Immigration Service in the UK is obviously on top of things.

Is the Pitcairn trial big news in the UK? I heard an interview with Linda Clark a few days ago with a women who lived their for a few months under the guise of doing some research for the Royal Mail (it was a few years ago). She wrote a book, which I must try and get, and was very interesting. She went their imagining paradise and found that all the things she thought would be wonderful (no traffic, the remoteness, tight knit community, 3000km from the nearest supermarket etc etc) actually contributed to a hellish lifestyle. She talks of it being a prison and how the inhabitants had no choices, no choice in career, life partner, religion, food, friends etc etc. And they don't have diseases, or much resistence to disease. Facinating stuff.

Here the abuse of cadets at a, now disbanded, army camp has been big news for a few days. Eric fell about laughing when reading the paper yesterday, one of the officers mentions in the article was a Major Wayne Anker!!!!!!! Boys humour me thinks!

Had an email from Juliet recently. They are very down as Kev is making no progress towards employment and he stormed out of WINZ (Work and Income NZ, ie the DSS) recently as they were so unhelpful! He is going bonkers being at home all day and is not a happy badger. I just wish we could do something to help. We are going up on Sat after going in to Hamilton to look at a piano and will take a food parcel and goodies.

The piano? Well Harriette is working quite concientiously these days at her practice and our piano is seriously old. There is no middle C and middle B is almost non existent. We always said that we would replace it if she stuck at her lessons and we have really got to that stage. I have been keeping my eye open at a piano store in Hamilton. Well they had one yesterday which was a really good price. I spoke to Eric in the evening and as they do 0% finance and have a sale at the moment we decided to go for it. I drew some of my meagre savings and went in to do the deal only to find that it was sold. We are now looking at a slightly more expensive one that sounded good to my music ignorant ears.

(Interuption to speak to Stan)

I was supposed to be on Annual Leave tomorrow so I could attend Ag Day at school and watch Alice but now obviously don't need the day off! As the weather looks awful and I have about a weeks worth of paperwork today I will work, for at least part of the day anyway.

Plan to curl up with my book now. Night night.

Quick blog

Definately a quick blog. Have just booked tickets to go and see Brooke Fraser in Hamilton the week after next after Bridget told me she was playing. have booked for us both and as I completed the transaction I then wondered if Robyn wanted to come. Sorry Robyn!!!! :-(
Have had a long day, breakfast meeting with my boss at her hotel in north Hamilton at 8.30am and 3 clinical assessments as well as popping into other practices for bits n bobs. Had a heavy day yesterday so am pleased that tomorrow's meeting has been cancelled and I can have a few hours to catch up with paperwork before dashing off for mor C/A's in the afternoon. I am meeting a girl I used to work with in ICU who is now a solicitor in Hamilton, for lunch. She lent Eric some text books and now needs them back so I thought we could have a catch up and chat at the same time.

Yesterday I went to a 1pm appointment and apologised for being a few minutes early. You're not you're an hour late I was told. Yes, I forgot to put my watch and car clock forward!!!! Did the house clocks on Sun but forgot the rest. We are now on the same time as the UK + 12 hrs, well until you change your clocks then it'll be a 13 hr difference.

Harriette is being very odd. She keeps wanting cuddles and although she still objects to statements like 'Will you please tidy your room' she objects in an almost pleasant fashion, but and it's a big BUT, she then went and did it. Now how weird is that?!?! She is also taking some pride in her appearance instead of looking like a yetty all the time. Eric reckons she must have a boyfriend! Whatever I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Eric is off to learn how to do first aid tomorrow, all day.

This evening Eric when Eric went to feed the dogs and let them have a run I went with him. it was a very pleasant evening after a yucky day. We had one of those strolls around where you look at the place and count your blessings. Walking through the front paddock Feral Beryl followed and kept winding up Rust doing her 'here I am' pose then dashing somewhere he couldn't catch her. Freckles, whom Eric thinks is pregnant from a rogue jersey bull that came through from Julie and Dereks at the back of us eons ago, was being very friendly. She chased us as we moved away from stroking her and tossed her head around rather too much, considering she has huge horns. Me thinks it is time they went! I am sure she was being playful but she is really quite scary when you are next to her and she is throwing her + - 300kg self about and a frollicking manner!!

Off to bed now. Night, night.

Sunday evening review

Can’t open blogger so am typing this in Word and will paste later. Was planning on a short entry then realised I haven’t blogged in best past of a week so it may be longer than ‘short’!

Have just spent the weekend working in the garden and am sore and ache all over now. Yesterday was spent clearing a space for a re-located camellia bush and generally clearing a huge bed that I have not really tackled since we moved in. Not many weeds but all the shrubs and flowers had merged into each other and it was nothing short of a jungle. I pulled up heaps of tropicana’s and now need to relocate them along with a chocolate canna lily like flower that Carol found and admired. I hope to be able to relocate those to somewhere where they will be seen this time. Today was spent working on the garden in front of the cottage. I pulled the last of the overgrown shrubs out, cleared the gutter and put gutter-guard in and re-planted the bed with new roses. I am now working my way round the lawn clockwise and will next tackle the area under our bedrooms. Eric had a fruitless day today having removed the drivers seat of the Mistral and then could not find the tool that was vital to him undertaking the necessary repairs. We turned the place up-side-down to no avail. He then decided to have a look at his Safari as he wants to put it back on the road. Needless to say another toot went missing and hindered his work. My argument is to put things away and then they won’t go missing but Eric’s idea of putting away is he knows he left it on the carport floor so that’s where it still should be!!!!! So all-in-all Eric has had a less productive day.

On Friday we took the girls to the movies. E and H went to see the Garfield one which Eric gave the big ‘thumbs down’. Harriette thought it was good but as she made such a fuss about seeing it she was unlikely to admit that it was anything less than ‘Cool’. A and I did Princess Diaries 2 as she was desparate to see that. It was OK, Alice loved it! Eric and I wanted to see the Thunderbirds movie but we’ll do that another time. Afterwards we met up with The Scott’s at Gengy’s in Hamilton for supper. We had warned H and A that we would not be eating then diving off so they should pace their courses (it is one of those go up as many times as you want places). Well needless to say the girls did 3 courses in the time it took us growd ups to do our first and we spent the last half of the evening listening to 4 little ones (well our two anyway) going ‘Can we go home’, ‘I’m hot’, ‘I’m tired’ etc We browsed at a brilliant 2nd hand bookshop on Victoria Street until we were chucked out as they were closing before making our way home. Between the movies and dinner we went into The Warehouse to try and get Alice some trousers or skirt’s as she seems to be wearing the same one’s all the time these days. Well needless to say we could find nothing to fit round her bum, and to make matters worse for adipose challenged young ladies all the trousers seem to sit on the hips these days. Harriette, who does not have these problems, found herself some ¾ length pants and a nice black T-shirt, which she looked very nice in. In fact with her newly cut and styled hair from a trip to the hairdressers that morning she looked quite the trendy young lady. I could see the envy on Alice’s face as she watched Harriette walk ahead of her later in the evening. I have promised Alice another shopping trip, just the two of us. No pics of Alice's haircut but here's one of H.



I had 2 days in Hamilton Wed/Thursday teaching. Jude facilitated the 2 day course and I did the Update on the evening of the second day (we both teach on both though). It was the first Update I had done and it went OK, a few things I would change next time though. We were a bit cowded on the VTC though. We usually teach 25 but could only get a room for 20. We cut the numbers to 23 but 4 extra turned up so we were teaching 27 in an overcrowded room. We also had not catered food-wise for this many so forfeited much of our rations! Luckily on the Wed we had, after teaching from 8am – 7pm, a leaving dinner for Latham at Iguanas so we had a good nosh then.

Well the girls are back to school tomorrow. Now, a question for you. One of us has offered the children $10 at the end of the term if they get their work/homework all in on time (both had comments in their reports that this wasn’t always happening). The other thinks this is bribery and they should not be rewarded for doing something they should do anyway (of course you will have no idea who has which opinion will you!!). Harriette then got Eric into a very funny conversation as to the differences between consequences, incentivisation and bribery. Her argument was immaculate and she totally flawed him (which is why it was so funny!) What do you think (about the $10, not Eric being out-witted!?)

Had a long chat with Vanessa yesterday evening, which was a real pleasure. Our calls are few and far between, mainly because she spends all summer w/e’s away and out of reach of landlines. Vanessa was my Health Visitor Assistant and we spent a lot of time together in the 5 years before I left the UK and I miss her lots. Also had a chat with Mom and Daddy, which is always good. Actually chatting to all old friends is great and we should do more of it.

Well I think this is long enough for a short entry. Off to bed with my book, ‘Killing the Shadows’ by Val McDermid. I’m enjoying it but the gory bits are so gory I have to skip over them. I did actually contemplate not carrying on after a particularly brutal murder but the plot is so good I decided I could not return it to the library without finding out ‘whodunnit’. Definitely not a book for you Mom or Daddy!

Has anybody heard from Carol lately? She seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, or at least taken herself to computer Coventry. I will text her this evening. My phone is terminally ill and only comes to life for periods of 1 – 3 mins so don’t know if there are any text’s on there. Haven’t checked Eric’s.