Christmas 2005

This years tree.

It’s 9am. I’m sitting in bed with Eric and a second cup of tea and listening to National Radio. The NZ NY’s Honours are being announced. Tom Scott (a cartoonist – I think), has just said “… it is traditional to say this is for all cartoonists and artists everywhere. Bugger it. This is mine and the others can earn their own” So Kiwi!!!!!) Eric is reading a fishing book (fishing and sailing are THE Tanner interests at the moment – more later). We are in the midst of that ‘post hectic Christmas chill out and do nothing unless you want to do it phase’ – bliss. As it’s raining/overcast for us that means staying in bed and reading/blogging. Harri is MSN-ing with her friend Bryre in the UK and Alice is asleep.

We’ve had a great Christmas. The weekend before Chris and Helen stayed for a couple of nights as part of their NZ holiday. (Chris and Eric did law together at Canterbury). They were last here about 3 years ago and have since got married. In answer to the ‘what can we bring you from the UK’ question I had answered Hobnobs and, if you can get it, the Dec Good Food magazine. I was absolutely rapped when Helen said, ”didn’t manage the Hobnobs but got this”, and produced the magazine. I love the Good Food but bought gardening magazines over it, except at Xmas. I have every Dec Good Food for years before we left the UK, and now have 2005. It has been SUCH a pleasure to browse through, and we did venison recipe on Xmas Day. Chris and Helen are wonderful company and we thoroughly enjoyed their stay. When they last came it was a flying overnight visit and all we did was eat and talk. This time we took them over to the Mount (Helen has never been there) and then called in on Mandy and the children to discuss sailing. Helen and Chris were hiring a yacht for a week from Boxing Day and Adam and Oliver have some sailing experience. We had strawberries and cream and a glass of wine their before heading off home. A very pleasant day.

Having Xmas on a Sunday is such a good idea and I think it should always be that way. Having that extra days preparation is great. Trouble is I need a week beforehand. Never knowing what the weather will be like, I had a hot day and a cool day plan. I borrowed a trestle table from a colleague whose husband manages a rugby club and was going to make a long, elegant table on the pool deck if it was warm. From the photos you will see that we reverted to plan b and I used it to make a square table in the dining room. I had a menu plan that was adaptable to in or out eating. As below:

Avocado Hummus (made by Harri)
Creamy smoked salmon pate
Chicken liver pate (Delia’s, wonderful)

BBQ’d green lipped mussels

Roast turkey
· Herb and sausagemeat stuffing
· Sausages
· Cranberry. Port and orange sauce

BBQ’d venison steaks
· Blueberry and port sauce

Asparagus with hollandaise sauce
Boiled new pots (from garden)
Orange and red onion salad
Grilled vegetable salad

Xmas pudding mousse
Tiramisu
Pavlova

Cheeseboard

Panetone
Stollen
Xmas chocolate log
Xmas cake

I think that was all!!!

It has become an annual event that we take the girls into Hamilton for a late night shopping trip. I take one for half the session and then we meet up and Eric and I swap children. It was a very untraumatic trip partly because the finances were seriously limited this year and Eric and I had decided not to buy for each other (well not much anyway)and we scaled down seriously our pressie buying all round. Also we found a stall selling beaded jewellery that was suitable for many girls we needed to buy for. I had already bought MP3 players and seriously expensive tickets for Harri and Alice to see Hayley Westenera in Hamilton in late January so just needed ideas for a few bits for them.

Christmas Eve was busy from 7am to 11pm. We then went to Midnight Mass in Matamata. Xmas morning was funny. I woke at 5am and dragged myself into Alice’s bedroom to retrieve the bits for Eric’s stocking which I, oops I mean Santa, had stowed there in her wardrobe. Unfortunately Santa had chosen one of those stiffer, seriously noisy carrier bags and I woke Alice. I shot out to the bathroom as she stirred but as I came out the bathroom with fully laden stocking, Alice was sitting on her bed wading through the contents of hers. I told her to put her light out, which she did after 5 minutes. Harriette tried to wake us at 7am with a cup of tea – and failed. As she stood over us I suggested, sleepily, that she climb into bed for a cuddle. This she did and huffed and puffed for 10 minutes at how frustrated she was - then fell asleep!



We then woke but Alice was still sleeping so we refused to look at our stockings, to Harri’s further frustration. We were sitting in bed chatting when we heard Alice (by now it’s 9am). As she came in I whispered ‘pretend we’re asleep’ so we three closed our eyes as we sat. Alice crept in, saw we were ‘asleep’ , placed her stocking on our bed and crept back to hers. She didn’t seem to notice that Eric had a mug of tea in his hand! Anyway, I peeked in on her a few minutes later and - she was asleep!!!!! Poor Harriette nearly cried! I finally allowed her to wake Alice at 9.30am and we then went through all 4 stockings. Santa had very thoughtfully given the girls puzzle books, probably to keep them busy and so avoid waking parents early. As it was they were not needed!


Look what Santa bought me!



After Santa had been


Mom and Daddy joined us and we sat down to a breakfast of kedgeree (traditional Tanner Xmas fayre) and smoked salmon scrambled egg for the girls. We finally got round to pressie unwrapping around midday I think. Mom and Daddy gave us some money towards a pool cover so that is a priority before the autumn and will save Eric hours of leaf fishing. I also had CD’s (Bic Runga, War of the Worlds and Birdsong, Thank you Carol), pots for the garden, floating candles, various books etc. Eric got 2 Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall books. The one on Meat (again from Carol) is fabulous and could have been written for (or by) Eric. Hugh and Eric share the same mentality and I’m sure he would enjoy a visit here (maybe I should invite him!). We have done the usual finding of pressies after Xmas day. This year it was a book on the queen Harriette had forgotten to give Mom and the girls pressies from Grandparents over the mountains (they used to be), all discovered in subsequent days.


Mom and Daddy


H + A





The rest of the Xmas crowd arrived in Ann and Mikes camper sometime in the early afternoon. Juliet, Kev, the girls and A+M (Juliets parents). The day was then the usual eating, drinking and merry making.




A square table this year. Note my new IKEA sideboard retrieved from M+D's container before it went into storage! Anyone bringing a container out next year? I want the table and chairs to match!!!


Puddings.

Isn’t it strange how something so innocuous can end up causing so much hilarity. A few years ago it was a duck caller I bought Eric that caused hysterics after a few drinks. It is a concertina design and the action required to operate it is very similar to masturbating! This year it was watching me try to construct a water polo goal that A+M had bought the girls. Kev’s drunken instructions and advice did little to help but had us all in stitches. A sober Eric completed the job the next day when all us able bodied people went on a 6km hike to get some exercise.

Boxing Day started a little overcast. After a huge breakfast we went on afore mentioned hike, by which time the sun was shining and we spent the rest of the day by the pool, the everyone suitably plied with food and sangria throughout the day. As you can see Eric enjoyed the rest!


Boxing Day!!!

The crowd left the next morning after breakfast and we had a quick tidy up and a few hours relax before the next guests arrived. This time Leona (whom I met in hospital) and Phil (whom Eric did some of his law papers with this year) and their 2 gorgeous girls. Another enjoyable day by the pool. You may recall when I told you about meeting Leona that we had lots of coincidences in our lives. Well we had a conversation that went like this. On discussing ages... "Eric's 40th is coming up" "So's Phil's. When's Eric's?" "8th Jan, when's Phils?" "12th Jan but he doesn't want to do anything". Anyone who knows Eric will know that neither does he!! We decided we should do something and are considering a joint BBQ. So if you are free on Sunday 8th January.....

We had arranged to meet with Helen and Chris at Coromandel on the 29th to spend the day with them on their yacht so Ann had suggested we spend the night before with them, as they are over half way to Coromandel town from us. We thought we’d take the girls up to the Coromandel (peninsula) and do something there then go to A+M’s for the night but as it was we just dossed around at home doing very little, and drove up to Thames in the early evening. We arrived onto a scene of blissful retirement (what this is what I want to be doing when I retire). Ann and Mike, with beer and wine, were sitting on the deck reading, on a lovely warm evening, in complete peace! We had a very pleasant evening with them, lamb BBQ’d on a spit eaten outside on their deck overlooking the Firth of Thames (the sea between the Coromandel and Auckland peninsulas) and listening to the birds that live in the bush that surrounds their home, mainly Tui and bellbirds this evening. Idyllic.

The next morning we packed up and drove up to Coromandel. We met Chris and Helen on the jetty with Jenny (Chris's sister who lives in Auckland) and her 2 adult boys Matt and David. After they had a stroll round Coromandel town and we had all had some lunch, we lost the boys (they were returning to Auckland on the ferry), took the yacht out, parked up and did some fishing. Alice and Harri had fishing rods for Xmas and were dying to try them out. It started well with Alice getting a bite immediately and Eric catching 2 slightly undersized snapper. However it eased off and the final toll was Chris - nil, Helen - nil, Harri - nil (and sulking), Eric 2 aforementioned snapper and Alice a total of 6 mackeral and kowhai. We ate them for starters before a BBQ in the evening. Needless to say she is now hooked on fishing and is very excited at the prospect of going out today. The boat was great. I have been out on the yacht Mandy looks after for an American family but enjoyed this much more. This boat was slightly wider and the layout on deck was better. It was possible to find a spot out of the way of those sailing and settle down to a good read without being moved everytime the boat turned about. Knowing that the loo runs on sea water and my frequent trips did not deprive the water tanks of precious reserves also helped me relax. I reckon if we had a boat like that I could get into sailing. Eric reckons it would only cost about $80,000 second hand!!!!! Maybe when he has a partnership in a law firm! We had a great day and I was very tempted when Helen said we could stay overnight. We had our overnight bag in the car which was only a dingy trip away but I said no and we left at about 11pm, getting home after 1am. Such a great day and I am keen to do some more sailing now! No piccies as my camera died but Chris took one of the four of us which I will post when he sends it to me.

Yesterday was our anniversary and we celebrated it in style doing - nothing. In fact we had not even bought each other card. Still it was our 13th. I will make more effort for our 15th.

My NY's resolutions. Exert some control over what little money we have!!! and make more effort to keep in contact with people. Bridget, Carol, Mark and Cath being top of my list. For all of you reading this we wish you a very Happy New Year and may 2006 bring you good health, good friends and much happiness.

Well I MUST get up. A lazy day is calling!

Harriette and Sarah's Graduation Ball

She can tell you about it.






I know. Pics all odd sizes. More to come and I will sort this out. Tired now and an early start tomorrow.

School Camp-Wellington

It's hot and humid. We've had some huge down falls but it's still sticky. I just hope all this rain clears the air and leaves us with blissful weather over Xmas. Some hope!

So much to write, I'll keep it short. I want to finish writing Xmas cards tonight.

Firstly, school camp. I've decided (and you'll be pleased to hear this Trish) I really like Wellington. It is big city (well OK city), with all the feel of central government, nice shops and charming to boot. We spent day one travelling down. 35 school children and 12 adults had one carriage. I thought it would be hell but I have to say the time passed quite painlessly. Unfortunately, the weather was not too good and some potentially stunning views were not. We travelled down the spiral line that was featured in Billy Connelly's NZ series. It was good to know what it looked like from the air. The staff (of 2 or 3) give a run down of the history of the towns as we travelled throughand there was indoor and outdoor viewing platforms. The indoor one was hogged by another primary school on the way down. I ended up sitting next to Tony, a dad who works with Eric. He was good company and we chatted for hours. Half way there we stopped at National Park. I had always wondered which national park this referred to but was enlightened on the trip. This is a place name - Duh! The cafe here was surpisingly good. I don't know why I was surprised, I've said before, NZ's eating places are usually good. I just thought being miles from anywhere and having the monopoloy they didn't have to really try. The coffee was a welcome change from the British Rail quality of the that offered on the train. Is it something to do with the motion? I'd have thought that would increase the chances of a decent latte or cappucino. We finally got to Wellington and, after a 20 minute walk, found ourselves at a fabulous YHA. I was VERY impressed. I will not go into the details except to say they had thought of everything. If ever you are looking for accomodation in Welly just find the YHA opposite the New World (a supermarket), which incidently has the best range of wines and beers I have ever seen in NZ.

Day 2 was lots of walking. First to the Beehive (our house of parliment). Well actually the beehive is the admin block. The actual parliment is next door and far more elegant. In fact the buildings are 3 separate 'joined up' constructions and it is criminal that the beehive was built when compared to the other 2 bits. The bit in the middle was first. Then a 'wing' was bulit on. When the second wing was to be built instead of building a replica of the first, and giving some symmetry to the place the modern monstrosity of the beehive was built. After a very interesting tour, a chat from Chris Carter the environmental minister and bumping into our own MP it was off to the botanical gardens.

View from the gardens.

Again, very pleasant. They ramble over a hill and the cable car trip was very welcome! Off then to the least successful bit of the trip, a boring visit to the Mexican Ambassador. I think the idea was that the children would practice their Spanish but Madam Ambassador only spoke in English and therefore so did the children. We watched an all too long video, in Spanish and finally left! I always think of an embassys as being a grand building with lots of security, this was a suite of offices off Lambton Quay (the main shopping street)! Oh well, another bit of education. Some shopping followed and then the kids had (too much) free time back at the YHA. In hindsight it was too long and they got into 'he said, she said' rows. A planned girls (moms) trip out to a bar was cancelled when we thought the teacher might need some moral support. Oh well, thank heavens for New Worlds wine!

Day 3 was off to Te Papa, a 5 min walk away. Te Papa is the natural history, history and science museums in one with a sprinkling of art. I really liked it. It is on the waterfront and has fabulous views.

From a balcony at Te Papa

The afternoon was free time in Wellington as long as the children were accompanied by an adult they could do whatever they wanted. Problem was the girls all wanted to shop and the 4 moms were adamant they weren't shopping!! So it was up to the 7 dads, who I have to say rallied brilliantly. I took a group off to Eastbourne across the harbour on the ferry.


A gentle meander across and a glass of wine in a cafe while the girls played on the beach.


Very civilised. I have to confess we did do some shopping first, but Harriette and I esconsed ourselves in the wonderful Dymmocks bookshop. Not wanting the kids running around the hostel creating havoc we got them to organise some skits for the evening. This has to have been the best bit of camp. I laughed all night. One group did an Austin Powers take off with the boys swaggering around as girls, all make up, padded boobs and bare midrifts. Another did a quiz with some parents, including yours truely, answering questions (why was Mr Barford, one of the dads, sent home from camp aged 12? don't ask, something to do with rum and girls in underwear!!, and a AB's vs England rugby score, which I got right!!. I lost because I refused to stick my chest out and cock-a-doodle and ended up with obsenities like 'Up the AB's' charcoaled over my face. And so it went on. Incidentally Harriettes group won doing a take off of a TV programme Downsize Me.

Day 4 was a VERY LONG day. A 5am start to get the kids breakfasted, packed up and to the train station by 7am. One of the dads had the brilliant idea of hiring a taxi van to ferry all our baggage to the train station. One of the girls had cut her foot and would not have been able to walk so she went with the baggage. The train was delayed, and delayed. Can you believe it? After National Park we could only travel at 40km/hr because the tracks were too hot!!!!! Now this was on a nice sunny but certainly not scorching hot, day. What on earth do they do in mid-summer. Any slower and we'd have been in reverse!!! Add to that that at National Park we had to wait for the south bound train to get in and the driver to have his lunch break before we could leave (they swap crews), and of course they were late getting in because they had travelled down at 40km/hr. We finally got home at 7.30pm, 2.5 hours late. Of course we had not catered for feeding the kids tea and they were very tired and very hungry. They behaved brilliantly and every parent, and their teacher, should be proud of those kids.

Photo's are limited as Harriette had the camera for the trip down and the battery was dead when I did want to use it. The next day we had lost all the photos she had taken and the memory card was corrupted and buggered so I finally had to buy another one.

Tried but still didn't manage to catch up with Trish (Milky NZ's Mom). Hopefully 3rd time lucky.

So much for 'firstly camp' that's all I have managed. I'll continue catching up soon - promise! Night night.

Oh looks like Eric has got a place on the Professionals course for January. A solicitor/barrister by June is looking more likely by the day!

HURRAY!!!!!

He's passed. Eric drove to Uni today after phoning and being told the results were there but they wouldn't be piosting them until next week. He's passed everything. We won't discuss grades bu8t who cares about that, all he needed was passes.

No more blogging now, suffering from the cebrilatory gins! I DO have to tell you about Eric chasing a piglet around the paddock, falling, standing up and then getting wrapped up in wirwe fencing but that's for next time.

Carol I have replied to everyone of your texts!! The answer to your question is No he doesn't have it.