Why we blog.

I started writing this in comments and decided it would be better here.

I have been sighing at lack of comments (and emails) lately. Harriette thinks it's very sad that Eric and I live in the same house and have to talk to each other through blog!!!! The funny thing is I know lots of people read blog but don't use the comments. If you are one of those people and have never clicked on the 'comments' under each entry you won't know what I'm talking about - try it. You may even want to go further and write something!!!

We go through phases with blogs don't we. Bloo has decided to terminate his, or not as the case may be, Briggsy was going to but hasn't, I got very slack for awhile and am now trying make amends etc etc. I suppose we all have different motives. As I have said before mine is to provide a record for our family, me, our children, grandchildren etc. I constanly hear my grandmothers voice in my head (well not constantly, that would be worrying but you know what I mean) saying to her death in her 90's, "I wish I'd written a book" or "I wish I'd written this all down". My blind grandfather made an audio tape, well 9 actually, documenting his life (he was born in 1900). A treasure for any family. This is my attempt to document our family and I hope I continue forever! In the meantime if others get pleasure from reading it then that's great.

We are enjoying sunny chilly weather here at the moment. Well I don't enjoy chilly you will understand but the sun is good. I am driving down to Pio Pio (pronounced pew) today then having a leaving lunch in Te Kuiti for a Taranaki colleague who is leaving. I am enjoying a bit of a lull at work at the moment and catching up on lots of things.

Eric and I started pricing air flights last night. How depressing! The cheapest price we can come up with on May 2007's prices is about 4 000 GBP, and with oil prices the next lot of prices released are bound to be significantly higher. Of course we now have to pay adult fares for the children. How much our windfall comes to should be made known to us later in July so we will see how much of a short fall we will have to make up. Still planning to make the UK for July 2007.

Must go and do some work now.

Winter and a sleepover

By jove it’s been cold. You remember all that bad weather I talked about, well it’s been causing havoc everywhere around NZ from about 100km south of us and down. 100’s of homes in the Canterbury region (half way down the South Island on the east side) are still without power, FOURTEEN DAYS after the snow. Now in rural areas that means now water in many cases as our water comes from a bore that relies on a water pump. Generators are in huge demand. You can remove the grill top off the log burners and expose a hot plate on which you can cook but it is incredibly slow, and gas is not a common fuel for cooking or heat in NZ, well not in the rural areas, not sure about town. The central North Island has been intermittently cut off over the last few days as the cold front has moved up, depositing snow all over the place. We even had a flurry on the top of the Kaimais here this week. The wind is bitter cold and everyone is talking about the coldest winter since 1945. Having said all that, we don’t think it’s too bad but then we’re hardy Brits used to far worse than this!!! The wind has kept the frosts away though, well until today that is. I spent last weekend clearing up after a massive storm the previous Tuesday and if you saw the drive now you’d wonder why I bothered.

Eric borrowed this



from neighbour Derek last weekend. Needless to say he was as happy as a pig in mud. Our drive was in a terrible state and we couldn’t afford the $7 000 quoted for the repairs, so Eric used the grader blade on the tractor to try and address it. The worse section is the middle bit which is on a steep slope and has seriously big tree branches pushing up through it. The actually level of the drive is better but the little metal (gravel) that was on there has not gone and it is muddy. Add to that the tree debris and branches that have come down this last week and it looks a real mess. Next job is to clear the debris and get the local quarry to deliver and spread a few tons of metal.

We are holed up in the bedroom as Harriette has a sleepover. It’s terrible as it means we have to stay in bed on a really cold morning!!!! Yes I know, after 2004/5 we said never again but she is a bit older and had fewer friends this time – 4. It is not her birthday until the 3rd July but that is the start of the school hols and many dairy farming families take their annual holidays at this time of year as they have dried off (well not the farmers literally, the cows) prior to calving which starts late July/August. That is to say some of her friends won’t be around on her birthday. They started watching DVD’s at 6pm and were still at it at 6.45am!!! They had been quiet and had had no arguments and all assured me they had fallen asleep for at least part of the night but I nonetheless turned the DVD off at that point. I then came back to bed and thought that was a bit pointless/daft as there was no way they were now going to go back to sleep and with no DVD to keep them quiet they were bound to start being noisy. As it was they didn’t and they weren’t. I think they must have gone on the computer for awhile then Harriette barged into the bedroom with the grace of a small heffalump and asked where the waffle iron was as they were going to have waffles for breakfast. Couldn’t find it (I now thinks it may be in the cottage) and so they resorted to pancakes. Kitchen looks like a bombs hit it and the living room looks like an overcrowded dorm but I think they’ve had a good night. They have all got to start shifting soon as one girl is being picked up in 10 minutes (at 10am) and the rest have to get to netball. Daddy has just phoned to say they are coming down so I have arranged that they will pick the girls up. That means I can deposit children and come back without waiting around on freezing netball courts for 2 and half hours.

Alice had her school disco last night so as well as Harriette’s 4 friend coming home on the bus Alice bought Grace home so they could get ready together. I then picked them up and took Grace home. Her mom has kindly suggested that Alice go home with Grace after school on Wednesdays so they can go to Guides together. Saves us a trip into town which is great.

Two of our neighbours Highland cattle have had calves this week. They are in the paddock directly in view from the kitchen so we have watched them finding their feet and getting to know the 4 month old calf already there. There are just the 3 moms and 3 babies in that paddock. They are so comical and when I can face the cold I will wander over and take some pictures for you. Unfortunately the cows and their afterbirth smell must be very alluring to labs as we have caught Inca trying to sneak off over there.

Eric has started receiving back answers from the many letters he has sent to local law firms, one has suggested he come in for a ‘chat’ next week but most of the other have been ‘sorry no vacancies at the moment but we’ll keep you CV on file’ replies. Plodding on.

It looks like a beautiful day out there so I had better get up and rally the troops. Definitely a soup day so I think I’ll go and make some cream of pumpkin and put bread on for lunch. Thai curry tonight. I know it’s Saturday and it should be pizzas. We were going to have curry on Thursday but I had to go to Kawhia that day and I bought some flounder (plaice) off a local fisherman and so the beef didn’t get used. The guy had only just got in and was still working at his boat so the fish was a fresh as you could get. Friday already had “fush n chups” allocated so it’s curry tonight and an early to bed!! Off to see Juliet and Kev tomorrow, Kev is unemployed again so things are a bit grim up there. I was going end by saying keep warm but I guess you guys in the northern hemisphere don’t need to worry about that. Until next time…

Toothless

Well she nearly was, Alice that it. We are forever telling the girls not to mess around in the kitchen. Why, because one day something will get broken or someone will get hurt. We have rather a large kitchen and the girls mess around every evening when they are supposed to be washing up. It takes them up to 3 hours to perform this 10 minute task as a result. Why do they have to run around the table flicking each other with teatowels or bashing each other up? Anyway today, Harriette was chasing Alice with a book in her hand which she intended to wop Alice with. Alice fell and hit her face on the floor. Blood tears, Eric ignoring her injury and about to launch into a schpiel about why she shouldn't be running around the kitchen. The usual scenario. I, realising that this squeal was a bit more serious, went to investigate and found Alice had lost half a front tooth. Seeing it was just before 5pm I phoned the dentist and Joanna said to bring her straight in. 40 minuets later Alice left with a beautiful filling and her dignity intact. The thought of presenting in school tomorrow with half a tooth missing was more than her vainity could cope with. I told Joanna that if this had happened after 5pm I would have left it until tomorrow - and got reprimanded. Absolutely not. The nerve may be (actually was in this case) exposed and needs covering as soon as possible to preserve the tooth. Don't know if Alice will loose this one but Joanna is hopeful that she won't. It may need capping in the future. Thank heavens this is covered on ACC and we don't have to pay. Dental treatment here is sooo expensive although that is the same everywhere I think. Anyway Alice just has a fat lip. Unfortunately I didn't get the before photo's and Alice with a fat lip has appeared on blog before (remember when she fell of the horse). I bet she will be sore in the morning. And guess what we had for supper tonight? Ribs!! What's more they are Alice's favourite!! I cut some meat off for her but I don't think it was the same.

It's jolly cold here!

It was quite surreal. On Sunday night Eric and I went to bed and turned the radio on and heard the man in the radio say that NZ was gripped by a huge storm. We both said 'Duh' and looked outside, not a breath of wind, not even a little breeze. We listened on, on huge low had hit the South Island, they were buried in snow and it was heading north. I got up and got the washing off the line and mentally surveyed the place for what should be battoned down. Woke up in the morning and... still as still as anything. Listened to the news, Yes the North Island was now suffering. Listened to the weather;Waikato - rain, wind and gusts of up to 130km/hr. It was really spooky, like we'd woken up in the wrong place! Well that soon changed. Within half and hour the wind got up and by mid-day it was so bad that I didn't make a meeting I was due at in Tokoroa. It was far too dangerous to drive. Almost all of Auckland had a 5 hour power cut which bought the city to a complete halt. Of course being Auckland it received far more publicity than the power outages in the South Island that are now into their 4th day and some places have been told it will be 2 weeks before their power is restored. I hope they have got generators!

I'm afraid my morning walking has gone to pot - it is just too cold. I manage the weekends when I can go later but in 0.5 degrees C at 7am when it is barely light I'm afraid there's no chance I'm going out.

Here yesterday I got home at lunchtime to find Eric just leaving (he was working all day covering Steve) saying there was no water. He'd be back soon and would sort it. I told him I would walk the paddocks and find the leak. Now, with hindsight, there is very logical way to do this. Needless to say I did it all a##e about face! I walked up to the neighbours (Ian and Shirley are in the States and have housesitters in) to tell them why I would be walking round their paddocks (our water systems are linked). They weren't in so decided to do there's first as I was already there. Now Ian has divided the paddocks up hugely and so I wasn't quite so familiar with were the pipes went. Anyway, no leak there, checked the water pump (nothing technical, just noted it was still running) and started round our paddocks. Got to the orchard near where the cows were when I spied Terry and Colleen by the water pump. Walked back down there, introduced myself and had a chat then carried on. Needless to say the leak was in the paddock where the cows were (if I'd have thought about it I would have known that, it usually is, they kick a connection). Now if I knew then what I know now I would have utilised stop valves to isolate areas and checked systematically, starting where the cows were!!! Oh well I know for next time. Luckily it was a nice afternoon and the rain only came down at the point where I was dashing back to turn the stop valves off.

Eric has had to accept that his bar admission will not happen this month. Despite his pleading letter and overnight post to get his bits of paper to the legal education council last Wednesday, they could not get the bit of paper he needs back by Monday. In fact it's Wednesday today and they still haven't arrived! He has therefore missed the date for filing papers with the High Court so will be admitted next month. A couple of the others are in the same boat so he is not alone.

Oh it was my birthday on Saturday. It was one of my less exciting birthdays. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, I've had a far few by now and when one is this close to 50 (I still can't believe that, I don't feel any different to when I was 18, OK a bit stiffer and slower but that's all. OK, Thank you Harriette Yes, and a bit(a bit!) heavier!!!) one can forget the odd birthday. The girls had netball from 12 until 2.30pm and Eric was out in the evening. Richard had a spare ticket for the AB's v Ireland at Waikato Stadium and Eric was going with him. He did ask if I minded, being my birthday and all. Under the circumstances you'd have thought he would have offered me his ticket!!! Anyway, H,A and I went up to the Scott's to watch a girlie movie (Rumour Has It) with Robyn and the girls with fish n chips, sickly sweets and chocolate. Robyn, bless her, made me a chocolate cake, with candles even (not nearly 50 I hasten to add!). It was the scrummiest chocolate cake I have ever had and I must get the recipe. I even got to bring a big chunk of it home!! I was desparate to watch the rugby but didn't say anything (Robyn, Katherine and Sarah are not great rugby fans) so was thrilled when Robyn put it on. What a match! I had to yield to my Irish blood and my tendency to support the underdogs, and cheer for Ireland. For 7/8 of the game we were in the lead, then the AB's demonstrated their staying power and pulled a heap of points out of the hat in the last 8 minutes. Gripping stuff. I wasn't too disappointed as I always feel a bit disloyal not supporting the AB's. I think they are the best team in the world at the moment. Thank heavens we don't have TV else we would have had to witness the Wallabies thrash England. The less said about that the better.

Sunday was a lazy day. I called in an hour each from the girls 'I promise of 2 hours gardening without moaning' ticket I got from the girls for Mothers Day last month. We tackled the veg plot but it rather too wet to do anything seriously down there. I did re-pot up lots of things around the house and on the pool deck and cleared leaves from the drive, decks, well everywhere really. Yes, and we know what happened the next day don't we!!!! Our drive is under a foot of tree debris, branches had to be cleared and there is a tree down on the front paddock (one of the ones Ian left in when the shelter belt was reduced).

Well that brings us back full circle I think. I'm going to curl up in bed with my electric blanket, my book (The Blood-Dimmed Tide, gory title, not reflective of the content, by Rennie Airth), and the cat... oh and Eric! Night night.

The sun, the cows and a relaxing Eric!

We have had some beautiful weather this week, bright blue skies, buckets of bright sun, cold and morning frosts. The sun on the turning leaves is just gorgeous. This tree is outside our kitchen and over the chook house.

Eric has started feeding out this last week, quite late as with the warm damp weather grass has contimued to grow. The low temperatures this week will certainly put a stop to that.
A very pregnant Freckles:

Ditto Carol:

and for you Carol, Nelson. Far too busy chewing the cud in the sun to bother standing up for his piccie to be taken!:


We have had more emails in this last 3 weeks than in the whole of the previous 3 months!! Firstly, when I got my old laptop back and found long unused addresses I emailed people to check they were still valid (also checked those in the desktop whilst I was at it) and got lots of replies, and secondly SOOO many people have sent congratulations to Eric. It has been very heart warming.

NZ media is far less restricted than that of the UK. The Waikato Times this week has twice published photo's of dead bodies, I don't ever recall seeing that in a UK newspaper. One of bodies from a massacre in the Middle East somewhere, and the other of a guy being eaten by lions in a zoo, was it in Kiev? We also chuckled this morning when a guy referred to something as complete "bo***cks" - so kiwi!

Eric's frustration at the paperwork required for his bar admission dissolved into nothing on Tuesday when he discussed with the person in Wellington and she said no it wasn't transcripts they required, they just needed his 2002 exam results. This conversation was going on at the same time I was sweet talking my way to getting his transcripts at the uni that day, rather than the usual 4 day wait. I phoned him to say I had them at the same time he was trying to phone me to say they weren't needed!!! Anyway, paperwork is now in Wellington and must get back here by Monday to allow him to get the stuff filed in time. We're keeping everything crossed.

We had a bad night last night. I started getting 'that' abdominal pain again, starts like a pulled muscle (always a worry, I don't have any muscles there!!!), and gradually worsens and becomes spasmodic. Knowing full well it was adhesions and another partial bowel obstruction I didn't wait for the pain to get unbearable, just really bad, before going to the doctor - at midnight!!! (Why can't this ever happen in the day). As it was it was only because Eric woke up that I confessed I was in pain and we went off. The doctor was lovely and a dose of the miraculous Buscopan, IV, and I was right as rain. Knowing that last time it came back again I took 2 tablets when I got home. The pain returned to niggle but after being sick and placing a warm hotwater bottle over my tummy I finally dozed off about 4am. Needless to say I have been taking it easy today and Eric and I had a snooze on the sofa this afternoon. I wish I know what it was that triggered this. It's also worrying that these events are becoming more frequent. At least now I have some Buscopan injection at home which may save us big medical bills in the future.

This is how he spends his afternoons now the studies have finished!!!:

Queen's Birthday Weekend

It’s a BH Monday morning and I WILL go for a walk soon. It been raining all night and is very wet out but unfortunately not raining at the moment so I have no excuse. Still maybe by the time I have finished this…….

Eric is beginning to wind down a little now. He has caught up on some sleep, is beginning to recover from his cold and generally chill out a bit. I expect that will all be reversed tomorrow when he tries to chase all this paperwork. Still I think I said something about ‘for better or worse’ a few years ago and now he has earning potential I am not in a hurry to let him go. And, as Daddy said yesterday when he proposed a toast to Eric over lunch, “Congratulations Eric, now please go and earn enough money to keep my daughter in the fashion to which she’d like to become accustomed”, or words to that effect.

Alice and I spent Mon – Wed on music camp. All children at Intermediate who play an instrument, or are in the choir, have the chance of a camp where they have 2 days of intensive lessons and practice then they put on a concert on the Tuesday evening for hundreds of parents.


Alice is in the orange

The 3rd day is a half day of activities including that hydro-slide and then home to crash out and catch up on sleep in the afternoon. You may remember that Harriette has done the same thing over the last 2 years. Anyway I was camp nurse, and thought that I would have a quiet time, I mean how much harm can children come to playing instruments!! How wrong can I be. I was rushed off my feet!! I must have seen 50 children including asthma attacks (sent home), broken thumb (X ray then home) and dressings galore. The other parents thought it was hilarious. It did get me out of all other parental stuff though, serving meals etc. I was asked back for next year but said only on the condition I get help!!! The concert was quite good with both the junior and senior bands playing, the choir and some extras like a professional opera singer who teaches private singing lessons at the school and an ex pupil who plays oboe all over the country now (she inspired Harriette to want to change from tenor sax to oboe). The singer was fabulous but I think his choice of songs was not really appropriate, the children were obviously bored. They also had a jazz group and a rock group from the schools play. For some logistical reason at the concert Alice ended up sitting in the front row of her orchestra, (clarinets should be further back) but I was very proud of the way she sat straight, with legs together (some other girls need this pointing out to them!!) and conducted herself professionally with no chatter or waiving of instrument around. I must say Eric’s behaviou,r on the other hand, was disgraceful! I had secured us seats in the second row. Eric managed to catch Alice’s eye and had her in hysterics at one point, poor girl was trying to concentrate on her piece, follow the conductor and her music and Eric was fooling around. I don’t know what started them off but it was obvious to all around us and Eric had everyone within 10 metres of us sniggering into their programmes!

Totara Springs is a Christian camp set in beautiful bush at the base of the Kaimais. So peaceful and so well thought out, there isn’t an activity that they haven’t got there if it is possible. I walked around the perimeter on my first morning but decided not to go into the bush as I had not told anybody I was walking, let alone where I was (all in my motel unit were still asleep!). That may seem odd but the context is that almost every Monday morning the news here has some search party out looking for a tramper (walker) who has not reported in after a stroll/tramp in the bush. I reckon half the time these news making cases are found dead. Well that was my excuse for keeping it short! My plan was to take some ‘bush’ photo’s on the Wednesday morning when I wanted to use the hydro-slide but I was so busy with my field hospital outside the dining room that that never happened. And neither did my turn on the hydroslide!!! Oh well, maybe next year!!

As I mentioned we have a long weekend here, and I don’t have to cook once!!! Saturday, as usual Harriette did pizzas (I did make a wonderful, homegrown, homemade pumpkin soup for lunch), yesterday we had lunch at Mom and Daddy’s and today lunch is at Richard and Robyn’s. Eric and Richard are going turkey shooting on the farm this morning. Apparently Richards has mobs of these pests up there and is desperate to get rid of them. Harriette wants to join them and Sarah is contemplating going too. She is supposed to be at another friends but the lure of turkey shooting may be too much for her! They are supposed to be no good for eating but knowing Eric he is bound to pick a youngster to bring home and try anyway. Never one to say no to free meat.

Harriette and Eric seem to be over the worst of their colds. Alice is a bit snuffly but I think we escaped being away when they were most infectious. Harriette actually had 2 days off school this week. Eric has been working full-time as his opposite number is on leave. Steve could not have managed worse timing really taking his 3 weeks over Eric’s exams so he had to work full-time the few days before his exams (would have been nice to had the time to study) and the 2 weeks after (no time to relax, working full-time with a stinking cold). Anyway that’s done now. Harriette started her Shakespeare with the 17 yr olds last week. The first few lessons were just watching the video. She is obviously coping and even commented that a couple of ‘airheads’ in the class ‘just don’t get it’!!! She is keeping a low profile in the class and these opinions to herself I must add (just mother that broadcasts them on the worldwide web!!!).

Actually life looks to being a bit more settled, just need Eric to get a real job now to tidy it all up. He is qualified and all this horrible time sapping study has finished, my job is settled (forgot to mention that), Standard Life have agreed to demutualise so that’s our UK airfares sorted (we plan to be over there for July 2007), a tax rebate, and the NZ$ dropping against the £, has eased our money woes and life is definitely much better than it was 3 months ago.

My job. Well we had a meeting in Auckland this week. All our contracts have been renewed (by all I mean my Midland and Auckland colleagues in the same role as me) and I have a mediocre $5000 pay rise. It is enough for me to stay with IMAC so I have said No Thank You to the Tauranga job. The new terms of the contract (ie pay rises) has caused consternation in the team with most people on a slightly less salary than me and one other person, for no good reason. All our other terms remain unchanged so I am settled in this role until at least April 2007. At this point we do not know what will happen with the role after then. Hopefully by that time Eric will be working in a barr/sol role and I will have some flexibility as to how I work.

Well it’s still not raining, and doesn’t look like it’s likely to, so I best get this walk out the way. Until next time…

A Long Time Coming

Well, M has been ear-bashing me to do an entry for blog. As many of you will be aware, I have been jumping through hoops for all eternity in order to get qualified as a Barrister and Solicitor. I have now jumped the final hurdle and just as quickly as I reached the climax of what should be my studies, a huge black cloud has swept in from the fringes! I was advised that I needed to apply for an official application pack from the Council of Legal Education, in order to get my certificate of completion. This is pretty bizarre really as you will see. I am waiting for a certificate of completion from the College of Law stating that I have successfully completed the final hurdle. Once I get this, I have to send it along with the application to the Council of Legal Education in Wellington, along with the requisite cheque (of course), in order for them to send me a certificate of completion. Baffled? I am. Anyway, all this came to light when I emailed the Council to find out that the letter I sent over a week ago had gone missing between here and Wellington, obviously in the Shire black hole where all post disappears! It then stated that I needed to include a transcript from Waikato Uni. They take four days minimum to get from the university that will take me up to the deadline for filing my application. Luckily, we can get an extension on this but this week is a short week due to this being Queen’s Birthday weekend and a bank holiday over here. Once I get these items, they must be sent to Wellington and a certificate returned to me, then that must be included in my papers, which I am to file at Court. This may mean that I file my papers at 1700 the day before the enrolment. If I'm lucky. So last night I had the cold sweats and was awake from 0200 trying to work out how I could speed this along. Eg. Drive to Wellington and deliver the docs waiting while the certificate was filled in then a mad dash back to Hamilton to file my papers. I was searching the web for transcripts from Waikato Uni and found the right page and downloaded that so at least I can fax it to them for Tuesday First thing. I thought I might try and get the four-day wait shrunk down by pleading Court dates etc. I don’t know if it will work or not but I want this admission stuff out the way ASAP. Any ideas gratefully received. I shall pester them until they must get rid of me by providing what can only be a couple of keyboard strokes, surely?

Enough of my woes in that field. I also have a crappy cold, which is very productive in my chest and has stopped me from getting on with some fencing that I need to do! I am in need of sheep pens. Since Ian and Claire moved out and Ian and Shirley moved in, I have lost the use of the woolshed because of their revamp. This has forced me to address the issue and, I with some help from a yard designer, have made a working drawing. I have decided to place the yards in front of the Barn (Shed to you Richard!). The wood is ordered but in true Eric style, it suddenly struck me that I cannot tow it as the Nissan is off the road with a leaky fuel pump. I refuse to pay over $200-00 for cartage. The loan of a vehicle with tow ball is required. I plan to put in a slatted floor in one corner of the barn so that I can pen the sheep up, and a shearing plant down there so I can shear or get someone else to do so. I have purchased a hand piece but need to get a couple of parts. I can just about get by dagging (cutting all the poopy bits off around the bottom) I have even sheared a lamb once. It looked as though it had been tackled with a poorly sharpened butter knife, but it needed doing due to bad fly strike.

I have thus decided to take the plunge and buy a nail gun to make pens, not shear sheep (as Michelle pointed out!!). They really do speed up work when there is a lot of framing work to be done not to mention not hitting fingers, foreheads etc. As I know I will not be building anything major, I have compromised my usual stance on tool buying and gone for a cheap Chinese import with a year or two guarantee.
I have read a book and the newspapers since finishing my course. I have however been covering Steve at work for the last three weeks too which has meant that I don’t get home until after five like proper workers. Then by the time the kids are fed and washing up etc is done, it is time for bed! Great life we lead don’t you think? Anyway, I shall knock it on the head at this point ‘cos I’m getting boring and I haven’t done that much to write about. Normal service will resume shortly. Do not adjust your sets!