tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62312652011-12-27T23:13:47.891+13:00Tanner News From Hobbiton. Postings since our emigration from Hawkinge in the UK to Matamata, New Zealand in 2001.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comBlogger3871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-60978848290926911502011-11-23T09:44:00.000+13:002011-11-23T09:45:11.416+13:00

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-13812908357008067052011-07-17T08:42:00.008+12:002011-07-17T11:58:45.300+12:00

Life is still good:-). It's Sunday morning and we had a whole weekend with nothing planned - bliss! Friday night we went to Mom and Daddy's for dinner, and to return the treadmill Alice borrowed and hardly used! I am pleased to say M+D are making and effort to loose some weight and wanted the said machine back. No problem. or so we thought. Wrong. Alice collected it using the Mistral, which we no

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-512205707757906302011-05-07T08:22:00.009+12:002011-07-17T11:58:10.234+12:00

Ahhhhhhh! (That's a content sigh, not a shriek). I feel like we have been on a very, very long journey, and have finally arrived. Eric is now a 40% partner in the law firm and I have dropped my hours to 4 days/week. Life is sooo good. I have always said that our life is blessed but now I feel there is the biggest cherry on the cake. I am so very grateful/thankful for all that we have.So what has

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-34338399398921369722011-02-26T07:27:00.005+13:002011-05-07T08:20:13.108+12:00

On Tuesday 25th February Christchurch had an earthquake/aftershock that has caused 113 (known at this point) deaths with 200 missing. The news has rocked the nation. Only today, day 5,has anything other than EQ news been on the radio. The stories of bravery and heroism will continue for weeks I am sure. The most touching is that of a female doctor who had to amputate a mans legs with a hacksaw

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-74288861098913529762011-02-13T08:26:00.003+13:002011-05-07T08:12:46.259+12:00

Sitting in bed (on a Sunday) morning contemplating wether or not to head for the beach! It was definitely beach weather yesterday but today is wall-to-wall cloud. It does look like it might break up though so I think we'll head off. Temps in Whiritoa are meant to be 27 degrees C.The beach trip is in aide of Harriette and her last weekend living at home. On Sunday next week she heads off to the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-49386918430422571102011-01-15T07:56:00.007+13:002011-01-15T09:21:05.938+13:00

Happy New Year!!! Eric is on leave until 17th January - a nice long break which he really needed. So, he is painting the house. We had commercial cleaners in immediately after Xmas and ideally Eric would have done the roof first but we could not get the paint we wanted so he started on the house, well the cottage anyway. Roof paint arrived and that's where he has been for the last few days (he

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-45003794019244939152010-12-05T08:09:00.004+13:002011-05-07T08:18:28.172+12:00

For the first time since primary school we only needed to attend 1 prize giving this year. At College they do sports (not a Tanner thing!), junior and senior prize givings on 3 separate nights. Parents get a letter to say that their child is getting an award so you know you really do need to go. This year Harriette again walked off with first in chemistry and Alice got 1st in music. They also got

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-47209011065587730942010-11-04T08:27:00.005+13:002010-11-04T09:51:00.107+13:00

I Skyped with Marion and Simon for the first time this week. (Marion and I worked together for 9 years when I ran the HDU at Buckland Hospital in the 80's. They have retired to Spain.) Marion commented that I had not posted since 'Miss Saigon' so I have added some blogs that were in my Drafts folder and am adding one for good measure. I am working until about 11pm tonight teaching in Rotorua and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-40504195425602528902010-09-19T08:40:00.004+12:002010-11-04T08:27:03.872+13:00

Sitting in bed on a Sunday morning, half listening to Chris Laidlaw (I always seem to half listen to him). I think we had 12 teenagers sleepover last night. Something like that. They took the cottage over. It was not nearly as bad as it sounds. They kept the music and noise down and all seem to get up OK this morning, before us and with no major headaches. It was nice for Alice to get her

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-73513722634253929292010-08-14T07:59:00.003+12:002010-11-04T07:56:47.603+13:00

Woke up several times last night to heavy rain. It makes us think of Richard and Robyn (and all our other dairy farming friends) who will be calving in the mud. Mind you they started the season with glorious weather which is an improvement on other years.I have an early start tomorrow, I have to leave at 4am to drive to Auckland airport for an 8am flight to Adelaide. I have been asking IMAC to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-91221602277245115692010-07-17T07:45:00.004+12:002010-07-17T09:18:07.738+12:00

The weather last weekend was gorgeous. Thick fog in the morning that lifted to reveal bright winter sun for the rest of the day. A contrast to the wet this weekend. Last Saturday Eric spent the day putting the second coat of paint up in the kitchen - it's very bright now :-) I battled with the rest of the family to get my way but I was totally right. The orange looks great - well I think so and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-89565006552365530932010-07-10T09:13:00.003+12:002010-07-10T10:08:55.495+12:00

Well to start with anyway. Alice has been living in Harriette's shadow this last few months what with FPS, mooting and her success at her first uni paper, but Alice shone recently, well in my eyes anyway (and probably Kent's) at the Hamilton Boys High School ball.She might look all grown up to you but she's still my baby!! Kent (pronounced Kint - this is New Zealand)has been in Fiji on a music

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-35594100918451722482010-06-26T07:59:00.003+12:002010-06-26T09:19:20.116+12:00

Well they did it. Harriette, Lance, Kylie and Beth won the Global Future Problem Solving Competition - Senior Division. They beat 58 teams from around the world (a large number from the States). We are so proud of them, in fact the whole of Matamata is rapt!! Everytime we go out someone says to us 'Didn't Harriette do well' or words to that effect. Alice is not impressed at have a world class

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-29430833597620436852010-06-05T07:40:00.006+12:002010-06-05T09:00:06.299+12:00

Another particularly hectic few weeks. First, and saddest is that Rust did not improve. In fact the following day Eric put him down. He was so miserable it was aweful to watch. He constantly had a dazed look on his face and wimpered a lot. Managing a paralysed dog of Rust's size is also very hard. I had recently bought a pohutakawa tree but not got to planting it so we dug a bigger hole and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-300925062464785972010-05-15T08:16:00.000+12:002010-06-05T07:39:45.470+12:00

The girls came home from school on Tuesday this week to find Rust paralysed from the waist down. When we came to NZ we got 2 black labs, puppies from the same litter. We called them Ben and Inca. The names came from the wonderful BBC programme called Castaway. I guess it was a reality show, before reality shows became popular. One of the 'Castaway's' was a very well bred young man called Ben (I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-71863647335912613052010-04-18T08:23:00.003+12:002010-04-18T09:38:22.907+12:00

Be honest. Is visiting Denmark on your bucket list.? No? Is wasn't on mine either. But it is now. This week Matamata have had the huge pleasure of hosting the Rotary Group Study Exchange team from Denmark visiting our district. GSE is a programme where a small team of young (25 - 40 years), non-Rotarians, led by a Rotarian, visit a paired Rotary District to experience the culture and work of that

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-68467075419274596692010-04-10T08:04:00.007+12:002010-05-15T09:36:01.685+12:00

I will, I will, I will write my blog more frequently. I will, I mean I really, really will!!!! Well I’ll try anyway. Winter is drawing in and so I should start to get better at it as I’ll be less inclined to jump out of bed in the mornings so, maybe....Where to start? Well the biggest piece of news is that Eric has finally made it. As of 1 April (no, not a joke!) 2010, Eric is a partner in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-40453631472955807312010-02-28T08:11:00.000+13:002010-04-10T08:44:25.465+12:00

Why, Oh Why, Oh Why do I leave it so long??? How on earth do I catch up after 2 months of no blogging? Well actually it shouldn't be too bad as I don't think a lot has happened lately.Freckles had a calf. Typical, she required the assitance of a vet on a public holiday (Waitangi Day). Still the bull calf is heathy, and cute!!On 10th February, at the end of a horrendously busy week, and when it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-43778539482178509752010-01-17T21:55:00.001+13:002010-01-17T21:55:35.744+13:00

WOW!!! That word summed up yesterday for us. We went back up to Outshoorn to visit Cango Wildlife Ranch. Now we had been there on previous visits to SA and assumed that the girls would not want/need to go back but they did! If we’d have known before we went to Cango Caves we could have done both visits in one day but they only announced this after we had done the caves. Anyway... we planned to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-49277983456836600152010-01-11T23:06:00.010+13:002010-01-11T23:26:33.989+13:00

Well a very Happy New Year! I am sitting on the elevated deck at Trish and Simon’s house in Wilderness, about 450km east of Cape Town. Their house is all wood, the living area above the garage and rain water tanks. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 on the next floor up, the main on this level and a smaller one on the ground level. All have en suites, which is beginning to seem like the norm for new houses in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-82661934662145876612009-12-26T13:18:00.005+13:002010-01-04T07:40:08.310+13:00

Gosh this Christmas week has turned out to be all we had wished for. The 4 families have got on well. Everyone has pulled their weight with the cooking and cleaning up (if the only the bare minimum has been done). We are living in 4 cottages and eating meals in the largest one which is in front of the pool. Plenty of space to allow for privacy when one wants it. We sort our own breakfasts out and

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-74094121010429029342009-12-22T15:11:00.001+13:002009-12-29T04:01:28.277+13:00

Well, we are finally here - Africa. Lindani to be precise. It’s mid-day-ish a few days before Christmas and I am sitting under a tree (already a tad red from sitting by/in the pool this morning), and blogging. I am writing this in Word as internet connection here is intermittent to say the least. Actually, we are not that far from civilisation. This is in effect a farm, with game, and very nice

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-70096211471466516042009-11-15T08:36:00.003+13:002009-11-15T09:21:25.967+13:00

That's where I was yesterday. I am very stressed at present. I am doing a presentation to the National Immunisation Conference next week and have got sooo much work to do to get it ready. I am also involved in a second DHB (sorry District health Board) presentation, again, work needed on that. At work I am involved in reviewing the NZ Immunisation Handbook, which is due for re-publication, have a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-6479552443289816172009-10-25T06:59:00.005+13:002009-11-15T08:10:41.524+13:00

Another Sunday morning. I should be working on my course but instead I'm here. I am doing a 'Graduate Diploma in IT in Education' (GDITE). The first module is online and I have not really got into it. I have gone weeks without looking at the site and am really busy at work so it keeps dropping down on my list of priorities. It is also very primary school teaching focused and so not relevant in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-20214901219472120922009-10-03T07:57:00.003+13:002009-10-03T08:27:58.924+13:00

We have been shocked by the earthquakes and tsunami's hitting the pacific region, mostly the ones in Tonga and Samoa. Lalamonu is the worst hit area of Samoa, which is where we stayed in July. In fact if you go to this linkhttp://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/image.cfm?c_id=1&gal_objectid=10601073&gallery_id=107687and scroll down to picture 64 (4th up from bottom in left column), the guys are

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-90829879804747186332009-09-27T10:51:00.004+13:002009-11-15T08:04:40.399+13:00

The last blog was the week from hell and this one could be 'What a bl**dy awful weekend' but, because I'm a generally optimistic type, it isn't. It has been an awful one though. It's Sunday morning and I am hoping things are on the up now.It started on Friday night. I took Alice to Youth Band practice, we leave at 4.30pm. Harriette had gone in to Matamata after school to shop for a dress (had an

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-51233232547681437862009-08-16T08:03:00.003+12:002009-09-27T10:51:27.169+13:00

8.15am, Sunday morning. The news is on the radio. I'm obviously blogging earlier today as Chris Laidlaw hasn't started yet! Eric is sitting next to me writing up notes from his Flying Start Course (something all lawyers have to do before they can become a partner), Alice says she's been awake since 3am and is on the computer in the living room and I guess Harriette is on her computer, she's still

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-69909010509628279102009-07-28T22:25:00.003+12:002009-07-28T22:50:03.837+12:00

I took these this morning from the top of our drive.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-9899266862233961742009-07-26T09:49:00.000+12:002009-07-26T09:50:36.164+12:00

Sunday morning. Sitting in bed with feral (the cat) fast asleep. Eric has just struggled out to feed out, Alice is asleep in the cottage with friends (her birthday sleepover) and Harri hasn’t surfaced either yet.My weight is going up!!! I suppose after a holiday and a week of cheesescake and birthday cake for Alice hanging around I have a bit of an excuse but.... it needs taking in hand. I made

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-67792534908180401182009-07-18T07:54:00.004+12:002009-08-16T07:39:01.040+12:00

Piccie of our fale.It’s now 7pm-ish Thursday evening 16th July. I am sure of this as we fly at 6.40am tomorrow. We are back at the Outrigger after 3 nights at Taufua Fales. This place feels like luxury compared to the fales. We are in the main building, upstairs. The rooms are much nicer compared to downstairs, quite colonial looking. The bed is hard as rock so I’m glad we only get to kip in it

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-56250709314275418702009-07-15T16:37:00.008+12:002009-07-25T10:47:44.399+12:00

Another hot day:The computer says it’s Thursday but I’m not sure if that’s NZ time or not. I think it’s Wednesday here! We are now in the Aleipata area of Samoa, on the south east corner of Upoulu Island, one of the country’s 2 main islands. The beaches here are stunning, real Bounty advert stuff as you can see. This photo is taken from exactly where I’m sitting. and the second one is taken

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-87914831852527133502009-07-12T21:22:00.000+12:002009-07-21T22:27:08.251+12:00

Sometime Sunday evening.Do you know that really hot humid feeling, that constant stickiness? Yes? Well that’s what I’m experiencing at the moment. We are in Apia, Samoa. That’s the other side of the date line to NZ and somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about 4 hours flying time from Auckland. We acquired air miles when we flew to the UK and said we’d use them on a Pacific Island trip.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-75620077377131541442009-04-10T08:45:00.004+12:002009-11-15T08:33:18.368+13:00

I'm sure I've blogged more recently than the Haitape Hill one at the top of blog at the moment!! Maybe I've blogged in Word and not loaded it onto the site. Need to check my USB sticks!In brief, polytunnel is up and has pumpkins, courgettes, lettuce, radishes, beetroot, strawberries, beans x 2, various flowers, spinach, peppers, chillis, tomatoes and herbs growing. Eric has to put doors on this

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-66298629896214389942009-03-14T09:16:00.001+13:002009-07-29T12:19:18.436+12:00

We have visitors again. Alex is the son of my long time friend Nicky whom I did my first degree with. Nicky has more than her fair share of boys aged from about 6 to about 24. Alex is travelling with his friend Ted and they are in NZ for 3 months. They are based here but planning to travel and do some work. I organised yesterday for them to do some fruit picking on our friends Steve and Liz's

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-26789801379290389652009-03-08T07:54:00.002+13:002009-11-15T08:19:57.176+13:00

I'm off cycling in a few minutes. I haven't been able to get out so much since the girls went back to school. All the music activities start up again and occupy 3 evenings a week. I did cycle round Lake Rotorua a few weeks ago with the cycle club and a few weeks ago cycled to Mom and Daddy's which is about 70km

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-80287985219398412792009-01-11T07:01:00.008+13:002009-01-24T07:32:18.422+13:00

(Did you know, if you click on a photo in blog it comes up full sized in a separate window?)I did it. Not quite the ride I meant to do but I got up Haitape Hill. This probably means nothing to you, unless you are familiar with the Taupo Bike Challenge. The challenge is 160km round the beautiful Lake Taupo, and can be broken down into a relay. I did the 3rd leg. The 4th has the dreaded Haitape

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-78075071780498320082009-01-01T10:52:00.001+13:002009-01-11T07:01:31.121+13:00

Happy New Year. May 2009 be very good to you all. Maybe I’m getting older but I find myself, ever more frequently, being so thankful for the life I have. The expression ‘living the dream’ so applies to us. That does not mean that our life is perfect, by any means. My biggest stresses are; the girls, that usual lazy, teenage selfishness that probably just means they are like any other teenager.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-69769164764867324422008-11-23T10:18:00.002+13:002009-02-06T07:50:15.810+13:00

Well it’s been a long time since I last blogged. It’s Sunday morning but too early for Chris Laidlaw. I woke, really hot at 6.25 and went down to the veg plot to put the irrigator on. It’s been a dry November with only half the normal rainfall, but cold. It’s only in the last 10 days that the temperatures have started to rise and we still have the winter duvet on the bed (though that might change

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-68418365497453385942008-10-05T08:13:00.002+13:002008-10-05T09:15:15.560+13:00

I've found time to write, Sunday morning of course. Trouble is I'm not sure I have much to write. I was very excited to see 5 comments on the last entry. Have had hardly any for ages which is a bit disheartening, even though my core reason for writing this is to keep a record of our life for???? the children/us to read in our old age/good source to resolve arguments (we had venison last Xmas, no

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-90166108930559032272008-09-07T07:01:00.000+12:002008-09-07T07:22:18.809+12:00

Another Sunday morning but far too early for Mr Laidlaw. Woke early and went to the loo, only to find we had no water. Being on a bore the answer is always a disconnected pipe, which means that the water pump is running continuously as pressure is not reached, or the pump has broken. Eric, being Eric, had to get up and go and sort the problem now, rather than when it got light. Luckily, it was a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-28914726673257282832008-08-24T10:27:00.004+12:002008-08-30T19:02:22.280+12:00

It’s Sunday morning, wet and windy so the perfect time to blog. Eric has gone fishing off Arapuni dam but I can’t imagine he’ll stay long. He came home with a nice trout a few weeks ago and took a photo of it. At the same time he took this photo of me as several people were asking for photographic evidence of my weight loss. I reckon it must be pretty impossible to visualise me un-fat as my

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-29524483205517254972008-08-10T09:10:00.000+12:002008-08-12T06:13:15.799+12:00

It’s freezing!!!! Literally. We have had an incredibly mild, but wet winter. In fact last week storms battered the place. Mom and Daddy’s area was particularly badly hit though not them personally (except a tree down). The papers are full of aerial photos of the flooding around parts of the Waikato river. However, the temperatures have rarely been in single figures and only a few days ago I said

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-25576614127499363152008-05-10T18:25:00.004+12:002008-05-10T20:12:33.422+12:00

Today (Saturday) I spent the last few hours of daylight in the garden. It was rather chilly and started raining but I was buried under a huge, hooded, triple layered fleece overshirt so was warm as toast. I was harvesting pumpkins and weeding when I became aware that the fading light was rather strange. I looked up to see the fabulous rainbow above. It was the whole bow and actually had a

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-45975475260860065842008-05-04T09:43:00.001+12:002008-05-04T15:44:49.773+12:00

Sunday morning and the first weekend of the duck shooting season. As I type, Eric is bemoaning the change from lead to steel shot, as has been required by law (which meant he had to purchase a new shotgun). The change happened 2 years ago, and the shotgun was a birthday present from me. But this is the first year he has gone duck shooting for awhile. He has the shooting rights on the ponds on

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-30887528718834211092008-04-19T10:14:00.000+12:002008-04-28T19:15:01.328+12:00

We’ve had a wonderful, long, hot summer. In a farming community no-one says that. They talk about the drought. The Waikato has been hardest hit. Here, we had 2 dry months before Xmas, 2 days of rain over Xmas and then only one small downpour until this week. We cannot manage to feed stock on only 2 and a half days rain in 6 months and everyone has de-stocked and been feeding out. Feed prices have

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-59256471268988637962008-03-09T11:11:00.001+13:002008-04-28T19:14:03.547+12:00

Once again it’s Sunday morning and I’m listening to Chris Laidlaw (talking about the huge price of gold and our gold mines here). The skies are blue, not a cloud to be seen and we have a morning planned planting a row flax (given to us by Mom and Daddy’s new neighbours) and fencing it to stop the cows getting to it. They love flax. It’s going along the edge of the paddock above the bank behind

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-46763792248847850482008-03-02T10:30:00.000+13:002008-04-28T19:11:36.417+12:00

Sunday 2nd March 9.30am. Lying in bed listening to Chris Laidlaw on the radio. Have just typed up notes from Fafa.Well the almost perfect holiday went to pot in the last 24 hours. We were unable to stay 5 nights at Fafa and were booked at the Lagoon Lodge in Nukuo’lofa for the last night. It was horrible. Lukily the bed was OK and had a huge fan but the rest was yuk. A 2 storey self-catering

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-77909978665711654172008-02-28T07:14:00.003+13:002008-02-28T07:56:13.474+13:00

No time to blog at the moment, or for the next 10 days looking at my diary! Thought I'd post a few photos in the meantime. Eric and I have just spent 4 days in paradise!!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-55752218153805827232008-02-25T08:31:00.000+13:002008-03-21T07:19:42.612+13:00

7am Apa Fale, Fafa Island Resort, Kingdom of Tonga (that's just above the Tropic on Capricorn in the Pacific Ocean).I'm lounging on a swing seat on the large covered deck of our fale. A small lawn, well tufts of greenery poking up through sand that is our garden, our hammock (swung between 2 coconut trees of course), green shrubbery sheltering us from the othe 12 fales on the island. Beyond the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-89571853955855354662008-01-31T22:01:00.000+13:002008-01-31T22:02:36.334+13:00

I have just done one of these so thought I'd post it. What time is it? 20:51What's your full name? Michelle Elizabeth Tanner (nee Smith)What are you most afraid of? Dying young (I may have already passed "young" but I want to see my children reach adulthood and become self-sufficient. Then I'll want to watch my grandchildren reach aduhood and become self-sufficient.... )What's the most

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-47696066725330779112008-01-08T11:11:00.000+13:002008-01-12T20:41:05.202+13:00

Happy New Year. We hope that 2008 is a good year for you all. 2007 was a very good year for us. Eric’s first full year as a solicitor, me settled in my job and the girls both had good years at school, with Alice shining particularly.It is Sunday morning, 10am and I am still in bed. Well I have been up briefly. I adjusted the irrigator (we have been a way for a few days and it had stopped rotating

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-78810025139850534672007-12-20T20:42:00.000+13:002008-01-12T21:32:13.003+13:00

Just want to do our proud parent bit. Photos of Alice at her graduation (from Intermediate!) ball taken on Monday (with Richard Robyn's daughter Katherine). Alice had a great year with a glowing school report and 4 trips up of stage yesterday. Cups for top Music and English student and for greatest contribution to school life (which for me is the most important one) and a certificate for being in

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-79453817789287493492007-09-30T09:44:00.000+13:002008-07-10T19:45:39.897+12:00

I HAVE to tell you about last night! There is a new Thai restaurant in Matamata. We are coming up in the world you know, there is also a sushi bar opening soon!! We had heard a few good reports so decided to give it a go. Well!! We arrived to find the entrance cluttered with people waiting for take ways so had a bit of a fight to get in. We were then seated by European waitresses, which I have

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-16154859749264791072007-09-09T10:31:00.000+12:002007-09-09T21:18:04.574+12:00

I failed! I didn’t finish. And now I know I am 5 weeks behind on NZ blog as well. I am sitting in a spare bed at Ann and Mikes house (Juliet’s parents). Unusually for NZ it is a 2 plus storeyed house and on an elevated section (that’s code for a seriously steep drive!). As I look out the huge picture window about half my view is sky, a third sea (the Firth of Thames) and the rest Te Puru below us

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-31721698444914667242007-09-09T09:39:00.000+12:002007-09-09T21:05:52.769+12:00

(It’s now Sunday 2nd September and I will do my best to complete this epic entry before going to collect Alice from the boyfriends in Hamilton this morning!)That evening we went into Canterbury to queue for the midnight release of the final Harry potter book. I was quite disappointed as Waterstones had advertised a street party and it was just a very long queue with an entertainer (fire eater/

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-5316619561338285362007-09-09T09:30:00.000+12:002007-09-09T20:54:11.163+12:00

…………Costa Coffee. I’m sorry that wasn’t meant to be left as a cliff hanger. It was purely chance. And now you’ll be so disappointed! Costa coffee do amazing fruit frappes and iced chocolate/coffees. Thank heavens I was on holiday and not sticking to WW’s. I’m afraid we indulged in them at every opportunity thereafter (probably accounts for most of my holiday weight gain!).Back to Kent. We called

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-49269217991787946412007-07-29T20:57:00.000+12:002007-09-09T19:36:39.715+12:00

After a fantastic trip we are home! Relishing a Sunday morning in bed after a good nights sleep, but missing chocolate hobnobs! 8.45am. Alice is still asleep, Harriette is on the computer (where else, she seems determined to make up for a month of deprivation) and Eric is next to me reading Harry Potter. No church bells here alas.We have had a brilliant holiday. Arrived home exhausted though. I

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-76139047022601998902007-07-08T10:19:00.000+12:002007-07-29T20:49:52.925+12:00

Sitting in bed, at Alex and Dave’s in Shrewesbury. Another gorgeous house, a huge, old town house where we are in one of the attic rooms aka Todd’s old bedroom. The bell from the church out the back is calling worshipers in. (“Quiet neighbours” Dave said on seeing the graveyard when they first looked round the place!).After collecting Harriette we went to the MacArthur factory outlet centre (I’m

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-15414891818651270072007-07-04T08:18:00.000+12:002007-07-29T20:54:18.723+12:00

5.40am. Sitting in bed at Helen and Paul’s place, with tea – naturally! In fact the mug is so big Eric just said it is a bit like drinking out a flowerpot!!Helen and Paul live in a gorgeous farmhouse dating back to the 1780’s.All low ceilings (only one bruise on my head), flagstone floors, rooms everywhere and the loudest creaking stairs you ever heard. No chance of Adam and Kate creeping to bed

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-54419391430845665752007-07-02T05:52:00.000+12:002007-07-29T20:22:45.998+12:00

5am. I’ve been awake since 2.15am!! I was so pleased with our progress on the jet-lag front. Arrived exhausted and managed to get through the rest of the day until 10pm, took a mild sleeping tablet and slept until about 5am. Went to sleep at about 10.30pm last night then it went wrong. Oh well. Back to a sleeping tablet tonight I think then hopefully I’ll be on track. Thank heavens for good books

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-26880693259452043682007-06-30T06:51:00.000+12:002007-07-04T06:55:25.189+12:00

What a week. Regarding the packing and holiday I was actually quite organised but a few crises over the last 48 hours have made life very stressful. Not least thinking I had lost/had stolen, my handbag.I have had a really busy week at work, mainly just trying to catch up and leave being well organised. It didn’t really happen. I got everything done that absolutely needed doing but my monthly

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-14526137879284873572007-06-24T08:54:00.000+12:002007-06-24T08:55:11.939+12:00

Gosh I’m managing to fit in another blog. Actually my theory is that I have been better at this lately because I am not walking in the morning. My hip has been a real problem, it is the joint itself and, because it is interfering with my fitness efforts, I took myself off to the physio. It is much better and I can start walking again but I have not been feeling too good this week after a GA on

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-74305440582870931722007-06-17T11:15:00.000+12:002007-06-20T12:16:49.796+12:00

I did a bit of a blog last weekend but can’t find it. As we are now using 3 laptops in this house and have 2 USB sticks, finding it may still yet happen (in which case I will publish it!).Sitting in bed listening to Chris Laidlaw, H and A in living room on computers (where else) and Eric has gone (trout) fishing. He went to watch the AB’s vs Canada at Hamilton last night, a complimentary ticket

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-89285947582914083012007-06-10T09:09:00.000+12:002007-06-20T12:10:29.620+12:00

OK. So the ‘blogging in bed on a Sunday morning habit’ hasn’t been so much of a habit lately. Sorry Helen! I will try and get back into it. Perhaps we can blame my attempts to get fit. I leap out of bed with such enthusiasm to run/walk that I don’t get round to blogging?? OK maybe not (or as Eric has just exclaimed on reading this “or you can say that that is absolute crap”!! So I’ve just been

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-17024881499052090012007-04-28T09:23:00.000+12:002007-05-13T09:26:26.916+12:00

This blogging whilst lying in bed on a weekend morning is obviously becoming a habit. Kim Hill on the radio, cat curled up at our feet and Eric is finishing a novel. I read it and recommended he do so (John Katzenbach’s The Analyst). He is at the prologue and I have just told him who the perpetrators are thinking that was revealed in the last chapter – it wasn’t!! Opps.Unusually, it’s raining. We

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-79829779733162036192007-04-15T10:16:00.000+12:002007-06-25T16:23:35.931+12:00

Sunday morning and lying in bed listening to Chris Laidlaw’s Sunday programme. No need to rush out and walk as it is definitely cooler these days and I don’t have to dash out before it gets too warm. The down side of that is the mornings are darker now. Last year I just stopped walking in the winter but I want to try and keep it going this time round, especially as a month of the winter will be

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-89343409204111038902007-03-13T20:15:00.000+13:002007-03-13T20:59:03.240+13:00

Well it's been ages since I blogged but not as long as you think. I am sure I have done a blog in Word since my last posting but am not sure which computer or USB stick it is on. I'll post it later if I find it.Eric is sitting on the sofa wading through some boring legal stuff, Harri is in her room, Alice is sitting next to me reading some rubbish on the desktop and we are all listening to the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-83869225316816462652007-02-11T13:21:00.000+13:002007-02-11T13:54:15.622+13:00

Things are improving!Well Eric did catch some trout on Tuesday,Unfortunately he twisted his ankle when out which seemed to have triggered an attack of gout, in his ankle this time. We took H and A along with Abi and Lucia to see Casino Royale in the evening. It was obvious that Eric was going to struggle to walk to Gengy's so I sent him to drive the car and we walked down. (It turned out to be

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-40280101012067347712007-02-06T12:24:00.001+13:002007-02-06T12:24:52.319+13:00

Life is good. In fact life is very good. Not perfect, but not far off, and long may it last. To make it perfect? Well the weather would be a little better, not much, the income, that is on the up would already be up, and the children would do what they ask, when I ask at least SOME of the time!!!! Actually I really only mean the last one. Endless sunshine would be boring (little man on shoulder “

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-30055227635218884262007-01-30T20:48:00.000+13:002007-01-30T21:14:31.562+13:00

A quick blog entry as I am very tired and planning on an early night. We have been listening to the omnibus edition of the Archers lately (haven't done that for ages!). Harriette is getting very into it. A true Tanner. When did Betty die!!!We had a long, hectic and enjoyable day yesterday. Friends of Claire in the UK arrived. We have been emailing for months as they pondered the move and then

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-25171630287309048352007-01-26T21:41:00.000+13:002007-01-30T20:47:53.674+13:00

I really don't have time to blog but I am feeling guilty at lack of blog, and I know Helen needs something to read to take here mind off the in-laws!!Last weekend we had the Junkies here. Junkie was at school a few years below Eric. He has recently emigrated to NZ with his family (Sharon and 2 children) and is in the NZ airforce. Apparently the NZAF, like the police, have had recruitment drives

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1168586444689265292007-01-12T19:38:00.000+13:002007-01-17T08:15:28.909+13:00

Friday night and sitting at the desk top. Well makes a difference from Sat am and in bed!Am just MSNing with Cheryl who has just got back from Auz!We have been a bit house bound as the Mistral's radiator has been sitting in the carport for the last week or so. NZ is still in summer shut down mode and tracking down a repalcement has been difficult. However, he picked one up today and is just about

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1168331615016503912007-01-09T21:30:00.000+13:002007-01-09T21:33:35.016+13:00

Some bright spark has upgraded photobucket and now I can't do what I always could do, with my photos!!!!!!!! Sorry is you are on dial up and the page is taking aeons to download. the piccies are huge, even though they are thumbnail size in photobucket. Maybe if I turn the pooter off it will sort itself out. Usually works for me.

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1168322965196921652007-01-09T19:08:00.000+13:002007-01-30T20:48:44.143+13:00

Sitting in bed on a Saturday morning when I really should be up (it’s nearly 9am) but I am using 2 excuses. Firstly, it’s cloudy outside which doesn’t inspire me and secondly, I have a hole on my foot (stood on a nail), which means I can’t walk at the moment. If I was walking I do get up earlier as I don’t like walking when it is warm which it is after 9am (150C at the moment).I am listening to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1167609298690470832007-01-01T12:54:00.000+13:002007-01-01T14:00:08.550+13:00

Gosh. Where to start!! Firstly by wishing you all the happiest of New Years. May you rise to the challenges 2007 brings you and we hope many good things come your way. It certainly feels like a good year for us is in store. (I hope they are not famous last words!) Just the fact that Eric is not studying is a good starter.For my cousins son in a Miami ICU following an accident diving from a beach

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1163803612966594082006-11-18T07:45:00.000+13:002006-11-18T11:47:11.376+13:00

I will not get up. I won’t! This week we have dragged ourselves out of bed every morning and kept telling ourselves that Saturday was coming and we could lie in bed as long as we wanted and sleep in. Well now it is Saturday and, Yes you’ve guessed it, ‘ping’ wide awake at 6.10am. But I will not get up on principle. Not one to waste time I have decided to blog. (Yes Carol a laptop has big

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1162969389254489322006-11-08T19:53:00.000+13:002006-11-08T20:03:09.280+13:00

Booked flights today for our UK trip. Leave here on 29th June and arrive back on 27th July. 2 nights stopover in Singapore on the way back and enough air points to fly each of us to a pacific island, or Australia (and back) later. All that is for the equivilent to just under 3 months of my salary. So, I am now planning our itinery. When can we come and see you??? We will be based in Kent, London

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1162623184694857642006-11-04T08:52:00.000+13:002006-11-04T19:53:04.696+13:00

I have sooo much to do. I am behind on emails, blog, and general indoor stuff (I never did get to the accounts over Labour weekend). I am also trying to get the lawn in front of the cottage re-seeded (still in a mess after I removed a camelia and re-leveled the area, the seed planted last summer got washed away with rain and has not been replaced), have decided I want to paint some bits missed

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1162623107730349172006-10-23T08:50:00.000+13:002006-11-04T19:51:47.773+13:00

Firstly, and mostest important, we won the rugby. Waikato beat Wellington in the final of the NPC. We have only ever won once before way back in the 90’s and we had the semi’s and the final on home turf to boot. It was an exciting game, the Mooloo’s came out all guns blazing and played at a pace that looked unsustainable. There were some silly errors and scrappy play at times but the scrum was

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160899866284889912006-10-15T20:45:00.000+13:002006-10-15T21:11:06.300+13:00

A lazy Sunday evening after a day in the veg plot. I actually haven't done much, just pottered really, and watch Eric do all the hsrd work. He is currently putting up proper fencing for me. He gets so despondent digging a 4 foot hole only to fill it in again with the strainer post in. I also insisted on a gate (Eric thinks this is totally unreasonable and that I should just climb over a stile)

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160898285524258262006-10-15T20:43:00.000+13:002006-10-15T20:44:45.540+13:00

Marion can you email me please. I cannot find your email address. Thanks

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160382719511287382006-10-09T20:48:00.000+13:002006-10-09T21:33:06.143+13:00

Our clocks have gone forward, and the temperatures plummetted! It was OK over the weekend but last week it was so chilly I lit the fire again. This weekend was OK but it is blowy and raining now (Mon evening) and there is a bad weather warning for the South Island with 20cm of snow expected down to sea level. For heavens sake, what is the weather coming to? Eric and I got outside when he got home

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160294019956645642006-10-08T20:53:00.000+13:002006-10-08T21:06:21.153+13:00

Today our 'teenage mum' Daisy had her calf. We were quite concerned as she should not have got pregnant being only about 4 months old when she was deflowered by the murray grey on loan to impregnate Freckles and Carol. But she has produced this sweetie without any problems. She is quite small but feeding fine. As Carol has named her half sister Bronte we thought that Charlotte (Charlie, Lottie?)

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160293179580004712006-10-08T20:39:00.000+13:002006-10-08T20:39:39.596+13:00

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1159044991863309942006-09-24T08:05:00.000+12:002006-09-24T08:56:31.866+12:00

Sunday morning and this will be a short entry, the sun is shining at 7.15am and I am keen to get outside. I have made tea and returned to bed. This is the first morning I have been able to open all the doors and let the sun in so early. It is very spring-like here and I just hope it stays that way.This is the first weekend that we have not had people over or needed to go somewhere and with good

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1158733692421002172006-09-20T18:11:00.000+12:002006-09-24T08:47:30.426+12:00

I feel that I am making a bit of headway in the veg plot. After the sheep got in and decimated it when I was in Auckland I have taken the opportunity to rethink and plan. I have consulted my companion planting bible and planned the whole thing. I am moving away from sowing seeds into the bed and towards buying seedlings or growing in seed trays first. I have real problems getting seeds to

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1158053577191627072006-09-12T20:53:00.000+12:002006-09-12T21:32:57.216+12:00

Very run of the mill Tuesday evening, except I have managed to find time to blog. Eric's 3rd week in the job but only the first one when I have been at home every night. Quite organised at the moment, preparing supper (sorry tea as they call it here) in the morning so it's not a big rush in the evening. I was so organised today I even managed to get the orchard sprayed and do a little bit in the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1157016525691302832006-08-31T21:27:00.000+12:002006-09-01T08:22:12.186+12:00

An update after my first week (must be a record - two blogs from me in one week)I have now been working for my Company for a whole week. Haven’t got the sack which is a good start. It would seem that I still have the reverse Midas touch however. I have had a property deal collapse around my ears, another sale complicated by the presence of a tenant of whom we had no knowledge and now the

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1156758945026654492006-08-28T21:39:00.000+12:002006-08-28T21:55:45.066+12:00

And all because I haven't blogged for so long. Just a few notes and photo's today and I'll flesh it up a bit next weekend.Today Eric started as a solicitor. One of the 2 partners went into hospital with chest pains and had some minor cardiac surgery so is not going to be there as much as Eric expected. He came back for his first day today. I think it has shaken them all up a bit. It seems that

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1157055536986967112006-08-26T20:17:00.000+12:002006-09-01T08:18:57.010+12:00

Well, I’m back in the land of the unemployed!It has been a long time, but my four weeks notice is up! That means I have the whole weekend off in order to complete my transformation from Animal Control Officer (Kennel hand!), into a fully-fledged Lawyer. It is a time not without it’s setbacks. I am currently afflicted with the usual painful episode of gout. It started last night as a painful

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1160380807757449442006-08-17T20:58:00.000+12:002006-10-09T21:00:07.776+13:00

Moving on. Typing this in a music room in a college in Hamilton while about 20 teenagers practice. I have bought Harriette and Sarah in to suss out the Waikato Band. Harri was a bit reluctant to come as she is planning to change to oboe next year and thought it wouldn’t be worth it and I was worried they (well Harriette) wouldn’t be good enough but the conductor is sooo enthusiastic, they are now

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1154594635476951982006-08-03T20:40:00.000+12:002006-08-03T20:43:55.493+12:00

Hurray! Finally finished all the food left over from the weekend!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1154288479985024762006-07-31T07:20:00.000+12:002006-07-31T08:48:07.706+12:00

Blogging at an unusual time, 6.30am on a Monday morning. Harriette’s alarm woke me at 5.50am and I decided to stop wasting time and do something. Pitch dark outside so I looked to an indoor job. Blogging can be done while tucked up in a warm bed so sounded like a good option!!We had a bit of a celebration of Eric’s achievements yesterday. I sent an invite out saying this: For those of

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1153904683846080762006-07-26T20:55:00.000+12:002006-07-26T21:04:43.870+12:00

Eric has been offered a job as a barrister/solicitor with a local Matamata firm McGill, Earl and Co. It is a small firm with a good reputation and seems to be dynamic and friendly. Sounds like they will be supportive initially but keen for Eric to stand on his own 2 feet as soon as he can. All that Eric wants really. I cannot express how thrilled and relieved we all are. It has been an

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1153601983635631742006-07-22T08:58:00.000+12:002006-07-25T20:51:26.660+12:00

Not bad for a poor person, I’ve eaten out three times in four nights, that’s almost a year’s allocation of dining out!! I was in Auckland for training on Wednesday night and, as usual we went to the Thai Village in Remuera, a real gem of a place but we must start to expand our horizons a bit and eat elsewhere. Training was good, I usually leave those days stressed to the eyeballs and never quite

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1151829760991835932006-07-02T20:27:00.000+12:002006-07-02T20:42:41.016+12:00

When you've had a sleepover and you are sooo tired, Happiness is......... being curled up on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon with Dog (permanent bedtime attachment since aged 0) and Feral.This weekend Eric has this one:Nice new shiny tractor from Lyn and Basil over the road. Actually it was borrowed for the wood splitter on the back. And I had my first trakker driving lesson:I was not impressed!

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1151439697456441282006-06-28T08:16:00.000+12:002006-07-25T20:54:06.500+12:00

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

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1151124593191706992006-06-24T10:47:00.000+12:002006-06-25T07:46:32.620+12:00

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

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1150363638933078212006-06-15T21:12:00.000+12:002006-06-15T21:43:12.436+12:00

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

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231265.post-1150275142321589172006-06-14T20:16:00.000+12:002006-06-14T20:52:22.366+12:00

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

Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00960656055214094734noreply@blogger.com