Catching up

Its been an interesting time lately. The winter blues have given way to some spring delights, like the daffodils on my table. Vibrant yellow reflecting the sun as it rises through my east windows. The sun now comes in those windows, that means summer is on its way. This is a summer house, not being insulated like so many New Zealand homes makes it not so warm in the winter. The sun is also gone in winter from quite early in the day.

Last evening I joined a few folks in the Last Minute Larrys Meet-up group to watch the rugby in town. I really enjoy these groups of people, all are friendly and inclusive, some I've met many times, some are new. Like the trainee doctor from Germany. I did my best to explain the rules of rugby, what was good and what was not. She had been in the country for two weeks and was told rugby was a must see. I'm sure I'd have been the same watching football in Germany with her, except she had perfect English and I have no German.

Yesterday I replaced my glasses, another tick on the to do before the Brisbane wedding. I also have some new contacts to try. The optometrist suggested that I only use one contact so I didn't have to carry reading glasses, she suggested it. Others have laughed at me doing just that when I only managed to get one contact in. See I'm hopeless at using them successfully. Hopefully they will work just fine this time.

Not many more weeks until I'm off to Brisbane again, I can't wait. It will be the first time all my sons have been in the same place at the same time in a long while, certainly since Nick became a dad too. Seeing my sons being dads is the most amazing experience. They are all awesome dads, well taught by their dad's modelling. It's precious to see their smiles as they gaze lovingly at their little ones, as they build Lego creations, take them on bike rides to the park, show their love and pride. It makes me very proud.

My daughters in law are all awesome too, like the boys they are all different and yet all with the same special qualities that make them wonderful women to be raising children, my grand children. The cousins will get to play, well the two bigger ones will, and their great grandmother will get to meet the two new additions. I feel family photos coming on.

Today I got my spare room a little more organised. Jane and Annie are coming to visit in a couple of weeks and Sue is coming to stay for a bit, commuting from her lovely new home in Nelson. I also got to wander in the gardens. Following paths familiar and unfamiliar and finding some restful contemplation spots. Wellington is truly amazing. Within 20 minutes walk I can wander in the bush, through rose gardens, along the waterfront, through the city and climb hills. No excuse not to be fit.

Brisbane babes

Giving in

I've been feeling a bit peaky the last week or so, everyone at work has the flu of some description and sharing the same air conditioning and open plan space is bound to mean some other sharing. So today I'm giving in and having a home day. One to have plenty of rest and fluids so I can make the presentation I'm doing at a conference tomorrow and the leadership meeting in the afternoon. I've also got a presentation to prepare for a session on Wednesday plus some personal stuff that needs business hours time.

So it might not be such a restful day, or am I just justifying taking a day off sick. I come from tough stock, originally Scottish stock and we don't admit to sick or do sick often. I've learnt that if I gift myself a day when I'm feeling like this, honour feeling off colour, acknowledge it and take care of myself, I come right quickly. It's the same with so much of life.

This week here has been lovely, soaking up the spring sunshine, topping up my vitamin D stores. Yes, summer is on the way. I'm looking forward to that and my next trip. Of course my next trip. I'm heading to Brisbane in a month or so for Kez and Sasi's wedding, I'm so excited. That coupled with the need to fit into a nice dress, buy shoes and organise some make up etc. Another thing for the list, that nice dress. Oh and maybe a hat/fascinator/hatinator (apparently there's such a thing).

So life in the capital goes on, there's an air of tension, excitement here about the upcoming election. It should prove interesting. 

That time of year again

Birthday time. Go off and do something different time. My last few years of birthdays have been different. I got the bug after spending one in a cave hotel in Turkey, 10 year ago now, drinking raki, eating white cheese and watermelon with the hotel owner. Then the cake arrived courtesy of the lovely Hayden who had organised our trip. Celebrations shared.

Then there were a few at home followed by one that started in Al Ain, progressed to Dubai business class lounge with a bubbly breakfast and ended in Cardiff via a road trip from London. Other highlights have been Italian with friends on a tropical island, dining on trout fresh from Lake Titikaka after visiting the reed islands and New Orleans adventures. This years highlight tops all, breakfast with our newest addition and her dad and mum in Melbourne. Getting to know the gorgeous Frankie.

Next year will have to be pretty special to top that. So begins a new year for me, one that takes some reflection after all the changes of the past year. Its been exactly a year since I set sail from Cayman and began my long way round back to home. A year of new friends and old friends, sixteen airports (many of them multiple times), adventures and learning, family time with an increased family, finding my way around a new job, a new home with new furniture and old treasures. Not a bad year really.

Aotearoa

Melbourne

Sometimes I'm just too busy to do this space justice. The last three weekends have been hectic, this one is the same. I'm in Melbourne getting some Frankie time. And Nick and Liberty time of course, although the small girl demands a bit of time. She is so gorgeous, at such a lovely age with smiles and chats as she kicks on her new NZ sheepskin rug.

Tonight I get to babysit as her mum and dad have a much needed night out. She's just gone off to sleep, the house seems so quiet. It's disconcerting looking at her sometimes as Nick looks back at me. She looks like her dad, that brings back memories. She's a much more settled baby than he was thankfully.

Melbourne is showing me her winter face. Windy and cold with a helping of hail as I walked back from the shops this afternoon. I always enjoy Melbourne. So much to do and so easy to get around. Tomorrow promises some sunshine and a wander around the markets. I'm looking forward to that.

I was in Brisbane last weekend for Sasi's hens party and to get some Aria and Eve time. Such a great weekend, not long enough really. It was warm too, much needed sunshine after the recent bleakness of Wellington. Roll on summer, it can't come soon enough for this hot house flower. 

And one more

I see I didn't write about my weekend. Or on the weekend. It was quiet, well except for a trip to a place called Adrenaline Forest.  Gill had bought some tickets for us before she disappeared to the UK. Last weekend was the last time to use the tickets so Rachel, Diana and I found our way there, my navigation didn't help in this easiest of tasks. A recurring theme.

What a hoot, three women of a certain age following a group of kids around the courses. Their mums were sensible enough to be watching from the ground way, way below. I made it most of the way through excitement, trail 3. I only stopped because my friends were tired, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It was so tiring, all that hanging onto things so I didn't fall off. Hauling myself up ropes, over wobbly bridges, movable feasts of logs and planks and ropes and the flying foxes (zip lines).

It was so much fun, something I'll do again. My muscles told me on Sunday that I'd overdone it a bit. We met for dessert, well earned dessert, that evening and retold the days dramatic, near death stories. Sunday it was open homes time. I wandered to the first one, meeting a lovely young lass in the process. We spent some time looking through it properly a bit later in the day. People have such amazing stories, Rebekah was no exception. I hope we will get to meet again, to continue our conversation.

This evening I've been enjoying a Chianti, as I was looking through my photos I found this one. Taken in a small town in Peidmont, a treat of local wine with the Barbaresco, Barolo and Nebbiolo reds from this place so famous and so very moreish. Di, Sandy, Salette and I may just have sampled a few that day of summer sunshine and vino tasting.

Peidmont, Italy 

The raw materials

Phew

That was a close call. My Mac decided to hibernate for winter last evening. It hasn't liked the cold, a tropical flower much like myself really. I've noticed, after the spectacular crash in Croatia, that my poor Mac has never quite been the same. It could be the cold, it could be being miffed that I bought a sort of replacement in Vienna. A pale imitation of a Mac this iPad thing. Not quite meeting my real needs although I do use it to potter around on.

So last evening the crash, this evening coaxing the poor old Mac to life was heart stopping. It reset back to 2001, it's not that old. I hope. Then there was no Internet so that was a whole reset process, finding and reentering my codes and password. Thankfully it worked, thankfully here I am writing on said Mac, on the Internet. All is okay in my world.

The funny thing is that a funny thing happened at work yesterday and I was opening up the Mac to write about it, and the trip it was part of. I don't feel so inspired now. I do, however, feel like a bit of a domestic goddess. Only a bit. I baked this evening, glass in hand while waiting for my roasties to roast. Yams (or little boys toes as we used to call them when there were little boys), parsnips, kumara, pumpkin, potatoes. Roasted comfort food for a chilly evening, music blasting. The blueberry muffins turned out wonderfully, unexpectedly yummy. The 12 became 11. Quality control.

Tomorrow I've got an early start and muffins will be the order of the day for us early starters. This whole winter thing is not too much fun. I'm feeling the cold, it's too cold to sail, well for me anyway. Gloves are on in the morning, two extra heaters have been purchased. An electric blanket is in constant use. I'm not really built for the cold, I need more fat on my bones one kind soul said today. It's been a really mild winter so far, they added. I didn't do them any violence, just smiled benignly while shrinking inside.

Not yet cold, mild winter. Well that is truly true when one considers how cold it's been in my old part of this place. Minus something and snow. I just need to harden up a little before I head there in a week or so. I've got some trips booked. Christchurch, Brisbane, Melbourne one weekend after another. I'm excited, Melbourne is my birthday weekend. The one I usually spend doing something completely different. This year it's family time. Meeting Frankie Beth for the first time is most certainly different, the true beginning of a wonder life long relationship. I can't wait.

So yesterday we were talking about Irish accents, I love them and there's a cute young man a few floors above us who speaks Irish. He was the object of our affection for all things Irish. Kate commented that her husband is Irish too, from Limerick. So the limericks flowed.

I got stung by bee
While driving through Tralee
The bugger flew in
I went into a spin
And killed the bugger, bugger me

This one, or something quite like it, made Kate giggle, with the other two people in the lift looking on in amazement. Trying not to giggle I suspect, although I didn't look too closely. We don't work in the sort of place where one has fun in the lift, or anywhere else for that matter.

Actually that really did happen. I giggled with relief, once the bugger stopped stinging me, at the bee in Tralee thing. He got me on the neck then ended up, not quite dead, in one of my pashminas. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at my hotel in Shannon and he flew, dazed, out the open window of my room. I needed a wee drop of something by then.

I had a lovely drive around the south of Ireland. Part of the hilarity today was about how I didn't get lost, managing to get myself around various places in the world all by myself, because I took Kate to completely the wrong place for a meeting. Twice. Don't tell her I did get lost, a lot. Part of the fun of the journey and the start of some of my finest adventures.

The white houses of Dingle Peninsula

Wild southern ocean, Dingle

A busy week

My intended entries didn't happen this week. Put it down to just being plain busy. Monday was an impromptu dinner out with a friend I don't manage to catch up with very often. A wander to my local for a relaxed meal in front of the warm fire and some mulled wine. Just what I needed. It's been chilly here, very chilly in the evenings. This hot house flower is quite enjoying the cold, although a small holiday on some tropical island might be nice.

The rest of my busy week, Tuesday was a long chat with Di on Skype and some catching up on some paperwork. Wednesday was a late one at work, an exhausted homecoming and an early night and last night I was given a ticket to see The Addams Family, a musical delight of amateur theatre. A group from work was going, one of our colleagues was in the show, and they had a spare ticket. Another time I was pleased I'd said yes. The small theatre was packed, generous glasses of wine were served and the fun began.

What a treat, Wellington is certainly the cultural capital. It was very funny in places, great singing and dancing. I was thankful I was up the back and not as close to the action as some of the group. On the stage, getting up close and personal. This evening it was after work drinks then home to talk with Nick and Frankie. Just a quick chat, I'm really looking forward to heading to Melbourne to meet her and have our first cuddle. Very exciting.

This weekend I'm planning a quiet one, probably hiring a car for Sunday so I can go out and about exploring. A walk is also on the cards, after I've checked out the weather of course. And of course some more travel entries. Well that's the plan for now.

One of the photos for my wall