Life begins at 50

Not the Greek God …

2009-01-18T12:23:00.004+13:00

I had to get up a little promptly on Friday morning so I set my alarm clock for 7.05am … just to make sure. I woke up and bleary eyed looked at the clock. It was exactly 7am.

Wow, I thought to myself, my biological clock is working rather well!

That’s when I heard it – the most awful, loud, clunking noise emanating from somewhere very close by! So that’s what woke me!

I staggered to the window and peered out - legs! Hairy legs at eye level!

It was one of those Am I dreaming? Is this real? kind of moments.

I just had to get a better look. So I pulled up the blind and risked another peep. Yes. I was right first time. It was a pair of legs - attached to a large cement truck.

Mystery solved! Our neighbours are building an extension to their house.

That’s all very well … but at 7 in the morning? Is that fair?

Misery guts …

2009-01-02T15:05:00.007+13:00

Can you believe it? That’s what one of my friends and colleagues called me! Why? Because I don’t really enjoy Christmas!

Being in New Zealand and having a warm, bright, mostly sunny Christmas does help, though!

This year, and the first time ever for me, we had a REAL Christmas tree. It was organized by my son-in-law-to-be who is something of a Christmas child. I have to admit the tree looked very nice in a corner of our living space. The smell of pine was also rather pleasant.

I’m not sure what the tree would have thought about the whole thing. It looks rather ordinary now that it has joined others of its kind in our back yard. I rather imagine that it’s beginning to see itself as firewood.

Maybe it’s that time of the year – a new year, new beginnings but it brings to mind a verse from Erasmus Darwin’s Temple of Nature which goes like this:

“HENCE when a Monarch or a mushroom dies,
Awhile extinct the organic matter lies;
But, as a few short hours or years revolve,
Alchemic powers the changing mass dissolve;
Born to new life unnumber’d insects pant,
New buds surround the microscopic plant;
Whose embryon senses, and unwearied frames,
Feel finer goads, and blush with purer flames;
Renascent joys from irritation spring,
Stretch the long root, or wave the aurelian wing.”

One Man Went to Mow …

2008-12-23T14:01:00.006+13:00

... in this case it was a woman – me!

I bought us a Christmas present: a brand new mower. Isn’t she lovely?

Our old one was so old and temperamental that only df could get it to work. And he wasn’t around. And the grass was very long.

I did think about getting a goat… but reason prevailed and I bought the mower. She is lovely, isn’t she? And she purrs like a baby… hmm… something wrong with this analogy … babies don’t purr. Oh well, you get the idea?

There she was purring away and before I know it I have a catcher full of shorn grass. Wow!

And look at the result. Can you see the lovely straight tracks I made? You can, can’t you?

Anyway, I can see them and I’m happy. Result!

Lunch, Belgian beer and pressies …

2008-12-19T22:27:00.004+13:00

It’s nearly Christmas … AGAIN. Doesn’t time fly?

My mother did warn me. I hear her now: The older you get, the faster time flies.

This year I haven’t sent a single Christmas card… what with going off to Fiji … time just ran away from me.

I didn’t miss the office Christmas lunch though. Concentrate on the important thing … that is what I did.

Lunch was something of a side dish. There was lots of Belgian beer…

… presents from our bosses …

… a pretty Christmas hair decoration …

… and a silly tie.

I should mention that we do work in the dairy industry… so strangely appropriate really!

Mangoes, a wedding and a goat…

2008-12-14T21:12:00.010+13:00

His name has to be Billy, and isn’t he magnificent?

I’ve been on a trip to Fiji and I ate lots of mangoes. First they was here ...

… then one of them was here ...

…and then it was gone … next please!

The wedding was beautiful …

… and so was the bride.

My views …

2008-12-02T09:15:00.006+13:00

These are the kinds of views I’ll be admiring for the next two weeks.

One man and his horse …

… and even better by night!

Lucky me!

Zoo meander

2008-11-27T10:25:00.005+13:00

We went to the zoo on Sunday.

I have to admit to being a bit ambivalent about zoos.

I know they are no longer the places with cement cages and iron bars that were prevalent when I was young …but they are still places where wild animals are kept in captivity.

I appreciate that, nowadays, zoos do a lot of good conservation work …but they are still places where wild animals are kept in captivity.

I know too that they have to keep animals that are not yet endangered … elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, hypos and the like ...to attract the visitors whose entrance fees help to keep the zoo going. And they are great places for kids to have a look at some of these magnificent creatures and maybe, hopefully get to understand them better …but they are still places where wild animals are kept in captivity.

Posing! This meerkat is the King of his castle.

Please don't touch. Do we really need to tell humans this?

What a beautifully symmetrical backside!

And what about this specimen?

Nice shoes!

Doing what she oughta!

2008-11-20T15:20:00.002+13:00

Do you know the song about the little white duck doing what he oughta?

Well, we are looking after df’s daughter’s cat … AGAIN … and I suppose she was just doing what cats do … but when df drove his car out of the yard this morning here’s what I found underneath...

… not nice!

AND I didn’t have to look very far to find the guilty one.

Couldn’t she, at least, have eaten the poor bird? That would have made its sad demise worthwhile … so as the song goes - Boo hoo hoo.

Just juxtaposed…

2008-11-12T17:55:00.002+13:00

I took these two photos one after the other …

This one on the old bridge … fishing for fish…

… and this one looking towards the new bridge… fishing for cars!

Yeah! I’ve voted….

2008-11-08T10:22:00.005+13:00

Yes, we too have an election and it’s today. By tonight we may, or may not, have a new government and Prime Minister.

The choice – go with Labour and Helen or go for change with John and National.

If the polls are correct then people are going to follow the Americans and vote for change. There’s some big differences though – the Nationals are a right of centre party … and Helen (unlike Bush) hasn’t been doing a bad job really … but she is going for her fourth term and people are bored.

Oh well! Tonight we’ll know….

UPDATE: Labour lost and Helen has stepped down :(

The turnaround!

2008-11-05T12:09:00.009+13:00

I’ve done some magic... honest. I’ve made my little people BIG ... look...You see this bridge? That’s the one I drive across every weekday on my way to and from work.

I often glance across at the old bridge... the much more interesting one that people fish off. Well, on Sunday df and I decided to explore new parts of our neighbourhood and ended up down on the old bridge... a familiar place seen with new eyes!

There were lots of people out there doing their fishing thing.

Families...

... loners...

... buddies...

... and just look at this lady! She seems to have found a special spot under the bridge. Maybe she knows something nobody else knows.

At the other end of the bridge, away from the fish people ... a biker went on his merry way!

Was it the Kinks who sang, Lazing on a sunny (Sunday) afternoon? That's exactly how it felt.

Shoe shuffle …

2008-10-31T15:23:00.000+13:00

It was a bright day. I had some spare time on my hands and my shoes really needed a good clean. That’s how it all started…

One thing led to another… one shoe led to another… till all the shoes that we owned or inherited over the years - were out sunning themselves on the deck!

Lots of elbow grease and shoe polish later… they were sorted. I had a pile to be dropped in the charity bin, a pile to be dropped in the garbage bin, a pile to be given back to the daughter… and a pile to keep.

There are still rather a lot of them left waiting to be return to the shoe rack… but don’t they look good?

Shocking in pink

2008-10-23T15:49:00.004+13:00

I saw this young man in Christchurch last week.

In his defence... it was a Friday night so he probably had a very good reason ... maybe.

Thank you Maggie May. Your photograph of a Roman Soldier in a pink frock inspired me to post this.

Looking down

2008-10-20T16:17:00.007+13:00

Df and I are just back from a very pleasant trip to Christchurch, a city that prides itself on being as English as the English.

Cathedral Square is more or less the City Centre and, being good tourist material, we had to climb the 134 steps to the balconies half way up the spire.

I must admit the effort was worth it.

This inverted cone sculpture was put up to celebrate the millennium. I rather like it.

Luckily this ugly, purple, sperm-like thingy is temporary – advertising an exhibition of modern art. But then I have to admit that I just don’t get modern art.

I much prefer the simple symmetry of this view …

… and the randomness the market stalls.

The tram is sadly nothing more than a tourist attraction and this one we didn’t succumb to.

I have to say, the locals take their chess VERY seriously. We witnessed what was almost a fist-fight over whose turn it was to make the next move.

Moving stuff!

Pigeon powwow

2008-10-13T12:38:00.003+13:00

Every time I pass this house there are pigeons on the roof – and always in the exact same spot.

I know - I hear you say, chimney, fire, heat ... sooooo!

'BUT', say I, 'the pigeons hang out there even in the summer.'

I don’t believe the householders would light a fire in the summer! Would they?

The other day when I passed, there was an overspill of pigeons – some on the lawn and some on the balcony railings ... all waiting their turn to occupy the roof!

Very mysterious!

Protrusions...

2008-10-08T16:03:00.004+13:00

My work laptop is going to be taken away and a new one given... so I’ve been having a bit of a cleanup of the old hard drive - a pleasant way of spending time rather than doing REAL work, and with a legitimate purpose too.

While scrolling through some photographs I noticed these sticky-out things.

Look at this ...

... this ...

... and this jackfruit.

Lovely!

Backyards ...

2008-10-01T11:15:00.010+13:00

... and I’m a Peeping Tom.

After work I was taking a quick stroll around the park enjoying the lighter nights. I had my camera with me – just in case.

That’s when I did it! I don’t know what came over me. I started peeking into people’s backyards.

Quite a few houses, including ours, border one edge of the park ... here’s what I saw.

Is that a map on the ground?

A whole lot of metal stuff ....

... a boat ... ... and what could that be? Some kind of homemade barbeque thingy perhaps.

These guys seem to like their baskets ... clothes basket, hanging baskets, not-hanging basket.

I’ve been naughty, haven’t I? Ssshhh!

Carpet conundrum

2008-09-28T17:04:00.004+13:00

Last night (well technically this morning) we shifted our clocks forward for summertime ... wooeee! To celebrate, I went out into the park to take a few pictures of the trees. I wanted to catch them just before the buds burst forth and they start looking green again.

That’s when I saw this rather strange sight ... a man taking a carpet for a walk!

It made me very curious. Where did he get the carpet from? It doesn't look new. Where is he going? Did he just find it lying around?

Ah! I think I solved it! I bet he's been having a Sunday afternoon snooze in the park. He does look a bit drowsy, don’t you think?

Buds become blossom

2008-09-26T16:29:00.005+12:00

Just three weeks ago my peach tree looked like this.

Now look! Isn't it amazing?

Engagement party

2008-09-21T14:22:00.010+12:00

There are some things that I’ve never given much thought to ... so I was taken unawares when a few weeks ago my daughter announced her engagement. I think my reaction was along the lines of, WHAT! What for?

Luckily the daughter forgave me this rather unsupportive reaction and invited me to her engagement party on Saturday.

df was the one with the camera ... I have surreptitiously snaffled a few of his photos.

Here’s my take on his take of the party.

The kitchen was crowded though, rather worryingly perhaps, there wasn’t much action near the stove.

The drinks were ready ...

... and the glasses filled.

Rather miraculously the food appeared...

... and then quickly disappeared.

Sweets were produced... and consumed.

And after a little bit of dodgy looking footwork...

... it was time for some of us to call it a day.

Nice party!

Gym giggles

2008-09-17T14:54:00.002+12:00

I was in the gym and multitasking by doing my gym thing and watching the news on TV at the same time.

As always, when the sport news comes on all the blokes stop and focus their attention on the screen. An earnest young man was interviewing a rugby player who had just made some kind of major contribution to his team’s victory. Being only marginally interested in rugby, I was not giving the interview my full attention. I did notice one question though.

Interviewer: In the past you’ve had your share of knockers ...

Expectant pause while he waits for the player to denounce everyone who has ever said a bad word against him.

I look up and notice two of the blokes who had been running, rather impressively I might add, on adjacent treadmills are having a good old giggle to themselves.

Ah, so I’m not the only one who noticed the unintended pun ... knockers indeed!

Hey Mr/Ms Postie ...

2008-09-10T16:51:00.003+12:00

... these here boxes have been accumulating outside our office door for weeks.

The post office must have too many boxes and a postperson that can’t read.

Yes, I’m right. The polite request to keep the old boxes moving along is still there.

I just hope that at some point one of the nice posties takes responsibility and claims back their property. They’ll need to send along some kind of strong man/woman to deal with this little stash.

Rugby ruckus

2008-09-06T23:41:00.006+12:00

I love living next to the park.

Take this morning for example ... it’s Saturday, the sun is shining and there were very definite boy sounds coming from the park.

I wander outside to take a peak. Everything is ready ... the spectators are settling down ...

there’s a tent thingy waiting for something ...

the boys are practicing ... oops ... I think he missed that, don’t you?

Aha! So that’s what the tent is for ... it’s a kind of changing room.

Now I feel a little bit like a Peeping Tom ... nice though ... very nice.

It’s official! It’s spring!

2008-09-03T15:45:00.001+12:00

Wooeee! And for a change even the weather has got it right!

Look at the blue sky ... and the little buds on my peach tree.

Now I really do have to get the lawn mower out and cut the grass!

Lean, green machine!

2008-08-27T16:04:00.002+12:00

I was trying to do some work at home today. Into my subconscious, from somewhere not too far away, came a loud humming sound. A good excuse for a break! Up I get and off I go to investigate.

Ah, the source of the sound- a little orange man on a little green machine mowing the grass in the park. It rather looks as if he’s having an argument with the blue litter box ... but maybe not!

We’ve had so much rain, creating so much mud that grass everywhere has had a field day ... so to speak. My grass could do with a cut too. Even the daisies are growing free! That little green machine would make a quick job of it!

I wonder, Could I bribe orange man, offer tea and biscuits in exchange for grass cut?
Sadly, probably not.

Could this be the ideal job? Imagine being able to play on one of these little bogies all day, every day ...or, on second thoughts, maybe not.

Chammy clean...

2008-08-20T16:15:00.004+12:00

At last! A break in the weather and a little bit of sunshine... I just HAVE to get out there, enjoy the brightness AND clean my car. It’s dirty ... as my daughter pointed out the other day.

Well, it has been raining all the time, was my only defence.

So here goes. I raid the garage and find a bottle of green car wash stuff. That’ll do. The bubbles are quite impressive, don’t you think?

Then, after a good hose down – the chammy. That’s what my mother used to call the piece of chamois leather that she used to dry all the condensation of the windows after yet another freezing Scottish winter! I think her chammy was a real one – made from the skin of a mountain goat or, it being Scotland, maybe a plain old sheep. I don’t know.

My chammy (it’s hanging there on the wing mirror) is a modern synthetic version. It still did a pretty good job of shining up the paintwork.

That’ll do – the forecast is for more rain tomorrow, so in a few days nobody will see the difference.

Why do they do it?

2008-08-17T12:18:00.002+12:00

It’s around 11am this Sunday morning; time for a cup of coffee and a little piece of chocolate.

I switch on the TV to check on the latest news from the Beijing Olympics and find that it’s the women’s marathon that’s on at the moment.

That’s when the Why do they do it? question pops into my brain.

I’m all for keeping fit, but running for hours on end seems a bit too extreme. I suppose a little bit of madness is what makes the world go round ... but it’s not for me. I’m feeling tired just watching them.

Big bridge; little people

2008-08-13T11:47:00.002+12:00

I drive across this bridge every day on my way to work. I love to glance out and look across the water. It’s always different, just like the weather.

Today df was driving ... we were off to visit his son. At last I had an opportunity to take a photograph of the view that cheers me every morning!

You couldn’t drive a bit slowly so that I can get a good snap, could you?

I’ll try but it is a Motorway so I can’t stop now, can I?

True, I have to concede.

So I had to do the best I could ... window down ... camera at the ready ... here’s what I saw.

Looks like the view from a plane ... what a lot of little people doing their thing on the old bridge. That’s the bridge they want to knock down! Oh dear! What will become of all the fishermen, joggers, walkers, scenic view viewers, etc. if that happens?

Blue sky Sunday

2008-08-11T10:59:00.002+12:00

At last! A beautiful sunny Sunday! With a name like this, shouldn’t every Sunday be sunny?

I did my washing and then got my camera out.

Here is Mrs. Monstera...

... and Naughty Nikau
... recorded for posterity!

Dog bones...

2008-08-06T15:12:00.001+12:00

... in the supermarket freezer along with ham bones which I sometimes buy for making soup. I do hope they mean bones for the dog although I do know that in some parts of the world dogs are raised for their meat.
Interesting that!

We Westerners tend to consider the eating of dog meat to be a kind of taboo. Hindus don’t eat beef –again, for them, it is a kind of taboo. There are all kinds of taboos around what is acceptable (and what is not acceptable) to be eaten... horse meat, frogs' legs, snails... etc., etc....

Maybe we should just accept that it’s a case of each to their own and not go YUCK at the food choices of others.

Creative spelling!

2008-08-03T13:43:00.003+12:00

I pass this shop every day on my way to work... and it drives me nuts!

How would you pronounce the word ‘liqour’? I can’t help thinking ‘lick our’ ... not a nice thought first thing in the morning.

And what about this? It jumped out at me as I passed the window of a shop in our local mall.

Even Google asked me: ‘Did you mean: bangle’... sadly without a question mark! Oh dear!

My first daffodils ..

2008-07-30T13:06:00.002+12:00

I saw them yesterday ... and there are more in our garden.

It’s been stormy and I do admit they are looking a little sorry for themselves. I tried cheering them up for the photograph by reciting a few poems to them ... the Spring is Sprung ... I wandered lonely as a cloud.... It didn’t seem to help though!

This is the one thing about living here that I won’t ever get used to ... daffodils in July. It’s just WRONG!

Morning madness

2008-07-23T15:00:00.002+12:00

It was raining ... hard. I was on my way to work... late again! I stopped at the traffic lights. It was one of those days when every one of them was red ... moan, moan, grumble.

That’s when I noticed this thing that was attached to the back of the car in front of me.
All kinds of thoughts occurred in rapid succession ... a ray gun ... aliens ... a James Bond movie ... nutters ...

It quite made my morning.

Up, 2, 3, 4; Up, 2, 3, 4 ...

2008-07-19T11:16:00.004+12:00

And today it’s the girls turn.

Saturday morning is when all the youth groups get out in the park and do their thing. Usually ‘their thing’ is touch rugby and usually it’s the boys.

Today the girls were lined up and looking very smart indeed. By the time I found my camera and peeped over the fence they were off on a warm-up round of the park. Away they went...

I was having a quick look around admiring the clouds, the wintery-looking trees, etc. when I noticed they were already on their way back ... and don’t they look tired?

In spite of the very professional looking gear, they are clearly new to this exercise game. Keep it up girls ... see you again next week?

Orange cones and orange men!

2008-07-16T13:13:00.002+12:00

They are everywhere.

I took this picture at the end of the road that I have to take every time I want to leave the house. The turning is being widened to give more space for the large trucks that now trundle up and down from the warehouses at the far end to the airport.

And they have been at it for weeks!

Last Saturday they even managed to cut through a gas mains causing the whole area to be cordoned off for hours ... well it seemed like hours. I was on my way home from the gym and had to wait while the firemen sorted out the problem.

I did get to chat to a few very pleasant firemen in their yellow jackets and gum boots so it wasn’t all bad. Wink!

Virus attack!

2008-07-11T22:38:00.005+12:00

Help!

Why do people waste their time bothering other people?

I don't understand. There must be some serious gap in their lives. I wish I could help them but I fear they may be beyond help so all I can say is WTF .....

Go get a life and leave me alone .... please.

In the meantime ... I'm trying to think nice thoughts.

This pretty flower in our garden helps me focus on the good things. Excuse me while I mutter... mutter, mutter, mutter...

A couple of clowns

2008-07-04T11:39:00.002+12:00

Look at these jolly-looking clowns that I saw on my way to work yesterday morning.
Don’t they look all bouncy and cheerful?

On my way back in the evening, the clowns were looking a bit the worse for wear. Can you blame them? The poor things had to sit up all day, braving the elements. I couldn’t grudge them an early night. Sleep well!

And, yes, I know the photo is out of focus .. it kind of reflects the general somnolence that the scene produced. How’s that for an excuse for having taken a bad photograph?

Big blow; big mess

2008-07-01T10:38:00.002+12:00

Oh dear! Look what happened on Friday night. I was sitting by the window having a pleasant conversation when ... BANG, CRASH, BANG! My first thought was ‘Thunder!’

df jumps up and looks out of the window.

“The roof on the deck has just blown off,” he declares.

“What!” say I .... “No!”

Unfortunately, he was right!

Here’s what it looked like the next morning.

Oh well, it's nothing that a step ladder and a few nails won't put right ... oh yes ... and a fair bit of sweat!

Xmas sale?

2008-06-24T10:42:00.003+12:00

Driving home from work - it was dark, it was raining, the traffic was heavy - I wasn’t exactly feeling cheerful. Finally I arrived, parked and wandered down the drive to collect the mail from the letter box. That’s when I saw it – amongst the junk mail!

Am I going mad or what?

X’mas sale ... note the apostrophe! BUT IT’S JUNE! Okay, it is winter ... but does that make it Xmas?

I rather naively perhaps, believed that Christmas had something to do with a birthday in December ... nothing at all to do with the seasons. Did all that change some time when I wasn’t looking?

Farmers' Fair

2008-06-17T10:45:00.012+12:00

It’s fieldays and it’s advertised as the largest agricultural event in the southern hemisphere... maybe, maybe not. It certainly was a lot of fun. df and I spent our Saturday there.

We saw lots of plastic cows,

... little plastic horses...

... and some very cute woolly alpacas.

Oh yes, there was plenty of serious farm stuff too ... tractors...

... spades...

... scary machines...

AND an aeroplane on F street.

How about that!

To market, to market ...

2008-06-07T17:00:00.002+12:00

... but I didn’t buy a fat pig ... only some vegetables. Saturday is flea market day when the market gardeners bring out their produce. The vegetables are fresh and, for the most part, locally produced. What can be better than that, in the days of carbon footprint worries?

And when we leave.. look who’s left to clear up the mess.

Maybe he’s also on the look out for a bargain!

It’s the official beginning of winter but...

2008-06-03T12:26:00.003+12:00

... I don’t believe it! Just look at the amazing colours on some of the trees in the park.
In my book... it’s still autumn!

We had a holiday yesterday for the Queen’s Birthday... and the rugby players were out making the most of the sunshine and the holiday, though why on earth we have a holiday when even the Brits don’t is beyond me.

Don’t get me wrong ... it’s a holiday, gratefully accepted ... but maybe it’s time we found a more Kiwi excuse for a holiday, I reckon so.

Which way?

2008-05-27T11:55:00.003+12:00

I was taking a stroll in the park next to our house when I noticed this couple. It’s close to the airport and my guess was that they had probable recently arrived and were out for a bit of a walk to stretch their legs.

I first noticed them when they were seriously studying what must have been a map. By the time I got the camera out, the gentleman had definitely decided on the route.

‘It’s that way’, I imagine him say.

The lady is not convinced.

‘Have you seen all these no entry signs?’ she demands. ‘There’s no way I’m going that way.’

Sadly, they turn around and go back the way they have just come.

Welcome to pedestrian unfriendly Auckland!

Sneaked or snuck?

2008-05-22T15:52:00.002+12:00

I have always sneaked a peep, so to speak, but I discovered this morning (while hanging around the coffee machine waiting my turn) that there are people who have snuck a peep. For me, that’s just weird.

Our investigative scientific natures take over and many theories are proposed.

'Maybe it’s a young person thing', I suggest. Linda quickly puts an end to that theory ... she uses snuck and even she would admit that she is not one of the young ones.

'Ah', says Craig, 'it must be a British versus Kiwi thing ... Kiwis snuck and Brits sneaked'. We all nod approvingly. Along comes Zac, a Yorkshire man if ever there was one. We pounce expectantly.... 'Zac, what’s the past tense of sneak', we all demand. Without a moment’s hesitation, 'snuck', he says ... and another good theory bites the dust.

There’s nothing for it now ... we all head for Google and discover it’s the American influence again for here’s what the wiktionary has to offer:

'The past and past participle snuck is primarily found in North American English, where it originated in the late 19th century as a dialectal form, and where it is still regarded as informal by some; its use appears to be increasing in frequency and acceptability. It is sometimes found in British and Australian English too. (Cf. The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Webster's New World College Dictionary).'

Oh oh! Poor Zac is mortified…. ssshhh!

‘allo, ‘allo, ‘allo ...

2008-05-21T15:02:00.002+12:00

... what have we here? There’s a cat sleeping amongst the rubbish in a hidden corner of the garden - another stray!

Maybe she has her eye on the parrot for lunch?

This cat is a strange creature. She’s been in and out of our garden for months now. She’s friendly but not quite tame and definitely doesn’t like to be stroked.

She reminds me of Kipling’s The Cat Who Walked by Himself - 'I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me. I will not come.'

Just mooning ...

2008-05-17T16:58:00.002+12:00

It had been the most glorious autumn day ... blue skies, bright sunshine, and chilly wind. On my way home, a little earlier than normal (well, it was Friday), I had to stop at the traffic lights.

That’s when I noticed that the moon seemed to be swinging on the electric wire ....

Maybe the man-in-the-moon had that Friday feeling too ...

... or maybe he was afraid of tumbling down and having to find his way to Norwich, as it says in the nursery rhyme.

Can you imagine anything worse than having to eat that cold pease porridge? What is pease porridge? I've just realised that I have no idea!

Shadows

2008-05-14T11:38:00.002+12:00

Isn’t it strange how sometimes what’s not there is more interesting than what is?

Maybe there is some philosophy in there somewhere ....

Guess who sent me flowers

2008-05-11T17:15:00.002+12:00

My son! AND he didn’t even know it was Mother’s Day. How about that!

He’s in the UK and their mother’s day is different from ours. He just felt like sending them ... how nice is that?

It tells me something though.... my son is growing up ... about time probably, given that he’s nearing the 30 year mark.... How he’ll love me for giving that away ... wink!

A quick trip...

2008-05-10T10:47:00.003+12:00

... to see the Taj Mahal. Doesn’t it look pretty in the sunshine?

Sadly, the visit was only in my imagination .... It’s a Taj-in-a-box, a trinket for tourists.

df’s daughter brought it back from a recent trip she made to India.

Forlorn footballs

2008-05-07T12:53:00.002+12:00

For a few days now I have noticed these footballs, sitting expectantly on the doorstep of one of my neighbours. I don’t know her very well - but what I do know is she lives alone.

So what is she planning to do with FOUR footballs?

They must be waiting there for a reason. Maybe she is harbouring some kind of alien who makes a living juggling footballs... or maybe there’s a simpler explanation.... maybe.

Three seasons – one day!

2008-05-04T12:27:00.005+12:00

While I’m on about weather – there’s a well-known New Zealand truism that states ‘always be prepared to experience four seasons in one day’. Well, I’ve just recorded what looks to me like three seasons in about 10 minutes in my garden.

The little shoots peeping out from under the monstera look decidedly spring like –

The green citrus fruits signal autumn –

The bare peach tree is beginning to look wintry –

And for those of us more used to living in the northern hemisphere, don’t these red berries just ooze Christmas?

... or maybe I’m just having a silly Sunday!

Wild, windy, wet weather ...

2008-04-30T14:58:00.000+12:00

... that’s what we’re having.

But on the up-side, I spotted this beautiful evening sky yesterday.

Nice!

It’s not bonnie, bloomin' heather ....

2008-04-28T15:33:00.004+12:00

.... it’s a unwelcome alien ... a noxious weed!

On our trip in and around the Tongariro National Park last weekend I noticed that the purple colour on the hills was heather. The Scottish blood in me was roused and I admit to humming a few bars of ..... I love a lassie, A bonnie, bonnie lassie, She's as sweet as the heather in the dell ….. etc., etc.

Later, as df and I were wandering through the Park’s visitors centre, I spotted a section on heather … that’s when I found out … heather isn’t loved here!

According to the exhibit:

Heather was planted here by one of the early park wardens around 1910. [Probably a homesick Scot!]

He introduced the heather to the area as a food source for pheasant and grouse which were to be introduced for shooting trips. Apparently, not everyone thought this was a good idea. The birds were never introduced in the park, although some were released in neighbouring areas. The birds did not survive, but the heather did! It has spread throughout the region, smothering and pushing out the native red tussock grass.

DOC (Department of Conservation) seems to have successfully developed a form of biological control ... the heather beetle. Another import from Scotland, this beetle feeds only on heather. Many tests and trials were conducted to ensure that the beetle will not feed on any of the native plants. In 1996, the heather beetle was released on two sites in the National Park. No one expects that the beetle will get rid of the heather all together. The expectation is that the spread of the heather will be slowed allowing the native species to regenerate with less competition.

Blooming heather indeed!

View from the top .. and bottom

2008-04-23T16:32:00.005+12:00

df and I have been having a little break in the Tongariro National Park in the central North Island. We took a chair lift ride up Mt Ruapehu ...

... and then, feeling full of the joys of the beautiful sunshine ... puffed, panted, slipped and scrambled our way up to a ridge where we were rewarded with views like this.

Clever us!

After a freezing ride back down we looked up, and there was Mount Ngauruhoe glowing red in the light from the setting sun.

Mountains are mystical places ... so someone must have said. They are right.

Flashback

2008-04-13T19:35:00.002+12:00

Almost every time I look in the mirror nowadays ... I think of my mother. I realise that I’m starting to look more and more like her. That feeling was confirmed today BECAUSE when I was flicking through an old photograph album .... df looked over my shoulder and remarked, that’s a nice picture of you. BUT it isn’t me ... it’s my mother when she was young.

Research time ... I just had to find a photograph of me at around the same age as she must have been in the photo ... and what do you know? I DID look like her .. even then!

I must have looked like her my whole life ... and I only realised it now ... now that I’m getting older ... funny that!

Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...

2008-04-09T12:50:00.003+12:00

... as Keats so eloquently wrote.

And it’s true ... apart from the choko we had peaches, passionfruit and a fine crop of olives this year from our garden. I’m going to try pickling the olives. It’s my first time so I’ll see how that goes.

It's a result of the long hot summer.... we aren’t the only ones with fruitful abundances ... Matt, a young work colleague who, like me, enjoys talking about food brought me some of his harvest of chillies. Aren’t they pretty?

I think I feel another curry coming on ......

Summer has officially gone!

2008-04-05T23:39:00.007+13:00

It's true! We have to move our clocks back tonight ... and there’s definitely a slight chill in the air.

But what do you know! When I went out into the back garden this morning I noticed that our choko vine was laden with fruit. I plucked one ... our first choko of the year!

Here’s what I used it for .... Choko raita.

My recipe...

Take a fresh choko straight from the vine or buy one if you must.

Peel it, dice it and steam or microwave the choko till it becomes soft (about 5 minutes should do).

Stain it and when cool add the choko to plain yogurt (mine is homemade) along with a handful of coriander leaves and a little salt.

I sprinkled a little roasted cumin powder on top to make it look pretty and added a sprig of mint. Choko raita goes very well as an accompaniment to spiced dishes. We are having ours with fish curry and rice. Yum!

Puka mess!

2008-04-02T12:54:00.004+13:00

We were driving back home on Sunday after enjoying a very pleasant lunch at df’s sister’s place when df stopped the car! He has this thing about old houses and just HAD to take a photograph. The house was pretty old and pretty run down but not pretty!

I threw an appreciative glance towards the tree, a Puka, which is quite common around here. Unfortunately so is the litter!

What is it that people don’t understand about keeping our planet habitable? The sun has another 6.5 billion years give or take a few hundred million to go before it becomes a white dwarf! The way we, the human race, are going .. we’ll be lucky if we have a few hundred more to go! Grumble, grumble ....

On my toes?

2008-03-26T14:58:00.002+13:00

I’ve been passing this billboard every working day for the past month or more. I haven’t been able to work out what it’s advertising ... until now.

The two black cut-outs fascinate me. What’s it all about? I ponder every time I passed..... then I forget about it till the next time.

Well, now I know! It’s the Onehunga Enhancement Society (T.O.E.S.).Apparently, Transpower have won the right to operate its power line at a much higher current rating than before. People living and working along the length of the line are naturally worried about how the increase in the Electro Magnetic Field strength (EMF) will affect their long term health.

People versus development – there are never any easy answers, are there?

I feel poetry coming on ....

2008-03-23T14:23:00.003+13:00

Last night at 10 o’ clock I looked out of the kitchen window.... and saw the moon peaking out from behind the clouds. How pretty!

A quick glance at the calendar confirms my suspicion .... it’s a full moon.

A favourite.. almost forgotten verse floats though my mind. Immediately I have to go and look it up.

Aha! I find it in my well thumbed Penguin Book of Poems from the Sanskrit.

Blow, wind, to where my loved one is,
Touch her, and come and touch me soon:
I’ll feel her gentle touch through you,
And meet her beauty in the moon.

These things are much for one who loves –
A man can live by them alone –
That she and I breathe the same air,
And that the earth we tread is one.

Bloke legs

2008-03-19T12:53:00.002+13:00

While I’m on the subject of blokes ... I saw these two specimens yesterday.

The one on the right turned up first.. not bad pair of legs thought I.

Then the one of the left arrived.... and spoiled the whole scene! Definitely a bit too much leg exposure wouldn’t you say?

Milk for blokes?

2008-03-18T14:13:00.001+13:00

This ad has recently started appearing on the back of our local buses. What does it mean? Don’t tell me there’s a special kind of milk only for blokes? What could it possibly contain?

In an effort to find out more I had a look on the company web site. There’s no mention there of any kind of customised bloke milk! Looks like it’s just an ad encouraging blokes to drink milk ... unbelievable!!

Culture vultures ...

2008-03-14T15:30:00.005+13:00

... that’s what we were last weekend.

Friday saw df and I watching and listening to a concert of pipes and drums that was part of the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships. Swinging kilts and marching drummers were the sights. The sounds were overwhelmingly the screech of the bagpipes.

And, of course, anything even remotely Scottish has to be accompanied by a wee dram. Or in this case a plastic tumbler of beer!

Saturday could hardly have been more different as we enjoyed the huge Pasifika Festival - a celebration of the art, culture and lifestyle of the peoples of the Pacific.

Two days, two very different experiences. Strangely even the weather cooperated. Friday was wet and overcast ... Saturday hot with brilliant sunshine.

Oh, and since it’s election year we got to see our PM wearing a silly hat!

Silly season - an example of the homogenization of cultures perhaps?

Oh Granny!

2008-03-11T11:01:00.002+13:00

Granny tagged me! She wants me to tell you seven of the weirder facts about myself! Oh well, just because granny’s nice and in Spain, I’ll give it a go.

1. When I was a child I had my tonsils removed ... twice!

2. For a long time I believed that cows sit down when it rains so as to keep the grass dry for the fairies.

3. As a teenager I had my mother iron my hair. Picture the scene. I bend over the ironing board, hair spread out. Mother places brown paper over hair.. and irons. Were there really no such things as hair straightening tongs in those days?

4. I can recite from memory, the whole of The Walrus and the Carpenter.

5. I always count the numbers on the registration plates of vehicles. When the numbers add up to 17 ... I feel like something good is going to happen. If I find three ‘17s’ in one day then it’s going to be a WOW day!

6. I like to set my alarm clock to be 5 minutes fast so that I won’t be late.

7. I use tweezers to pluck the hairs from my legs. It takes time but is very satisfying and much better than using a razor.

Our Government in its wisdom, has just shepherded a new anti tagging bill through its first reading in Parliament. Sorry granny but I’m going to pass on passing this tag on.

However, feel free dear readers to have a go at listing your seven weird facts. I found it quite revealing so thanks granny ... and, oh yes, I love rainbows!

Sweet dolls

2008-03-08T10:45:00.004+13:00

Yes ... it's true ... I ate two chocolate after my pizza yesterday!

I'm glad though because I remembered an old skill that I used many times to entertain sundry restless kids. How sweet!

An "Oh Deer" Mural

2008-03-05T12:54:00.004+13:00

I keep noticing this mural which is just a few streets away from the other mural that I love.

This one is disturbing and I’m not sure why. It is probably something to do with the large red deer right in the centre. The deer is a bit scary. Maybe it’s because of the open mouth. There are a few areas of calm but my general impression is one of an unwelcoming place.

Sometimes I try not to notice the painting as I drive pass.

I suppose it does serve some purpose ... the waste bin has some graffiti on it ... but the wall has escaped attention!

We’ve lost it!

2008-02-27T15:01:00.002+13:00

Unbelievable ... but wikipedia confirms it … It’s now made by coca-cola!

What is it?

L&P of course! L&P stands for Lemon & Paeroa. L&P is to New Zealand what Irn-Bru is to Scotland. Big difference though ….Irn-Bru is still Barr’s Irn-Bru … just as it’s always been.

L&P gets its name from the ingredients: lemon juice combined with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa. Paeroa still has the BIG bottle. I know I saw it there a few months ago but I didn’t know then that we had lost it!

Don’t you just hate it when local stuff goes mulinational? Sigh!

Son’s eye view

2008-02-23T15:33:00.002+13:00

I didn’t have my camera this week. It’s been borrowed by my daughter so, for inspiration, I had to look back into the dustbin of history ... I did and found this photo of a tree fern. I took it a few months ago on a coastal walk through the bush.
I only came to know these plants when I came to live in New Zealand. There’s something very primitive about them, don’t you think?

This is what my son saw ..... pretty!

Whatever happened to Pesky’s kittens?

2008-02-16T17:54:00.002+13:00

Pesky is our annoying stray. Just before Christmas she had four babies. One died when it was still really small so then there were three; two girls and one boy. The ginger one is the boy. Anyway, he has gone to a good home. His name is Kaz.

We couldn’t find homes for the two girls so I took them to the local SPCA. Hopefully they too will end up happy kitties.

Pesky’s not happy about loosing her babies. She doesn’t know it but she should be very happy. My daughter is going to adopt her and take her home! She is to be spayed first. The SPCA will put her under the knife soon. It’s a cats life all right!

I’ve learned something new from all this kitty drama. Most ginger cats are boys. It’s a sex linked trait. Interesting ... maybe?

It’s not a red rose ...

2008-02-14T15:56:00.004+13:00

... but it is a beautiful red hibiscus flower and this morning it’s sitting next to my toothbrush in the bathroom.
I step in to the shower and what do I see? A spray of red begonia has been placed on top of the soap. I’m getting suspicious now! Friendly aliens maybe? df calls out from the kitchen, Happy Valentine!

So that’s it! How romantic!

Doesn’t my desk look good today?

Name match

2008-02-12T12:19:00.001+13:00

This very pretty and very old church at the end of our road is slowly being engulfed in our fast growing city. The church is only very old by New Zealand standards where the oldest building is dated 1821. The date on this church is proudly displayed, 1874.

I’ve never been inside the old building. In fact, I’m not sure how much the old building is used. The church has now got a flash new building alongside which I’ve seen used ... at least on Sundays!

You know how it is with stuff that you see every day? After a while you stop looking. Sad really! But see what I did notice the other day .... the name of the preacher!

A case of Born to Minister if ever there was one!

Seeing red

2008-02-09T22:05:00.001+13:00

Suddenly it was all too much. It was Friday morning. The traffic light was on red. The car in front was very bright ... and red ... and the driver’s hair was a brilliant red and shining in the sunshine!

The hill in front is another of Auckland’s many volcanoes. Named One Tree Hill – it is actually no tree hill … but that’s a long and rather sad story.

Mural update

2008-02-06T16:46:00.000+13:00

Thanks to colleen and bluest butterfly for fuelling my curiosity ... I got the artist’s name. Not too hard since on having a closer look I found a signature, A. S. Robson.

I have tried to find out more about him/her ... but no luck as yet.

Hello Mr/Ms Robson who are you?

There are some beautiful and funny details that I also noticed for the first time ... the olde worlde charm of the horse and cart ..

... and the seagull that has just caught itself a fish is standng on a yellow post that has been cleverly used to give a three-dimensional feel to the mural.

I like this mural even more now. I'm so glad that I got around to photographing it.

Mural magic

2008-02-04T15:39:00.001+13:00

Here’s another something that always makes me smile. Isn’t it great? This painting covers the side of a car workshop in one of the not-so-pretty parts of town.

You know the parts of town that I mean?

Pretty parts of town = wide roads, lots of trees, big houses, people out walking their dog(s), etc., etc.

Not-so-pretty parts of town = workshops, warehouses, people out not-walking their dogs (and probably up to no-good), electricity pylons, GRAFFITI ....

Over all the years I’ve admired this mural I’ve never seen it defaced ... I bet it makes even the local rowdies smile!

Foam invasion

2008-02-01T14:48:00.000+13:00

I give up! Just look at what has landed in the office next door – a huge mountain of white stuff!

Did it escape through the large hole in the ceiling?

I know ms mac and maybe others of you are sceptical but I suspect its the aliens. They're planning a mass pillow fight tonight.

Lethal weapon

2008-01-29T14:05:00.000+13:00

It was Friday and I was on my way home from work and looking forward to the Monday holiday and the long weekend. What happens? A massive traffic jam – that’s what.

Some light relief appeared in the form of this sign on the back of the van in front. I love new words and this is a gem..... delilious.

Can you image the ad? Finger-licking delilious ... yum!

The traffic chaos was the result of an accident on one of the slip roads to the motorway. As it turns out no one was seriously hurt but the alarming number of drivers that treat their vehicles like toys rather than the lethal weapons that they are scares me.

CAR PARK - EMPTY

2008-01-25T12:05:00.000+13:00

My first thought was ‘alarm clock malfunction’.

No, it’s definitely 9am Friday morning. So why is the car park still empty? Maybe the aliens have finally landed.

I climb the stairs to the office, dump my bag and head for the coffee machine.

Ah, now I remember! Monday is a public holiday.

Think long weekend and there's no need to guess where everyone has gone … headed early for the beaches no doubt .... and yes ... I'm jealous ... so there!

Table/chair combo

2008-01-22T15:52:00.000+13:00

This piece of street sculpture has fascinated me for a long time. I pass it regularly on my journey to work.

Look at the table – not only does it have legs – it has hands and feet as well!

Wait a minute! Look at that! It’s something I hadn’t noticed until I stopped to take the photo – not hands and feet but one hand and three feet!

How strange! I wonder what the artist was thinking.

Google tells me that ‘(three feet) - (one hand) = 81.28 centimetres’. Fascinating!

Moody Mountain

2008-01-11T12:12:00.000+13:00

The sun was shining through the clouds and I just had to stop and take a photo of my mountain. I pass it every day on my way to work. It was looking a little moody this morning.

It’s called a mountain but it isn’t really. It’s one of the Auckland’s many volcanoes - only 106metres high. It can be really windy but the view from the top is pretty special.

Seeing pink

2008-01-06T11:19:00.000+13:00

I’ve made my one and only resolution for 2008. A positive one I hope. To try to be more aware of all the things and people around me and try to appreciate the commonplace a bit more … so here goes!

On a quick trip down to the supermarket to get some bread and stuff …. what do I notice? There's a pink trend in the neighbourhood that I had missed till now and here’s the evidence.

… newly painted pink gate at the entrance of the local school

…. a slightly rusty pink letter box

…. and a camouflaged pink van on a drive way

Not a bad haul on a 5 minute trip.

But then the pièce de résistance … I get back, park my car in the drive and notice that my neighbour across the fence is out sunning his baby son. I go to say hello and then I notice it. The dad’s wearing pink flip-flops! I swear! No photo though. I couldn't stop smiling long enough to take the picture .. and I didn't have the courage.

I walk back hoping that the pink flowers in our garden will be enough to give me membership of the club.

UPDATE: You're not going to believe what I saw today on my way to work .... a pink house! And here's the proof ...

Looks like some kind of pink take over and I've just discovered the Headquarters. Sssshhh!

The big clean

2008-01-02T12:15:00.000+13:00

There’s no getting away from it! I’ve been feeling guilty about it for weeks.

It’s New Year’s resolution time so I just have to do it … clean up the fish pond. The pond’s a mess and the water is so murky that it’s impossible to tell whether or not the four fish that we had are still in there or not.

And I’m pretty sure that the Buddha has been frowning disapprovingly at me!

So, equipment is at the ready, all I have to do is empty the pond and find the fish.

Hours later ….. OK … including a lunch break ..

and …

Miracle of miracles … the four are still alive and well! Although the colour of the water is quite disturbing!

The pond gets a good scrub.. and there we are … four happy fish … my new year gift to them.

Now where was that fish food?

Kittens for Christmas!

2007-12-25T12:23:00.000+13:00

Now look what she’s done! That annoying overfriendly stray, Pesky, had disappeared for a few days.

Great, thought I. She’s probably gone off and adopted some other family.

But what did we discover yesterday? A Christmas present under the bush …. kittens! Four of them!

So THAT'S were she was! Oh dear, now what?

Warm Christmases

2007-12-23T12:29:00.000+13:00

I’m not really a Christmas person but if there has to be a Christmas let it be a warm one! This trait might be one I inherited from my mother who found any kind of festivities a stressful disruption to her normal day to day living. Christmas was way up there as the worst kind of stress ever. Entertaining sundry relatives couldn’t be avoided and to top it all it had to be accompanied with a kind of feigned joviality. Stress, stress and more stress! I reckon the negative vibes rubbed off on me - although my sister seems to be OK with Christmas. Maybe she got different genes!

I escaped Christmas when I went to live in India. Christmas is not one of their biggest festivals and can easily be ignored or celebrated with nothing more stressful that a cake for afternoon tea. Great!

On returning to UK I was reminded of how Christmas should be celebrated … in fact … Christmas was thrust upon me from all directions … on TV, radio, in shops, on the street … I couldn’t escape! I HATE being told that it is the season of joy and so I should be joyful!

Coming to New Zealand has given me my second chance to escape! OK, Christmas is celebrated here with some enthusiasm but it’s WARM and I can just go to the beach and ignore it!

And then there is the beautiful Pōhutukawa or New Zealand Christmas tree to admire! Here’s one I spotted while taking a walk along the harbour this morning. Lovely!

Our work party

2007-12-20T10:51:00.000+13:00

Wine and wheels were combined to make our work Xmas party a rolling success. The 'do' was organised at a little local vineyard.

The girls got started on the bubbles ….

… then had a go on the wheels. Woooeee!!!!!

A speech by big boss temporarily put something of a damper on the proceedings. The enthusiastic clapping may have been more to do with the anticipated lunch to follow than the speech itself.

Lunch was followed by more wine and beer …

... and more wheelie stuff.

A good time was had by all. Well, almost all ……

Wink! Maybe he was just admiring his toes or watching the grass grow!

What IS that?

2007-12-18T10:30:00.000+13:00

Whistling a merry tune, I arrived at work to find this on my desk!

A giant cracker! A quick look around tells me that every desk has one. Ok, so I’m not the sole target of some kind of ‘week before Christmas’ joke.

Steve arrives. Oh look, a giant sausage, says he. The label tells us that it is a gift from a ‘higher-up the corporate ladder’ person thanking us for our great work and wishing us a happy festive season. That’s OK then, it’s probably not a dodgy parcel that should be reported to security rather than be meddled with.

Bravely, we tackle the wrapping … taking care not to tear it. I haven’t bought any Christmas-type wrapping paper … so … this red stuff might be useful!

All is finally revealed. It’s a towel!

Call me ungrateful … but it’s a towel! A nice blue beach towel … but a towel! Probably up there with socks and hankies as the most boring present ever! Hmmmmmmm!

Pesky …

2007-12-12T11:15:00.001+13:00

She’s a stray who has adopted us. Annoyingly overly friendly animal named by my daughter …. pesky she certainly is.

The weather forecast that followed the previous night’s news had plenty of dark clouds scattered all over my region of the map. But what happens? I wake up to warm bright sunshine! Great! But now I have to rethink my day … Pesky has no such problem.

Why is it that the weather people treat us like dummies with their maps scattered with simplistic pictures of sun, light grey clouds, dark clouds, clouds leaking water droplets.? We all know it is notoriously difficult to make accurate, short term forecasts of the weather in this corner of the world. Knowing that why do we take the forecast seriously? Knowing that why don't the forecasters truthfully tell us that 'for the next x number of days everything is very unsettled and we don't know whether it will rain or shine'?

Pesky’s clearly got it sorted … just go with the flow and if all else fails … snoozzzzzzze!

Worm’s eye view of washing day

2007-12-07T14:20:00.000+13:00

Imagine the scene.
The sun is shining.
I’m working from home so I can’t resist putting a load of washing on.
An hour later it’s coffee break time.
I head outside to hang up the clothes.
For some reason ‘Sing-a-song of sixpence …’ is going through my brain.

df has been mowing the grass and worms are about …. I reach the line (in the song not the clothes line) that goes ‘… when down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose’.

‘Maybe the blackbird was after a worm’, think I. ‘How would the worm feel seeing the blackbird swoop down?’

Lying down on the grass and looking skyward I get a pretty good idea of a worm’s eye view. Here it is minus the blackbird!

Yes, all right! Perhaps I should just have gone to the office!

A Trip to Licky Lane

2007-12-04T14:01:00.000+13:00

We lucky people from work went on an ‘educational’ trip to an ice cream factory. The tour set-up was clearly created with children in mind … young children at that! Can you imagine what a group of early teens would make of the Licky Lane tour title?

Can’t complain about the seating though …. very colourful!

We were told some interesting facts like, for example, around 400 staff produce approximately 50 million litres of ice cream per year, enough to fill over 6000 average sized rooms!

Sadly, some of the ‘facts’ on the introductory video were a tad misleading. Would you believe, for example, that ice cream is healthy because it contains half your daily requirement of calcium? No mention of the huge amounts of fat and sugar that some of the more exotic concoctions contain … tut, tut, tut!

While we collectively sniggered at the somewhat doubtful healthy claim …what about the rather more innocent kids that the video was clearly aimed at? The marketing people would do well to reconsider … methinks.

Red shoe day

2007-11-28T10:17:00.000+13:00

Rushing around getting ready to leave for the office … skirt (black), top (also black), face (done), hair (also done) … pick up my bag, put on my shoes and head for the door.

Wait! Something is wrong … I’ve got a definite frumpy feeling.

What can I do? I know … it’s the shoes!

Quick change later …. and that’s much better.

I’m transformed from feeling frumpy to feeling fine. What a difference a shoe makes!
Whisper: Is it just me or is there something a little naughty about red shoes?

Grumpy Monday

2007-11-26T15:31:00.000+13:00

Our garden is bordered on two sides by a park. It’s a simple park with lots of space for friends, family and club groups to frolic in the great outdoors. Here’s how it looked this morning..

..... all fresh and waiting for the next lot of revellers to descend. The same couldn’t be said for our garden!

We’ve been enjoying great weather and the park is busy most evenings and weekends. Yesterday, one of the local clubs had a big day out in the park. df and I enjoyed the sounds of activity that floated over the fence for most of the day.

BUT this morning here’s what I saw!

What kind of person thinks it’s OK to throw their junk over the fence and into our garden? I don’t get it!

Oh, and while I’m grumping …. I hate junk mail! It’s dropped unsolicited into our mail boxes; the wind blows it out again and it ends up in our garden!

Grump, grump, grump…

Fridge Figures

2007-11-25T21:50:00.000+13:00

I've come over all arty .... I didn't mean to. I was sitting there quietly enjoying a late Sunday lunch, and chatting with df when it happened! Looking up, I glanced casually out of the window and there it was staring right back ..... reflections on our fridge door ….. very Henry Moore.

Tell me it wasn't the beer ... I'm sure I only had one!

A fine line..

2007-11-23T15:02:00.001+13:00

… between embarrassing and eccentric!

Where would you place this car? It belongs to my daughter’s boyfriend’s brother. We’re babysitting it and it’s parked outside our house.

What will the neighbours think?

Look at that! Those crazy people at number 39 have finally lost it?
OR
Wow! How smart! We want one of those!

Maybe I’ll just pretend that we have nothing to do with it … maybe some aliens left it there!

Litter boxes

2007-11-22T16:18:00.001+13:00

Seen on my way back from a quick lunch time walk. Not pretty ...

Two beaches – One planet

2007-11-21T10:32:00.000+13:00

I was sorting through some of our October photos. Digital cameras are great – one can click away happily with no worries of spoiled film, etc. The result, however, is 1,000’s of photos that need sorting and orderifying (I made this word up just now – means ‘putting in order’).

I got to thinking …. two thoughts actually. Well OK, to be honest the second thought was a morning ‘while I’m in the shower’ thought but just as profound as the last night ‘while I’m sorting photos’ thought.

Thought 1 concerns the two beaches.

Beach 1 (photo taken by me) – Mission Bay, Auckland

Beach 2 (photo taken by daughter) – Kerela, India

Similar shots, both taken mid-October. How different yet how similar we all are.
Yeah! All right AND my daughter’s a better photographer that me!

Thought 2 concerns communication.

When I first left the UK in the mid 1970’s to live in India I kept in touch with my mother by writing to her – once a month. That’s how long it took for a letter to go, be replied to and come back. Long distance telephone calls were too expensive to contemplate except in dire emergency.

Today we have email, cheap (or free) long distance calls, instant messaging, texting … the list is almost endless. Keeping in touch is easy.

I remember my grandfather telling us about the horse and cart that delivered the morning milk. I even have a very vague memory of horse manure on the streets … I don’t have grandkids but I don’t need them … some of my younger colleagues are amazed when I tell them about the mainframe computers, punched cards and magnetic tapes of just 25 years ago that were THE latest in technology when I was a student!

It would be nice to think that the changing technology making communication so much easier had brought us more together. Sadly, it hasn’t … What’s wrong with humankind that we see differences so much more easily than we see similarities?

Who said 'We are not alone"?

2007-11-20T11:30:00.000+13:00

It’s just after 11 o’clock this Tuesday morning. I’m sitting at my desk, conscientiously (honestly) working away on the old computer when suddenly I become aware of the strange eerie silence that surrounds me! A shiver runs down my back, the hair on my neck stands on end … I cautiously raise my eyes from the screen and apprehensively look around. No-one!

Where has everyone gone? Don’t tell me all my dreams have come true and finally all my fellow workmates (I love them really) have been abducted by aliens! Maybe not

So what’s up? What am I missing? Is it another one of those meetings that has mysteriously disappeared from my electronic calendar? Am I yet again missing the opportunity to hear one of our higher-ups inform us of ‘the latest update to clause 29 of our mission statement’ and to hear about the importance in implementing the said amendment ’going forward’? No big loss there then ….

Just a minute …. Is that young Mathew I see approaching from the starboard side?
‘Ahoy’, say I. ‘Where has everyone gone?’

‘They’re all in the kitchen eating chocolate cake. It’s Chris’s birthday.’

WHAT!!!!

I suppose the best I can do is to sidle innocently by and pray that there’s still a little piece left for me.

Pray, pray, pray, pray ……….

Cup Countdown ….

2007-11-19T10:38:00.000+13:00

10… 9... 8… 7… 6… 5…

4... Americas Cup – lost
3… Cricket World Cup – lost
2… Rugby World Cup – whisper ‘lost in the quarter final, shhhh’
1… Netball World Cup – lost in the final
…. ZERO

AND …… New Zealand is now World Cup Loser of the year!!!

The Silver Ferns, our women’s netball team and World Champions till a few days ago, lost the final to Australia!

It was Saturday evening. We were at home and having polished off the chicken curry that I had rustled up, we all settled down to watch the game of netball. Pity about the score! BUT to give credit to our great sportsmanship we all joined in the rendering of Waltzing Matilda that was played in the background as Australia collected the medals! What unkind, cynical person mentioned that the Kiwi’s had to get back at the Aussies somehow? Waltzing Matilda indeed!!!

My son’s bed, 2007

2007-11-17T10:32:00.000+13:00

This picture reminds me of Tracey Emin’s My Bed that was short listed in1999 for the Turner Prize. She didn’t win.

I reckon that with this effort my son would have had a much better chance! The original Emin bed was an uninspiring white; my son’s bed, on the other hand, is a riot of colour … or maybe just a riot!

I can almost see the description in the Exhibition’s Catalogue. It reads,

‘My Son’s Bed is an exciting metaphor for the second law of thermodynamics illustrating that in a closed system (the bed) without external energy fed in from outside (any attempt by son to actually tidy up), 'mixed-upness' (more properly called ‘entropy’) always increases.’

Plants grow, we cut them, plants grow, we cut them …

2007-11-16T10:55:00.000+13:00

… there must be more to gardening than this! Can someone help me out here and explain the aspect of human behaviour that has us,
(i) up the garden centre on a Saturday spending our hard-earned money on plants that
(ii) we spend the following Sunday laboriously planting in the piece of land we call our garden
(iii) only to have to spend the next however many number of years cutting them back so that
(iv) we can still find our way to the front door without having to hack our way through the undergrowth?

Yes, you’ve guessed it. I’ve been busy gardening. To more accurately describe the activity df has been gardening. The result? A mess of hedge clippings strewn messily along the fence line. Picture does not tell all … believe me!

What do I care? After all the view of the garden from the road is much improved. We can actually see over the hedge now giving tantalising glimpses of the secret garden within. Passing neighbourhood snoops will have a clearer view of what's within. Not that we have many passing neighbours of any variety given that we are the last house at the end of a ‘No Through’ road. Oh well!!!

So, what DO I care? I care because I’m the cleaner-upper. I ride out on my broomstick (the rake) and waving my magic wand (the rake) pluck order from the jaws of chaos! Magic – NOT!!!

The old witch has to (reluctantly) admit that the flowers on the fejoa tree are just magical.

I'm back .... and it might be thanks to 'Old Spice'!

2007-11-15T11:05:00.000+13:00

Yes ... I suddenly missed recording thoughts, incidents, comments that amused, annoyed, irritated, entertained ... etc., etc. I think the final push that came to shove me over the edge and back to blogdom was our morning discussion around the coffee machine.

It all started because polluting our small library of serious scientific journals was, horror of horrors, a 'Home and Garden' magazine! This obviously led to speculation, maybe started by me, that we might introduce Woman's Weekly, Woman's Day and other magazines that would help keep up with the latest gossip. Mr Jones (he is an innocent soul) mentioned something about Hilton Paris ... leading to much hilarity over his obvious lack of knowledge of worldly matters and seemed to support the need for broadening the education of, at least, some members of our team. The name of Britney Spears was but a fleeting reference before the recent rebirth and re-release of the Spice Girls led to much creative speculation …. Can we still call them girls? They could rename themselves Old Spice … or what about Vintage Spice … sounds a bit geriatric perhaps! Then a change of direction with Dave’s thought provoking 'Do you think they’ve really all managed to run out of money?'

Silence while we contemplate the enormity and implication of this suggestion.

It's time to say goodbye

2005-06-16T21:50:00.000+12:00

Yeah! The party's over! Why? Maybe my daughter's visit, maybe Fiji, maybe I've got busy at work .... maybe none of the above. I've had a really enlightening experience in blogland.

The thrill of the first ever comment on my blog, the really, really interesting blogs that I've come across ..... but I'm done. I can't do it any more. I've lost interest. I may read a few blogs once in a while but this blog is closed.

The party's over, it's time to call it a day. Bye ... it's been fun.