A funny weather mix, lately... As soon as the sun goes down, the air is full of pea soup! At least, though, the past three days have featured sun! It makes everyone happy, and almost - almost - distracts us from the TRAFFIC! One of the major bridges in the city is closed (due to a fire that burned the wooden structure. OK, it's old!!), and the 80 000 cars that normally use it every day are filling up the other bridges. And highways. And it's very busy...
But do the children care about these things??? Absolutely not! They just want to play!
Maybe grownups should run around and have fun, too!

Cultivate versus vegetate

This is my favourite pic from our holidays. It 'feels' so tranquil.

I am BACK! But where do I begin ?!

It has been a whirlwind since we returned home from our gallivanting around the central and lower North Island of NZ.
We were greeted with a huge pile of parcels, mail, and other evidences of Christmas and birthday occasions!
And the email folder looks truly daunting (from my very brief perusal of it this morning).
In less than 48 hrs, we have made a birthday cake, celebrated L’s birthday with family, and been to a wonderful farewell BBQ. In amongst everything else.

Perhaps I will begin with our return.

We asked L how he would like to spend his birthday.
His reply was, “I want to spend the day with grandpa and grandma…..I want to carve pumice (see later posts), and I want to do something that doesn’t cost a lot of money..!”
So we returned home, baked a cake and decorated it in family tradition (our family birthday cakes all have a secret compartment, designed and engineered by K!), celebrated it with the grandies and family….and our boy turned 8.
He is very happy about being 8….

unlike his mother who is resisting the passing of each calendar year!

Speaking of which, I think I have had more than enough ‘celebrating’ of the ‘you know what’ ! What with having had a surprise party in Dec, and having to flee the city for the actual event, I was hoping for a ‘quieter’ time this year. Nonetheless, I was very touched by all the messages of love and concern at my passing of years! I felt totally overwhelmed and inundated with all the phone calls, texts, mail etc etc etc which came through on and around The Day!
Over and above the call of duty, methinks.
Time to move on.

The lad turneth 8 !

And last night signalled the end of an era.

We had a farewell BBQ for Sally & Andrew, and Eunice & Evan, and their wonderful families.
It was a fun night, made even better by the ease of comfortable friendship.

And the food! Oh, the food! This group has a reputation for having amazing food every time we get together, and last night was no exception!

Dave’s BBQ’d garlic pita will be remembered for (days! burp!) years to come!
But I’m going to miss these guys heaps! And I don’t like change.
Still, we do know that it is for the best for each of these families that they move onwards, and they do go with all our love and heartfelt blessings.
And I remind myself again, that good friendships don’t die –

they just mature over time and distance, like a good wine…
Little 4-year old Heather’s response to our cuddle was just awesome –

“Bye bye Mrs P. Don’t worry, I will see you again in heaven!”

Hopefully before then, wee Heather!

Good kai & good company

Thanks so much for continuing to post wonderful blogs whilst I was away, Ange of the North! You’re just wonderful.
Whilst you were ‘cultivating’, alas, I was ‘vegetating’ !

We did take well over 1000 photos on our hols but I think even you would balk at having to sit through all those photos! So I am having great difficulty to know which ones to post. For today though, here are just some random shots to add to your beautiful shots from today (it’s so nice that you’ve had a glorious day over yonder!).
Blue was the predominant colour of our entire trip. We had perfect weather every day, except for one cool day in Wellington! The rest was hot, clear, and sunny.

That is the beauty of NZ in summertime.

And that is where I have to leave you today.

I will try to post the ‘summarised version’ of our trip (and a few photos) before we head away again for the long weekend. Nice to be back (albeit for a short time)!

A Beautiful Day

The sun finally made its long-awaited appearance today, and what a gorgeous day it was! The three guys and I went down to the river and enjoyed all the light and the blue sky. What a relief to lose the thick grey fog! There's still snow around, and the log booms floating in the river looked beautiful with their white toppings. Everyone seemed to be out; I bet there were cameras snapping away all over the city today!

Later in the afternoon, we celebrated Little Bear's 19th birthday. I can hardly believe he's this old - technically an adult! One thing I love about the late teens is watching them morph back and forth between child and adult. One moment they're serious and focused (I think....), making big decisions and showing insightful wisdom. The next, they're on the ground wrestling and giggling over silly jokes. So much fun!

Temperature Inversion

They say that up on the mountains, the sky is blue right now and the temperature is pleasant. Down here in the city, however, we're socked in with chilly, damp mist. If I drove just half an hour, I'd be looking down on the grey blanket and enjoying sunshine...

In my backyard, the snow continues to melt and things are looking sad. The good news is that my lovely red tree/bush seems to have recovered from the huge load of snow that almost flattened it. Yay! I'm holding out hope that spring will come. One day...

Winter and a Birthday

While Southern Ange cavorts on the shore of some exotic-sounding lake in the land of sun and warmth, I am languishing in a bleak white place, surrounded by the sound of dripping as the dirty snow melts.

However, I am a cultivator! I am busy cultivating a classroom, sunny with smiles and laughter. I am cultivating a cozy home; a warm spot to hibernate while winter does its wintery thing outside. Without me.

Today, my Little Bear is nineteen. That means that I've been a mummy for nineteen years (plus nine months of pregnant anticipation!), through the days of diapers and night feeding, Boris Karloff walking, eating sand, finger painting in horrible substances, breaking everything breakable, sleeping angels with rosy cheeks and sweaty hair, small shoes beside the door, drool and other yukkiness perpetually decorating my left shoulder, rocking back and forth automatically even with empty arms, mushy food and cheerios, toys in my purse, and... suddenly he's a man. That quickly.

It will happen to you, too!

Cultivating

Pursuant to my post the other day... I am thinking a lot about cultivating things. Lots of things. Like creativity and other good stuff.

Tonight, as I left school at 9:30 pm, I decided to cultivate some night photos. And what did I see when I looked at the sky, but stars! And the moon! What a welcome sight after weeks of gloomy grey clouds!

Southern Ange, I hope you're still having a good vacation in the land of sunshine. Do you plan on celebrating your... you know... when you get back?

(I just have to say, we're sitting here laughing at the American Idol auditions. So funny!)

Socks Off!

Since this boy was a baby, he has taken off his socks to get comfy. And now he's huge and still doing the same thing! This was the best place to be on such a gloomy day. Cozy in front of the fireplace.

Bleak. Cold. Wet.

Three words that describe today. Not only has it been raining and raining lately, the rain changed back to snow this afternoon. There has been flooding, mudslides, avalanches, and all kinds of nastiness in our province. That's why Big Bear and I are hibernated in our living room with a fire in the fireplace!

If you are interested in a daily photo project, check out shuttercal.com - it is a cool site where you can keep track of your photos on a sort of calendar, and you can also look at other people's pictures. Oooh!

One Little Bear, One Little Tooth, and One Little Word

Today, Little Bear got a new tooth! (This takes me back to those 6-year-old gap-toothed grimaces!)

It's not a long term solution to his dental woes (or ours - $$$!), but at least it's something to fill the gap! This tooth is called a flipper - makes me think of a dolphin - and is like a removable retainer with one tooth attached to it. It sure makes a difference! I have finally decided on my word for 2009. I wrote a few days ago about Ali Edwards' One Little Word concept, and after much pondering, I have come up with - CULTIVATE! I think that it covers everything I wanted from a word.

This year, I want to cultivate beauty, cultivate relationships, cultivate grace, cultivate hospitality, cultivate health, and... I think you get the picture. The thing about this word is that it implies slow, but steady growth. And it also means that I am not the source of the growth; I'm just the worker in the field, watering, weeding, and hoeing. Which means that I need to get out there and do it.

Has anyone else come up with a word for this year? Please leave a comment with your word, or just with your thoughts. It's always nice to hear what other people are thinking! (I'm trying to cultivate comments!!)

The Real Truth About Snow

Today I went back to school. Ugh. It was so sad to take the plunge and leave my relaxed holiday schedule behind. But... I am so thankful to have a wonderful school to teach at, great colleagues to work with, and a marvelous community to be part of. It's a blessing to have a good place to go back to!

It was lovely to have a white Christmas. I really can't complain! The snow was truly beautiful. HOWEVER... When all that snow gets rained and poured on, when the streets are bounded by huge dirty snowbanks with no space to park, when the ground is covered with slippery, mushy wet slush, it stops being lovely. Just remember that, O Southern Ange, when you think romantic thoughts about snow.

When I left school at the end of the day, the field was covered with crows. It's a funny thing, but almost every day at about 5pm, an enormous flock of them comes to have a party in the neighbourhood. And the cawing - such a noise!

I wonder how the crows feel about snow...?

Canadian Content

Music is essential for living. Even if you are a polititian.

To honour Barak Obama's upcoming inauguration, CBC Radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) is creating Obama's Playlist. This will be a compilation of 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel, that sum up the Canadian identity. It would probably be a good idea for him to know something about his next door neighbour! Listeners from all over the country are calling in to nominate songs, and next week, will vote on the top picks.

I don't know how much Canadian music makes it south of the equator, let alone out of Canada. So I have created a mini playlist of Canadian artists (see the right sidebar)for you to experience! I'm sure you will recognize some of the songs, but probably not all of them. Face it, there are an awful lot of obscure artists in this country, which often seems dominated by American culture!

Today was my snow day - no school!!! I celebrated by getting up at 8am to do laundry. There is a lot of wet snow outside. This is why I live on the west coast, where the snow usually turns into rain before it can accumulate like this! Blech!

I have some happy, happy news on this, the last day of Christmas Break.

School is closed Monday and Tuesday!!! I could hardly dare to hope, but it's true! I know that most other teachers in the city will have to grit their teeth and make their way back tomorrow, but because ours is such a commuter school, and because the neighbourhood roads are such a mess, it would be a nightmare to add a couple hundred extra cars trying to drop off children on unplowed streets with nowhere to pull over and layers of ice and snow under many summer tires. Not to mention the lack of plowed parking spots for teachers!

It has been snowing like crazy here -again- for the past six hours, although at the bottom of our hill, the snow has turned to rain. That's the kind of thing we're more used to, which makes it so unusual to have all this snow! This is what our front yard looks like now. And this is how the snow looks, falling from the sky. For all you summer people.

I'm thinking about a word. Ali Edwards, one of my sources of inspiration, recently wrote a post about One Little Word 2009. "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow." I love that. So I'm contemplating and pondering a word to hold up for myself this year. A word that can help shape my focus and direction and remind me of... what I need to remember! If you have a special word for yourself, leave a comment and share it with us. I'll let you know when I've decided on mine.

Mega pics

Ange of the North

I'm sorry I have been somewhat remiss on the blog lately. Our tech woes have continued, but all looks set to be redressed. Our main computer is no longer. It's innards have been transplanted into another smaller version. However, I discovered to my horror, that a good number of our photos from New Years had been chewed up and spat somewhere out into the Delete Hole. Not only that, but the memory card on my camera keeps telling me that I have an error. Hmm.
I think we have had enough of technological excitement for the rest of 2009!

And my family are patiently waiting for me to post this blog just so that I can share some photos with you before we head off for our summer holiday away. So I need to be quick lest I incur the wrath of all my travelling partners.

I have taken the liberty of downloading a heap of photos - a few glimpses of some of our summer days to date.

See the turtle and car to the left?

The annual fish 'n chips on the beach photo!

Waiting for the fireworks to herald in the New Year

And now, I must bid adieu for awhile.
I will look forward to your postings and may have the op to post en route.
It has been so nice to read your postings of all the family times and your white Christmas! Just so special. Thanks for sharing!
My family are chomping at the bit to be on the road so I must go.
Enjoy the start of school, the remaining snow, and those lovely warm fires!

An Evening in January

What I really like about Christmas Break is the opportunity to spend time with people. The special ones! Yesterday we gathered with Tim and Lea, Phil and Christine, and all the assorted children, to eat together and celebrate Christine's recent entry into the club. You know, that club that you joined a few years ago. And the same one that K just became a member of. The one middle-aged people belong to.... Yeah, that one.

The good news was that Christine had gotten a Pandora bracelet for her birthday. So, guess what Lea and I each gave her - a new bead! Yay!

It was fun. A wonderful wintery evening. There was lots of spirited conversation, yummy roast chicken, and delicious fruity crisp with ice cream for dessert. And then, somehow, we turned on the karaoke which we always thought was pay-per-view, but turned out to be free. And we sang! And sang and sang and sang! We chose 80s classics, ballads, karaoke favorites, and even, to Little Bear's horror, Abba! The funny thing was that LB knew almost every song (He is so good with music!) and had tons of fun singing right along with his parents and aunties and uncles!

Today it has snowed again. All day. With one day left of Christmas Break, I'm wondering what the roads will be like on Monday morning. Maybe it will keep on snowing and we'll have to cancel school for another week!...????

By the way, I have succumbed to the urge to begin another photo project... A picture a day for 2009. I'm pretty sure that Christine is going to do it, too. Are you in?

A New Year!

I'm pretty sure that the entire world has now joined NZ in the new year. What trendsetters you are down there!!

Happy 2009! I wonder what this year will bring...? So far, there have been technological crashes for you and yet more snow in the Great White North (too bad about your computers and car battery. At least the most important thing is still live - the camera!). World events continue to distress us, and British Columbia (our province) is mourning eight snowmobilers killed in a series of avalanches a few days ago. http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Canada/2008/12/30/7878886-sun.html It can all be overwhelming, but I keep remembering who holds me in his hand...

Last night we celebrated with a small group of old friends at Andrew and Barbera's house. It was lovely, and all the kids had fun, too. Big Bear played piano and we all invented silly new verses to The Twelve Days of Christmas. At midnight we trooped outside with pots and pans to bang in the new year. See the falling snow??

Barbera toasted me as I snapped away.

We arrived home at 4am (!!) in the slippery new snow that just didn't seem to quit. This is the view from my front door before I went inside to bed. After only an hour of sleep, the phone rang - my friend, Lizzette from Costa Rica calling to say happy new year! Have you ever tried to speak Spanish when half asleep at 5am? My meager lingual resources were stretched to the max, but I managed to understand most of what she said. Poor girl, I could only spit out the simplest of sentences and was frustrated by what I wasn't able to say...

Your descriptions of blue sky, sunshine, and ocean are most alluring as I look out at the cold, white, wet landscape. Enjoy it all for me, and Happy New Year to you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Wishing you a VERY, VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR

from the first country in the world to see in 2009...

here's hoping that it will be memorable year for you for all the right reasons, and a year filled with all the very best that life has to offer!

~*~

And now, you will just have to imagine the photos I have posted here.

We have been away, and our access to the internet has been limited. But more than that, we have had a technological meltdown to herald in the end of the year....All our computers have declared their intention to take a holiday. What's worse, is that it looks like one of them has an undiagnosable and fatal illness, and will be out of action for a long time...likely forever. The other is barely coping with the new year! Our phone system has also had a significant meltdown, and our entire system has had to be re-initiated (or some such word, meaning that we have had to run around a lot and pick up new pieces and deal for hours with the relevant, but equally baffled, "Customer Services Dept"). And the car chose the best moment to get a flat battery. Flat, like kaput. The nice man who came to replace the battery just shook his head in dismay.

But the cameras have kept on working (though the battery charger suddenly decided that it was going on leave too, giving us need for an electrician's healing touch!). I think we all have a bad case of that end-of-year-itis!

~*~

So imagine if you will, the photos I might've posted.

Perhaps, there would be one of us seeing in the New Year down at the waterfront, the Sky Tower lit up with the annual firework display, people sitting at the water's edge on a balmy evening, with lights from the city reflecting in the dark midnight harbour.

~*~

And perhaps, there would a beach shot or two. Sandcastles, a BBQ, blue skies, Pohutukawa blossom in all its glory, family, fun in the sun, sand, sea.

~*~

And perhaps also, there would've been a photo of some of the remarkable sunsets we have enjoyed. Summer skies, blue and clear. Summer sun, hot and golden. Summer scenes.

~*~

Or perhaps I would've shared one of the thousands of photos we have taken so far this summer....

creative shots inspired by E and K's technological know how (which fortunately, is still working!).

~*~

And today, on New Year's Day in the Southern Hemisphere, perhaps I would've posted a photo of the most perfect day. From the texts and messages received right throughout the country this morning, it would appear that Aotearoa is bathed in hot sunshine, and clear blue skies - from head to toe. What a spectacular start to a year filled with so many exciting possibilities and promises!

HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!