christmas is coming!

Hi everyone,

Christmas is indeed almost upon us and the children are getting very excited. I have been helping at Joe's school with his class and keeping the children's attention is getting harder and harder for the teacher. Term finishes on Thursday until the beginning of February! Santa parades, sausage sizzles, days out, Carol singing in the cathedral (Joe) and generally having fun has kept us all busy - not to mention the shopping! (So I won't!).

There is some evidence of Christmas decorations (and some houses completely over the top) but it is pretty late before it gets dark and so get to see the lights. I must admit to being decoration-free at the moment but may get all the Father Christmas figurines out soon. Bah humbug!!! Some of the higher mountains still have snow but we rely on seeing it, together with robins, on the Christmas cards we receive. Thank you everyone for your cards and messages. I apologise in advance for those cards from me to you that arrive late. I blame the postal service!!

I went on a 2-day trip into the high country last week. Long days on a coach but stunning scenery - very stark and beautiful. The photos were taken on the trip. We were on a 4-wheel drive coach and driving over gravel roads the whole way. The private roads are only open for a few weeks a year and go through an area that most Kiwis have never seen. Molesworth Station is the largest farm in the country - 500,000 acres - and is Crown land, run by a govt. department. In the past there were about 120,000 sheep run on the property but now only 10,000 head of cattle. But don't worry; NZ still has 40 million sheep - give or take a few - so no shortage of lamb chops!

Sarah and I went to a concert last night of Christmas music from around the world, given by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra together with 2 school choirs. There was plenty of audience participation singing the old favourites and we enjoyed ourselves. I have a U3A party tomorrow and lunch with the walking group on Wednesday. I have already had xmas lunch with the WI (twice) so am spared from the cooking a fair bit - can't be bad! Not so good for the waistline but it is almost New Year and time for resolutions!

Ash and India's Grandpa and Grandma have arrived here for a visit so welcome to them and to the friends of Malc and Annie and Sarah and Matt who arrive shortly for a few days. I reckon that's it for this time. A very happy Christmas and my very best wishes for 2009 to you all.

Lots of love Carol xx

nearly summer

Hi Everyone,

Nature is giving its all and the veggies, especially the spinach and lettuce, are growing faster than I can harvest, in spite of late frosts! We are all keeping well and enjoying the sunshine. It is not yet warm enough in the sea for all but very hardy folks (and that does NOT include yours truly!) The beach is still good though.

It has been quite a busy time. All the families have now been here for their first year and I have been in this house for that long too. The time has absolutely flown by. Olive has celebrated her first birthday at the beach with a picnic and she enjoyed a lovely visit from her Grandad and Grannyma, who were here for 3 weeks. Sadly they have gone back to the UK and it is back to keeping in touch with emails, photos and Skype.

Halloween came with a visit from (in order of age to give you a clue) a Ninja accompanied by a Bat, the Grim Reaper and a Spider - all pretty scary(!) but happily sent on their way with some lollies! Firework night came and went with a big bang. The organised display down at Brighton takes place at 9pm - they have to wait until dark, and I missed it this year. Fireworks are only available in the shops for 4 days, so we are spared bangs nightly for weeks on end. I really am a bit of a spoilsport! Bah, humbug!! The shops are gearing up for Christmas but it doesn't have the same feel when the sun is shining. I'm not really trying to make you jealous - much! Most of my shopping is now done so I won't have to fight the crowds in the malls. That doesn't mean that the cards are written and I have a funny feeling ........ Happy Christmas anyway in case I don't get around to it before January.

I hope that you are all keeping well - lots of love to you and yours. It may well be 2009 before I write again; so, A happy new year to you!

A Spring Journey

Hi Everyone!
The photos this time were taken on a short coach trip that I took a couple of weeks ago. We travelled down south, then west, then north and lastly east to get back to Christchurch. Almost a square! The 2nd photo is of the harbour at Oamaru where we saw little blue penguins coming ashore after their day out at sea hunting fish. They are very small, only about 30 cms. Coming up from the beach they were fearful of a seal that had plonked itself down right in their path and whenever the seal moved the penguins rushed back down the slope. They were not in any danger but I suppose that when you are that small it does not pay to take any chances.

Once again the programme hasn't shown all the photos that I had selected so it is pot luck which turns up. There should be 2 photos of lakes - the one with the mountains behind is Wanaka and the other is Lake Dunstan, formed when the Clyde dam was built. The last photo just shows that there is still plenty of snow left! That is the end of your geography lesson for today!! Actually, it was a good trip and my fellow travellers very friendly but as the shuttle bus driver remarked when he dropped me off at home "You are a good bit younger that the rest of them" and he hadn't seen everyone!

I can't really believe it myself but I have been here a year this weekend! Time certainly flies. We are well into Spring now and the garden is planted (so far) and the veggies are doing what they should. I actually picked some leaves off the lettuce plants yesterday for tea. Tomatoes and more susceptible plants will have to wait a while. I am really enjoying gardening again. One sad note!!! My 2 goldfish have disappeared. Cat? Kingfisher? Who knows? They were there one day and gone the next. Talking of gardens, I went with the WI to visit a daffodil farm. A very nice day - the funny thing was the coach that took us; supplied by a local funeral directors!!! And no, they didn't give out any brochures at the end of the trip or in any way tout for business!

I have been to the theatre again since I last wrote and saw 'The Birthday Boy'. A bitter-sweet comedy. Next week it is off to see '84 Charing Cross Road' the film of which I saw some years ago with Anthony Hopkins. All this gadding about! Good, isn't it? Off this morning for a walk followed by a picnic with a group I join with every week. Not too strenuous either. My shoulder seems to be responding to the physio's exercises so that is good too. So, on that happy note I will finish. All my love, Carol xx

Hooray; Spring is sprung!!

Hi Folks,

The 1st September and officially the first day of spring. The weather seems to believe it too as we have had a beautiful weekend of sunshine and blue skies - after a woeful August full of rain and more rain.

I sit before you, just risen from my bed of pain!!!! Felled down by a sickness bug 2 weeks ago followed by gastric flu last week ...... everyone say 'aahh!!' Recovering now, thankfully, several pounds lighter (and that is not the doctor's fees!) Enough of this maudlin self-pity!!

Quite a busy time since I last put fingers to keyboard - Joe had his 5th birthday! and started big school (see the Simmerson's blog for more). I went to see 'The Miracle Worker', a play about the story of Helen Keller, the deaf & blind girl who was helped to communicate by Annie Sullivan. It was a very moving performance by all the cast. I remember seeing a film way back in the 60s with Anne Bancroft - it must have made an impression as I could remember how the story unfolded.

We had a girls afternoon out (me, Sarah, Kate, Annie and granddaughter India) and went to the ballet. The first time for all of us. The Royal New Zealand Ballet performed 'Romeo and Juliet' - it was wonderful. I lost myself in the whole spectacle. Lots of little girls in the matinee audience, all dressed up! It was in modern dress - not the tutus tha Joe declared with scorn that made it for "girls". I can't get the written word to match the scorn he managed in that one word! But back to the ballet - how the girls danced in those stilettos!!

Had a great talk with friends using Skype. Not quite the same as face to face and the delay can be a bit disconcerting but nice to see you girls! Miss you all. Do keep the emails and letters coming!

The photos this month are from the trip that Ash and I took on the Transalpine across to Arthur's Pass. The train goes on to Greymouth on the West coast but only stops an hour before making the return journey and I understand that there is no much to see. We got off in the middle of the Southern Alps and there is a fair amount of snow there. The road was still open but a little tramp that we were hoping to make was not on as there was too much snow! Even in the village I sank up to my knees as soon as I moved off the cleared areas. We had 4 hours there and we had lunch and Ash created his snowman. It was not cold as the sun was shining down - I did remember to take the sun cream. I felt really overdressed with thermals and jumpers and coats! Still, we had a very good day.

That is about me done for this session - hope you enjoy it. With love Carol xx

still winter!

Hi Everyone,

Well, it is still winter here (hope you folks on the other side of the world are enjoying some well-earned sunshine) while we are braced for a winter storm later today!!! The North Island seems to have had a much worse time of it, weather-wise, since I last wrote with gales and thunderstorms but we have escaped relatively unscathed. It has been cold but that has been mitigated by the brilliant sunshine (until this week). I have seen some daffodils daring to put their heads above the ground and very welcome colour they give.

On to my garden. I am sharing some before and after photos with you; hope that you agree which is which!! The plants have not been taken out of their pots yet, as you can see, but once the spring arrives ......... With any luck, by this time next year they will all be well established. Then I will post some more photos. I am very pleased with the results so far. The garden looks bigger and, hopefully, will be easier to maintain. Still a few more plants to buy to plant in the parts of the garden you can't see. Planning now as to which veggies to plant.

The family continues well - a few coughs and colds though. They have just finished 2 weeks of school holidays and have been very busy. I have been to the theatre to see 'Arsenic and Old Lace'. A very good production in a lovely theatre - not too big, and the action fairly zipped along - a very enjoyable evening. Next month I am going to see 'The Miracle Worker' - the story of Helen Keller. We are also having a girls afternoon out and (a first for us all) are going to the ballet to see 'Romeo and Juliet'. The only girl in the family not going is Olive so Daddy will look after her. Have also been to see 'Kung Fu Panda' with Joe and Ben - their first time at the cinema!

I am very pleased with myself as yesterday I passed my driving test - just the written test in order to get a NZ licence. I was a little apprehensive - it is some years since a took one and there were no written tests in those days!!! I only got one question wrong and you are allowed three. I have also renewed my UK passport and have had the NZ visa updated.

Before I finish - thank you to all of you who keep in touch with email and letter. Hope that I have not repeated myself too much. We all of us appreciate the contact. Love to you all, until next time. Carol xx

There's snow on them thar hills!!

Hi Everyone, An extra episode for you all. We have had a right mixture of weather the last couple of days. Forgive me for writing about the weather but I have lived in the UK for most of my life!!

Friday was very windy but warm and it was a little daunting lying in bed that night and listening to the gusts of wind. Saturday started off warm and Ash and I went out to breakfast. A real treat for both of us (pancakes I'm afraid) - but the temperature dropped early afternoon from about 15C to 3C. Then it rained, sleeted and snowed!

Sarah and Matt arrived as the first flurries began and Joe ran round and round the car shouting "snow, snow" at the top of his voice, then as Ben was released from his car seat he joined him in both noise and motion. We ought to be able to capture all that energy for future use!! It could solve the energy crisis at a stroke!

This morning I awoke to brilliant sunshine as you can see from the 2 photos. The snow here at sea level had disappeared and the nearby Port Hills were covered in snow. By midday most of that had disappeared in the warmth of the sun, but there is still some of the white stuff on the higher peaks as you can see from the 2nd photo (I hope). The mountains, being that much higher have kept their snowy covering and the top picture is along the beach to Kaikoura, where I went swimming with dolphins on my first visit. The mountains are very close to the sea there and you can just about see the snow over the glare of the sun and sea. It is about 3 hours away by car.

The dog walkers were out in force (all 6 of them) by the time I finished my walk. The sea was glassy flat and calm but there were still a couple of intrepid surfers out there trying to catch a good wave. Hope you are enjoying a good summer, those of you in the Northern hemisphere - your longest and our shortest days soon. Much love Carol xx

winter wonderland

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure when the official start of winter is but the nights have been more than chilly lately. Temperatures nearing freezing point have, however, been tempered by almost a fortnight of calm, sunny days. As you can see from the 1st photo (Corsair Bay), the sea has been like a mill pond.

We have had a few birthdays in the immediate family since I last put fingers to keyboard: Sarah, Kate and Ben, as well as many more among the wider family and friends. Many happy returns to you all!! Ben has all the gravitas required of a young man of 2 years (with a grown up haircut too!)

I went with Sarah, Matt, Joe and Ben up to Mount Hutt where the photo of me on the sledge was taken. That wasn't snow we were on but ice and it was a car park but fun for us all anyway. Joe had the idea (put into his head by Matt I believe) of stuffing ice down necks and into boots but, luckily for us, found other pursuits quickly. Those whoi know me well will remember how I do not like heights. Well, I have to tell you that the journey down the mountain was worse than the journey up - but not by much. I cast no blame on the driver,of course - I might want him to drive me another time! However, I can't see myself EVER driving up a mountain and my little car would not like it at all!!!!

I hope that by the next time I write that the garden will have been transformed. I have been busy buying plants and am looking forward to the planting. It will all be very informal and, I hope, easily maintained. I will be taking photos. The emphasis is to be on native plants with a few exotics thrown in - it is all very exciting!

There may be an extra post when this one is finished if one of the photos has disappeared but my fingers are crossed (and that is why I have had to correct so many mistakes - the screen is absolutely covered with Tippex!!! Ho ho!

Well, all good things come to an end they say (and no-one said that this was good) so I will wish you all adieu for the moment.
With love Carol xxxx