Valentine's Day

Here it is again, another Valentine's Day. I've been horribly spoilt in the past, for four years receiving secretly a glorious bunch of flowers on my doorhandle every Valentine's morning. Even now, when I KNOW not to expect one, I still check. How sad is that?!! Ah well, those days are obviously past.
. . . but all is not completely lost. My beloved niece still loves me. . . and look, she made me this card. Lovely isn't it? And on the back is this poem:
"The True Nature of Your Beloved
Know
the true nature of your Beloved

In
His
Loving Eyes
Your every thought, word and movement
is always, always
beautiful"

Church lunch

Just had a great picnic in the front of Ron and Lorna's house, and then a pretty hearty singing session while the kids all hung around in the background playing and eating. Ah, these summer days, and the joy of being together with the saints!

Following on from earlier post. . .

I guess I've been caught up in some deeper stuff this week, including the funeral of my old friend's husband. My heart has been full of thoughts about how fleeting life really is, and how important are the decisions we make in our lifetime. The friends we choose, and how we deal with our relationships. Having integrity and honour and love. This is the first wedding I was attendant at, and as you can see, we are all just teenagers, full of life, intent upon enjoying it. When I heard all the testimony given of Iain's life, I was humbled by what was said. Above all, he loved his wife dearly, and his children, and had achieved all he really wanted to do. There were many many comments about his faithfulness, caring, and steadiness. I'm glad I was there at the start of their life together, because I take those vows very seriously.

Whilst digging around in the box of photos at Mum and Dad's, I found some more, which no doubt will soon find their way on this blog site. THIS one is here because I saw it as being me when life was before me, and yet some part of me is still just the same, and always will be. 45 years later, I've seen a lot of disappointment and dark sides to life (certainly not as many as some) but HOPE and JOY and above all, LOVE still jostle for position inside the child within.

Thoughts about last weekend

It was quite a weekend. Cath and I met for the first time this year over lunch at the Kauri Gumstore Cafe in Riverhead, and it was sooo good to start our lunches again and our 'catch-ups'. As you might see from our faces, it wasn't all laughter, there were some tears.
A strange and sad event happened this Sunday. My best friend from High School's husband died suddenly playing touch rugby with his kids. I haven't been in touch with them for a while, and only periodically once in a blue moon, do we cross paths, but I was their bridesmaid all those years ago, and some friendships don't go away.
In our small group who meet around the Lord, we have a couple with their children who have started coming since last year. It turns out that they are the neighbours to this family, and I found out in roundabout ways that it was my friend's husband who had died. I went out on Sunday to be with her and her family and spent four hours laughing crying and catching up. My emotions felt their full extent in those hours. I can only say: "Lord, Kathy".

The day before, Lorna held a lunch for the sisters who were around, at her place. We spent some time turning to the Lord, but preceded it with this lovely lunch, and salad from her garden. From this happy occasion we had something to share at the meeting on Sunday. HE is our FULNESS.

NEW WEBSITE! Check it out

Just a quick note to say my Wild Line Design website is now up and running. I'm sure there will be a few glitches to iron out, none the least of which will be the slowness of the pics to unfold on your screen. If it's painfully slow - tell me! Gulp. Link at the top of the links column.

Mum and Dad and the oil painting

Well - it's nearly done. If you want to see the progress on this painting, check out the inklings blog site on the link to the side. More paintings on that regularly now. LOVE to have your comments!


Nice photo of Mum and Dad, especially since it's rare to get them together in the garden and both smiling (sort of).

Liam and Mum's birthdays

I took my dear Mum to Hamilton yesterday for her 78th birthday treat, and we went to the Hamilton Gardens and slowly made our way around the boutique garden series.
This is the two of us in the Italian Renaissance Garden, in which I kept hearing "Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, men were deceivers ever. . . " straight from "Much Ado About Nothing" with Kenneth Brannagh. I used it for her birthday card, hence the 'graffiti' just above her head.

We ate at the local cafe. . .


Mum sat on the edge of the dramatically splendid vista of the Rennaisance garden. It was a hot sunny day (surprisingly) so colours even more glorious.


Two weddings were happening throughout. This was one at the Indian Pavilion gardens.


and then there were the tranquil and cool Japanese gardens


Earlier this month, Liam turned ten, and the family gathered to celebrate on Helen's verandah.


He had his favourite : Lasagne.


the plates beautifully arranged with Helen's tiny multi-coloured tomatoes.

Trip to Rotoiti with the SIX FROM THE CITY

Well, it's over - the HOLIDAY!! Yes, 'Six from the City' had their week at Lake Rotoiti, and although it rained most of the time, a wonderful experience never the less. I won't fill in under each photo, for I think they speak for themselves. We sat in a natural hot stream in the late afternoon most days to warm up, but we also swam in the Lake in front of our bach most days too. Despite the rain. We ate, we sipped, we walked, we played games, we read. It was magnifique. WE are Gene, Helen, Cathy and Gordon, Peter and I. Enjoy.

New Year and Waihi Beach

Happy New Year to you all! There were just the three of us on New Year's Eve: Cathy, Gordon and I, but we had a great night, and I stayed over, and we had the old cooked breakfast under the umbrella in the morning ritual. Very successful for the soul if not for the waistline.



THEN it was off to the bach at Waihi Beach to enjoy a few days with Helen and the kids, and one on my own at the end. SUNNY weather, lots of swims, and plenty of time to loll in the hammock.


It was very hard. All that carrying stuff down onto the sand and not getting burnt.

and then all that difficult gravity/rotation trying to stay on the hammock and not slide onto the ground. Hee hee.

CHECK OUT my Inklings blogsite link

I'm painting like I'm a real artist! Ha ha. Seriously, the garage stinks of turps and linseed oil, a lovely combination, and I have about five canvasses on the go at the moment. WOULD LOVE YOUR COMMENTS if you can spare the time.
Go on, you know you want to! You'll have to check back regularly there, because THAT's where I'll be in the coming days. . .

Christmas Day

Oh well, it's over now, but it was grand! All the more for the fellowship with family and hearing by text from my dearest friends at intervals through the day. What did we do before cellphones?
It was a fine, if grey day, but perfect because it wasn't too hot and a gentle breeze kept playing with the surrounding foliage and keeping it cool. Food consisted of various salads and chicken kebabs, lamb meatballs, some ham. Followed by old-fashioned grape trifle, strawberries and pineapple, jelly. Endless chocs. Helen's deep verandah is perfect to spread the table along and enjoy a taste of the outdoors.


Liam was pretty busy, and hard to keep still. This was a snatched glimpse of him alongside the tree where he was counting his remaining presents. . .

One end of the table. . .

and the youngest member of the crowd was Reece, my cousin's son, who is just old enough to really enjoy it now.

I bought for myself this hammock, which has been used solidly since purchase. When I'm in it, it is put to the test as far as strain is concerned. When Jemma is in it, it's hard to tell it's not empty!

Well, now all that remains is to clear up the mess, tidy away the presents, and start walking off the food. Gulp. Hope you all have a good break.

Almost the night before Christmas. . .

Well. . . HO HO HO, it's almost done! The presents wrapped and under the tree. The food shopping done and waiting in fridge for transformation into delicious Christmas fare (I still suffer under that delusion), and now, today, all that remains is to make the little spicey sugar 'cookies' (biscuits) from this magazine clutched in my hand. I'm sure they will look just like the picture.

Last night, Helen and I took Liam out to see the Christmas lights around the neighbourhood - a very pleasant activity entirely apart from commercialism (apart from the odd bucket by the gate), and a simple well-attended family activity which some kind souls have gone out of their way to make possible.

Upon my return I visited Tracey who was spreading Christmas cheer in the form of a funny dangly Christmas headband and some delicious fat Christmas mince pies and hot tea. Delightful.

An evening or two ago the most delightful PINK sunset filled the evening sky - captured here above the garage next door. It drew me from my present wrapping to see it.

Before heading off to make my biscuits, let me go a little deeper and share something of what's really happening inside - surface stuff is all very well, but the real JOY and PEACE of this and every season is something far more real and profound:
"Am I not enough, Mine own? enough,
Mine own, for thee?
Hath the world its palace towers,
Garden glades of magic flowers,
Where thou fain wouldst be?
Fair things and false are there,
False things and fair.
All shalt thou find at last,
Only in Me.
Am I not enough, Mine own? I, for ever
and alone, I, needing thee?
-Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769