Another Year stretches before us. . .

Alright then, come on out here and join me in the sun on my porch, among my potplants, and the butterflies, and let's talk about 2006 and what our hopes and dreams are for that year.
Can you feel the sun on your back? Step into the shade of my sunsail, and I'll make a cup of tea.

I'm off to Lake Rotoiti next week, and away from Auckland for a while, oh joy! Always at this time I think of what the coming year will bring - most of it completely unexpected and unplanned, and some of it downright painful no doubt, but along with those moments are frequent bursts of joy and pleasant surprises.
Where would we be without Faith, Hope and Love? Unable to take another step. And those nice sounding words come in reality packaged (if it's even possible to consider him like that) in the person of Christ. I thank God that although life is unpredictable I have a rock upon whom I can stand, and who has proven unshakeable and WORTH IT. Oh to know Him better.

Christmas DAY at last

Here's Helen's verandah with the family sitting around the table, and the food about to be devoured. Ho ho ho.

I have nothing to say, I'm that FULL. I just want to go and see yet another Christmas rerun on the TV. But here was some glimpse of Christmas BEFORE y'all in the States were even up.
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.

Sisters in the church Christmas Supper

Such as it is, here is our evening gathering on Monday last. . . I really WAS having a good time, despite my expression. Sigh. Hey, we were tired, I had eaten too much, and it was a hot evening. Merry Christmas!

More of those Christmas BBQ photos

Here's one half of the room, with Trace, Helen, Linda, John, Bev and Gord standing there. It's about 7.30pm so still quite light.
Here's the other half of the room, with Gord, Naomi, Caro and Cath, the boys were outside by the BBQ (typical) and the teenagers hanging around the fringes.

Here's beloved Cath, resting her neck on Gordy's shoulder, as Rach, Linda and Michael chat in the background.
What a great night. GOD BLESS US EVERY ONE!

Christmas BBQ last night

Okay, this is Angel 1 and Angel 2, who seperately bought costumes for the BBQ and found that we both revert to our childhoods at such occasions, and I am once again Fairy 1 and Helen is Fairy 2. At least I chose the halo! Had a lovely BBQ with friends last night. All the old faces there and we managed to bring out instruments and play carols while a small group sang. I'm sure the neighbours were thrilled.
I need to go and make some of these photos smaller, so they fit. Meanwhile, these are the ones already adjusted. Enjoy

THE News article in the Western Leader

Well, yes, that goofy grin is really me. Gulp. The lens was mere centimetres from my face and HUGE. Sigh. But hey, the pride is lighting up the whole room and the picture, and as they say: "Every dog has its day" - I think that that was mine. Hee hee.
I don't know if you are able to read the words under the article by copying and zooming in, but perhaps it's just as well.
This was published in a HUGE publication called The Western Leader, with a mindboggling readership, and on PAGE THREE. I'm finally a page 3 girl.
Well, that's it. It's over. Now there's only Christmas.

Way way way back

I realise I've just got to get past Mr Darcy - even I'm tired of seeing that blog every time I open up. So here's another. Dad sent it to me a short while ago. It is the four of we kids back in the days when colour photography had just kicked in, hee hee. I'm the second eldest so the burden of that responsibility is just kicking in. .. my older brother never has taken that as seriously as he should, judging by his goofy grin.
I've just been sick on the front of that nice matching dress, because this is taken in Perth, visiting my grandparents, and that flight was turbulent and circled the airport coming in. NICE. Maybe that's why the expression. My youngest brother appears to have caught a whiff of it too.
Anyway, the day calls, I must away.
"I meant to do my work today
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree
and a butterfly flitted over plain
and all the leaves were calling me
And the wind went sighing over the land
tossing the grasses to and fro
and a rainbow held out its shining hand
so what could I do but laugh and go"

Mr Darcy and I! Settle down!!!

Okay, I may not have the REAL thing, but I do have the best two-dimensional image. Sigh. Here I am with Mr Darcy, in my bedroom. Helen has one too. It pays to put your name down at the movie theatre for one of the posters. Sigh. Don't you wish you had one too?!!!!

Hey, I WON! Can you believe it?

The BIG news this week, is that I won the competition for the front cover of the white pages for the Auckland phonebook for 2006. Whoopeee. That's a whopping $3,500 to boost my dwindling funds, and the hugely helpful marketing of my artwork and name from March next year.
Hold me down!
This was the winning piece, painted in three hours with a day to spare to get it in.

Jen

Another birfday. . .John and Cathy

Had another great reason to celebrate on Friday last, with John and Cathy's mutual birthday up at a restaurant in Albany. Then stayed over at the Duncan's and enjoyed breakfast in the morning with Peter as well. Oh that all weekends could be as pleasant.

Tracey's birthday last night

Four of us gathered for champagne and strawberries to celebrate with Trace. Hee hee. Hick.
Jen

My writing group met last night for a meal

This is us, minus Graham who couldn't make it, having a laugh and farewelling Linda who is off to a romance in London. How we enjoy telling stories!

Jen

The church had lunch today

and this is us having it, in the sunshine, on Helen's porch. AMAZING - we can all fit around a table. Ron and Lorna are down at Waihi at the moment, or they would have been there too. Mark is looking forward to coming over to be with the church in Jax in a couple of weeks, and with Gene.
Sigh. Oh to be there too.

Brunch at the Duncans

Sorry, I am never sitting with a few moments to spare to write cunning and clever blogs, but at least you get a wee glimpse of life as it is for me, captured hastily en route to Uni or homework. Here's last weekend, at Cath and Gord's house, with Hazel from UK who is moving to Australia.

Just a few more photos

. . . from the Persian Party. It was fun, and the paper from presents and the Paraphernalia is still hanging around. Phunny how many words to do with Party start with P. Hee hee.

Peter leaves town for good!

Sniff, here's the final shot of Peter and the trailer and car, and all his stuff. Off to Te Awamutu. Had to unload the trailer FIRST and then load it with his accumulations from the last twenty years. Quite a little considering, but the dust, the dust.
Anyway, feeling a little sorry to see him go, but he is heading into the big outdoors, and the nursery, so it's all upward and onward for HIM.

A time for every season under heaven.

How to have a Persian Party!

Yep - you get a couple of dancing girls, some friends dressed up in middle-eastern gard, and your mothers mandolin group to play. It works. Hee hee

NOw I truly AM fifty years on this planet

Aw, shucks, that's me about to go off the Auckland's Sky Tower Restaurant in company with good friend Peter, who really was charming and treated me so well! (Check out the huge bunch of white flowers!)
I had a Persian Party on Saturday night, that the whole church came to, and family, and friends, and we had a couple of traditional belly dancers come who got us all up dancing (you should have seen Mark Boyd!) And my mother's mandolin group were so funny and so good. The two authentic Iranians in our midst, who lived in the house that we held the party in, were most impressed!
A good night had by all, and particularly one very spoiled little princess who is lavished with endless amounts of grace and love by the One who created her.
Sigh.

Tr ip to the zoo

Yes, what you see is MOST of the church in TE Atatu, Auckland on a trip to the zoo last Saturday. The Trasses couldn't be there, nor could Tracey, but ALL the rest of us are under the elephant. And yes, we do have the real elephants, but things have become so pc these days, that you need binoculars to see them. Hee hee. Gone are the days of small cages and various mentally unhealthy animals - thank GOD.
We had a great time, four hours in all, wandering around and investigating wild beasts. The kookaburra was the most interesting, and had a mouse in its beak, but still managed to 'laugh'.
Warn out and needed a wee rest when we got back.
Wish you could have been there, anyone reading this!

Jan's birthday

Whew it's high time I got a new picture that actually works in here. THis was taken an hour ago at my sister's place after a surprise party for Jan, who turned 40 today. Jemma is taking the photo. That's Lorna, me, Jan, Helen and Tracey at the table - the entire sisterhood of Auckland, NZ. After singing the lovely song "I breathed out love and made this day for you" to Jan, she opened her presents, and we had a cup of tea in bone china teacups, and the cake, which is a prune and pumpkin cake (don't imagine you AMericans would like the sound of it, but it was delicious!)
The conversation, after festivities, was all about New Orleans, and the paper this morning was covered in photos, and so we ended on a grim note, but nevertheless, HE is LIFE.