COFFEE!

And in the search for a good coffee at home, I have been into TradeMe (read 'Ebay' you Americans), and purchased this delightful machine which I hope will make me the sort of coffee you see at the top of this page. It's SO important how you start the day!
. . . and if you live close enough to me to benefit from one of those cups of flat white, or latte, and know where I live, then please, this is your invitation to turn up and ask for one.

Springtime at Mt Pirongia

Well, it's been three months since I last left the city!!!! With great joy I departed on Friday for Te Awamutu, and the nearby Mt Pirongia Craft Festival on Saturday. Peter was able to get the day off and come too, so we enjoyed the whole day doing the various markets, and then the Hamilton gardens and art gallery.
The blossoms at the nursery were in full bloom. . .
here we are enjoying a coffee during the crowded wander through the main street of Pirongia.

. . . and handy mirror and I took our photo on an angle
some pottery seagulls that caught my eye.

Early morning walk again - go on, come with us!

This year I've been doing an hour-long walk with Jan at 6.30. It's time you took the walk with us. And just prior to daylight saving, it's quite light at that time. I wait on the corner and soon see the shape and colour of Jan making her way up from the end of the cul-de-sac.
Nice foggy morning today, so added a romantic light to common everyday objects and scenes. . .
the camellias and rhodadendrons out in full bloom. . .
and even one of our favourite cafes was starting to open its doors. . .
we crossed the main road and got down to the good stuff. The sun fiercely trying shine through thick fog. . .
. . . can't see the city through the low cloud
Ah, but in this direction, the path is clear, and UP
still, a lovely pastel light on the hidden city and harbour. . .
. . . hilarious sight of tall thin jogger, and squat short dog attempting to keep up, heading past us. . . down the hill again toward the fog
and then our eyelashes and hair heavy with water drops as we negotiate mysterious paths

and the happy sight of my home ahead of me, and the bush of birds-of-paradise that trumpets our triumphant return.

The Boyd's HOLE

Now I have to get this hole business in here, it's taken up so much of Jan's mind of late. They are getting the drainage system sorted for their end of the street by allowing the council to dig deep in their section to replace some much needed piping. Jan has been absorbed by the sheer size of the operation. Here she is in her favourite place:
And here are the men trying to work. . .
and the pipe on it's way toward the hole. . .
and Jan and I and the HOLE. . .
and finally, last but by far least, the HOLE

Dad's 80th at last!

We had Dad's birthday bbq at Helen's yesterday, with over 20 of the whanau present to celebrate. Three special guests were Phil and William over from California, and Uncle Murray, Dad's younger brother up from Waihi for the occasion.
Dad prepares to blow out birthday cake - poppyseed and orange with 8 candles.
Here we all are, except Jemma who was working, and Chris, Steve's youngest son.
A group in Helen's kitchen.
Helen holds the music for the item.
We were glad it was a dry day, and the overcast skies for much of it, saved our skins!
the four siblings in order of height, and dare I say, size.
Phil sang two of Dad's favourites, with a bit of help from us at times: You are my sunshine, and 'Fields of Gold' by Sting.
Even Helen Clark was present.
Two sets of brothers and Mum.

Ode to the Moon

This was the moon's eclipse last night, and we all watched it - turning from a full white circle, to red for an hour. Lovely, lovely.
And I must wax lyrical - or at least borrow someone else's waxing:
THE HALF MOON SHOWS
A FACE OF PLAINTIVE SWEETNESS

The half moon shows a face of plaintive sweetness
Ready and poised to wax or wane;
A fire of pale desire in incompleteness,
Tending to pleasure or to pain:-
Lo, while we gaze she rolleth on in fleetness
To perfect loss or perfect gain.
Half bitterness we know, we know half sweetness;
This world is all on wax, on wane:
When shall completeness round time's incompleteness,
Fulfilling joy, fulfilling pain?-
Lo, while we ask, life rolleth on in fleetness
To finished loss or finished gain.

By Christina Rossetti

Family stuff

Yep, it's great hanging out with family - especially when you all share similar sense of humour. Here some of us are at Frasers Cafe in Mt Eden, yesterday, Phil, and his two eblings, and Helen and I.
We went to Mission Bay and walked around the drive to Kohimarama Beach, where we found a sturdy seat to lower ourselves onto. As you can imagine, we all had to move as one to lift up from it at the end. Made our way back to Mission Bay for fish and chips overlooking the ocean.
Phil does a magnificent impression of a Mako shark - and William is now adept at it. Sucking in his chin and throwing his 'ski jump' nose out, he now moves his whole body like a shark as he moves along. It is most impressive and had us in fits.

Three International Visitors. . .

Young brother Phil has arrived back from California with son William to celebrate Dad's 80th in a week's time. This was them on the first day here (yesterday) with Magda happily squeezed between brother and Dad at the kidney-shaped table at the parental abode.
Ah, lunch, and the delights of family humour bandied around.
Pretty typical sight, Dad waving walking stick around, William playing puzzle, Mum digging for cutlery. . .
Mum and I . . .
and that same evening I went to enjoy Hazel's company over dinner with Cathy at Heather's place. Did I say that right? Four of us enjoyed each other's company, over a delish meal at Heather and Steve's home. Just the girls. Hazel is here from Canberra for a few days.

Living in the music. . .

This is what happens when you drag out your cello again - you end up in 'celloland', painting it and then finding yourself listening to the music as well, on the radio. This is the second painting of a cellist I've done in succession. The other on the other blogsite. Just sold.

Dusting off the cello

It finally happened - last Sunday night, after a wonderful dinner with an old high school friend, Rachel, we got out our stringed instruments and whipped through a few hymns. Helen brought her violin, and Rachel and I resumed our old positions from the year 1971 - that of 1st and 2nd cellos in the Auckland Girls Grammar School orchestra. We had a few laughs, and I think we played probably as well as we did then.
And so far this is the only photo I have found of those days. Rachel joined us the following year. That sullen looking girl in the dead centre front is me. Ah, the memories.

Peter's birthday weekend

The sunrises have been glorious, on Jan and my early morning walks. The tempestuous state of the winter weather means that the sky is an everchanging canvas of colour and mood. How's this for one morning's work:
On the right is the Skytower and city, the sun is looking as if it just burst out of the crater on Rangitoto, and the harbour bridge is just below.

Peter came up for the weekend to celebrate his coming birthday. I gave him the painting I did of the two of us at the top of the Ruapane Trig on Pirongia. He's tilting his head in like fashion.
With the painting as a back drop, this is the four of us enjoying birthday dinner of lamb shanks followed by turkish honey and almond cake.

We also saw movies. This occasion it was the four of us seeing 'Starter for Ten' at the Bridgeway on Saturday afternoon.
And John and Naomi Cowan were on their way in as we were leaving, and took this of us.
Although we are standing by the poster of Amazing Grace, it was the movie Peter and I had seen the night before. Amazing movie!