Goodbye 2011

That was one fast year! What will 2012 hold?

Petone Library

The pic is of the mural in Petone Library, which I visited for the first time yesterday. My details are all updated and I'm a borrower once more. I'm already well into one of the books - six in total from the biographies section, which looks well-stocked and very promising for future visits. Roll on the rain.

Holiday Movie #1

Very, very good.

A Late Starter ...

... but as it was only planted a month or two ago that is to be expected in its first year here. Regardless, Millie and I are very proud of the blooms appearing on our special tree. And the spectacular weather continues.

Christmas on the Beach

A perfect start to a lovely day. I can't remember a Christmas with better weather, and over so many consecutive days. How lucky we are!

Merry Christmas

Glorious

By some miracle, I was awake early and walking on the beach before seven this morning. Not a breath of wind and clear blue skies. Watched an Interislander ferry enter the heads and glide slowly its dock, while the Eastbourne ferry seemed to race across the harbour by comparison. This summer I am aiming to make it to Sommes Island on just such a morning. Christmas Eve Eve - and the pohutukawa trees in Petone continue to delight. This particular one is right by my house. So sad to hear that, while we have had such a perfect day here, Christchurch has been rocked yet again.

Holiday Plans

I think the sign for my street sums up perfectly my plans for the break. A home-based, relaxing time enjoying being where I am. Last Christmas holidays were consumed by selling, buying and moving. This year the pace will be considerably slower.

Christmas Traditions

If you have ever been a Stokes Valley resident then it really isn't Christmas until waving Santa appears above the gate of a main road house. And it simply wouldn't be right not to wave back every time you pass. It was nice to have at least one opportunity this year to complete this festive tradition.

Beautiful Day

And a good run of weather ahead. Morning tea with an old friend and then a run back to good old Stokes Valley to deliver gifts. I love being on holiday!

Out and About

A busy first day of the holidays that necessitated setting the alarm for an early start. Joined the commuter rush into Wellington. It makes me really appreciate not having to do that every day, but not a bother when not rushing to a workplace. Had my first visit to the re-vamped Wellington Hospital - all very pleasant as hospitals go. Karori and the central city also visited, and in Brooklyn visited a new (to me) cafe that boasts of roasting its own coffee beans, which indeed could be observed from my table. It's now early evening, the sun is shining and I am going to stroll into the Hutt for a little light shopping and socialising. Life is good.

There's a fine line ...

... between festive and just plain creepy. Bed, Bath and Beyond have crossed that line and then some. He's almost life size and starts singing as you walk in the door. I'm not sure why they are worried we might want to touch him.

Day One

Life now turns to lazy lie-ins, eating and shopping. Stretching ahead, six glorious weeks at the beach - and I don't have to pack!

The Reason for the Season

Post Out

The time has come to sit and write out the Christmas cards - this evening it is to be all completed. Every year I wish I had saved the address list with the post codes, but as usual I will need to look up each one online and probably still not bother to write them down for next year.

The Domestic Arts

Dessert for tomorrow evening, when a small gathering will take place in Petone. A satisfying project completed.

Deck the Halls

Although this photo is us decking the dining room. But we do have tinsel and reindeer in the hall!

Smelling Sweet

The replacement garden for the nasty box hedging is coming along nicely. There was a confusing array of lavender plants to choose from so I am pleased that the ones I chose have turned out to have such nice bright and chubby flower heads. The pittosporum hedging plants are doing very well and have nearly doubled in size since they were planted. The back garden is the project this weekend.

Candy Cane Mice

Today we decorated our class Christmas tree with candy cane mice - very cute. Next week is going to be very busy with Christmas fun - including our class nativity item, dress rehearsal on Monday and the show on Tuesday.

It's That Time of Year Again

Nothing better than a Christmas song, but Bob's jingle is always particularly addictive. So, here we go for Christmas 2011!

At The Dowse

Saw two great exhibitions today. The Scott Eady 100 Bikes Project - strangely mesmerising to see all the brightly coloured bikes. Bedazzled is a collection of Royal NZ Ballet Costumes, designed by Kristian Fredrikson. There are costumes from a number of ballets, including Cinderella and Peter Pan. But the costumes that particularly appealed to me were the white and black swans from Swan Lake. I can't say I have much interest in ballet, but since seeing The Black Swan at the movies I have gained a slight appreciation for the art, and a working knowledge of the story of Swan Lake. Ballet lover or not, the costumes are well worth a visit.

The Local Watering Hole

No matter what time of day one passes, there is always a gathering of the health conscious busily filling their containers with pure, untreated Petone artesian water. I really must start doing the same. That might be a 2012 resolution ...

Outings

A very exciting weekend for my little car. It can sometimes sit at home, in the garage, for weeks on end. Yesterday it not only had an outing to the supermarket, but also a visit to a petrol station - it's first refuel since July. Carbon footprint-wise we are feeling rather virtuous. Today it has an exciting run all the way to Seatoun.

Earthquake!

As luck would have it, I was out walking on the beach when this evening's earthquake struck - 5.7 and 40km from here. I didn't feel a thing, but friends I called in on said it was a frightening one. When I got home, Millie's only concern was food bowl and tummy related.

Busy

Christmas craft day today at school. Lots of fun. Very busy, very tired. Roll on the weekend.

Summer

Officially day one of the new season, and a cracking good one at that. The pohutukawa trees would appear to be spot on with their prediction and apparently the cabbage trees are also pointing to a stunning summer. Holidays starting to look within grasp, but not on track with Christmas shopping and cards.

Late Night Out ...

... and a few wines!

Thoughts Turn to Christmas Lights

I don't want to start until it's actually December, but I do enjoy Christmas decorations - particularly lights. Some fellow bloggers have made a most enthusiastic and comprehensive start in this department and I salute their efforts. I am inspired! Watch this space.

Voting at the Beach

There's a definite pacifica feel to Petone voting. Apparently, since I turned up to participate in the democratic prcess, I am now fully entitled to bitch and moan about anything and everything for the next three years. Those who didn't bother enjoy no such rights. Heavens knows how this is monitored, but it must be right because I heard it on talk-back radio!

The End is in Sight

I will be so pleased to see the end of the election campaign. We will awake in the morning to all the ghastly hoardings gone and can turn on the television without fear of stumbling onto an election debate or the endless analysis of who did the best. These zealous campaigners I snapped a few weeks ago struggling on a slippery slope to raise their sign will have to return and remove it. It's not all beneficiary bashing and tax avoidance when you're true blue, sometimes you actually have to roll up your sleeves and raise a sweat!

If the Thorn of a Rose ...

... is the thorn in your side,

Then you're better off dead if you haven't yet died.

Sage words. This is my favourite Elton album, though I could list scores of songs from his other ones that I love, too.

Christmas Countdown

Suddenly, it's all on. The first Christmas card arrived today and above is the scene looking down on Santa's throne and the giant tree at Queensgate as seen at lunchtime. I do like the polar theme Queensgate have embraced this year.

Wellywood and Beyond

I quite like the latest, and apparently chosen, sign for Wellington. I do hasten to add though, that I really think the whole 'windy Wellington' thing is greatly overplayed - it's really not that bad. Springtime has brought some expected equinoctial winds, but surely not to the Wellington region alone. Anyway, since a weta or tuatara have been ruled out, this will do just fine.

Paleo

I have been a paleo lifestyler for over three years now. I eat well, as much as I like, whenever I like. I am full of energy, feel great and love life. Over the three years the sound science I have followed is slowly becoming more and more mainstream, and the nonsense of low-fat dieting is being finally exposed for the con it is. I lost a little weight when I started this way of eating, and it has stayed fairly constant since. Not that it's about that for me any more - I just want to feel great and skip as many of the modern diseases that plague the western world as I can.

In Praise of the Renga Renga

I have never had the pleasure of renga renga in my garden before. The ones here have produced stunning flower heads and are making a great show both outside and in. I rate them right up there with the delightful hydrangea and agapanthus - high praise, indeed!

Another Working Week ...

... neatly packed away. A weekend awaits . Life is good!

Pretty

A meeting in town and dinner at Portafino this evening. I enjoyed seeing this gorgeous outdoor Christmas tree on Lambton Quay. I love the build up to Christmas - and the Christmas music. Kirkcaldies are yet to reveal their Christmas windows, so must have a day in Wellington to take that in and turn my attention to some serious shopping. And summer is practically here!

Fine Dining in Petone

A selection of seeds and fruits are on offer at our stylish new bird feeding station. We will add some fancy feeders into the system as money allows, but in the meantime Millie looks forward to welcoming lots of feathered friends into our garden.

SweetPea, Petone

As if there weren't already enough reasons to love Petone, now we have an AMAZING place serving high teas! The food is fantastic, staff are so friendly and efficient, the decor delightful, the china Wedgewood and the pricing is very reasonable. Had a wonderful time there today with good friends, so perfect all round!

A Good Doco

You can't beat a good documentary, and the place to find them of a reliably high quality is Maori Television. Saw one tonight about a Maori boy, only 16, studying at Yale. Lovely portrait of family and community life. A refreshing change from endless programmes about fat people and crime scenes on TVNZ. They show some brilliant movies, too. I need to keep a much closer eye on the schedules.

Friday

Two sleep-ins ahead, a fair bit of school work and a little socialising. Works for me!

Second class Citizen ...

.... or at least second class shopper. I think that's how Farmers view me. I am the sort of shopper they really can't abide - I have the audacity to only buy what I can actually afford, and have the cheek to want to do so with cash. I therefore cannot participate in the special 'cardholders day' because, essentially, retail is not the key area of business for this chain. The big money is in credit cards and this is what the Farmers card is. The Queensgate branch was thronging with shoppers today, eagerly running up credit on assorted crap. Happily for me, I don't think I'll be joining the club any time soon- as 'exclusive' as they claim it to be!

The Best Day of the Week ...

... television-wise! How comforting is a solid British costume drama after a busy, though very pleasant, day at the chalk-face.

Mad World

Election times are a real downer. Wouldn't it be nice if all the nonsense made any real change for the good, but in the end I doubt it will - regardless of who wins.

Pottering

The new garden in the front is coming along nicely. The lovely garden lights I received recently are the perfect addition. They act as a guard against the hose being inadvertently pulled over the lavenders when I am watering the pots and look extra pretty at night. I also put in a kowhai in the back garden and had a general day of pottering in the house and garden - bliss!

Sunny Saturday

Millie examines garden ornaments

How lovely to wake to a sunny morning and an absence of wind. Did cloud over towards midday, with brief rain and hail, before sunning up once more. The weather for the last few days has been very unpredictable and that wind was horrendous. Millie was enjoying the sun on the deck this morning, after a tense time last evening. She is really terrified of fireworks, and some neighbours made a start a day early. She will have a dreadful time tonight and I will be out at a function - poor baby, all alone. I love fireworks, but I loathe Guy Fawkes putting them in the hands of idiots. Hope to see the Wellington display from the beach at Eastbourne if I can sneak out of the festivities.

Classic Ad

It used to be the 'always blow on the pie' cop, but now the definite latest thing is any version of the 'I can't eat your ghost chips' ad to battle drink driving. A very good ad, and VERY kiwi. This particular spin on it really appealed to me.

At the Movies

I really enjoy The Inbetweeners on UKTV, so the movie was a must for me. I had to slum it with the general riff-raff at the Events Cinema complex, but the early time slot meant there were only about eight of us in total, so not too bad. Warnings of sexual scenes, full-frontal nudity and foul language proved pleasingly correct - a good mindless, but well written romp that only British movie makers can really do well. Meanwhile the reports are still waiting, so I have revised the timetable. Instead of one per day, the aim is two - which may be revised to four if I don't get going very soon!

Halloween

Millie decided against dressing up this year. The Petone children are far more organised than the Stokes Valley ones seemed - although I did have a gate there and people often assumed a dog might be waiting behind it, so Trick or Treaters were few and far between and I often was forced to polish off the leftover of Freddo frogs. This year I have a big bag of lollies, of dodgy foreign origin, and luckily so - the last little girl had silly string and she wasn't afraid to use it on unco-operative neighbours. Halloween seems to be growing here. Not sure I think that's a great idea - but as a kid I would have thought it was brilliant, so I play along.

2000 Pieces Later ...

... mission accomplished.

Price Increase

Hopefully it's to pay for an on-site dictionary! I won't be dropping my car off at this car valet service in Queensgate - it's looking decidedly dodgy these days.