After last night’s post of gloomy weather we woke this morning to such a treat – blue sky! It’s calm, sunny and the day is full of promise. Heading out around the bays for some fresh sea air and to check out the new Chocolate Fish at Shelly Bay. School holidays are over and spring […]
Random Musings
Less than perfect weather for the school hols
My geographers roots always have me studying the weather, amongst other things, and with the recent cold snaps hitting the country I thought I’d take a look at some statistics. Just when we were being lulled into a false sense of security that spring was really here, a wintry blast has seen us reach for […]
Sunshine and winter bugs
Photo credit: DAN LEE – View from Princess Bay, Wellington We have been pretty lucky so far this winter on the bugs front, but of course the incessant background talk of swine flu makes us nervous at every cough and sneeze (and has made us diligent, over paranoid hand washers). On Saturday morning we woke […]
Big Swell in Lyall Bay
On Sunday ‘avo we took a walk along View Road, overlooking Lyall Bay, and were amazed at the incredibly high tide. We’ve never seen it as high. It was breaking over the sea wall and drenching people walking past. As we made our way down from the ridge to the bay we saw a family, […]
Being thankful
The past week and a bit has gone by so fast. As parents it is so easy for our children’s lives to pass as fast as one wild and crazy roller-coaster ride. But also, as individuals it is also very easy to be so caught up in ‘doing’ that we rarely allow ourselves a pause […]
Serenely Beautiful
After dropping Charli at school this morning, Sophie and I drove into the city with Dan and were greeted to the most breathtaking scene of low lying cloud. We pulled over to gaze in awe and had the feeling it was going to be a very good day – and indeed it was. Wellington has […]
Midwinter detoxing
This is day six of no wine, beer or secret puffs. Even coffee has been put to one side (though I have weakened a couple of times). My kitchen drawer is stocked with a selection of herbal brews. I even carried a small box of chamomile in my handbag to Sophie’s afternoon Kindi today (and […]
Getting in the flow
Okay, I’ve accepted it, finally! Always takes me a while to get into the swing of the change of seasons. The toy box of board games has an open-lid once more. The books are steadily streaming off the shelves for the girls and I faster than I can put them back. The indoor retreats of […]
Seasonal Tides like the Cycle of Life
Wild weather is sweeping the country at the moment and Sophie and I took a moment to stop for lunch on the south coast. From the comfort of the car we watched the ‘ba dooms!’ as the waves crashed on the rocks. Needless to say, all ferry crossings were cancelled! We’re rugging up and keeping […]
Jedi Charli Returns to School
Charli bounded into school this morning, running ahead of us, with great excitement. She ran into her new class with no hesitation. She eagerly sat on the mat as soon as the bell rang. We left quickly. Sophie was in my arms, very sad and choked up. Dan was with me for moral support and […]
Twinkle, twinkle in the night
Lights glittered through the trees and music throbbed in the warm, night air. Small hands fumbled with car-seat buckles. They couldn’t wait to escape the confines of the car and be amongst the music and lights. As soon as their feet touched the ground their bodies started moving to the music. Running down the fern […]
Eyes as fresh as a new dawn
Her smile rises before her eyelids have even opened. She feels the warmth of the new day filtering through the blinds and hears the melodic birds in the garden. Stretching out her arms, and letting out an involuntary sigh of peaceful happiness, she reaches over to her mother’s warm body. She’s there. Eyes bright and […]
‘Me-Time’: Bringing out the Best
Friends often ask, “Do you get much time to yourself?” And I smile contentedly and reply, “Not really, but that is fine with me.” But this answer is not strictly true. It is not that I don’t get ‘me time’, it’s just that the definition I have for it has changed and yet my friends […]
Ever felt like you are on the outside of a bubble looking in?