Catching the Magic

Two Brits in Aotearoa bringing up three NZ born daughters. Our children: Our future. Haere Mai!

  • Home
  • About
  • Blasts from the past
  • Country Kids
  • Motherhood
  • Poetry
    • 2011 Poetry
    • 2012 Poetry
    • 2013 Poetry
    • 2014 Poetry
    • 2015 Poetry
    • 2016 Poetry
    • 2017-2018 Poetry
  • Travel
    • Auckland in 7 days – June 2010
    • Byron Bay and the Gold Coast (2005 and 2016)
    • Californian Adventures, 2013-14
    • Canada, Dec. 2018
    • Copenhagen, July & August 2014
    • Long haul travel, New Zealand to England, with our 9 month old
    • England via San Francisco – July 2007
    • England via Santa Barbara & San Francisco, 2012
    • UK Visits from 2014 to 2022
    • Fiordland
    • Japan
    • Kapiti Coast
    • Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough & Canterbury
    • Otago, Queenstown, Wanaka & Southern Lakes
    • Singapore
    • Sydney
    • Taupo, Rotorua & Tongariro National Park
    • Wairarapa
  • Photo Gallery
  • Running
  • Special Days

SantaBarbara

Back to better health & really ready for 2014

January 13, 2014 BritMumInNZ Leave a comment New beginnings

There’s nothing worse than flu to knock a person off kilter. It’s worse when the whole family, children and all, are affected. It’s forced us all to slow down and write off the first week or so of this New Year. The only silver lining for the adults, particularly me, has been a forced detox […]

Continue reading


A place with no real weather | Prose for Thought

December 18, 2013 BritMumInNZ 2 Comments Adventures, Lifestyle, Missing New Zealand, New beginnings, Poetry

Dare I say, ‘I’m getting used to this place’? Where the weather barely changes – apart from the length of light in a day. Where clouds are cause for exclamation – and rain is a rare, yet welcome, distraction. I’ve come from a place that knows big weather, where a person learns to dress in […]

Continue reading


Feeling Festive | The Photo Gallery

December 10, 2013 BritMumInNZ 6 Comments Photo Gallery

It’s been so many years since we’ve celebrated the festive season in the northern hemisphere. It took me well over a decade to adjust to celebrating in the southern hemisphere – and just when I thought I’d finally done it… I went and jinxed it! Spending Christmas in Santa Barbara is a wonderful ‘best of […]

Continue reading


Silent Sunday

December 1, 2013 BritMumInNZ 5 Comments Silent Sunday Photographs

 

Continue reading


Moments of happiness with friends from NZ on Santa Barbara’s Waterfront

November 30, 2013September 12, 2014 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Adventures

It’s been a lovely week shared with friends. We returned from Disneyland on Tuesday evening and have been enjoying a quieter time back at the house in Santa Barbara. The children have been playing in the pool a lot and we’ve had a couple of trips out and about, including a gorgeous little boat trip […]

Continue reading


Prose for Thought – Rain in the Black of Night

November 21, 2013 BritMumInNZ 10 Comments Missing New Zealand, New beginnings, Poetry

It’s been months since we’ve had consistent rain in Santa Barbara, Southern California. As much as I adore the sunshine, I do miss the ever-changing weather of our home in Wellington, New Zealand. Last night, and this evening, we’ve had proper rain – that lasts for more than an hour and leaves real puddles behind! […]

Continue reading


The days before routines return

August 27, 2013 BritMumInNZ 7 Comments Education, Lifestyle, New beginnings

Tomorrow school starts for the year. Two of our three children will start at a new school, in a new country, in a completely different hemisphere. Our Miss 10 is coming from a private girls school in Wellington, New Zealand. Our Miss 7 is coming from a couple of years of free-spirited ‘natural learning’ (home […]

Continue reading


Exploring new ground: Labyrinth

August 26, 2013 BritMumInNZ 3 Comments Poetry, Trails

Running a new trail, no preconceptions Following the track, as long as it runs. Uphill legs are taken without knowing Desire to explore overriding exertion. Unexpected surprises of nature – Cross the path ahead, & sour in the sky. A labyrinth of trails, for mind and soul – Prick the senses, revive the body. © […]

Continue reading


A Week of Firsts in Santa Barbara: The Good & The Bad…

August 23, 2013 BritMumInNZ 10 Comments New beginnings

It’s been a week of firsts here in Santa Barbara. First time for driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road; first purchase of a brand new car (a very nice 2014 Acura MDX) in America (serious paper work!), with the driver’s seat on the left hand side; first time dinging a rental vehicle three […]

Continue reading


Follow

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Christmas and a Birthday in Wellington January 12, 2023
  • Summer highlights from the Wairarapa January 8, 2023
  • A long weekend with friends near Goat Island Marine Reserve January 6, 2023
  • It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – southern hemisphere style! December 23, 2022
  • Wellington Lantern Festival – in the spring rain December 18, 2022
  • Toast Martinborough – Wine and Food Festival December 16, 2022
  • Spring running highlights on Wellington’s trails December 14, 2022
  • Trail goodness in the southern Remutaka Ranges October 25, 2022
  • Family, hills & roller-coasters! October 22, 2022
  • Summer visit to London in July; seeing friends, West End Shows, National Art Gallery, Women’s Euro 2022 & corgis! October 14, 2022
  • North-east Cornwall holiday snapshots (part 2) September 3, 2022
  • Summer holiday in North-East Cornwall (part 1) August 30, 2022

Things I Write About

Art (100) autumn (42) Baking (37) beach (67) Birthday (49) birthday party (31) breastfeeding (29) cafes (46) christmas (70) Country Kids (59) family (115) family time (56) featured (34) friends (38) Garden (43) holiday (36) Holidays (129) Lyall Bay (47) Lyrical Sunday (68) milestones (62) motherhood (37) New Zealand (38) parenting (36) photography (39) poem (70) poetry (92) running (56) Santa Barbara (32) school (75) school holidays (49) seasons (45) Silent Sunday (51) sisters (29) sleep (35) spring (38) summer (60) swimming (28) the gallery (62) Things I'm Loving (118) UK (30) Walks (47) weather (34) Wellington (137) winter (42) writing (50)

Poetry

Follow Sarah's board Poetry by Sarah Lee on Pinterest.
20 Of The Best Expat Blogs To Follow In 2017
dazzling Theme by Colorlib Powered by WordPress