Now at COVID day 10, still pretty wrung out - mild cold symptoms but feeling fuzzy in the head. Cricket and soccer have been good to watch! Mrs Curly is back at work today (in full PPE) while Middle has brushed it off. We've managed not to pass it on to Little Miss so she's out and about enjoying her uni break.
Good friends have sold up close by and moved to the northern beaches so hoping to be fit for their housewarming on Saturday. Will start to engage with work tomorrow but I think the last real action winds up mid this week anyway.
We had an enormous electrical storm yesterday with lots of lightning, thunder and heavy rain. We lost power for some hours, but no visible damage at our house. We have been in need of rain, so that was very welcome.
Feeling rather forlorn, as my lovely daughter and three grandchildren (16,14,12) have flown off back to Canada. They used to come every second year but with Covid it was three years this time. We had a few days at our bach (my spell-checker will insist on a capital on the Coromandel — no ocean at inland BC — then back to doing fun things around Wellington like a day tramp to the Orongorongo valley, and a last day run up the Kaukau (the Khandallah Park where you start was my grandparents' cow paddock in about 1910) while I waited at the house with my walking frame. They each very lovingly supported me when I was using my cane, and I had some fairly deep conversation with each kid. But I wonder what sort of state I'll be in on their next visit.
So it's back to FaceTime again.
Weather getting more than ordinarily hot. Must plan survival tactics...
Did you tramp along the Five Mile Track? I've done that tramp a couple of times, once when I was at High School and once with my youngest brother who, unlike me, is very fit. The first time the fantails were dancing in the air, chasing the insects our class stirred up as we crashed through the bush. The second time with Kim was better as he is so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the area. I'd like to walk the track that goes trough the area where kiwi were released. Kim says I would have to be fitter. I think he has visions of being expected to carry me.
The temperature was forecast to reach 27C here today, but it didn't feel that hot, although the bus was full of teenagers going to the beach, who sang a loud chorus of The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
It is hard having family so far away and not knowing when you will see them again. My middle brother and his partner are planning a trip here. they had better come because I've tidyed the house for them!
Ah, the good ole Five Mile! Beginningn with the Puffer up the hillside. Later the start was from the car-park at the edge of the bush — and I eventually figured that it never was five miles, maybe five kilometres. And eventually the streams we used to splash across were nicely bridged. Jacob's Ladder that took you down to the river at the end was closed even last time I was there as it was crumbling and unsafe, and there's a gentle descent nearby.
In the 60s I had weekends at Stag Lodge, an elaborate bach belonging to our art teacher. Years later I took our two kids (I think it was after the owner had ceased to go) which had rats running round under the roof — then it was destroyed by order of the authorities.
The family also had a morning at Adrenalin Forest, and I have videos of one of the kids travelling across lines at the tops of gigantic trees.
I think the Five Miles actually started further back, but am hazy on the details. Gollans Valley came into mind as an original starting point, but I don't really know the geography of that area.
I fear that I have contracted Covid again just in time for Christmas. Unfortunately I visited a nursing home to play the organ for a carol service and they omitted to tell me the home had active Covid cases. Looks like we will have to cancel all our Christmas arrangements. I'm still to discover if I will get the antivirals this time. They really knocked me around last time.
Rhubarb, sorry to hear that. I hope they find some other anti-virals with fewer side effects for you this time.
My oldest brother got chickenpox as a child one Christmas as he reminded us every Christmas for the next ten years or so.
Good that you found some fun in the middle of it all Mr Curly.
My host on Christmas day rang me earlier in the week to let me know a friend of his would be joining us for Christmas lunch, then rang yesterday to say the friend had Covid so will be isolating. I'm very sorry he has it, but very relieved he found out before Christmas day. In NZ this latest wave seems to have affected a greater number of older people, so I'm being more cautious and increasing my mask use - which is recommended, but not compulsory.
My host on Christmas day rang me earlier in the week to let me know a friend of his would be joining us for Christmas lunch, then rang yesterday to say the friend had Covid so will be isolating. I'm very sorry he has it, but very relieved he found out before Christmas day. In NZ this latest wave seems to have affected a greater number of older people, so I'm being more cautious and increasing my mask use - which is recommended, but not compulsory.
There are stories going around here of another burst of covid, but no-one actually knows of anyone who's part of it. We still wear our masks when we're around others, and a particularly careful when on trains, stations etc.
There has been quite a bit of COVID in our region in recent weeks. I am a volunteer tour guide for a couple of local projects and suspect I may have contracted the virus that way - it's very hard to deliver an intelligible commentary through a mask - even though much of the tour is in open air. We've also had a number of cases across the parish, even though people have generally been fairly careful. Fortunately, the symptoms have been reasonably mild.
There has been quite a bit of COVID in our region in recent weeks. I am a volunteer tour guide for a couple of local projects and suspect I may have contracted the virus that way - it's very hard to deliver an intelligible commentary through a mask - even though much of the tour is in open air. We've also had a number of cases across the parish, even though people have generally been fairly careful. Fortunately, the symptoms have been reasonably mild.
I was to attend a lunch last Friday but at the last moment had to take my other half to pathology for some tests. Had a call early this evening from a lady who went and now has covid. Seems I dodged a bullet.
I've just heard that there.'s been a positive test in the family who were to pick me up for church tomorrow. a substitute has been organised; she has invited me to Christmas dinner, and I hope none of her large family will later turn out to have been infected.
My Daughter and grandchildren have been here for the first visit in three years and have returned to Canada, so I'm feeling a bit forlorn; my son and daughter-in-law have gone to our beach house for a badly-needed break; the only week not booked (Summer guests for income for maintenance) was Christmas week. So I'm with my church family.
GG I hope your hosts are healthy and that Christmas goes well for you.
I had the idea of baking rum and raisin muffins this morning. The raisins have been soaking in the rum for a couple of nights, but as the eggbeater is missing in action the baking will have to wait until I come back from Christmas lunch and have time to search for it. If all else fails I'll take everything to the friend's house where I'm having Boxing Day lunch and borrow his eggbeater, though the toll he extracts will be high.
I'm quite tired from tidying and organising my house and was thinking longingly of the time I told everyone I was having Christmas with someone else and stayed home alone, but this year I have promises to honour.
Not the greatest start to Christmas here either, as I was in hospital with a "transient" problem on the night of the 22nd. But compensation as several family members delayed their planned holidays by a few days, to see me get better, and to join us for Christmas lunch. We sat 12, including children, with me told to rest, though I enjoyed church, but the Marama and our son doing most of the food prep, including pre-cooking most of the meal the day before before the heat came on. Our belated summer started on Christmas Day, which was 32 degrees and sunny for Christmas Day.
32C forecast for today, which may not seem a lot to those across the ditch, but it doesn't happen often here.
I watered the garden at 7 a.m and have put out extra water for passing cats. I'm also taking advantage of of it being a good drying day by washing blankets and other bedding for guests coming in a few weeks. I suspect by mid day I will collapse in a heap, from the extra work, if not the heat.
We managed to get through Christmas celebrations with Mrs Curly’s family without COVID interrupting, which was a relief. Same can’t be said for the Curly relatives in Perth, where it seems the older crowd are happy to go to social functions with a nasty cough without testing - Mr Curly Snr caught it at Probus, and passed it on to a friend at dinner 4 days later before eventually submitting to testing the following day.
By that time (Sunday before Christmas) he was very sick, and it took my sister 2 phone calls, including shouting, to get Mrs Curly Snr to finally follow Mrs Dr Curly’s advice to call an ambulance. Ambo’s checked him out and he was ok, recovered in a week but missed family Christmas at my sister’s on 23rd.
We power on into 2023 anticipating Biggest getting engaged, Middle getting a job and Little Miss finishing her degree. I’m planning a big party to mark becoming eligible for a seniors card mid year, while we depart for Paris, south of France, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain for 6 weeks in late April.
Actually someone going for a holiday in the South of France ( my landlord at the time) and the realization that I had helped to fund it, led to me buying my house. Mortgage rates were a crippling 20% but by the time I made my first payment had begun to slide. I was congratulated on my timing - but it was sheer dumb luck. And now, with the mortgage long paid off, and with the lovely neighbours I have, I feel very fortunate indeed.
So much for our 32C day. The wind that in the winter is called the beasterly easterly saved us from anything higher than 26C, which was hot enough to dry blankets quickly, but not so hot I had to retire to the bath for long stretches of time.
A busy time in Curlyland. No sign of marriage for Dlet and his young lady, despite comments from us about grandchildren. Fortunately, we've avoided covid, as have all our family and friends. A dull social life is a small price to pay. We did go to a very grand funeral mid-year, but everyone wore masks and as far as I know, there was no transmission. The only concert series for which we've kept subscriptions is held at Chatswood and everyone there wears masks.
My mother, kept making not-so-veiled hints about wanting grandchildren. One or my brothers who had lived out of town for some years asked what she was on about. "She wants grandchildren," I said.
He turned to her and asked, How do you know you haven't got any already?" Then left the room.
She was clearly upset and said, " That wasn't very nice." Which provided an opening for me to say more clearly than I had previously how I felt about her constant comments.
As it turned out she ended up with one grandchild when one of her other sons married.
Gee D, I think it's a difference in experience and perspective.
Mum was a devoted, very loving and loved mother who had a bee in her bonnet on this one topic, and being the only daughter I was on the receiving end of her comments more than my 3 brothers were. She really only stopped after I was raped.
I don't think all parents who make comments about wanting grandchildren are as obsessed as she was. Fortunately for her (and for him too he has said) her only Grandchild and his parents moved back to the valley where Mum and Dad lived and they saw each other often.
Very glad to report on cooler weather here in the national capital this morning. I don't know if it's getting older but the last few days of hotness have not been good as far as I'm concerned! Enjoyed a cloudy morning and a bit of weeding, but had best dash to have lunch and get ready for a Zoom meeting. Not sure if I'm too late - but a happy new year to all on this deck of the ship!
No worries Gee D, it was only after I'd posted it that I realised it could have come across as a criticism. To be honest I hadn't realised it was still a hot button issue for me, well after the time I need to let it go -the grandson I mentioned turned 30 last year,
Huia - We didn't read it as a criticism at all. You're not the only person whose relationship with one or both parents has its moments. It remains sound but there are hiccups - or some moments where the hiccups are very pronounced (like the ones you get in church).
Popping in here to say that I do hope all NZ based shipmates are doing ok.
Beaky daughter in the Far North says the flooding in North Island is unbelievable.
Her husband's cousin and family from Wellington were up staying with them and are now stranded and consequently still with them.....
"When visitors become Lodgers"!
I'm struggling with the worry of "when visitors don't arrive in the country at all". I'm not sure which date my brother and sister-in-law arrive in the country, but their plane is supposed to land at Auckland Airport which I think is closed.
The weather in Christchurch hasn't been affected at all, but I'm concerned about the widespread devastation which has affected large parts of the North Island as well as northern parts of the South Island.
I'm struggling with the worry of "when visitors don't arrive in the country at all". I'm not sure which date my brother and sister-in-law arrive in the country, but their plane is supposed to land at Auckland Airport which I think is closed.
The weather in Christchurch hasn't been affected at all, but I'm concerned about the widespread devastation which has affected large parts of the North Island as well as northern parts of the South Island.
All of you and your beautiful country are in my prayers
The east coast of the South Island north of Dunedin looks like the best place to be at the moment. I keep checking with Metservice in case this changes because flood mitigation work on the river at the bottom of our street has yet to be completed. I will be surprised and very annoyed if it does as I have spent a significant period of time tidying and cleaning the house for my visitors.
Update from Beaky daughter is that her area of the Far North has now declared a state of emergency.
She says the roads were horrendous but she managed to make it back from work.
Continued prayers for you all from here.
It looks like we have totally escaped the heavy rain here, but Auckland and Northland are a mess, In Brown's Bay Auckland Council Parking wardens were busy giving out parking tickets while people were trying to clean out their houses. Fortunately the tickets have been cancelled.
Now a question for Australian Shipmates - I know that voting is compulsory but has this always been so? If not when was it made compulsory?
And to get in before some start objecting to compulsory voting. No-one but you knows what you do in the polling booth. You can scrawl obscenities, write a limerick or 2, or just leave it blank. You can scrawl your obscenities etc and still mark your paper correctly - it will be counted as a valid vote. What you need to do is attend a polling station, collect the ballot paper(s) go into one of the booths and emerge a bit later placing your folded paper(s) in the appropriate box or boxes. So the term "compulsory voting" is strictly inaccurate.
It looks like we have totally escaped the heavy rain here, but Auckland and Northland are a mess, In Brown's Bay Auckland Council Parking wardens were busy giving out parking tickets while people were trying to clean out their houses. Fortunately the tickets have been cancelled.
Now a question for Australian Shipmates - I know that voting is compulsory but has this always been so? If not when was it made compulsory?
No objections or quibbles about the idea of people having to turn up from me Gee D - I wouldn't object if they brought it in here. The query came because of a song I was listening to about women's suffrage by Judy Small, who I believe gave up singing years ago to concentrate on her legal career. I followed her up with Mozart - a clarinet concerto then a bassoon concerto, just for a bit of variety.
I've just been talking to my youngest brother. The brother who lives in the US and his wife landed safely in Auckland. I had been worried the torrential rain might have closed the airport. I'm so relieved - now back to cleaning.
Comments
It would normally be paywalled but I'm using my subscriber allowance to spread it around.
Good friends have sold up close by and moved to the northern beaches so hoping to be fit for their housewarming on Saturday. Will start to engage with work tomorrow but I think the last real action winds up mid this week anyway.
mr curly
So it's back to FaceTime again.
Weather getting more than ordinarily hot. Must plan survival tactics...
The temperature was forecast to reach 27C here today, but it didn't feel that hot, although the bus was full of teenagers going to the beach, who sang a loud chorus of The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
It is hard having family so far away and not knowing when you will see them again. My middle brother and his partner are planning a trip here. they had better come because I've tidyed the house for them!
In the 60s I had weekends at Stag Lodge, an elaborate bach belonging to our art teacher. Years later I took our two kids (I think it was after the owner had ceased to go) which had rats running round under the roof — then it was destroyed by order of the authorities.
The family also had a morning at Adrenalin Forest, and I have videos of one of the kids travelling across lines at the tops of gigantic trees.
We've powered through Irreverent on Netflix. It's fun.
mr curly
My oldest brother got chickenpox as a child one Christmas as he reminded us every Christmas for the next ten years or so.
Good that you found some fun in the middle of it all Mr Curly.
My host on Christmas day rang me earlier in the week to let me know a friend of his would be joining us for Christmas lunch, then rang yesterday to say the friend had Covid so will be isolating. I'm very sorry he has it, but very relieved he found out before Christmas day. In NZ this latest wave seems to have affected a greater number of older people, so I'm being more cautious and increasing my mask use - which is recommended, but not compulsory.
There are stories going around here of another burst of covid, but no-one actually knows of anyone who's part of it. We still wear our masks when we're around others, and a particularly careful when on trains, stations etc.
I was to attend a lunch last Friday but at the last moment had to take my other half to pathology for some tests. Had a call early this evening from a lady who went and now has covid. Seems I dodged a bullet.
My Daughter and grandchildren have been here for the first visit in three years and have returned to Canada, so I'm feeling a bit forlorn; my son and daughter-in-law have gone to our beach house for a badly-needed break; the only week not booked (Summer guests for income for maintenance) was Christmas week. So I'm with my church family.
Thank you. Have been lurking and not posting!
I had the idea of baking rum and raisin muffins this morning. The raisins have been soaking in the rum for a couple of nights, but as the eggbeater is missing in action the baking will have to wait until I come back from Christmas lunch and have time to search for it. If all else fails I'll take everything to the friend's house where I'm having Boxing Day lunch and borrow his eggbeater, though the toll he extracts will be high.
I'm quite tired from tidying and organising my house and was thinking longingly of the time I told everyone I was having Christmas with someone else and stayed home alone, but this year I have promises to honour.
I watered the garden at 7 a.m and have put out extra water for passing cats. I'm also taking advantage of of it being a good drying day by washing blankets and other bedding for guests coming in a few weeks. I suspect by mid day I will collapse in a heap, from the extra work, if not the heat.
By that time (Sunday before Christmas) he was very sick, and it took my sister 2 phone calls, including shouting, to get Mrs Curly Snr to finally follow Mrs Dr Curly’s advice to call an ambulance. Ambo’s checked him out and he was ok, recovered in a week but missed family Christmas at my sister’s on 23rd.
We power on into 2023 anticipating Biggest getting engaged, Middle getting a job and Little Miss finishing her degree. I’m planning a big party to mark becoming eligible for a seniors card mid year, while we depart for Paris, south of France, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain for 6 weeks in late April.
Blessings to you all
mr curly
Actually someone going for a holiday in the South of France ( my landlord at the time) and the realization that I had helped to fund it, led to me buying my house. Mortgage rates were a crippling 20% but by the time I made my first payment had begun to slide. I was congratulated on my timing - but it was sheer dumb luck. And now, with the mortgage long paid off, and with the lovely neighbours I have, I feel very fortunate indeed.
So much for our 32C day. The wind that in the winter is called the beasterly easterly saved us from anything higher than 26C, which was hot enough to dry blankets quickly, but not so hot I had to retire to the bath for long stretches of time.
He turned to her and asked, How do you know you haven't got any already?" Then left the room.
She was clearly upset and said, " That wasn't very nice." Which provided an opening for me to say more clearly than I had previously how I felt about her constant comments.
As it turned out she ended up with one grandchild when one of her other sons married.
Mum was a devoted, very loving and loved mother who had a bee in her bonnet on this one topic, and being the only daughter I was on the receiving end of her comments more than my 3 brothers were. She really only stopped after I was raped.
I don't think all parents who make comments about wanting grandchildren are as obsessed as she was. Fortunately for her (and for him too he has said) her only Grandchild and his parents moved back to the valley where Mum and Dad lived and they saw each other often.
Beaky daughter in the Far North says the flooding in North Island is unbelievable.
Her husband's cousin and family from Wellington were up staying with them and are now stranded and consequently still with them.....
"When visitors become Lodgers"!
The weather in Christchurch hasn't been affected at all, but I'm concerned about the widespread devastation which has affected large parts of the North Island as well as northern parts of the South Island.
All of you and your beautiful country are in my prayers
The east coast of the South Island north of Dunedin looks like the best place to be at the moment. I keep checking with Metservice in case this changes because flood mitigation work on the river at the bottom of our street has yet to be completed. I will be surprised and very annoyed if it does as I have spent a significant period of time tidying and cleaning the house for my visitors.
She says the roads were horrendous but she managed to make it back from work.
Continued prayers for you all from here.
Now a question for Australian Shipmates - I know that voting is compulsory but has this always been so? If not when was it made compulsory?
:https://aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/voting/index.htm
will give some clues.
It was enacted into law in 1924.
No objections or quibbles about the idea of people having to turn up from me Gee D - I wouldn't object if they brought it in here. The query came because of a song I was listening to about women's suffrage by Judy Small, who I believe gave up singing years ago to concentrate on her legal career. I followed her up with Mozart - a clarinet concerto then a bassoon concerto, just for a bit of variety.
I've just been talking to my youngest brother. The brother who lives in the US and his wife landed safely in Auckland. I had been worried the torrential rain might have closed the airport. I'm so relieved - now back to cleaning.
It was enacted into law in 1924.[/quote]
That's voting in Federal elections and referendums. The year for voting in State elections/referendums varies from State to State.
Huia - good news about your brother.