Are you watching it Huia? Hope all is well in SA MaryLouise. Quite amazing to see the moon in deepest red. Wrote my brief ramble on the Heaven sky thread here.
I rose pre-dawn to observe the lunar eclipse. Fortunately, sky was clear (common here) and - bonus! - there was not even a frost (not so common here in winter). At her request, I even woke my wife,who usually sleeps till well after dawn, and she too enjoyed the sight of a pale red (but full) moon low in the western sky, with a bright Mars keeping it company.
I celebrated a friend's 40th birthday at a 4 hour lunch at a winery yesterday. With 2 wines served with each course I became quite light-headed. Thankfully her dad had organised a minibus to transport us there and back. A very civilised day.
That was what used to be called a long lunch. I had a shorter version with two friends who both live floor below me. Wine and cheese, every bit was good and it was dark when they left. When I said I was selling we planned this as a goodbye. Plenty of nibbles at people buying but nothinglike a proper big bitWe changed our emphasis to its being a kick start to a purchase. At least I am getting nibbles and people through. Lots of units on markert and prices have dropped. Some get no one near them for weeks.
So we sat and talked and had good cheese and wine.
Eeek - I just realised that my trip to Wellington is next week. I've kept saying to myself that it was in August, but lost track of how close August was. Today I'll book Georgie-Porgy into the cattery and book her chauffeur to take her there. G-P likes to travel in a style that befits her.
I realise as I travel far less often than I used to that it is more of an expedition than it was, and I do it with a greater reluctance than I did. Its one thing to watch parents get older and die, but seeing my brother, only 2 years older than I, declining into Parkinson's is harder.
I posted in the Thanksgiving thread but for me this is huge, The new Central Library is opening in Christchurch on Oct 12. The previous one was destroyed in the Feb 2011 quake. I feel like I've been hanging out for it for soo long. I just read the announcement when I went to the website to look something up... then I burst into tears.
After a very busy 3 weeks I took today off. Had a lazy breakfast out, am up in the hills having an afternoon coffee and cake on a rainy afternoon, and meeting up with my old boss for drinks later. Very nice Friday.
I've been a bit quiet on here since we returned from overseas, as we have been working on the parish submission to our Bishop to fend off his proposal to close churches and make other changes which would inevitably lead to the collapse of the parish. It went off yesterday, over 10 000 words of theological, legal, commercial and social argument interspersed with personal reactions from the 8th generation descendants of parish pioneers. Other parishes have been told their work does not meet his standards, so we were determined to cover every eventuality. Now we can get back to the mission of the parish to the people in these struggling towns.
Barnabas - I am totally impressed. So much time taken away from doing what is needed where you are.
I meant to say that if anyone wants to see the new Library put Christchurch City Libraries into a search engine.
I am still feeling like a child on Christmas morning
You will sympathise with my Canadian grandson aged 12. He can read a fat book a day, but his local library is about to close for upgrading work. I don't know what arrangements will be made. It doesn't sound as if the school library is very useful; he's probably read everything there that interests him, and the local librarian gets requested books on loan. Library in the next town? I await more news.
Ereader? I bought my first kindle after the quakes, but for someone like me who is an addict costs mount up quickly and I decided not to support Amazon for ethical reasons. Since then I have a tablet that I use to borrow books. Library staff a here have been really helpful in sorting out problems caused by my techno-peasantry. (Thanks for that term Uncle Pete :c ).
As do I, Huia. However I have been buying books to read while I am downstairs for sale inspections here an hour of a bit more. Yesterday I decided to read one by N.T. Wright instead of something light and fluffy. A friend from floor below turned up to keep me company so all I read was a Paragraph.
I bought my first kindle after the quakes, but for someone like me who is an addict costs mount up quickly and I decided not to support Amazon for ethical reasons.
There are many books, such as nineteenth century novels, you can download for free or for ninety-nine cents. Of course, if you don't like nineteenth-century novels, you're out of luck.
A rather impressive and pleasant work day down here. Numerous bright and beautiful parrots visited the tree outside my window. The immense wattle tree outside my colleague's window has seemingly burst into bloom overnight. An amazingly beautiful tree, the wattle. A very nice chat about all things learning and teaching with a vendor in the US for a project I'm working on which I'm working with them.
And it's supposed to be 21° tomorrow. 21°! Back to 11° Sunday, though.
Prayers, please, folks, for our erstwhile shipmate who went - IIRC - under the name Piers Plowman. He is in ICU in an induced coma with multiple organ failure. I've just visited and prayed with him.
A quiet Saturday evening at home, just the 2 of us. We used be either out or entertaining on both Friday and Saturday evenings; this year we've cut back to just 1. But home both last night and tonight. Getting older.....
I have been having trouble selling here. No money being brought in from overseas for purchases of real estate here, and the enquiry into banking practices has seen a clampdown on loans from most banks.
Things have been slow, lots of potential buyers but they need loans approved before they start looking.
This morning a glimpse of purple caught my eye as I came out for breakfast. A sweetpea, one of my favourite flowers. My son re-did the big planter boxses on one side of my balcony. He also planted some sweetpeas and begonias in the wall fixture which is poorly designed. Too wide and too shallow for moisture to be retained.
It was a real lift to my spirits as I had earlier imagined a trellis of sweetpeas in the mountains. Spring is ahead.
Thank you. This is getting very wearing although it is not yet as long a time as Piglet had. So many want it but have not done work on bank money. Another spring lift today as well as sweet pea flowering. The mob in the mountains sent a picture of a fried egg. A very fresh egg. The first spring egg from our chooks after winter and a change of owners. Very encouraging
Thanks Piglet. I had that thought too but lately none of my thoughts work, good or bad, the result is different again to my thought. I have given up trying to second guess what will happen as a result of something else. Still, the egg looked wonderful and would have been only an hour or so old when eaten.
Wow _I've never had an egg that fresh. I do however have one sweet pea in bloom that self-seeded from last year. It's amazing because it's too early to plant out seeds yet.
Sorry it's not selling Loth, I hope someone sorts out their finances soon.
I am back from Wellington and exhausted, but the good news is that they must have tweaked my brother's medication because he was a lot more 'with it' than last year.
Our chooks are definitely in spring mode; so are the geese. I’ve been sharing eggs with work colleagues but carrying goose eggs is a challenge - I’ve yet to find egg cartons big enough 😀
Thanks CK. I know it will sell but it is annoying. A man last Saturday wanted it for entrance to good school for his daughters. He also wanted to live there with hi wife and his elderly parents. It is quite large but not that large. Big sunny rooms but shaded with sea breeze in summer. Lots of transport and several large local shopping centres.
One good thing about being still here in Sydney is that I have missed the settling in/unpacking stage for the first two groups as they combine goods and chattels.They are using an app for the family with tasks and rewards etc . Chores are allotted points and rewards given . Just 13 yo grandson is way ahead of the rest of the family as he earns point towards techy type rewards such as building a drone with his uncle and other similar things. All of them participate, not just the teenager.
Comments
Are you watching it Huia? Hope all is well in SA MaryLouise. Quite amazing to see the moon in deepest red. Wrote my brief ramble on the Heaven sky thread here.
Rainy here today.
I celebrated a friend's 40th birthday at a 4 hour lunch at a winery yesterday. With 2 wines served with each course I became quite light-headed. Thankfully her dad had organised a minibus to transport us there and back. A very civilised day.
So we sat and talked and had good cheese and wine.
No complaints about rain here but we could have done without overcast skies for a few hours!
Sounds tasty, Loth. Hope you get a big bite soon.
I realise as I travel far less often than I used to that it is more of an expedition than it was, and I do it with a greater reluctance than I did. Its one thing to watch parents get older and die, but seeing my brother, only 2 years older than I, declining into Parkinson's is harder.
After a very busy 3 weeks I took today off. Had a lazy breakfast out, am up in the hills having an afternoon coffee and cake on a rainy afternoon, and meeting up with my old boss for drinks later. Very nice Friday.
I meant to say that if anyone wants to see the new Library put Christchurch City Libraries into a search engine.
I am still feeling like a child on Christmas morning
You will sympathise with my Canadian grandson aged 12. He can read a fat book a day, but his local library is about to close for upgrading work. I don't know what arrangements will be made. It doesn't sound as if the school library is very useful; he's probably read everything there that interests him, and the local librarian gets requested books on loan. Library in the next town? I await more news.
GG
I still prefer paper books though.
Lothlorien, I thought that you were going to Enmore - that seems a bit at odds with reading N T Wright while you are having an open house.
There are many books, such as nineteenth century novels, you can download for free or for ninety-nine cents. Of course, if you don't like nineteenth-century novels, you're out of luck.
I think Lothlorien that you have missed my point. I'd have thought that the theology at Enmore was rather at odds with N T Wright.
And it's supposed to be 21° tomorrow. 21°! Back to 11° Sunday, though.
Piano practice next.
Rexory, prayers ascending for Piers.
Very cold here, everything the deep green of late winter, a lovely sight.
Things have been slow, lots of potential buyers but they need loans approved before they start looking.
This morning a glimpse of purple caught my eye as I came out for breakfast. A sweetpea, one of my favourite flowers. My son re-did the big planter boxses on one side of my balcony. He also planted some sweetpeas and begonias in the wall fixture which is poorly designed. Too wide and too shallow for moisture to be retained.
It was a real lift to my spirits as I had earlier imagined a trellis of sweetpeas in the mountains. Spring is ahead.
Thank you. This is getting very wearing although it is not yet as long a time as Piglet had. So many want it but have not done work on bank money. Another spring lift today as well as sweet pea flowering. The mob in the mountains sent a picture of a fried egg. A very fresh egg. The first spring egg from our chooks after winter and a change of owners. Very encouraging
Sorry it's not selling Loth, I hope someone sorts out their finances soon.
I am back from Wellington and exhausted, but the good news is that they must have tweaked my brother's medication because he was a lot more 'with it' than last year.
Stressful waiting for your flat to sell Lothlorien, hope something moves soon.
Great news, Huia.
At the airport headed up to see family and friends in Newcastle for a long, long weekend. Looking forward to it.
Our chooks are definitely in spring mode; so are the geese. I’ve been sharing eggs with work colleagues but carrying goose eggs is a challenge - I’ve yet to find egg cartons big enough 😀
Another egg today so things are starting.
Peace to all.
Any word on Piers? (Prayer thread noted)
And good luck Loth.
And as of tomorrow afternoon, I no longer have a missus.
But I do have a rev.