Full moon here. This is what it looks like from "down under". Isn't it magnificent? Driving to work this morning, my two young daughters and I drove past this (above but not the one with the moon), a scene where the Police had shot dead someone. It's always a heated debate (an heated debate??) in this part of the world. Apparently the number of people shot dead in our entire history of Police is less than an average day in the USA. Apparently. This might be an exageration but its a scary thought for those who live in the USA!! It's about 41 here in about 100 years. Something the police can be proud of but maybe not if they're playing cricket. The debate about tasers rages on, the debate about people being marginalised in society also rages on. The debate about parents teaching right from wrong will continue. The rat in a wheel peddles on. And it always so sad when someone dies prematurely. The "what if's" and the "If buts" will continue - for the Police, the family, the officer conerned and his/her family. Kia kaha.

Meanwhile our lcoal elections loom. I have exercised my democartic right to vote and I'm trying to stir others into doing the same.

Lets make a difference.

I've been away again, this time to (see photos) WELLINGTON!

I used to live there and still have a nostalgic simper whenever I either have to go there or actually get there, why is that?

Anyway, it was raining and cold and miserable (part of the reasons I left) so I didn't even get to do some shoe shopping. I LOVE the shoe shops in Wellington. I adore shoes. I am kinda like Emelda Marcos in that way, the kids grab me and drag me away if they see a shoe shop lurking. I have bought them off thusfar by promising them that when I do finally "pop my clogs" -they can have them! Er, the shoes that is, not the clogs.

Part of my job means that I spend a bit of time wearing sexy white gumboots (blood spattered on a good day, don't ask me what the other stuff is!) maybe thats why I have this shoe thing, cos I didn't use to have a shoe thing. I used to have a thing for earrings but then I had babies and went off earrings very quickly!

So, what are YOUR THINGS? (Please, don't send me pictures of anything too dodgy!!)

Friday, hoorah! Spent most of the day wading about at an abattoir...not so good after a few vinos last night! However, old enough to know better - young enough to do it anyway! (You can quote me on that if you need to).

I do find that its not the sights so much as the smells that get me.

Enough already, I hear you shouting, ok then...back to this weeks topic - BOYS! Adding to my shopping cat (on top of John Hannah...now there's a picture) woulod actually be Gavin Hastings a few years back (lately he seems to have gotten a "garlic sausage nose"), Richie McCaw (without his sex-from-behind face). I'll be adding to this list from time to time. However, still not sure who I would turn gay for.

Anyway, here's a better shot of the young man. He's only a whippersnapper really. Crikey, they certainly didn't have lads like that when I was at school. All short and spotty and greasy they were back in the um, er...back when I was in school.

I like red. Red is a great colour.

What colour do you like best?

Anyhoo, how is the Rugby World Cup shaping up for you? Would this be a "sex-from-behind-face" ? Honestly, I would take the risk to peek!

And, apologies to any readers who have been under the illusion that I am a very tidy, house-cleaning, bill paying on time, tooth brushing house wife. I'm not.

I got a new necklace.

I wear it day and night.

I'd rather have John Hannah,

but I think he'd get a fright!

Mind you, he has that "maybe I wouldn't "smile hasn't he....wonder how good my powers of persuasion would have to be!!

In case you're wondering, I haven't gotten over seeing the lad wearing nowt but a rose between his teeth in some drama yonks ago...

Sorry about that momentary lapse of reason, what can I say? It's nearly Friday and that's my only excuse that I haven't used this week already.

And why, oh why don't the photos and text do as they're told on Blogger? The lay out process is part of what's driving me insane.

Well, that was fun!

These are two of my favourite things. I have other things of a favourite nature but possibly shouldn't put pictures of them on here.

I have a special glass just for Scrumpy...a Mexican Recycled Glass glass. Got a set of 6 and would you believe it, 12 years and two kids later I still have 6. Who would have guessed. What are your two favourite things?

Crikey. Have spent part of today tidying up the kids bedrooms. My only surprise really is that I failed to locate either Elvis or Jimmy Hoffa!! Where did these squirrel-like offspring come from? How come they can't throw anything out!! I mean, how many old pop-corn boxes does a 10 year old actually need? What use are 7 odd socks to a 12 year old? Yes, they're both girls, why do you ask? What on earth is the Kiwi school system teaching these children?

It's scary and made me go and check out my own bedroom.

No Elvis or Jimmy there either thank gawd, altho' I guess I could always suggest that himself dresses up (or down?) for me.

Now then, see this menu? It is from a Vietnamese restaurant. Whoever thought of putting Spaghetti Bolognaise or pasta at all on a menu for a Vietnamese restaurant. Presumably someone with as much sense of order as my daughters. Food for thought indeed.

When I did my cocktail mixology course (which I may do again cos it was so much fun), we had to design, make and present our own cocktail creation. I named mine after Gordon Ramsay. Should I tell him?

Here we have Ernie Sometimes and Miss Daisy. They both volunteered to live with us a few years ago. Ernie used to arrive only every other day and sometimes not at all. Hence his name. We see him more often these days. He has a broken tail which doesn't seem to be bothering him at all. I am the only one he allows near him without food. He is so cute. Mind you, he has quite a large bonce for a mog...I like to think of him as the strong and silent type.
Miss Daisy used to live in the park near our house. She is cross-eyed and had been hit by a car at some stage. She is very sweet and the kids love her. She sleeps on my youngest daughter's bed at night. Her fur is so fine and soft, she makes me sneeze.

By the way, I cannot recommend highly enough the DVD of bruce's live in Dublin DVD. Fan-bloody-tantastic. Excuse my French. I really love all the tracks, but Open All Night is a great foot stompin' whisky swillin' track. Being a Unionist "Pay me my Money down" is a close second.The whole album is great. And the lad looks bloody great in jeans too, from front or back. Great, fantastic, luscious... such inadiquate words and I'm too lazy to grab the dictionary to find better ones. As for Sir Bruce, The Boss, Mr S, "You in the Jeams with the great Arse"....he would be one of the bods I would invite to a celebrity dinner, if I had the chance. Who would you invite?
And no, the tee-shirt left has nothing to do with the blog. I just think themessage is funny. I'm a worry that way. Lock up your sons.

At left we have "Self Portrait with Red Wine".

Oh dear. Here's a moral one for you. If there is anybody there.
My "friend" who is now with my ex...well, I happen to know who HER ex is with. This 'city' is sooooo small. Now, do I tell her what's going on? The two of them are still in a major fight with property split up not going well etc. Jeez, I thought George Bush had problems....perhaps I should mention that I know that she is making plans to go live with my ex but she hasn't told me that yet.

I guess my concern is that I thought she and I were friends and for those of you that know about girls and their friends, that to me means we tell each other all kinds of stuff. Everything infact. Warts and all. The issue for me...have I been under an illusion all these 30-odd years that I have a best friend and all the time I haven't? Now that I'm 40-mumble, does it matter? There are several ways of looking at this whole thing. I maybe looking at it from the wrong angle. Constructive comments welcome. I think.

Busy, busy, busy! Where have I been now? well, I have been in Invercargill. The city is so far south you almost think you're going to fall off the Island if you keep going. Flat earth and all that. Mind you, I had the best ever Seafood Chowder at a great place in Riverton a few years ago. Since then I try and sample Seafood Chowder wherever I go in a "survey" (no, its not an excuse really) to see if there is anywhere that does it better. By the way, when you follow the link to Invercargill make sure you click on the Southland icon on the bottom of the front page. It shows you a map and everything!

The people in Southland have a different accent to the rest of us Kiwis. They "roll their r's"...words like "Worker" and "third" come out elongated "Worrrker" Thirrrd"...its very cute. I have to confess now to being guilty of playing a wee game at meetings down that wa

y. My aim is to try and get the "opposition" to say words that have "r" in the middle, then play deaf and ask them to repeat it. I know, this is childish and possibly inhumane and if I tried harder I could probably not do it. But its fun.

I like the flight home. We fly inland for awhile, winter its a sight and a half to see the snow capped mountains. For this time of year there is still a lot of snow about. My favourite sight is of the Waimakariri River, splayed out like a shredded ribbon it meanders its way across Canterbury.

I took this photo from the plane window (well, obviously really) to give you an idea of the River. Some parts of it are as full as fat chaps socks, others like this.

Now for something completely different, and in direct reference to Bloggertropolis' blogs about chef's, it seems the Kitchen Pixies do have a sence of humour. One can only imagine to words he used!!

There was this old Cherokee teaching his grandson about life.

"A fight is going on inside me" he said to the boy "It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One of the wolves, he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego. The other he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassioni and faith. This same fight is going on inside you and inside every person too."

The grandson thought about this for awhile and then asked "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied "The one you feed."

I guess in any given situation you have at least 2 choices - being reactive or proactive. What works best for you??

That's me and my big brother, according to the writing on the back it is 29 February 1964. I still have that teddy bear.

Oh, and this was our sunset on Saturday night (1 September 2007), phtot taken from our back yard. Beautiful eh?

What a weekend! So much sun, and so much wood to stack! I managed to get one of the kids to help me stack wood and yes, it would have been faster to do it myself but hey...what are "bonding sessions" for? Anyway, the rhododendrons are grinning themselves bright red in the back yard and the blossoms are out in the park (see?), after the wood stacking we went to the corner dairy and got ice creams and dawdled in the park on the way home. The kids found a tree which they reckon is one from the Harry Potter series of books...what do you think? It ecrtainly did seem that it could come alive at any moment, maybe out of jealously of the lovely trees with blossoms?!

Anyway, our rugby team did the deed and brought home the Ranfurly Shield so that was quite exciting. We had also arranged to go out on Saturday night (yes ok but when you have kids it IS exciting to go out!!) and we saw a New Zealand band that has been around for ages. In fact, I used to go and see them for free (as you can before they get famous elsewhere too) at the Cricketers Arms yonks ago (is that place still there??) - we saw The Warratahs. And they were on fire, it was really a great night out even tho' I was suffering a wee bit from vino rossi overload from the previous night of staying in. Their violin player, Nik Brown, has to be one of the best and I have to confess to embarrassing myself by suggesting to anyone who would listen that they should do "The Devil went down to Georgia" just so we could assess his fantastic fiddling skills...altho' come to think of it, I guess we could have got him to do that in a number of ways. Oh I should stop now, suffice to say anyone who has seen that band live will know what I mean.