Gearing up to New Zealand Music Month

I am listening a fair bit to this group at the moment, a good Kiwi band!


The Phoenix Foundation's "Pot" is a good sound, I like this one very much...tell me what you think!

A whinge for Wednesday

Am I the only person distracted by the overuse of the word "awesome"?


Everything is 'awesome' apparently...having an awesome day, watching an awesome TV show, trying some awesome new food...BLAH! Surely not everything can be awesome. It can't be 'awesome' that I tried a new recipe or bought a new CD...it can't possibly be awesome that I had a good day at work (but thanks for asking).


And then there is this, undoubtedly one of the worst mis-uses of the word...





It pains me that we have dumbed down so much that we use words seemingly without genuine regard for their real use!


Now, if David Tennant dropped by for a cuppa tea and a lye down THAT would be awesome!

Tuesday Tipple

Fancy a fruity, delicate dry drink this evening? I know I do! 


Lets have a CONCORDE!


1 ounce gin
2 tsp apricot brandy
2 tsp Campari
2 tsp grenadine
 1 maraschino cherry for garnish.


Shake all the ingredients together, with ice cubes, in the shaker and strain into a cocktail glass (or a bucket, depends on what kind of day you're having I find!). Perch the cherry on the rim of the glass.


Settle back and relax to these guys...

Silent Sunday

Playing with photos

I took this photo of a beautiful antique Kauri mirror, in an old house we had some training courses in. The house was built in 1853 and we have our courses here every year. It's an ornate old lady, wonderful carving through out...

Down the road further, closer to Palmerston North, I found this wee treasure complete with sheep - typical?

And every family plays word games, right? My two kidlets like playing their word games in the dark, armed with Sparklers instead of a dictionary - but they can spell anyway it would seem!!

I have had a quiet day, having been away form home so much it's been nice to reconnect (albeit with the ironing and the dishes and the washing up...and let's not even mention the squabbling siblings!)

I have a book I have been reading during the aeroplane rides, "Live working or die fighting" , how the working class went global-by Paul Mason. It's a great history treat for those of you who may be interested in where your employment conditions and rights and expectancies come from!

However, I find that I can't actually read a book at the momnent unless I'm on a plane - is that odd?

A drink anyone?

I know, I've been missing in action - I have been working away from home and yet during the intervals I found this wonderful wee drop - Fat Ass Scrumpy. At 9.5% it's a great soul reviver!

Silent Sunday

All work and no play

I have been away with work, yet again! I have been to the top of our South Island, doing some training. It's been great, I love that neck of the woods. Nelson is a beautiful part of our country and makes some mighty fine Sauvignon Blancs.  And look at the beach...isn't it wonderful? For this time of year it was nice and warm and almost deserted!

This is a view of Nelson from the Tahuna beach...the city proper is round the corner. It's an idyllic sea port.

At the airport there is this statue made entirely of horse shoes - what else?

And a display case of these gorgeous style of necklaces... I coulod do with several of these, how about you? Made by Bright Eyes, in Nelson, they're a good price too.

Leaving Nelson by plane, you go over the wonderful Marlborough Sounds...many inlets and scallop farms, mussel farms, and plenty of holiday homes and small fishing villages....bliss. Come on over!

Tuesday Tipple

You know, we have had some brilliant weather here lately...and it's worth putting up with the colder mornings to get the sunny 'chocolate box' days that follow.

Thats why today we're having a HOAR FROST 1

2tsp gin
2tsp white curacao
2tsp light rum
2tsp grenadine
2tsp lemon juice

Shahe the ingredients together with ice in the shaker and strain into the cocktail glass with a sugared rim. Gotta love a sugared rim!

Speaking of gin...here's a Kiwi lass with that very name....

Silent Sunday

Tuesday Tipple

Ok, loosen your girdles and pin your ears back....today we're having a TORNADO!!

This is a medium-dry drink for any occasion. Very versatile eh?

1 and 1/2 ounces grapefruit drink
1 and 1/2 ounces passion-fruit juice
1 ounce of Tequila (hardly seems enough so feel free to add a bit more...)
3/4 ounce peach-flavoured liqueur
2 tsp lime cordial

Shake the ingredients together firmly, with ice, in the shaker and strain into a highball glass over crushed ice.

Spear 2 maraschino cherries onto a skewer and add a slice of orange - make them look like a sail and put them into the glass. Serve.

Then, rock on dudes!!

New beginnings

I think it might be a little late in the year but we have some butterflies on the way. There is great excitement with the kids as they watch this miracle unravel before their eyes! There are actually 7 ctaerpillars - all have been named as well!

This one keeps climbing back to the top of an almost threadbare stem, I guess it just has decided where it wants to emerge from! (Altho' the drama queen in the house suggested that perhaps it is a suicidal one and this is the tallest stem from which it can hurl itself earthward.....)

This one, named Rosie as it is on a rose bush, has started to "jay" itself.....

While this one, Charles - no apparent reason for the name- only took 90 minutes to go from 'jay' to chysalis. Amazing. It was a rather hot day so maybe that helped as the other two turning 'jays' have been jay-shape for 24 hours with no sign yet of their green 'shell'. I hope they're not dead, but the weather has (predictably) taken a turn for the chillier and there is an anxious wait going on!

Meanwhile, my work colleague has given birth to her first baby - a boy, born 5 weeks early. Have given her the Easter weekend off to recover....

Silent Sunday