Rapid passing of time....

"Is 5 minutes a long time?" a young child asked me once

"It depends on what you are waiting for - if you're waiting at the dentist it isn't very long at all but if you're waiting for the post to arrive with your present from Grandma it is ages." I replied

Not sure when it happened but suddenly my little brother has all grown up and now runs his own business...seems like only yesterday I tried to take him to school in my doll's pram for 'show and tell' class time (that school now about to have it's 50th jubilee celebrations later this year). 

Mum stopped me at the gate, I have never been too sure if she horrified at my apparent 'kidnapping' or the fact that the cat used to sleep in the pram that I had plopped my baby brother in. My older brother thought it was cool idea but as I recall he wasn't much help to me once Mum rumbled me.

And now, well we all live in different parts of our country. My older brother way down South but luckily I get that way with my job so get to see him and his family regularly. I also get to see my younger brother and his family by virtue of the same job (which I love by the way, have I mentioned that??) so time is still passing rapidly but in a good way.

What - me nostalgic?

Turn your clocks back...

 The road home from Hokitika is a wild one...you feel like turning back the clocks...an old barn here....

 an old added-on-to house there (Kumara)....

or an old farmers cottage perhaps?

 or perhaps an old Store at Otira...you might want to buy the whole township of Otira, an old railway settlement long since decimated by time and 'progress'....

idyllic nonetheless. And the boss wonders why it takes me so long to get from A to B.....I am only surprised I get to B at all; there is so much more in between!

I know I have baged on a bit about how much I love my new job, but I really do and it takes me to so many places I get to combine my love of photography (and music on the ipod plugged into the car stereo system...) - what's not to love!!

On the road again.....

Days like this I love my job! A work trip to the West Coast and well worth getting up early on a frosty morning to see this view on the way to work!! The Southern Alps - great for skiing, taking photos, snow fights...or just general feeling alive in. 

Along the beach, an anchor (attached to a land-bound ship replica) caught the early morning sun....while further along some creative souls had made a name sign from drift wood.

and further along the road home, a few choices to be made....

I lived a fair bit of my childhood on the rugged West Coast, and I love being able to go back to visit. Did I mention that I am loving my new job? :-)

Dry July?

Nah...just kidding.....

Saint Clair Pinot Gris...sunshine...a bit of nosh....

Anyone care to join me for a bit of early winter cheer, NZ-style?

Retreat

Sunrise at Kakanui - has to be one of the most beautiful scenes...had a visit to see how the ol' stepfather is getting along. I have had to time it in with my new job (since I don't have much leave owing at the moment). Now that it is wintery, he is feeling the lonelies...longer evenings and colder days. He has a terminal chest condition, we don't know when "it" will get him but we know it will. 

He is happy at Kakanui, it is near the sea and at night you can lye in bed hearing the waves arguing it out with the rocks; and in the mornings the seagulls herald the new day with their enthusiastic bickering and what belongs to who! He has good neighbours, and is quite the social butterfly with dinner invitations and visitors dropping in. It is a relief to us all that he is happy there. When it rains, the neighbours even go to the dairy and collect his mail for him.

A great place to retreat to.....

just for Steve....

Semi Silent Sunday

This is what you find on the back roads round Timaru and why it takes me so long to get from A to B...who couldn't but stop and take photos of these!

All these homes are around a portion of Timaru with references to Phar Lap. Just another great that those Aussies try to claim as their own...like the Pavlova, Russell Crowe and Keith Urban....

Silent Sunday

Thirsty Thursday

The new job has started off quite busy, have been around the South Island meeting and greeting which also means that I have tried a few beverages along the way. I have been to Hokitika, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill, Balclutha, Mossburn and even Queenstown!!  I'll have some photos of those places and visits shortly, but it's Thursday and my current vin de jour is Pinot Gris....but lets have a cocktail instead!

Vesuvius

30ml Tequila
120ml orange juice
15ml Campari
ice

Pour ingredients, one after the other, over ice into serving glass and 'down the hatch' and let's head off to the next destination...

Silent Sunday

Thirsty Thursday

There has been an increase in the wasp population down here; not sure exactly why but the boffins claim that we had a mild winter and this means the wasps weren't killed off with the cold. Anyway, I have certainly noticed more of them in the gardens around the city and definitely in our own 2 backyards!

It seems fitting therefore that this weeks drink is...

STINGER

45ml brandy
15ml white creme de menthe
ice

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice, stir, then strain into serving glass. Down the hatch!

Music Monday

Top o' the mornin' to yer...

Silent Sunday

Thirsty Thursday

This is my second to last day in my current job. I have been here almost 17 years so am looking forward to new challenges with excitement but also a spot of awe as  to what they actually be. The daily reality of the written job description, as most of us know, can differ greatly.

I have next week off to just 'horse around' so I will have to pour myself one of these while I contemplate the future....feel free to grab a glass and join me!

Four Horseman

½ Shot of gold tequila
½ Shot of Jagermeister
½ Shot of peppermint liqueur
½ Shot Overproof rum

Pour contents in shaker over ice and shake well. Pour into glasses and slam it.

)

 

Music Monday

A spot of bouncy Kiwi music for you! Enjoy.

Marching on

No - this is not our new home (still waiting for that one!!) I was struck by the stark contrast between old and new in this bustling city.

After Linda's funeral we headed to Brisbane for my in-laws 65th wedding anniversary. It was great to be somewhere else, where the roads were smooth and the houses intact and the weather warm, very warm.

We went shopping and dining but the girls were really keen to get to the Museums and Art Gallery's that Brisbane has to offer. It was fabulous!

Sadly, only weeks after we returned home tragedy visited us again with the sudden loss of my sister-in-law from a relentless and subsequently deadly auto-immune illness.

I have a new job that I am starting in a few weeks so am looking forward to that very much, leaving my current employer after almost 17 years was a tough decision to make but am confident I have made the right choice. Nothing like 3 deaths, close together and close to my heart to sharpen the focus!!

The Whovian has developed a taste for this programme and I think this song is pretty quirky...enjoy!

A New Year

Still nothing happening on the house front...however, our start to 2014 has been less than spectacular.

One of my dearest friends suffered a stroke from which she failed to recover and "Lady Linda" passed away on 9 January. Linda was a super talented lawyer, completing her doctorate in 2010. The difference between Linda and others gaining their doctorates - Linda had been partially sighted since birth, and a subsequent car accident about 20 years ago robbed her of further sight and also gave her head injuries which she struggled with.....a few years ago she survived breast cancer and last year broker her thigh. Never one to complain, this Brave Scot battled on. She was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Linda was a massive Rolling Stones fan, had been to several of their concerts and even had a ticket for the concert later this year in Auckland.


Rest peacefully Linda, we are all missing you terribly. Drinking a glass of red and having a wee dram won't be the same without you. We will never be able to hear this song without thinking of you (and the many times we all belted it out after a few too many reds!)