Just watched Wallabies 🇦🇺 Pumas 🇦🇷 🏉 anthems. And I'm astonished, as I always am, that banal ditty was chosen (who chose it? Everyone I talk to and all of social media says, "Don't blame us, we don't know anyone who voted for it") to be our anthem. A third rate high school English teacher would be sacked for coming up with it.
@Cheery Gardener do you know there's also a climbing Cecile Brunner?I have one growing by my letterbox that desperately needs pruning. It's well over 2 metres high. The bloke who cuts the grass hates it because it's difficult to mow under. I think I will try to propagate some cuttings, Some tokeep and some to give away or sell at next years Open Day at the Community Library Open Day. I also have cuttings of Perle D'or, which is the apricot version of the Cecile Brunner and grows well from cuttings,
Commiserations to @Zappa. Football of all varieties is a fickle thing.
Very large proportion of the locals are hoping that the Green Machine stays switched on for the whole match later today!
Meanwhile Mr WitG and I are safely returned from our trip to Newcastle, which although its timing was triggered by the funeral of WitG junior’s partner’s grandmother, turned out to be a very enjoyable trip.
As the lady in question was several years into her nineties, it was actually quite a gentle and peaceful occasion at the Anglican church where she had been a regular parishioner. The clergy person was excellent, guiding the whole occasion without dominating it.
We saw our son’s partner who had managed to come from the UK, and also lots of other members of her family.
Also we were warm for four whole days which was lovely after a winter with a lot of cold nights.
The day after the funeral we had an excellent mini meet with @climacus at the Maitland Regional Gallery.
The only fly in the ointment was that rained (sometimes very hard) all day on Wednesday while we were driving back. @Huia and @Cheery Gardener, I hope you enjoy those new roses. Mr WitG is hoping to prune his this week while the nights aren’t too frosty. @Tukai congratulations on a new granddaughter. I hope the little family is all getting along well.
Wow @WormInTheGrass, you have had a really busy time. Very glad you managed to catch up with @Climacus, that sounds great.
I am feeling bad that my roses at the front of the house have been a bit neglected, I think maybe tomorrow should be their pruning day. I hope all goes well with Mr WITG's pruning as well. I haven't made it to the garden centre to look for the Cecile Brunner, maybe tomorrow.
We are babysitting 2 cars this afternoon, as some family members have made their way to the Stadium to watch the Green machine play. All of them suitably attired in supporters merch. The family members range in age from 1 to 55 and Great Niece is hoping to see Valda the Viking this afternoon. I'm a bit concerned because every time my sister goes to the footie, the team does not do well. I've told her she's banned if they lose today.
Cheery husband will collect family members after the match and they can come back to ours for a pit stop and then head home. We thought that was easier than them trying to find parking (or end up parking illegally and incur a big fine).
On Friday the North East Man and I had lunch in our favourite Dundee city centre restaurant - The Bach. It's run by New Zealanders . I had mince on toast with a poached egg in hollandaise sauce on top. The Bach is the only place I know of which does this.
We bought a large bar of Whittaker's Fruit and Nut on the way out. We are going to save it for a Special Occasion. I also bought a small bar of something peanutty, which disappeared quickly.
I'm somewhat corralled in the sitting room as the rest of the house is colonised by chaps in overalls fitting new radiators. Hopefully it'll be a wrap by lunchtime.
Having had to rise early yesterday for Art Group, and today for plumbers, tomorrow it's the roofer. It's not that I don't get up early most days in any case, it's the couple of hours sloping around in a dressing gown I miss.
Glad to read of your outing @North East Quine and especially the purchase of chocolate!!
Like you @Firenze, I do like a good slow day and mooching around in my dressing gown, just pottering.
Hoping for a bit of garden pottering shortly, the weather man says winds increasing in a couple of hours, so I'd better get out there. Spring is here and so are the weeds!!
@Huia, I think my first encounter with Cecile Brunner was in a climbing form, in the position I have, I'll probably be looking for a bush rose, but haven't firmly decided yet.
My family appear to be coping with the Green machine weekend loss (what a nailbiter match), but said they couldn't face getting in the scrum for tickets to the match next weekend. So much time wasted online by 2 people, just to get the ones they had for last weekend.
Managed to pick up some on special books, which I probably should not have purchased as my not yet read pile just keeps growing and growing. Perhaps I can reward myself with some reading after some gardening this morning. Anyway better get moving!!
NEQ, if the peanutty chocolate was also Whittakers it was probably a peanut slab. I saw one recently and was surprised by how small they were compared to when I was a child . I like Whittaker's chocolate best of all the chocolate that's made here. I sometimes send it to family as a "pick me up" when I know they're having a hard time, but at the moment I need to check whether we can send parcels to the U.S due to some complication connected to the tariffs.
We thought our guest accomodation would be empty until Christmas.
But last week we saw a black column of smoke in the distance, only to find out from a mutual friend it was a person we both know. Sadly, her house burned to the ground.
She is now staying in our guest accomodation with her dogs. Another friend of hers rigged up fencing so her dogs wouldn't wander into the street.
They make a similar bar with almonds instead of peanuts, but although I like almonds better than peanuts, they seem rather dried in the bar. (Of course I had to eat several of the bars over the years to see if they had improved, but sadly they hadn't ).
Luckily the supermarket aisle that has the chocolate is one that it's easy to avoid as it doesn't have anything I buy regularly.
Oh dear @LatchKeyKid, what an awful shock for your friend. I hope they are not too shaken up by the event, though that would be completely understandable.
I'm not that familiar with Whittaker's chocs, though I think I've seen them. I used to really love visits to Darrell Lea when I was a child. I'm glad some of their products are still available, but alas not my favourite, Butterscotch, it really was buttery!!
I always thought Darrell Lea was a work of the devil. Well on the three or four times I tried it. It always seemed to have a sort of synthetic orange side taste. Whittakers is good, though possibly no better than some kof the other off-the-shelf brands. Though it is hilarious in the town in which I actually live, and which I faintly remember, that the crews of the ships that pull into port, freight and cruise alike, buy it literally by the thousands of dollars worth. The little 4 Square supermarket (a chain familiar to kiwis and some in Eastern Oz) bulges first with chocolate then with cash (well actually with EFTPOS) when the boats are in.
@LatchKeyKid, that is a wonderful act of grace ... my heart goes out to the survivors. Is there anything they need that a stranger can send?
After 56 hours travelling (because connections and Beaky daughter's location in rural Far North NZ) I have arrived. Six years since I was last here in this beautiful place in the glorious southern hemisphere 😍
Welcome to the Southern Hemisphere, Mrs Beaky. I hope your visit goes well. That’s a mammoth journey. I imagine that this is a beautiful time of in far north Zealand which I seem to remember is at much the same latitude as Sydney.
Welcome to the Southern Hemisphere, Mrs Beaky. I hope your visit goes well. That’s a mammoth journey. I imagine that this is a beautiful time of in far north Zealand which I seem to remember is at much the same latitude as Sydney.
A little bit of vital information. The top of NZ (and I can't remember if it's the top of the North Island or some outlying islands) is the same latitude as the point at Dee Why - the second or third beach north from Manly. The line between them marks the end of the Tasman Sea and the beginning of the Pacific Ocean. At least, that's what we were taught when of a suitable age. So all those tourists who go to Bondi for a swim in the Pacific are sadly mistaken.
@Piglet@WormInTheGrass Thank you both.
The 56 hours includes 2 hours drive from our home to Heathrow, flight to Doha where we changed planes with a three hour transit, followed by very long flight to Auckland. Then a nine hour wait at the airport before the flight up to the Far North and finally an hour's drive to daughter's home.
They call it the winterless north here but for all that there are beautiful signs of Spring.
Lovely, lovely place.
Wikipedia describes the Tasman Sea as part of the South Pacific Ocean. This agrees with my assumption that all seas (apart from inland seas) are an area within an ocean.
Wikipedia describes the Tasman Sea as part of the South Pacific Ocean. This agrees with my assumption that all seas (apart from inland seas) are an area within an ocean.
That's an interesting (genuinely interesting) assumption. One of these days, we shall talk about it in our afternoon walk. How about the Sea of Japan, for example.
Wikipedia describes the Tasman Sea as part of the South Pacific Ocean. This agrees with my assumption that all seas (apart from inland seas) are an area within an ocean.
That's an interesting (genuinely interesting) assumption. One of these days, we shall talk about it in our afternoon walk. How about the Sea of Japan, for example.
The Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, or so an Ecosia search found. I do accept that "seas are within an ocean" is a convention.
I'm a bit late to the party, but I do hope your stay goes really well @MrsBeaky. I am sure your daughter is thrilled to have you visiting.
Cheery husband and I really enjoyed a visit to a cold climate nursery on Sunday. We tagged that onto a viewing of antiques at an open house an hour or so before. It was just fun getting out and about and doing things we enjoy together.
This week has not started as hoped. We saw our GP this morning to get the results of Cheery son's procedure done a couple of weeks ago. It seems the GP may have detected an undiagnosed condition and we are putting out feelers to get some more assistance. I am hoping that before too long we might have some input and advice. We are now 22 years out from son's original diagnosis, to think about starting again with something new altogether has been a bit overwhelming today.
@Zappa, I am really glad there are all different types of confectioners, offering a range of products that appeal. Many of my DL memories are fond associations with staying with my Nanna during school holidays and a visit to the sweetie shop was first thing on the list!! I don't tend to consume their products these days as my mis-spent youth has caught up with me!!
I'm lurking on the Windows 11 thread in Purg, smug as only an 🍎 (OK, or a Linux) user could be. Poor dears. They even have to pay for their clunky word processing, spreadsheet, and graphics app. I haven't the heart to thread-bomb them. The resultant Hell calls would make Pond Wars of old look tame.
I have my hand-me-down 2011 HP Pavillion dual booting on Ubuntu 24 and Windows 10.
I'm editing my photo collection (which contains scanned transparencies from pre 2000) and the most convenient software for tagging geographic metadata is Geosetter, not available on Linux. Digikam is more complex and much slower to use, and I want a graphical front-end to Exif. Vuescan, the scanning software I use with a Nikon LS4000, is available on all major platforms.
I will be interested to see whether Cheery husband's purchase of a new machine will generate similar grumbles as mentioned above. I must check in with him as he does all our admin and I avoid it like the plague.
Thanks all for your nice posts about Cheery son. Our treating Specialist has suggested that the boy wonder should see the genetics people at the local hospital, so we will go back to our GP to organise a referral. I am trying not to get too far ahead of myself until we have spoken to them as doing some reading about the suspected condition, he doesn't tick all the boxes, so we'll have to wait and see. However, it would not be the first time that he has not followed the normal pattern of things.
Today is a bit on the cloudy side and as I've had several days of weeding, I am a bit knackered and so am declaring a slow day. The new Richard Osman has just been delivered and so I might spend the rest of the day reading and just pottering at home.
Off line for a few days and things happen behind my back
Welcome @MrsBeaky. bits of the South Island have had a bit of snow, but your family chose the right place to be.
@Cheery Gardener that is a worry, I hope you can find more information about your son's condition soon.
I've had involuntary shore leave as next door's internet connection, which I use due to their kindness, became a bit dodgy due to building work on their house, If I disappear again it's likely to be for the same reason. (It's good that the wee gizmo that is temporarily connects us is in a rear window of my house because when it's working there's a flashing green light at its base but when it isn't the light is red, and I could find myself with unwanted company.
@Huia, I am sorry to hear about your dodgy internet, and I am sure your neighbours will be happy when their building work is done.
I am happy to report that I had a phone call from our Outreach nurse at the main treatment centre. A consultant in their genetics team is concerned that our son will be low priority on the local list and has offered us a telehealth appointment with them, we just have o get a referral letter from our GP. I was so happy to hear from her and am very touched by their concern for our young man. We will get a message off to our GP tonight and hopefully we can get a referral with relative ease. I am feeling very grateful tonight and world feels a bit brighter.
@Cheery Gardener that's good news - I hope the process goes smoothly as it can for all of you.
The neighbours will be very glad when their work is done. There was a change in building regulations early part way through the process as the City Council decided that any new builds and houses where a significant amount of work was being done needed to be lifted an extra metre off the ground in this area to avoid possible tsunami damage. We are about 1 km from the sea, and, although there are some hill suburbs formed by ancient volcanoes, most of the land is very flat. Even the earthquake wrecked Cathedral 5 metres inland is only 11 feet above sea level according to a plaque,
It will be nice not to have the constant banging, and noises from various bits of machinery too. Taking out my hearing aids can help, but then I can't hear the radio.
@Clarence's mother, Audrey, died this morning. Clarence, for newer Shipmates, being my wife, hence Audrey was my mother-in-law. Clarence's sister is an Anglican priest and Area Dean, she has a very busy parish, but sat vigil with Audrey (Clarence and I are 1,600km north), and now has to juggle arranging her mother's funeral with leading her parish and deanery.
Clarence's sister is an Anglican priest and Area Dean, she has a very busy parish, but sat vigil with Audrey (Clarence and I are 1,600km north), and now has to juggle arranging her mother's funeral with leading her parish and deanery.
There are recognized times when clergy can and should tell parishes and area deaneries, even dioceses, to shove demands where the sun don't shine - compassionate leave, if NZ is anything to go by, is meagre enough as it is.
I have spent most of today in shock. I had decided on a lazy day doing very little when there was a knock on the door. It was a policeman come to tell me that Don, one of my most long standing friends had died and seeking help to find his next of kin. I was known to be a friend of his as I had recently been a character witness for him when he was seeking a renewal of his firearms licence.
Twelve hours later I am only just beginning to process this.
@Clarence thanks you for your kind thoughts. My learner driver mentee this afternoon is from Cameroon. We couldn't decide between us which was worse, his English or my French, so the session was conducted in Franglais. Lots of calmly communicated, "A gauche au prochain feu", "Tout droit au rond-point" and the odd screamed "C'est une flèche rouge, arrête!"
🇦🇺🇨🇲🚗🄻
Before the cheeky old hothead from the humid north gets into trouble. ‘To the left at the next fire’, ‘all the way around the pointy roundabout’, ‘It’s a red arrow, stop’. As long as that red arrow is a traffic light and not an aerobatic display team, all shall be well, and a good deed is being done, teaching a useful skill and making connections to the wider community.
So sorry to hear about your friend @huia. May he rest in peace and rise in glory and when this first grief is over may you be able to remember him with joy.
@Huia, I am very sorry to hear of the passing of your friend. Loss of good friends is always hard, moreso when it happens unexpectedly. Sending you a cyberhug.
Thanks everyone. I had forgotten how exhausting grief is. This morning I rang my favourite physio who had a space in her schedule so I grabbed it, it was that or wait a fortnight.
Comments
Very large proportion of the locals are hoping that the Green Machine stays switched on for the whole match later today!
Meanwhile Mr WitG and I are safely returned from our trip to Newcastle, which although its timing was triggered by the funeral of WitG junior’s partner’s grandmother, turned out to be a very enjoyable trip.
As the lady in question was several years into her nineties, it was actually quite a gentle and peaceful occasion at the Anglican church where she had been a regular parishioner. The clergy person was excellent, guiding the whole occasion without dominating it.
We saw our son’s partner who had managed to come from the UK, and also lots of other members of her family.
Also we were warm for four whole days which was lovely after a winter with a lot of cold nights.
The day after the funeral we had an excellent mini meet with @climacus at the Maitland Regional Gallery.
The only fly in the ointment was that rained (sometimes very hard) all day on Wednesday while we were driving back.
@Huia and @Cheery Gardener, I hope you enjoy those new roses. Mr WitG is hoping to prune his this week while the nights aren’t too frosty.
@Tukai congratulations on a new granddaughter. I hope the little family is all getting along well.
I am feeling bad that my roses at the front of the house have been a bit neglected, I think maybe tomorrow should be their pruning day. I hope all goes well with Mr WITG's pruning as well. I haven't made it to the garden centre to look for the Cecile Brunner, maybe tomorrow.
We are babysitting 2 cars this afternoon, as some family members have made their way to the Stadium to watch the Green machine play. All of them suitably attired in supporters merch. The family members range in age from 1 to 55 and Great Niece is hoping to see Valda the Viking this afternoon. I'm a bit concerned because every time my sister goes to the footie, the team does not do well. I've told her she's banned if they lose today.
Cheery husband will collect family members after the match and they can come back to ours for a pit stop and then head home. We thought that was easier than them trying to find parking (or end up parking illegally and incur a big fine).
We bought a large bar of Whittaker's Fruit and Nut on the way out. We are going to save it for a Special Occasion. I also bought a small bar of something peanutty, which disappeared quickly.
Having had to rise early yesterday for Art Group, and today for plumbers, tomorrow it's the roofer. It's not that I don't get up early most days in any case, it's the couple of hours sloping around in a dressing gown I miss.
Like you @Firenze, I do like a good slow day and mooching around in my dressing gown, just pottering.
Hoping for a bit of garden pottering shortly, the weather man says winds increasing in a couple of hours, so I'd better get out there. Spring is here and so are the weeds!!
@Huia, I think my first encounter with Cecile Brunner was in a climbing form, in the position I have, I'll probably be looking for a bush rose, but haven't firmly decided yet.
My family appear to be coping with the Green machine weekend loss (what a nailbiter match), but said they couldn't face getting in the scrum for tickets to the match next weekend. So much time wasted online by 2 people, just to get the ones they had for last weekend.
Managed to pick up some on special books, which I probably should not have purchased as my not yet read pile just keeps growing and growing. Perhaps I can reward myself with some reading after some gardening this morning. Anyway better get moving!!
But last week we saw a black column of smoke in the distance, only to find out from a mutual friend it was a person we both know. Sadly, her house burned to the ground.
She is now staying in our guest accomodation with her dogs. Another friend of hers rigged up fencing so her dogs wouldn't wander into the street.
They make a similar bar with almonds instead of peanuts, but although I like almonds better than peanuts, they seem rather dried in the bar. (Of course I had to eat several of the bars over the years to see if they had improved, but sadly they hadn't
Luckily the supermarket aisle that has the chocolate is one that it's easy to avoid as it doesn't have anything I buy regularly.
I'm not that familiar with Whittaker's chocs, though I think I've seen them. I used to really love visits to Darrell Lea when I was a child. I'm glad some of their products are still available, but alas not my favourite, Butterscotch, it really was buttery!!
@LatchKeyKid, that is a wonderful act of grace ... my heart goes out to the survivors. Is there anything they need that a stranger can send?
A little bit of vital information. The top of NZ (and I can't remember if it's the top of the North Island or some outlying islands) is the same latitude as the point at Dee Why - the second or third beach north from Manly. The line between them marks the end of the Tasman Sea and the beginning of the Pacific Ocean. At least, that's what we were taught when of a suitable age. So all those tourists who go to Bondi for a swim in the Pacific are sadly mistaken.
The 56 hours includes 2 hours drive from our home to Heathrow, flight to Doha where we changed planes with a three hour transit, followed by very long flight to Auckland. Then a nine hour wait at the airport before the flight up to the Far North and finally an hour's drive to daughter's home.
They call it the winterless north here but for all that there are beautiful signs of Spring.
Lovely, lovely place.
That's an interesting (genuinely interesting) assumption. One of these days, we shall talk about it in our afternoon walk. How about the Sea of Japan, for example.
The Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, or so an Ecosia search found. I do accept that "seas are within an ocean" is a convention.
Cheery husband and I really enjoyed a visit to a cold climate nursery on Sunday. We tagged that onto a viewing of antiques at an open house an hour or so before. It was just fun getting out and about and doing things we enjoy together.
This week has not started as hoped. We saw our GP this morning to get the results of Cheery son's procedure done a couple of weeks ago. It seems the GP may have detected an undiagnosed condition and we are putting out feelers to get some more assistance. I am hoping that before too long we might have some input and advice. We are now 22 years out from son's original diagnosis, to think about starting again with something new altogether has been a bit overwhelming today.
@Zappa, I am really glad there are all different types of confectioners, offering a range of products that appeal. Many of my DL memories are fond associations with staying with my Nanna during school holidays and a visit to the sweetie shop was first thing on the list!! I don't tend to consume their products these days as my mis-spent youth has caught up with me!!
Yes, indeed
I'm editing my photo collection (which contains scanned transparencies from pre 2000) and the most convenient software for tagging geographic metadata is Geosetter, not available on Linux. Digikam is more complex and much slower to use, and I want a graphical front-end to Exif. Vuescan, the scanning software I use with a Nikon LS4000, is available on all major platforms.
Thanks all for your nice posts about Cheery son. Our treating Specialist has suggested that the boy wonder should see the genetics people at the local hospital, so we will go back to our GP to organise a referral. I am trying not to get too far ahead of myself until we have spoken to them as doing some reading about the suspected condition, he doesn't tick all the boxes, so we'll have to wait and see. However, it would not be the first time that he has not followed the normal pattern of things.
Today is a bit on the cloudy side and as I've had several days of weeding, I am a bit knackered and so am declaring a slow day. The new Richard Osman has just been delivered and so I might spend the rest of the day reading and just pottering at home.
Welcome @MrsBeaky. bits of the South Island have had a bit of snow, but your family chose the right place to be.
@Cheery Gardener that is a worry, I hope you can find more information about your son's condition soon.
I've had involuntary shore leave as next door's internet connection, which I use due to their kindness, became a bit dodgy due to building work on their house, If I disappear again it's likely to be for the same reason. (It's good that the wee gizmo that is temporarily connects us is in a rear window of my house because when it's working there's a flashing green light at its base but when it isn't the light is red, and I could find myself with unwanted company.
I am happy to report that I had a phone call from our Outreach nurse at the main treatment centre. A consultant in their genetics team is concerned that our son will be low priority on the local list and has offered us a telehealth appointment with them, we just have o get a referral letter from our GP. I was so happy to hear from her and am very touched by their concern for our young man. We will get a message off to our GP tonight and hopefully we can get a referral with relative ease. I am feeling very grateful tonight and world feels a bit brighter.
The neighbours will be very glad when their work is done. There was a change in building regulations early part way through the process as the City Council decided that any new builds and houses where a significant amount of work was being done needed to be lifted an extra metre off the ground in this area to avoid possible tsunami damage. We are about 1 km from the sea, and, although there are some hill suburbs formed by ancient volcanoes, most of the land is very flat. Even the earthquake wrecked Cathedral 5 metres inland is only 11 feet above sea level according to a plaque,
It will be nice not to have the constant banging, and noises from various bits of machinery too. Taking out my hearing aids can help, but then I can't hear the radio.
@Clarence's mother, Audrey, died this morning. Clarence, for newer Shipmates, being my wife, hence Audrey was my mother-in-law. Clarence's sister is an Anglican priest and Area Dean, she has a very busy parish, but sat vigil with Audrey (Clarence and I are 1,600km north), and now has to juggle arranging her mother's funeral with leading her parish and deanery.
There are recognized times when clergy can and should tell parishes and area deaneries, even dioceses, to shove demands where the sun don't shine - compassionate leave, if NZ is anything to go by, is meagre enough as it is.
Twelve hours later I am only just beginning to process this.
🇦🇺🇨🇲🚗🄻
Oh, @Huia, what a shock!
Amen
It's 7.30pm now and I'm off to bed.