Cat, guppies, bantams

1. Today I'm going to tell you about our pets as they're a wonderful asset to our family. Moose is our cat. He's white with big orange splotches and about 9 years old. He has an interesting personality and has been the subject of two of my children's books - although the main character was changed from Moose the cat to Skipper the dog. That's life. Moose is okay with it.
2. We have a number of guppies who live in a cold water aquarium in our lounge. Guppies give birth to live young which happens in the summer months here. Apparently the mother gives birth to a couple of dozen fish but most get eaten by her and her colleagues. We have eight babies at the moment in a separate netted off area while they grow bigger. It's always very exciting when someone spots a new baby and everything stops so we can rescue it from all the marauders in the tank.
3. I've mentioned our three new silky bantams which we got on New Years Eve. They're doing very well and growing bigger and fluffier. Not much else to say about them right now.

Budgie, relaxing, stories

1. My daughter has a pale blue and white male budgie named Sugar who's been with us since early last year. She hand reared him so he started out very tame and has turned into quite a talker. She hasn't kept up the taming process though. Today, however, she decided to try and "retame" Sugar. She had some success, with a bit of help from mum. I hope she keeps up the effort as he's a wonderful budgie with great potential.
2. I relaxed with my daughter after lunch and watched one of her Saddle Club dvds. It wasn't really my cup of tea but I enjoyed the down time and the girl time.
3. I realised today that when I tell a long winded story I lose my audience because I take so long to get to the point. I listened to someone else doing the same thing and realised how I must sound, as it's a bad habit of mine - my father used to describe it as "enjoying the sound of my own voice". I'm going to try a new tack. I shall now cut to the chase and make that bit so enticing that the listener wants to ask questions to find out how the end result happened. I'll see how I go.

Anniversary, hard work, river

1. Today was a public holiday for our region of New Zealand called Anniversary Day. It was nice to have everyone at home doing their thing happily together. We had a variety of visitors popping in for a few minutes at a time which was also nice.
2. I helped my husband with some pool work today, mainly wheelbarrowing and lifting which I needed badly as my exercise level had dropped to marginal recently. I feel refreshed.
3. I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog that we were part of a river drama on our way home from the lake yesterday. We stopped at a river to see if it was suitable for a quick dip. A woman and four children were there and we were chatting with them. Three of the children were under 5 and a boy called Richard aged about 8 or 9. Richard accidentally got into the swift flowing part of the river and I was the only one who noticed. I alerted the woman who tried to go to his aid. We managed to call out to him to grab a plant on the bank opposite, which he did. He was quite scared but held on tightly for a long time while we considered the options. We decided that, since he wasn't a swimmer, he should climb up onto the bank. He managed that with difficulty. My husband then found a way around to him via a bridge and helped him climb up the bank, including a vertical climb of about 3 metres through prickles and gorse. It was all quite exciting and the boy was very happy to be back with his family again. I was glad we were at the right place at the right time.

Lake visit,wild berries, pool

1. The family visit to the bach owned by my sister and her husband was a wonderful time out for us as an extended family. Very relaxing. Some went trout fishing with various degrees of success. Others read, chatted, cooked, ate, drank, played cricket, played cards, walked and generally chilled out. The visit to the natural hot springs was a highlight for me. Thanks, Jude and Tony, for your hospitality.
2. At one stage during our little sojourn at the lake my daughter and I went for a short walk and found some wild blackberries ripe for the picking. We enjoyed them very much. It reminded me of the times in my childhood when we would go to the paddock near our house to get up close to the horses and feast on wild berries. Yummmmm.
3. We had our very first family swim on our return from the lake today. It was great fun, with my husband being the life and soul of the party as usual. Great to see him playing after all the hard work he's been doing - and still has to do.

Long weekend, happy, movie

1. We have a long weekend looming, with time at a lake with our extended family thanks to the generosity of my sister and her husband who are having us all at their bach. We're only staying one night but it will be nice to have a change of scenery and for my husband to have some time off from the pool.
2. I'm feeling contented today and relaxed. It's not that common.
3. I'm about to sit with my husband and watch Flight Plan which I've been looking forward to for ages. Hope it doesn't disappoint!

Home, unpacking, pool

1. I love being at home. I have to admit to being quite boring on that one. Home is cosy and friendly and everything fits.
2. I spent time doing my own thing today before unpacking the van after the beach. It was a good way to unwind and not feel pressured to do work after driving home. I was proud of myself for taking time out. I don't do it very often.
3. My daughter and I cooled down with a swim today and it was absolutely wonderful. Nothing like it on these humid, muggy days. I reminded my husband how great he is for creating this outdoor haven for us all. He works on...

Rain, beach, clarity

1. Our first day at the beach was marred by rain, rain and a lot more rain. We flagged away the tent and went for the cabin option instead. We managed by reading, mainly. The children were pretty good but the dashes to the toilet left us sodden. We were wondering about our beach decision but decided the next day could only be better...
2. And it was! Today dawned misty but not rainy. We breakfasted quickly and set off for the black sand and waves below our cabin. The water was warmish but wild so we only paddled. We enjoyed the fresh sea air, sinking into the sand, exercising our calf muscles at last and dabbling our feet in the water. We found plenty of driftwood too. it was definitely worth the journey and the wait for better weather. (For those interested and who have a map, we went to Mokau which is on NZ's west coast north of New Plymouth. It's about 1.5 hours drive from our home).
3. This morning when we were looking out to sea, enjoying the clear air and listening to the pounding waves, I had a strong moment of clarity about life. The change in weather reminded me that the bad experiences are there to help us appreciate the good times even more. The day was average, but it seemed exquisite compared to the rainsoaked day before.

Happy Birthday, afternoon in the sun, baking

1. Happy Birthday to the three women I know who share their special day today - Jude, Liz and Jess. You're all wonderful and I hope your birthday celebrations were fun-filled. I know my sister Jude went to a surprise function for her birthday this evening - blindfolded. What a thoughtful husband she has. I must say I have a hankering to be surprised one day.
2. I spent the afternoon with a good friend chatting while our children played happily together. It was marvellous. We discussed many parenting and employment issues and I came away feeling more incentive to encourage independence in my children. My efforts were rewarded tonight when I asked them to do some simple jobs and they did them without complaint.
3. I'm going away with the children for a couple of days at the beach tomorrow, so I'm baking for my husband tonight. I often bake before I go away. It's a kind of love gift thingy. Yummy too. I'm off in search of driftwood but I can't explain any more than that as it's commercially sensitive...

More sewing, swimming, comet

1. Quite a boring post today. I spent most of the day sewing the other two dresses for my sister and friend who are joining me at the rugby sevens in Wellington at the beginning of February. We're all really looking forward to being Marge Simpson for 48 hours. I look forward to telling you all about it on the blog when I return. The sewing went well, despite my machine needing some kind of overhaul of swift kick as it throws a spaz every time the thickness of the fabric changes. Fortunately, I was in a relatively good space so it didn't upset me too much.
2. The children each had friends over for the day (still school holidays here...) and they spent lots of the time swimming. However, there was never a time when the girls and boys were in the pool together. It was all segregated amicably so the girls had the pool while the boys were in teh spa and vice versa. Quite funny really, when you think about how they'll be in another six years or so.
3. The comet was visible again tonight. It was cloudy in places but not enough to block out the comet. However, I have to admit that the edge has worn off the excitement. It's really just a white line in the sky after all. The statistics are quite stunning but I'm starting to take it for granted, sadly. I guess I'll miss it when it's gone.

100 posts, birthdays, birthday blog

1. I have now posted 100 times on my Word Imperfect blog. Thanks to everyone who's kept me going with their funny meanings and lots of encouragement. May the next 100 be just as much fun.
2. I spent the afternoon at the birthday bbq of a close friend today and the food was incredible. The woman is a gourmet in her own lifetime. She loves to do it. And we love to eat it. She even made her own incredible birthday cake. So, thank you again, Elizabeth. I love you lots.
3. My gift for Elizabeth was a blog of her own. I hope she finds time to do the odd post or two!

Blogs, pets, sewing

1. I received some kind feedback about my blogs today from Jodi, another blogger. Thanks Jodi for your encouragement. It's always great to hear that other people enjoy what I'm putting so much effort into. It makes it more worthwhile.
2. My daughter changed the desktop background on my computer today. Sometimes we have a family photo but usually we have a pet photo - especially of a pet we don't have such as a dog or horse. She put a photo on of a gorgeous grey Shetland mare and foal. It's a lovely way to have pets without having pets. We enjoy looking at them but don't have to clean up after them or feed them.
3. I spent most of the day sewing an outfit for the rugby sevens which is only two weeks away. My sister and friend and I are all going as Marge Simpson. We have organised the costumes but I am sewing the three green dresses. One down, two to go.

Family, feedback, best house

1. It was nice to have our little family of four all back together again today. The children got on reasonably well, between the odd bout of bickering, but it felt good to be part of the team again. Great to be away. Even better to be back.
2. My agent has given me some very positive feedback about the manuscript I sent her at the end of November. Seems I only have to make a few minor changes before it's ready for the publisher's eyes. I'm relieved. When I'm in the middle of writing something, I lose track of the ability to tell if it's good or not. I thought it was pretty good, but was too close to really tell. Looking forward to telling you more about it later.
3. My good friend told me today that her son had described our house and property as his ideal house in all the world! The house is pretty standard, but I can understand why he loves playing at our place. It really is a child's paradise, but I think my children are so used to it that they don't realise how fortunate they are. My friend's son specifically mentioned the pool, spa, flying fox, trampoline, rope swings, tree hut, chickens and soccer field in his assessment. We have deliberately made our property a child's heaven, so it's good to know someone appreciates it!

Auckland, comet, Kiwi music

1. I've just returned from a couple of days in Auckland with my daughter. We visited friends and family, did a little shopping and generally had a relaxing time together. I didn't manage to update this blog last night. My brother in law is a fabulous chef and the company was interesting, so we didn't finish dinner until quite late. But here I am, back again and refreshed. I enjoyed the city but prefer to come home to our little patch of countryside, wide open sky, open roads and clean air.
2. On the way home tonight I noticed several cars stopped along the roadside with people standing alongside pointing. I turned to see what they were looking at but couldn't decide if it was Mt Pirongia in the deep red glow of sunset, Venus beside the mountain or something I couldn't quite see yet. Then, when I was about 10 minutes from home, I noticed a curved streak in the night sky. I couldn't recognise what it was. On arrival at home, my husband and several of the neighbours were standing at the end of our street with the telescope. They told me it was a comet. How exciting!
3. I sung all the way home to a Kiwi music tape we have featuring Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn and Tim Finn. I'm so proud to be a New Zealander as their songs are as good as any.

Family, spontaneity, salad

1. We had a wonderful visit from family members today. They drove down from Auckland (2 hours away) and stayed for lunch and dinner which was great. I always enjoy the feeling I get from being with my sisters.
2. I'm not that good with spontaneity but I've made a relatively spontaneous decision to travel to Auckland for a couple of days this week with my daughter. It will be good to catch up with some friends and family who have moved to new homes.
3. I made my favourite salad for lunch: here's the recipe. Lettuce at the bottom. Grated carrot on top. Chopped dates on top of that. Bits of cut up orange above that. Orange juice squeezed over it all. Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. MMMMMmmmmm.

Friends, book, dentistry

1. I had conversations with two close friends today. One by phone and the other in person. I'm glad of friends and realise that, even though I like to be alone sometimes, friends are very important. So thank you to all my friends - those from my real life and those from my blog life - I appreciate you all and I often feel fortunate to be a person with friends.
2. I am reading a lovely book which I can wholeheartedly recommend to others. It's by Marlena de Blasi and is called A Thousand Days in Venice. It's a romance, a true story, about food, about love and very deep and meaningful. Thank you Marlena for writing about your amazing experience. It's touching me.
3. My son had a two hour dentistry appointment today with a Brazilian and an Argentinian. I was privileged to sit in on the experience. He was measured, photographed, moulded, x-rayed and stretched. His mouth span caused much oohing and aahing as well as "are you sure?" and "you'd better measure it again". All incredibly interesting. It made being a dentist looking incredibly interesting. Thanks Alex and Diego. You were very kind to our son.

Revelation, weeding, first swim

1. I had a revelation today. Well, sort of. You see, every weekend my husband gets heaps of things done from his "to do" list. Admittedly, the list is all about the swimming pool right now. But he just wakes up, gets started and works through his list all weekend. I, on the other hand, seem to get nothing done from my "to do" list. I am too busy dealing with other people's issues, getting the next meal ready, cleaning up after the last one, sorting out arguments, finding lost items of clothing etc etc. Today, I did things a little differently. I pretended I was my husband and, in the main, I went about the day doing the things that I wanted and needed to get done. This was vaguely successful, although not momentous. However, I did notice that when I just took myself off to do a job outside, the children sorted out a game which they then played happily. Usually, I wait until they seem settled before I feel free to start on something. That's probably a key, I realise now. They might sort themselves out more quickly in future if mum isn't in the mix!
2. A high priority job today was weeding my new vegetable plot. We have had several big downpours which have got the plants off to a great start - but the weeds have come as part of the package! So I weeded my vege plot and felt very pleased that the job was completed.
3. I had my first swim in our pool today - the last of the family to do so. After working in the garden in very humid conditions, a cool swim was the perfect solution. I enjoyed it very much and praised my husband for all his wonderful work on the pool so far. It's great.

Girls day out, lifting, Germany

1. My daughter and I spent several hours shopping today. It was good to have time alone with each other. I can see she'll be a great friend as she grows older.
2. I know I said I love outdoor work, but I have to add to lugging huge pieces of timber from one spot to another does not come into that category.
3. We had dinner with our neighbours and I learned much about their family history which was fascinating. Much of the conversation centred on their German heritage. It reminded me that the human experience is so amazing and human resilience even more so.

Mediation, weather, dress ups

1. I find many aspects of parenthood difficult, demanding and draining. One of these occurred today. The three of us (two children and I) had three different ideas about what should happen today. I finally negotiated a way through it that seemed to keep everyone smiling but, quite frankly, this is one aspect of the school holidays that I find particularly peeving. The weather didn't allow for outdoor activities for most of the day, we haven't got heaps of money to splash around on shopping, fast food restaurants or movies, and we've just spent the last few days in each other's pockets already. Fortunately, it sorted itself out. But I certainly didn't enjoy it. I hope tomorrow is easier.
2. The weather has been humid to the max, drizzly enough to make it tricky to get out of the house for any length of time, gloomy and oppressive. I am very affected by weather. Hence, I found myself in a gloom of my own. I'm hoping for some sunshine tomorrow.
3. One happy incident (there were a few!) was when the children played happily together in the afternoon and suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway in full disguise asking for afternoon tea please. Both were covered head to foot in dress up gear from a suitcase we have for such purposes. They both looked great, and even managed to change their outfits twice more, looking completely different each time. Afternoon tea was duly dispatched.

Gardening, DVD, girls night out

1. A couple of days of rain have done wonders for our new vegetable garden. The dwarf beans are looking very proud. In fact, everything looks pretty healthy which is promising. I'll need to get my weeding gloves on soon, though. I like the "something from nothing" factor of a vege garden.
2. The children decided to pool their money to buy a DVD today. I'm happy to say they've been playing much more happily together for several days now. The new sibling rivalry book has arrived from the library and the children are friends again. What a great cure! Not that I'm counting my chickens before they're hatched or anything.
3. I went out with my close women friends for the coffee and dessert thing tonight. We had a very relaxing night of chat and laughter. I had the creme brulee which was a first for me. It was worth it in every way.

100 things

1. I'm short.
2. I'm blonde.
3. I have two beautiful children aged 8 and 10.
4. I have a wonderful blue eyed husband.
5. I'm 47 years, 5 months old.
6. I'm the oldest of four daughters.
7. I always wanted to be an author. And I am.
8. I had something like a photographic memory at school. Not such a good memory now though.
9. I always wanted six children, including twins.
10. I love reading but never seem to get enough time to do it.
11. I love blogging.
12. My joke book was published on April Fools Day last year.
13. I dream of being rich and famous.
14. I like eating chocolate more often than I should.
15. I enjoy sitting in a cafe and drinking latte or mocchachino and watching people.
16. My favourite season is autumn.
17. I prefer to be cold than hot.
18. I believe in angels.
19. I believe my Dad, who died nearly 7 years ago, is always there when I need him.
20. I am an optimist.
21. I love laughing.
22. I spent about six years very involved in a pentecostal church.
23. I met my husband while training to be a telephone counsellor. He was completely dressed in my favourite colour, purple.
24. Walker Books is publishing a picture book manuscript I wrote last year and I'm very excited as it's a dream come true.
25. I like to stay up late.
26. I love sleeping.
27. I'm not afraid of dying.
28. I adore baking.
29. I learned to fly a plane before I could drive a car.
30. I'm far too self-centred.
31. I have a favourite party dress which is a genuine 1950s dress covered in huge pink roses which I wore to every Christmas event I was invited to in 2006. I bought the dress in Auckland when I was in my 20s. It's my favourite piece of clothing at the moment.
32. I would like to have beautiful nails, but I don't.
33. My friend Kate committed suicide.
34. I started my own children's second hand book shop and learned heaps about collectable children's books from a wonderful woman I met through the shop.
35. I love writing funny limericks for family occasions.
36. I fell from a ladder a few days before my shop was due to open and broke my jaw and right wrist. I'm right handed. I opened the shop anyway.
37. I learned to ski while on a school trip to Germany and Austria.
38. I travelled to South America and visited Chile, Bolivia and Peru.
39. I love the night sky.
40. I love getting together with my three sisters as we have so much fun.
41. I love karaoke.
42. I play squash.
43. Three close family members have coeliac disease which requires them to be gluten free. I test negative for coeliac disease but don't eat bread anyway and always feel much happier if I don't eat wheat.
44. I was very close to my Nana.
45. I worked for a short time as a postie during the university holidays.
46. I also worked for a short time delivering singing telegrams!
47. I love romantic comedies.
48. My fave actors include Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Rene Zellwegger. Go figure!
49. I have a close network of women friends who I love dearly.
50. I hated being a teacher.
51. I love the thought of being a good gardener.
52. I love pets but I don't have a natural affinity for animals.
53. I fell from a tree when I was a child and thought I'd broken my back. I didn't.
54. I was a navigator for my father in car rallies as a child.
55. My favourite physical feature about myself is my long blonde hair.
56. I don't want to parachute or bungy jump.
57. I hate housework with a passion.
58. I don't believe in ironing.
59. I like being alone.
60. I'm good at spelling and picky about other people's spelling. Apologies for any errors here!
61. I was good at speech and drama at school.
62. I learned theatre sports (improv) and loved it.
63. I love hard physical jobs like concreting and digging.
64. I am quite paranoid. But getting better with age.
65. I like reading biographies.
66. I have a letter from Margaret Mahy which I treasure.
67. I like giraffes.
68. I like swimming, body surfing and general water stuff.
69. I love telling funny stories but try not to hog all the attention.
70. I am learning to be okay about my body.
71. I have been to counselling.
72. I went to the police last year about a historic rape case. It was very healing.
73. My first flying lesson ended in a forced landing in a paddock with my flying instructor who soon became my boyfriend.
74. I was in the cycling club at university and cycled around a large part of the North Island of New Zealand.
75. I love the tranquility at a place called Mangonui in the north of the North Island.
76. I'm very pleased to have been born in New Zealand.
77. I would like to write a screenplay.
78. I hate sleeping anywhere except my own bed.
79. I had the wedding of my dreams, dressed as a princess and surrounded by seven little girls dressed as fairies.
80. I went to Maori language classes in the evenings for three years and enjoy the Maori language very much.
81. I wish I could have servants. Sorry, but it's true!
82. I was holidaying on an island in Malaysia once, and got out of a hammock seconds before a coconut fell from a great height onto the hammock where I'd been lying.
83. I was born with dislocated hips. They're fine now, as long as I don't sit in a particular position for too long.
84. I gave birth to my second child (a daughter) unexpectedly at home 10 days early after no contractions that I was aware of. My husband caught her. I was in labour with my first child (a son) for 17 hours.
85. I can still do the splits pretty well if I'm warmed up.
86. I was a fanatic of Jazzercize when I was in my early twenties.
87. I've been writing a book for young teens about the Rainbow Warrior bombing.
88. I want to win the Joy Cowley Award. And I shall.
89. I used to have wonderful dreams where I knew how to fly like a bird and would teach others. 90. I love the Carpenters music. Also the Beatles.
91. I don't like practical jokes very much, or people being silly around swimming pools. I get very nervous and panicky around stuff like that.
92. I don't think much before I speak but my friends are training me up and I'm improving!
93. My friend Lynley and I both dressed as Marge Simpson for the Rugby Sevens in Wellington in 2006 and we're doing it again in February this year with one of my sisters. It's a blast and I'm sooooo looking forward to it. It's one enormous party.
94. I almost never drink alcohol.
95. I have never smoked or done drugs.
96. I love cheesecake and I made one tonight.
97. I love fruit.
98. I love liquorice tea but I hate liquorice.
99. I'm not very good at keeping in touch with my friends but I love them all dearly.
100. I hate flies.

Surprise, WOF, library

1. My father in law came over today to work on building the deck around our pool while my husband was at work. It was a surprise and very sweet. My husband was suitably impressed and genuinely surprised. It brightened our day. He deserved something nice like that, since he's been working so hard on it. Thanks, Poppa.
2. I took our car to get a warrant of fitness today at the garage around the corner. I think I've mentioned the mechanic, Basil, before on this blog. As I drive past his workplace I'm often reminded how much we've appreciated his wisdom and willingness since he moved his business here a year or so ago. It's wonderful having such a nice man working as a mechanic so close to home. He can always fit us in, doesn't overcharge and is very helpful and approachable. Gives us a great peace of mind, too. Happy New Year, Basil.
3. This morning I took the children to the library and we had a busy time perusing the books. I'm pleased the children are now old enough to browse through the shelves and choose books they think they'll enjoy. The best part was that they did heaps of reading during the afternoon as well. It reminded me of my own school holidays many years ago when I would laze about for days on end just reading. That was (and still is) my idea of heaven!

Teeth, cricket, amazing race

1. My son had his first orthodontic appointment today. I can see the $ signs flicking across your mind as you read that sentence. It was fascinating stuff. The good thing, apparently, was that he has a horse shoe shaped upper jaw thingy. The bad thing is he (like me) is a mouth breather. The funny thing was when the receptionist sat us in the "education room" and asked if we would like "coffee, blah, blah, chocolate". "Chocolate? Did I hear you offer me chocolate?" Nearly. It was a hot chocolate she was offering. My son accepted her kind invitation. I don't have my chocolate in liquid form. I had a cup of tea.
2. New Zealand was supposed to play Sri Lanka at cricket at a ground near us this afternoon so we were all planning to go and have a wonderful time. We spent hours turning our son into a walking banner in the hope of winning a prize which we could sell to pay for his dentistry. (Anyone who knows us personally knows that this is something our family does well. For example, we had a trip to Fiji this year due to the fact that we turned up with thousands of other people dressed in yellow for an airline's 10th anniversary.) However, today's prizewinning efforts were thwarted when it rained. And rained. And rained harder. The other dedicated spectators clapped appreciatively at the sight of our walking banner, but there was no money forthcoming. A good time was had by all, despite this.
3. I love the American television programme called The Amazing Race (Kiwi host though!) and a new series started this evening so I'm very happy. It was a two hour special as well! I got a great fix. I know some of the bloggers who read this will probably already know the result as we see these things after you do, so please don't spoil my surprise. We're gunning for the three legged team.

Unwell, tree, present

1. My daughter's been unwell today, head, tummy, tired, listless kind of thing. Either sunstroke (siriasis, was it?) from too much cycling yesterday or some virus. I'm sure it will right itself as these things do. If not, I'll take her to sit in the doctor's waiting room for 5 minutes. That's the best cure of all, in my experience. She managed to have several brighter moments though, so all is well, really.
2. The Christmas tree is down for another year. Thank goodness. I like a big lounge and the tree makes it too small. Plus, I'm over Christmas. Big time. I'm ready for 2007 and whatever it brings. That's tempting fate, if anything does.
3. By present (see title), I don't mean gift. I mean being present, like "in the moment" etc. During the night, I was thinking. And I decided to try to be more present. Kind of a n.y. resolution but not entirely. Just an oddball kind of thought. Hey, maybe I'll be in the moment and see what that's like. It was pretty good actually. While it lasted. My reason for trying it was an attempt to get from A to B without deviating towards C, D, E and M. I though if I am really "present" I won't notice the other things sidling into view that need to be attended to. I think it will work but will take a bit more effort on my part. But that's okay. I'm still watering the garden so I know I can stick at something. If this post seems a little strange, I think it's because I've just spent an hour blog surfing and I've got other people's blog styles in my head.

Painting, cycling, sun

1. The light at night is gorgeous lately. Somehow, the sunset managed to paint the trunk of our huge Japanese walnut tree a distinct shade of red umber. It was magical.
2. I went on two hour long cycling trips today - the first with my son and the second with my daughter. Tired, yes. Happy, yes. Good parenting, you betcha.
3. The sun is still beating down on us all day and I can see myself looking forward to cooler weather already. I know it sounds weird to those other bloggers suffering through winter, but I actually prefer cooler weather. I enjoy snuggling rather than sweltering. However, with the addition of our new swimming pool, life will be easier. That's if my husband can find the source of the leak...

Tidy room, kindness, chocolate

1. My daughter and I spent several hours tidying her room. It happens about twice a year and takes a while. She claims to be incapable to figuring it out alone but does get more involved each time so I'm sure it will work out eventually. Afterwards, she spent some alone time in there, reading. I'm sure it was because it was a more pleasant place to be.
2. After the room tidying, my daughter was exceedingly well behind and even - shock, horror! - kind to her brother. This seemed to be genuine kindness which I actually see in her quite often but not of late! Who knew a tidy room could have so much impact?
3. aaahh, chocolate, how I honour thee. No, seriously. It's not that bad. Well, actually it is. But now's not the time or place to go into detail. We had been given a box of Belgian seashell shaped chocolates which I had hidden away for just the right occasion - tonight! The children adore Belgian chocolate which is a crying shame but there you go. Which brings to mind a gorgeous quote from my son's toddlerhood. We had been given a box of chocolates with gooey centres. He was about four and had only ever had plain chocolate before. However, he saw the box and wanted one. After taking bites out of two or three and looking disgusted he said "are there any without pus in them?" It should have been enough to put me off chocolate for life. Sadly, no.

Moon, bloggers, actors

1. You should have seen the moon. It was round and silvery and set in a sea of blue grey behind the crooked branches of the Japanese walnut tree. Just beautiful.
2. I've been visiting some blog sites to see what other people are writing - sounds like a time waster but I call it research! I've enjoyed it immensely and found some wonderful people - particularly wonderful writers and even lots of useful information. Thanks to all the bloggers out there - it's a wonderful world that I'm glad I discovered. And many thanks always to Matt who introduced me to blogging in the first place.
3. Why are my fave male actors all getting old, gaunt, wrinkled, or sun damaged? They're just not aging gracefully as the women seem to be doing. Except George Clooney of course. Perhaps he could share his secrets. I've liked Dennis Quaid since The Big Easy but last night we watched him in Yours, Mine and Ours and I couldn't get into him. Or Rene for that matter. I know I'm getting older too but haven't they got enough money to look after their skin better?

Children, singing, gardens

1. The children each have a friend over to play today. Mostly it eased the sibling rivalry dramas. But sometimes it doubled them. Two against two instead of one against one. I know I have a problem. I guess that's positive. Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards finding a solution!
2. My daughter and her friend have recently become addicted to the High School Musical dvd - not that they're anywhere near high school age. I think they just like the songs and the singing. They were down at the bottom of our neighbours' garden tonight sitting in the trees and singing their hearts out. They ran back when it was time to come in and said at the end of one of their songs they heard clapping! I dearly remember the joy of singing loudly with my little friends when I was a child. I'm not sure I remember anyone clapping though.
3. I still love everything to do with plants, weeding, watering and gardening. That's a bit of a record for me as it's lasted more than a couple of days. In fact, the urge to garden seems to be intensifying. I think it's good for my stress levels so I'll keep it up. I'm not the yoga or meditation type sadly - too hyperactive.

Me, sun, lifting

1. I had a lovely day without other people around today. The children were still with friends and my husband had his first day back at work after the holiday break. I love having time alone with myself, just pottering around and doing whatever I feel like. Bliss.
2. What a gloriously sunny day we had today. Lots of blue in the sky and wispy clouds floating past at their leisure. Just right for daydreaming.
3. This evening it was back to the hard labour of concreting etc. I enjoy physical work very much but I must say my body is aching now. However, I had a moment of excitement when I lifted a 40kg bag of cement from the back of the van and carried it over to the place I was working with the cement mixer. Every time I've tried before, I've failed miserably and my husband has had to cart it to where I'm working. But this time I put my mind to it and decided that I'd been doing so much physical strength work that I must be able to lift it by now. And I did! Hooray.

Cold, child-free night, cat

1. I'm very cold tonight. Not sure why, but I think it's because I got wet from the hose when watering the garden and couldn't seem to warm up. I was helping my husband organise string lines to do with the pool decking after that and just got colder and colder. I couldn't even warm up in the spa. So it's summer in New Zealand and I'm wearing a winter singlet to try and warm up! I think I'm going out in sympathy with my northern hemisphere blogging buddies!
2. The children are away with friends for the night. I made a yummy dinner of Moroccan Chicken and said to my husband "I love dinners like this" and he said "You mean quiet ones?" I was actually referring to the dish but I agreed with his sentiments. Recent dinner times have been full on battles due to a mixture of reasons. However, due to the lack of younger humans in the vicinity, the quiet was very noticeable indeed!
3. Our cat is a white and ginger male aged about 9 years called Moose. He has been pacing, investigating rooms, meowing and acting strangely. He is always very unsettled when the children are out of the house, as they are tonight. Nice to know he appreciates them!

Baking, Weeding, Children

1. I've had the inclination to do quite a lot of baking lately. Today's effort was Tollhouse Choc Chip Cookies. They were happily munched by the family but they didn't turn out quite the way I'd expected. I think I was looking for something slightly chewier. However, they fill the gap.
2. I've never liked weeding. However, my new love of gardening includes weeding. Very cathartic, I have to add. I was actually searching for weeds to pull. Scary.
3. The children have been argumentative and short tempered with each other which has not made me happy. However, I seem to have settled the situation down tonight with a few home truths. I think 2007 might have to be a year for stern discipline. We'll see.