Vellicate, acceptance, husbands

1. I was teaching at kindergarten and the office administrator used the word of the day from my word imperfect blog, giving me a wink as she did so. She used it to describe a "very delicate" situation. I had told her about my blog but had no idea she had looked at it more than once. Turns out she's a very regular reader (possibly addicted), just not a contributor as yet. I was really thrilled. She says she loves reading the word each day, looking at the meanings contributed by others and trying to figure out what the real meaning is. Thanks, Lesly. You made my day!
2. I told the children that I'm going to Auckland a day earlier than I had planned. Usually this would result in something of a monumental meltdown, particularly with our daughter. However, I timed the discussion exactly right, said all the right things about how much help she'll be while I'm away and somehow managed to swing it so that no tears were shed. Hallelujah!
3. My husband was very happy about me going to Auckland a day earlier so I can do some library research for my book. They are coming up to meet me on Friday for a family birthday followed by a family wedding. I appreciated his willingness to cope alone with all the packing and planning. And, of course, he'll do a superb job.

Friends, letter, rain

1. I've just returned from enjoying an Indian meal with some close women friends. The food was delicious. The company was outstanding and the laughter was contagious.
2. My daughter wrote me a letter and made an envelope. The letter describes me as the "best mum ever". She writes lots of love letters to me, but this is one of the most precious.
3. It's raining and I don't particularly like rain. However, I know the ground loves it. The plants love it. And we need it. So I'm okay with the rain.

Rocks, surprise, salad

1. I drove out into a relatively remote rural area this morning. On the way, I passed the most amazing rock formations. It's my favourite part of the landscape near our home and whenever I drive through it, I try and imagine the conditions which led to the rocks ending up where they are, oddly angled and jutting from the landcape in clusters. I'm no geologist so the answer still eludes me. Probably volcanic, but I think I like the mystery of it all.
2. My sisters and I surprised our mother today with a birthday lunch. They all live in Auckland, two hours drive away, and she was only expecting to have lunch with me. It was a wonderful loooong lunch with lots of giggling - always the case when four sisters gather together. Very special memories for us all.
3. My lunch consisted of a moroccan lamb salad which was scrumptious. I'm finally learning to order light lunches and I've developed a strong enjoyment of anything leafy. I still had the obligatory moccachino of course.

Vermeer, cricket, Nemo again

1. I've just finished watching a beautiful tv movie about the Vermeer painting "the girl with the pearl ear ring". Very different. Every second scene could have been a painting. The scenery was moody, evocative and brought 17th century Delft to life. Highly recommended. And not just because Colin Firth played Vermeer either!
2. We played cricket on the lawn again today. I was crap at catching, not that good at batting, but excelled at bowling. I like it whenI do well at something which is far outside my real skills.
3. Nemo (the bird mentioned in a previous post) seems to be the parent of triplets. The parent and baby birds have been seen around our property a few times today. We have to keep the cat occupied though. Not sure how long that can last.

Gardening, homecoming, Nemo

1. My husband and I did some gardening together today. The weather was gorgeous. It's Spring here in New Zealand and, although bad weather is forecast for the week ahead, today was mainly clear, warm and calm. My husband gardened almost all day, apart from taking my son and his friend fishing for an hour or two. I helped intermittently, but enjoyed it very much. Great for the soul.
2. My daughter had a sleepover at a friend's place. Whenever the children are away for a night and I see them again, I'm reminded of how special they are to me. She was excited about her news, the different food she ate, the lamb called Fluffy and the duckling called Daxter. It was wonderful to catch up with what she'd been doing and be close again.
3. Nemo is a wild bird we rescued last year. He became very tame and we finally released him at the children's school because we were worried our cat would get him since he was so fearless around people. For the last few weeks, we have had a similar looking bird visiting us and he has been named Nemo. Some family members believe it's The Nemo. I'm not so sure. He certainly seems very friendly. Who knows?

Sisters, a book, bargains

1. I felt the love of my sisters today. Sisters are a special gift.
2. My neighbour loaned me an old book titled "Enquire Within Upon Everything". Each page is topped with lovely old sayings such as "hope is a better companion than fear" and "do a little well and you do much". I've enjoyed perusing the wisdom within.
3. We went to a school fair today and filled a box with bargains - books, cds, cassettes etc - all for $6. Everyone in our family enjoys pre-loved stuff, and there's something for everyone. Six dollars worth of fun for the weekend to come.

Characterisation, surprises, mown grass

1. Being a writer when the words flow from your fingertips (a phrase stolen from Clare of 3BT fame) is a wonderful thing. The character I'm creating came to life today. Just quietly, it was a bit of a relief!
2. My son received a surprise invitation to surprise birthday party for his friend at - you guessed it - the big M. It was fun keeping the surprise from everyone concerned - knowing something they didn't know. And knowing it would bring smiles all round.
3. I love a freshly mown lawn. My husband came home from work and duly mowed our half acre on his ride on mower. I asked him if he enjoyed it. His answer was "compared to what?"