Suck a Bubble

Fraser being Fraser couldn't resist catching bubbles in his mouth.  Rather him than me I have to say.

Off To School

Fraser and Catriona off to school

Thankful Thursday

Last evening I attended the Puketapu School Prizegiving for the fifth consecutive year.  When I first went to the School's prizegiving Wendy and Martin had all four children at the school.  Now just the two youngest are there and Wendy is on the School's Board of Trustees.  

The whole playground area is in an amphitheatre and there were probably over five hundred people present to watch the prizegiving and performances by the children:  in the above photo the youngest children are performing a Kapa haka. 

 Fraser - on the left - holding the Orton Cup for the most improved performer in Year 7.  By a remarkable coincidence the Cup had been donated by friends of Wendy and Martin.

So today I am thankful for the privilege of being part of the Geddes family and to have seen the children develop and flourish at such a wonderful school in such beautiful rural surroundings.

The Morning After

Everyone was up bright and early on New Year's Day which was quite surprising given the fact that bedtime was after 3am.  Fraser was taking it easy at morning coffee time.

I've Arrived: What Now?

I arrived home (yes, it is home - I can have more than one home can't I?) yesterday morning.  (Gosh.  Where has that 23 hours gone).  Coffee and catch-up up at The House was first.  Then I tackled The Cupboard and re-inhabited The Cottage with it's contents. That took a few hours and, of course, is not yet finished.  But at least everything is roughly where it should be and I have found everything I need.  Well almost everything.  What I did with the electric toothbrush is a mystery.  I'd say that it was bound to turn up but, given that I've emptied all the boxes, it may remain one of life's mysteries.

The lavender's doing really well already and is covered in bees.

The honeysuckle has recovered well and this may be it's year for a big spurt.

I seem to have a new visitor

Fraser's not altered

and Catriona's still Catriona

In the afternoon I took a ride into town.  It was wonderful not having the roof on the car.  It was a bit chilly but the sun was glorious.  I went to see a friend for coffee and say 'hello' and came home to dinner with the family.  An excellent lasagne - too many helpings (it couldn't have been to many glasses of wine.  Er well...) that made me tired.  Very tired.  I was in bed and fast asleep by 9pm.  And up with the dawn chorus before 0600 this morning.  I feel absolutely great.  It's almost as if I've never been away.

So this morning I had some decisions to take.  What to do first was the first one.  So I downloaded my emails and decided to deal with them first.  Which is why I'm writing this and the emails haven't yet been done.  I seem to be finding keeping to decisions hard these days!  And, of course, I've done a thousand and one other things along the road.  But, hey, it's only 9am and the day is young.  Well, sort of.

It's good to be home.  Wherever home is.  It's good to have friends.  It's good that the sun is shining.  It's good to be alive.  For all that, and more, I give thanks. 

Sleeping on a Log

Some people walk over stream on a log and some can do that and sleep on one too.

Some People Just Jump In

But not Fraser:

Gymnast of The Year

About this time last year we were in Taupo for the New Year celebrations.  Fraser was, as always, game for the trampoline and I blogged on A Tallented Trampoliner.  This year he has excelled himself and not only has he amassed more gymnastic medals over his short career than he can hold, and that's without all the ribbons and assorted other ware in his bedroom, but is also Gymnast of the Year  for his level.  There will be plenty more of his feats to be recorded I'm sure.  

An Afternoon At The River

This afternoon I took the children to the nearby Tutaekuri River where there are plenty of opportunities for messing about in the water.  I took a book and fully expected to sit on the bank in the heat and let them play whilst I read.  It wasn't quite as simple as that.  It rained.  So I sat under the bridge whilst they spent a couple of hours messing about on the river.  After all rain doesn't really matter when you're that wet.  It was good fun though and I got quite a few photos.  The above are of David doing a bomb (in which he actually managed to hit his bum on the bottom).  The ones below are of Fraser, being Fraser.

A Tallented Trampoliner

A double back-flip? No problem. "Would you like a high slow one or a low fast one?" was Fraser's response when, on the tramp at the timeshare in Taupo I asked him if he would do a double back flip for me so that I could see if I could photograph him in mid air.

These are the results: