The clocks have turned back. This morning when the girls awoke at 7am I wearily acknowledged the fact it was actually 6am. Tonight darkness will fall at 6.30pm. The long summer nights will, for a while, be but a memory. We shall rug up, play board games, watch sunsets and admire starlit skies before bed-time. […]
Sarah
Welly Walks the Walk for Christchurch!
We did it! My wonderful friend Meghan, of MNM’s blog, organized a group of around 70 people and we all gathered, in the rain, to walk 10 km around Wellington’s waterfront to raise money for the Red Cross earthquake appeal for Christchurch. Over $2,000 was raised (and if you’d like to donate please click here… […]
Wonderful Wellington showcased in Blog4NZ
Bloggers around the world have been showing their support for New Zealand after the devastating earthquake in Christchurch last month. New Zealand is still very much open for business and can’t wait to welcome you. March 21-23 has seen the Internet flooded with blog posts highlighting some of the fabulous places to visit in New […]
Lyrical Sunday Theme (Week 12): My home town (supporting Blog4NZ)
From 21-23 March people are ‘blogging for New Zealand‘ to let the world know that the recent earthquake in Christchurch hasn’t stopped New Zealand from being ‘open for business’! You can follow people’s contributions on Blog4NZ or via ‘Blog for New Zealand on Facebook‘. With this in mind we’ve set this week’s Lyrical Sunday theme […]
The Gallery: Trees – We can NEVER have enough
When The Gallery called for trees this week, ‘Because you can never have enough trees,’ I stepped into my garden, camera in hand, a prime specimen to seek. As I walked barefoot through the grass, with Alice toddling along precariously and our cat not far behind, I considered that if it weren’t for blogging I […]
An old couple find a great retirement home…
After a lazy Saturday morning and a Skype call to the UK with Charlotte trying to teach her Grandparents ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ in Maori, we headed out for some exercise at Zealandia. We were delighted to see this handsome ‘ole chap showing off his feathers. His lady friend was no where to be […]
The Loveliness of Nature to Nurture
As I strolled through Zealandia with Alice this morning, I reminisced on the pre-school days when I used to bring Charlotte and Sophie to explore. I watched their little sister noticing words for the first time and so eager to learn in nature’s beautiful surrounds. Nature really is the best place to nurture. And as […]
Things I’m Loving
This week I’ve LOVED being able to open our home to a dear friend of my sister’s – Pam, when she needed a rest from the traumatic Christchurch earthquake and continuing aftershocks. I’ve loved feeling the love of my sister through her and seeing my own children light up in her presence knowing she’s connected […]
Simple Pleasures: The Gallery
I feel a lot of the time I am giving at the moment – to my children, to the house work, to my husband (not nearly enough). I am trying to keep all the minds and bodies of my home happy, with clean clothes, a tidy, healthy home, good food, stimulating activities for mind and […]
Into the School Groove
Term time routines are all go here. The girls even have a dedicated calendar in the kitchen reminding us when their school library days are, what days they need to have trainers for cross country running, when guitar lesson day is for Charlotte and piano lesson day for Sophie (both new hobbies this term for […]
Night Poems: Lyrical Sunday Week 9
It’s Lyrical Sunday time! A poem from Grandma & Granddad in England, as well as 7 year old Charlotte, this week. NIGHT By ‘Chicken’ Grandma & Granddad in England Stars shine out, the moon is full When we go to bed at night We take a peep to see the sight Of dark – But […]
Answering ‘What if?’
I knew when we first came to New Zealand that the land was geologically and historically young. The folds of the hills looked to me like the wrinkles of a new born child. As a geographer I knew all too well the physically volatile nature of New Zealand’s land. But the danger always felt distant. […]
Expressions from the beach
It’s been a few days of children’s Birthday parties, fun at the beach and the zoo. Sunday evening, before dinner, was the best of all… just us at the beach (I’m trying to stay focused on the magic and not the extra washing we brought home with us and sand in every crevice of the […]
The new Queen Elizabeth departs Wellington: Bon voyage!
The new Queen Elizabeth visited Wellington harbour today, gliding in gracefully an hour ahead of schedule as the sun was rising. It is the second-largest cruise ship to be built by Cunard, the largest was the Queen Mary 2, launched in 2004. We gathered in Seatoun to farewell her as she departed Wellington harbour, sounding […]