My eldest son has turned 50 years old! How did that happen? It seems like yesterday when he was just a babe
in arms and I was a new mother trying to work out how to do everything.
It doesn’t help that I can remember quite clearly
celebrating my own half-century sojourn in this world. Time certainly has a way of moving on,
regardless, it seems, of what we do or don’t do in our lives.
We celebrated with a quiet family dinner, cooked by his
daughter.
Followed by the obligatory homemade birthday cake (carrot
cake with cream cheese icing).
As I write this, on a Monday afternoon, the weather here is
quite sultry. Every fan in the house is
going and all the windows and outside doors are wide open to catch the
slightest hint of breeze.
The forecast is for our temperatures to be in the late 20s
(Celsius) this week. Thankfully the
mornings are cooler and I can get most of my housework done then, before I
blob-out for the rest of the afternoon!
Have a happy day 😊
Margaret.
Making New Year resolutions has never been a big thing in my
book – perhaps I instinctively knew that it was extremely unlikely I would keep
any of them!
But the start of a new year, like the turning of a page,
does seem to be a good time for starting off on new ventures and making new
plans.
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| A sunny day at Raglan |
Perhaps I might have more success with making resolutions if I followed the advice of Bishop John H. Vincent and reminded myself of them every day. He was a Methodist minister who died in America in 1920, and in 1909 the Chautauqua Press published this prayer by him in one of their calendars:
“A Resolve for Every Morning of the New Year
I will this day try to live a simple, sincere and serene
life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement,
impurity and self-seeking, cultivating cheerfulness, magnanimity, charity, and
the habit of holy silence, exercising economy in expenditure, carefulness in
conversation, diligence in appointed service, fidelity to every trust and a
child-like trust in God.”
I wonder how well he succeeded?
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| The dawn of a new day |
Mittens and I wish you all a safe and happy New Year’s Eve,
and a great year in 2024 😊
Margaret.
HEADER PHOTO FOR JANUARY 2024
I took this photo in 2008 while on holiday at Papamoa beach
in the Bay of Plenty. It shows the
walkway we followed through the sand dunes to reach the white sandy beach and
the blue ocean beyond.
Fifty years ago this week, I got married. If my husband had survived (he died 5 years
ago), it would have been our Golden Wedding Anniversary.
It is difficult to know whether one should celebrate such an
event alone, but getting married changed my life (for the better!) and I have
chosen to celebrate it.
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| Arriving at the Church with my father |
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| My new husband and I cutting the wedding cake |
My wonderful children have been amazing. I received beautiful flowers (with
heavenly-scented stock amongst them), and taken out for a celebratory dinner.
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| Dinner at The Helm |
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| Tears of Happiness |
I feel truly blessed – and totally spoilt!
Cheers,
Margaret 😊
The Big Bad Wolf might have huffed and puffed to blow down
the houses of the Three Little Pigs, but I’m not a Big Bad Wolf and I don’t
blow down houses.
I blow up balloons instead!
Last night we had a family birthday dinner for one of my granddaughters,
who turned 18 years old, and balloons were a must-have to set the right party
atmosphere.
Being 18 today is like 21 used to be in our day – the day where
in New Zealand you become legally responsible as an adult, are able to vote, can
buy alcohol, tobacco and fireworks, and get married without parental or court
consent.
It is quite an event and we celebrated in style with grilled
steak, various vegetables and a red wine.
She loved all her gifts and letters and cards, and I think it will be a
day she will long remember.
Milestone birthdays make great excuses for family togetherness.
Margaret 😊
Here we are again, another Monday and the end of another
weekend. The big highlight this time was
Saturday night when Son and I settled down to watch the coronation of Their
Majesties, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Lady Susan decided to join us and even wore her tiara to
celebrate the occasion.
Being a lover of pageantry I enjoyed the whole show, but
what I found most moving was the solemn and sacred central part of the church
service, when Charles was consecrated before Almighty God as a King.
It made me realise how much the monarchy and the Christian
religion are a part of my cultural history.
Both have been impacting the lives of my ancestors for over a thousand
years.
The very fabric of my life has its roots in monarchy and
religion – our form of government, our language, the basis of our society’s law
and order.
These things are way above the pettiness of everyday life,
for no nation can survive without a basis of some kind to regulate how it
operates.
I may not always agree with how the monarchy operates or the
impact that the Christian religion can have in our lives, but my own ancestral
heritage is rooted in both of these institutions.
I am glad for that. It
gives me a sense of belonging to know that the fabric of my life today has
roots that stretch back into the dim annals of history.
Long live King Charles III.
May Almighty God bless him with a long and peaceful reign.
Margaret 😊
Yesterday was a gorgeous day, with blue skies and a few
fluffy clouds. Today we have overcast
grey, verging on fog.
I’m glad the nice day was yesterday, as it was my birthday
(they seem to come around too fast!).
Son organised a lovely roast dinner for me, and invited my
brother and wife, my youngest son, and my granddaughter. I enjoyed myself so much that I forgot to
take any photos!
These are some of the clean dishes this morning, waiting to
be put back into their respective cupboards.
Tomorrow we head into the Easter weekend, traditionally the
last weekend to go to the beach and enjoy the end of summer.
I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay safe 😊
Margaret.
My youngest son turned 44 years old yesterday. As a family, we don’t normally do a lot for
birthdays other than having a special family dinner, but this time Youngest Son
was rather spoilt.
He and I travelled out of city and visited one of his uncle
and aunt’s for lunch, and she had made him a birthday cake!
We came home with a bag full of fruit – apples freshly
picked from their trees, blueberries, fresh figs, and a couple of late peaches.
This couple have made the utmost use of the land around
their house, growing fruits and vegetables as well as flowers in their cottage
garden.
Down the back of the section are four hens that keep them
supplied with eggs. A pet rabbit keeps
the hens company, but decided to hide from us yesterday.
Their little cat did not hide, although she normally runs
away when strangers visit. Youngest Son
seems to have an affinity with cats (he likes them but does not have one of his
own), and they always seem to gravitate to him.
What I loved was seeing a crystal vase being used as her
water dish – what a great way to make something utilitarian into something
unique and beautiful.
It was a lovely day, filled with talking and wandering
around their productive garden.
Margaret 😊
There can be much joy in meeting up with long-lost friends – or much
disillusionment!
Thankfully, I can report having much joy over the weekend
when I met up with some friends I had not seen for nearly thirty years.
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| Ostrich Foot shell, Otamarakau Beach |
While in the supermarket last week, I had been approached by
a woman who thought she knew me. I never
recognised her at all, but when she said her name I could then see she was the
much older version of my one-time friend.
Through a series of events (nothing malicious), our ways had
separated in the early 1990s and although I had heard odd reports of her and
her husband, I had never met up with them again.
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| Ram's Horn shells, Ruapuke Beach |
It was with some trepidation that I set out to have
afternoon tea with them, not really knowing what to expect. Our respective children have all grown up,
her husband has now retired, and I am now a widow.
But everything went well and we laughed a lot over our reminiscences
and caught up on what had been happening with mutual acquaintances.
Sand Dollar shell, Waikawau Bay
I even discovered another friend, whom I had believed dead,
was still alive and I intend catching up with her this week if I can.
Good friends can make the world a happier place 😊
Margaret.
Happy New Year everyone!
Today is the first day of January in 2023. The start of another year and traditionally a
time to set new resolutions and begin things off fresh.
I didn’t stay up last night.
I haven’t done that for many years now – the new year always arrives
without any help from me!
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| Even Millie and Mittens wish you all an awesome 2023! |
I remember my parents used to stay up until midnight, share
a glass of Port together and then retire to bed.
Another family member was telling me that at midnight all
the doors of their house would be opened, to let out the old year and usher in
the new.
When I was a teenager, I remember going to New Year parties
where the lights would all go out at midnight and the boys would kiss the girls
closest to them!
Do you have any traditions you observe as one year changes
to another?
I’d love to hear about them if you do 😊
Margaret.
HEADER PHOTO for JANUARY 2023
This 2012 photo shows the Karangahake River (pronounced
car-rang-a-hack-ee) in the gorge between Waihi and Paeroa. There are some lovely walking tracks through
this area, and lots of history (mostly gold mining) for anyone interested in
relics.
Less than three weeks now until Christmas arrives. Town is busy and summer-silly-season is
getting into full swing.
Not only is Christmas on the horizon, but schools are ending
for the year and the majority of people are getting ready to take their annual
holidays.
I thought it was time to put up a few decorations and this
was the result. Not the most attractive
of arrangements, but it sparkles and twinkles and makes the room look happier.
I also finished icing the Christmas Cake. The almond icing went on first, followed by white
royal icing. I was going to make up some
so I could do some decorating but decided it was much easier at this time to
simply buy a packet or two of icing.
The icing got rolled out to the right size and lifted into
place. A few decorations were then added
on top. All I can say is I am thankful
the cake is just for family eating – no need to put it on display as a perfect
looking cake!
I have been teaching daughter how to drive on the “wrong”
side of the road again. It is coming
back to her quite quickly – she is a good driver but it does take some
adjustment to drive on the different side of the road than what you are used to.
Have a happy day 😊
Margaret.
I had a few comments last post about Guy Fawkes, so thought I
would dig a little and find out more myself.
I was surprised! For
some time now I thought it was all about the commemoration of an act of terrorism
(Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill the king), but I
was wrong.
One needs to look at the setting. England was in turmoil and rapidly becoming Protestant
and very anti-Catholic. On the 5th
November 1605, a group of Catholic radicals attempted to blow up the Houses of
Parliament and thus kill the Protestant King James 1 and his son, the Prince of
Wales.
This so-called Gunpowder Plot failed, and the following year
an act of Parliament declared that the 5th November would become
Gunpowder Treason Day, a day to give thanks that the life of the King (and
probably many others) had been saved.
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| Myself and my brothers with the Guy we made in 1964 |
Bonfires became the usual way to celebrate this day as effigies of
hated people were always burned on a bonfire.
Fireworks were added as they represented celebration, and seemed quite
appropriate given the nature of the event.
Over time, the commemoration
took on new meaning – it became a celebration of freedom from the perceived threat of tyranny and
oppression from Catholicism, and then a way to mark the democratic freedoms we have today. It is our version of American Independence Day!
I’ve discussed this with my
Son and we’ve agreed that we should remember this day and what it stands
for. We won’t be having a bonfire
tonight, or letting off any fireworks, but he has suggested we watch the movie “V
for Vendetta.” It sounds interesting.
Let’s all continue
to celebrate FREEDOM in our lives!
Margaret 😊
My post title is the first line in a Nursery Rhyme:
Remember, remember, the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason
Why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, ‘twas his
intent,
To blow up the King and the
Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder
below,
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God’s providence he was catch’d,
With a dark lantern and burning
match.
Holler boys, holler boys,
let the bells ring.
Holler boys, holler boys,
God save the King!
It has become a bit of a tradition that my husband’s family
gather together once a year for a happy luncheon, where we can all catch up
with each other.
Yesterday Son and I attended this luncheon at St Kilda’s Café
and Bistro in Cambridge. There were
about 24 of us altogether and it was great to meet up with them all, especially
as many of them are now into their 80s and not as mobile as they used to be.
I chose Eggs Benedict for my luncheon dish and was not
disappointed. The eggs were cooked
absolutely perfectly, the hollandaise sauce was delicious, and it was paired
with a yummy chunk of freshly smoked salmon.
The hash brown (potato) was a little much but that was easily left on my
plate (just me, I noted others ate all of theirs!).
With good food, friendly service, and a happy family, the
day turned out really well.
I hope everyone has a happy weekend 😊
Margaret.
Our family has never made a big deal about Mother’s Day (or
Father’s Day either, for that matter), and we certainly have never spent large
amounts of money because of it.
Rather, we offer the recipient a quiet acknowledgment of
appreciation with a quick hug and maybe a meal.
Today, Son made pikelets for our lunch (to have with jam and
whipped cream) and Younger Son brought over some banana and caramel muffins he
had made. Both pikelets and muffins were delicious.
While he was here, Younger Son kindly put together my
flat-pack sewing table and chair – with no swearing! He took his time and read the instructions
and everything went together flawlessly.
The table is the perfect size for my little sewing machine,
and all I have to do now is decide what I am going to sew first.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely mothers out there. I hope you all have a great day 😊
Margaret.
Today was another birthday for me. The years seem to be going by so fast these
days …
I’ve had an awesome day and The Family took me out to lunch
at The Helm Bar & Kitchen. I had
seafood chowder with toasted ciabatta and it was delicious.
Eldest son got me to pose for a photo (shudder!) but says I
am a Big Girl now and need to get over my hatred of having my photo taken!
Yesterday was a very productive day. I spent three solid hours cleaning the inside
of my car, and you should see it now – it positively sparkles!
Son and I have also started giving the garden its
winter-preparation cleanup. Lots of weed
piles (his job) and new flowers in the hanging baskets (my job).
Stay happy and keep smiling 😊
Margaret.
Last night I was invited to a potluck dinner, where each
person contributes a plate or two of something for the meal. I took Savoury Eggs (sometimes called
Devilled Eggs, but mine are sweeter) as my dish and was most happy to see them
all get eaten.
(I will let you into a little secret – I hate taking a plate
somewhere and having it only get picked over or ignored and then end up bringing a whole lot
home again – it makes you feel like a failure somehow).
During the morning yesterday, Son and I watched a replay of
the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics at Beijing. The live coverage was at 1am, so a bit early
for us!
I was very impressed with the light show at the beginning,
as it was quite spectacular.
This photo shows the New Zealand contingent entering the
stadium. We first sent a team to the
Winter Olympics in 1952 and have only ever won three medals – a silver in 1982
and two bronzes in 2018.
The Ceremony wrapped up with the obligatory fireworks
display after the Olympic torch had been lit.
We are meant to have rain today – which we are becoming in
desperate need of – but so far there has only been sporadic bursts of light
drizzle. Even the other side of the city
has been getting more than us!
But I am not complaining.
The cloud cover, the air moisture, and the cool wind, are all combining
to keep the temperatures down into the low twenties (Celsius) which is much
nicer than what we have experienced recently.
It is also a long weekend here, with Waitangi Day being a public
holiday. It is not something that we
observe with anything special, although some regard it as our National Day,
because it has become too associated with protests and Treaty of Waitangi
settlements.
Being of European descent, it unfortunately appears to now
have little relevance to our lives although we used to celebrate it as a time
to remember and be proud of our country.
How times change.
Wishing everyone a Happy Weekend 😊
Margaret.
RECIPE FOR SAVOURY EGGS
Hard boil several eggs and peel and cut in half when they
are cool. Mash the yolks with salt and
pepper and bind them with some salad dressing.
I use Condensed Milk Salad Dressing, a popular retro-kiwi salad cream. Spoon the yolk back into the whites and press
down lightly to hold it in place. Serve
them on a platter and decorate as desired.
Condensed Milk Salad Dressing: put 1 tsp dry mustard
powder in a jug and add ¼ cup vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar). Whisk together to dissolve the mustard. Pour in a 395g can of sweetened condensed
milk (must be genuine condensed milk, not palm oil) and stir until it is mixed
together and become thick. Store in a
lidded container in the fridge, where it will last for a few weeks.
Hard to believe we are already into April, time seems to be
going by so fast lately. Is it really
that many years (decades!) since this photo was taken?
Another birthday has rolled around and made me another year
older. I had a really great day, and was
invited to dinner by my dear brother and his wife. We had lamb roast and it was delicious.
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Autumn is slowly advancing and our nights are getting cool enough now for a blanket. Morning fogs are becoming more frequent.
Won’t be long
before I’ll have to fish out the hot water bottle again!
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Tomorrow, son and I are off to Auckland again. I had to drive up there for an appointment on
the day before Good Friday – it took me two hours to drive up there and three
and a quarter hours to drive home again because of all the traffic leaving the
city for the long weekend.
Traffic tomorrow should be much better, and I will enjoy
being a passenger for a change. Might
even get a chance to take some photos!
Have a great day,
Margaret 😊
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| World War II - my father and his sister |
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| World War I - one of my grandfathers |
