Catching up on a bunch of news

Well I got back from Geelong and had a busy week at home getting ready to go away again - my brother Randall from Brisbane was over to play golf and he came out with little(!) brother Gilbert for dinner after an afternoon spent showing Randall round the new Auckland Viaduct recreation area - all done up in time for the World Cup - going to be a real asset to Auckland. It was lovely afternoon and evening topped off my rendition of one of Mum's favourite puddings - self saucing Lemon Delicious - and it was yummy.

Then a few days later and Gilbert had his 60th - I stitched madly in between finishing off a bunch of academic tasks and finished the table runner as shown which looks lovely in his house. All his family were looking really well - lovely to see grandchildren and his long time friends. Lovely people and they dont look faintly like slowing down.

Then I was off to Sydney - and up to Bathurst to see Samantha in her first Eisteddford - dancing in the 5 and under with her dancing class. She thought she was just great in her beautiful pink dress and she did remember to dance - some of the little ones just stood there awestruck. Josh's football match was on at the same time so we werent able to be there to see him kick the conversion which put his team into the "grand final" but I am going to go back next weekend and see this grand final.

I was off to Perth to talk at four universities about the project I had been working on in 2010 and it was really interesting hearing from them about the innovative course structures and new buildings and layouts that were being put up to enable students to do more group and interactive learning. The beautiful new building Peter and I had seen being started seven years ago at Joondalup looked magnificent.

BAck now in Sydney and yes, I was a bit tired but I have caught up on sleep. I am trying to catch up with friends but also now need to work flat out on the project I am doing here, so that I can go up and see Josh play football next weekend.

The weather today was beautiful with clear blue sky so I took advantage and went over in the ferry to the Open Day at the residences of the Governor General and Prime Minister of Australia. They are lovely old homes, and they really are homes, not just showplaces. Lots of people there, but the most fantastic views back across the harbour - what a place to live!

All well at home, Peter's daffodils got prizes in the gardening club and he had a great three days babysitting two corgis who devotedly followed his every move.

BAck from a week in Geelong

Just back from a week in Geelong working at the university there - busy every day and weather was wet and cold, but felt it was a useful week. The apartment I used was lovely, view from the balcony of my first dawn looked good but weather deteriorated. I missed the snow in Auckland - first in 70 years - Wellington and other parts of the North Island were a pretty sight but increased diversity in the climate seems the norm now, rather than global warming! Feel sorry for those in Christchurch still in substandard homes without proper toilets.

Peter Ok at home - sun starting to comeout so the garden is now getting some attention - the daffodils are out and looking pretty - but still chilly day temperatures - yesterday reached 11 deg. Oh, roll on spring and summer.

An eventful week!

A bit remiss about not posting earlier - July was a very wet, cold month where I plugged away writing conference papers, doing bits and pieces associated with contracted work I had underway, and had a couple of great days sewing when I was determined not to let the weather get me depressed.

Sadly, an old friend died. Kata , KAren's mum died at 92 years of age, one of the kindest, sincerest ladies you could wish to meet, she embodied all that was good in her Christian faith. The next weekend we attended a lovely 40th birthday party and a christening/cum first birthday party -reminding us that life has many stages.

I joined the patchwork class next door at Nathan Homestead - more of a longstanding group than a class but friendly women and doing some interesting projects - more later! I am plugging away on several projects - need to stop buying more bits and finish them!

In late July I had a very uplifting and spiritually refreshing week in Wellington on a week long residential with the School of Philosophy -and then back to a fairly eventful week or two.

Jonathan flew in and out on his way to Prague to deliver an international workshop on the use of R statistical software, particularly for people with visual difficulties and he left Jenna with us. Peter really enjoyed having her for two weeks, I love her but oh, she does shed hair!

Then Olivia flew in and left Callum with us for a couple of days while she went to a scrabble tournament. Callum is now 16 months old, saying a few words, very very mobile and inquisitive, very cheerful happy little chap. I took him to the playground next door, in to the hospital to see his other grandma, out to visit an old friend in Pukekohe - he really enjoyed that - she has 7 grandchildren and a box full of toys! We loved having him and he got lots of cuddles. He also loved all grandad's garden tools and bits - there are now white pebbles in all sorts of funny places - but nothing harmful.

All sorts of little dramas make life interesting - like a car hitting the powerpole on the road outside at 8 am on a Sunday morning! which caused the burglar alarm to go off continuously and then jam the electronic gate and garage door openers! Then Peter and I both got an attack of some gastric thingy - yuk! less said the better, all well now.

Our bus is still in the repair shop - some very polite but lengthy negotiations - the people fixing the outside and the people fixing the inside need to agree on getting it right - it is now our insurance agent having discussions with the panel beaters insurance agents - meanwhile we wait!

Jonathan back, so no dog here now - suddenly it is very quiet!

I am off to Geelong next week to do some work - a little apprehensive - going to be a bit challenging but hopefully I can be useful.

Peters Birthday Quilt

After me playing around with little bits and pieces practising a technique for joining little squares all very exactly, a beautiful red and black kimono lap quilt arrived in the post for Peter's birthday. When our daughter does it well, she does it really well. Peter was delighted. It is so beautiful I am not sure if he is going to use it on his knee or put it on the wall!

And I have been invited to join the quilting class/group in the cultural centre next door - so I am looking forward to "playing" with some like minded ladies next Tuesday morning.

It has a busy and topsy turvy week or two - After a lovely residential weekend practising my Sanskrit, we heard a dear friend's health was failing fast and she died on Sunday. She was 91 years old and was a much loved, generous lady whose Christian faith was exemplified in all she did.

LAst weekend I helped organise a very well received workshop with a renowned British speaker and spent time showing her around Auckland. Since then I have been busy working - so much for my semi retirement - but all the jobs are interesting and working with nice people. I am lucky.

Looks like I will have several trips to Oz in the next few months, and our bus is almost mended, so lots to look forward to - thank goodness we are both in pretty good health.

A constructive rainy day

It has been wet and wild since I got back from Christchurch and after working on the computer on Thursday and Friday decided that the evening and the weekend were "me" time - so I had fun with my sewing machine. The block for this month for the Rainbow Connection group was a log cabin in reds - and I was told to watch out and keep it square! Warning was justified - the slightest error in the seam width would have made it a parallelogram or a trapezium instead of a square - however I was tickled pink with the overall result - see photo.

Then I spent the rest of Saturday working on other patchwork projects that are on the go. FUN!

Today my throat which overnight had been burning has developed into a full blown runny nose cold and sore throat - so much for my invulnerability!

Playgrounds are fun!

This weekend Peter and I drove to Palmerston North to babysit Callum - sole charge - for the weekend while J went to a judo tournament and O went to a scrabble tournament. The little chap is a delightful baby - slept like a dream and had the most delightful wicked grin.

He is now almost 14 months old and walking and exploring at great speed. My friend Christine and I took him to the magnificent Esplanade playground - with miniature train - I think perhaps the adults enjoyed the train more than a one year old - maybe he needs to be a little older - he looked very solemn! But he loved the swings, slide and Christine followed him around the climbing frame! I took photos!

Really glad to get the chance to be with him for the whole weekend. We think he is saying Nana and something that signifies Grandad - definitely knows Mama and Dada! Woof and Shut.

A successful weekend for J - he got two gold medals at his tournament and O. also had a very successful weekend and ended up the B grade Scrabble champion.

I am off to Christchurch for a couple of days work tomorrow - they had a 5.5 quake today so hope they dont have any tomorrow!

Liz back on line

I have been remiss in not keeping this blog up to date in the last few months - Yes, I have been busy but I have been unsure how interested other people might be in my happenings so have decided to continue even if it is just for my own benefit in keeping a pictorial diary.

fter an eventful trip to the South Island over Easter in our motorhome - long story - the short version is a tree fell on our bus in a storm, but all is well or mendable - and we spent a great few days with J and O and Callum on the way home.

I have just returned from another two weeks in Sydney working at UTS - always feel so welcome there and had several lovely meals with friends and the work went well.

I spent a couple of days with Catherine and the family up at Glanmire, it gets cold watching football up there - the two nanas took Sean to his game while Catherine took Joshua to his. I think the kids grow an inch every month - it seems like that!

The following weekend I caught up with Brett R. - lovely to hear news of his family - we had lunch at the Forum - an Italian community area in Leichardt with a large square surrounded by restaurants on the ground level and apartments above. Also went for a walk the next day to the Museum. Hyde park was being enjoyed by large numbers of people out in the sunshine.

Visited with my friend Joan while she was babysitting her grand daughter Eva- almost same age as our Callum - and enjoyed a Lebanese restaurant meal in Redfern.

Had an enjoyable evening with the UTS Women in Engineering group - the speaker brought along a couple of incredible robots - one football playing dog and a person shaped one that had been programmed to do Tai Chi and dance to rock music! The little dog was jsut like these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diiv7kpW-ng

My last day on this trip was special as a colleague picked me up and we went to work by boat in his "picnic" boat - a gorgeous still, blue sky autumn morning, as we left Iron Cove and tootled up the PArramatta River, anchored at Darling Harbour (only $25 a day if you are going to work) and walked up from there!

Home safely now in Auckland - and enjoyed catching up with two old friends we hadnt seen for about ten years.

More later! Off to Palmerston North next weekend to babysit Callum. then home for at least a month.