Entering our fifth year in NZ.
The last time I wrote the blog, Queen Elizabeth 11 had just died and the world became steeped in pomp and ceremony with unbelievable queues of people, paying their respects. The actual funeral was an amazing sight showing the UK at its unique best.
Contrast that with the debacle in politics that followed on shortly afterwards. Hopefully there will now be a period of time where everything settles, although as I write almost everyone seems to be on strike!
Fortunately, we are all still ticking along nicely. We still go to the Gym regularly, see the odd film at the Cinema and tackle increasingly difficult jigsaws. The current one is Etna erupting which has a lot of blue in it.
Cinema wise we have seen Mrs Harris goes to Paris, Emma Thompson in an epic role and the latest Daniel Craig, The Glass Onion. All very enjoyable. We also seem to be getting current UK TV programmes at the same time as they are shown in the UK..... so that is a bonus.
Decided to sell our gas BBQ on TradeMe which is the Ebay equivalent in NZ. We hadn't used it last year so cleaned it up and put it on for $20.00 Auction starting price. It was a four burner with cover and 1/2 a bottle of gas. All was looking good as the closing time approached and then..... the final three minutes was madness. With TradeMe, if there are offers in the last two minutes the time gets extended. As I watched two buyers going head to head it was quite exciting. Finally sold to a family from Rotorua, one hour away, for $351.00!!!! They collected the next day and we now have an electric smaller BBQ in its place.
We haven't used it yet because while you shiver at home, we are experiencing sub-tropical conditions, very humid and torrential rain every day. Hope it picks up before Karen and Jo arrive at the end of December.
Thank you to all who have sent Christmas letters and for those who haven't got round to it yet....... why?
Kereru Place is well lit up at night.....
That is not our house. This is....
Jill is booked to come out in Feb for one month. I am still on the waiting list for a new knee so hopefully that will happen in the new year. We have booked a trip down the coast for four days so hopefully meet up with Sue Sisam and Kathy D R. while we are there.
Dave and Vrons, Lynn and I met with Sue recently in Whakatane. Nice lunch at the fishing club.
Can't believe it is nearly one year since Rick died. Sue is spending Xmas with family in Auckland so that will be good.
Dave and Vron's other son and family are out here for Christmas so that will be nice for them too. We will have a quiet Christmas but for the first time in five years I want a traditional Dinner and am currently waiting on a vacuum-packed chestnut delivery for Jamie's Brussel Sprout recipe!
These were planted last year and have been magnificent. The Pohutukawa and Jacaranda trees are coming into bloom and look fantastic, especially together. New Zealand is in full bloom and with the rain, all looks healthy.
Sadly the chestnuts failed to arrive so I expect they will come soon. Christmas has been and gone and the Turkey was surprisingly tasty, especially cold on Boxing Day. Lynn has been busy getting the garden ready for our visitors and the front looks good too.
We completed the hardest jigsaw ever and can now show you it completed.
That finishes off the year nicely and we are now in shorts and t shirts for the next few months hopefully. Wishing you all the very best for 2023 ...........
