We are becoming quite the chefs! A couple of days ago my dad, my brother, and I got some mussels at the market. To cook them we first had to make sure they were alive by tapping thier shells to see if they would close, because dead ones don't work. We would then scrub them and pull off their beard which is some plant connected to the mussel. We boiled them until they opened and then I pulled off the upper part of the shell. We put them in a pan and sprinkled some cheese and salt and spices on them, and then we put them in the oven to cook. In the end I didn't really like them, but it was cool that we made them.

Wow, look at that big waterwall! How big do you think that is? At least 30 meters. Large.











We went on this hike to a waterfall. It really was scary when we were crossing the board to get to the other side to get a good view of the waterfall. At first I thought the board was going to be slippery. Me and Dean had flip-flops so we had to take them off. I thought I was going to fall in. It would be really scary if I was falling in because I saw lots of little falls as we were walking up to this one. It was worth the hike. Andrew

More on Easter break. I have been enjoying all the trees. First of all, there are a lot of different kinds of trees that I am not used to seeing. The eucalyptus is common and a quite beautiful tree.


One of my favorites, perhaps because of the name, is the monkey puzzle tree. In Christchurch we saw a tree that looked similar to the monkey puzzle and I now have learned that it is the "false" monkey puzzle.

Both in Nelson and again in Hagley park in central Christchurch we have come across some of the most beautiful specimens, planted in the 1850-1900 time frame. I enjoy seeing a California redwood so far from home. There are also Giant sequoia which are in the same family but quite different up close. Huge Monterrey cypress round out my favorites, along with the totara, and the deodar, which is a cedar. Here are a few pics:

Have we mentioned that New Zealand is absolutely gorgeous? You can't take a road, turn a corner without being awestruck.

We had a five day Easter break, so we hit the road. Day 1 we drove along the Pacific Coast to Kaikoura. It's a windy, heart stopping drive where I clutch the door handle and pray.

As the road becomes enshrouded in mist, you can stop at any point and see tons of seals. At Kaikoura we walked along a cliff trail. Below we saw more seal, boats and divers harvesting crayfish (that's lobsters to you). It's a great little hike and I recommend it to anyone.

At the end of the day we stopped at an open barbeque where we ate mussels, scallops and who-could-resist-them lobbies!

Last night I dreamed Dean was weeding the yard at our old house. Danny Foelber rode by on his bike without even stopping. When I ran him down to ask why, he told me he was heading over to his new friend’s house. Well, it doesn’t take a psychologist to read much into that dream…….out with the old, in with the new. And so it goes.

For the last ten years, we’ve been the comfortable insiders. Through Poe-co Dean befriended the best group of kids anyone could hope for….and Duane and I an unforgettable group of parents. Erin never let me forget when I said, “I bet everyone at this park wishes they were with us” as we laughed and talked with the remarkable group of women and children that made up our playgroup. Forgive my smugness, but I meant it; I felt blessed to be a part of so many lives.

I can’t say I took these friendships for granted, what I can say is that I had little empathy for the outsider. Our lives were full, I didn’t open it up for more – I didn’t want to give up the space. Sure I was friendly to a new person, but I never said, “Hey come on over for dinner.” I had no idea how difficult it might be to infiltrate a circle of friends. How something as little as making a phone call could make one feel so vulnerable. But, now I am the outsider and I have gained much empathy.

Really, I am okay with my solitude; I was ready for the quiet. As a mother, I worry a bit about Dean. I wouldn’t say he is unhappy and as I said before, school is fantastic. Within that context, he is doing great. He plays soccer everyday, chats with mates. It's all good.

We just haven’t mastered that next hurdle, the having friends over - playdates and such. In Houston, all those systems were readily in place, and much of it was handled by me. So I ask myself, should I make the call and invite someone over? What are the “rules” in NZ? And, as I contemplate inviting a new friend over, I labor over the when, the how. Finally, what if this person doesn’t have room for new lives…..WHAT IF WE’RE REJECTED! Yikes!!!

Isn’t that a lot of what it comes down into life? In happiness? We humans seek validation and friendship. We want to love and, perhaps even more so, we want to be loved. And, we are scared to death of rejection. Here in our new world I find myself outside the comfort zone. Everyday I am beckoned to leave my safety net. I seek what we had in spades before and I am primed for failure. It scares me.

Oh, what the heck, I’ll just make the call

Barbara. Volunteer crossing Guard.


Picture one will serve to illustrate the flow of traffic.

The primary school is right next to the junior high, so when the bell rings, the flow of children is like hot lava. It is Barbara's job - on Fridays - to get the kids across the street safely.

She scans the traffic with steely eyes. Picks her spot. Then she blows the whistle loud and clear. Two youngsters swivel their stop barriers and cast themselves out into the flow of traffic.



"Check!" They call.


"All Clear!"


Let the party begin. You will notice that Barbara stays free and clear on the shoulder the whole time. There's even time to chat with a passing parent...

Now, given that Barbara could still find herself wondering, is it look right or look left? A bystander could be excused for some skepticism, no?


Not to mention that the crossing guard herself has been known to require a crisp glass of white after discharging her duties. "The pressure," she reports.

But this young crossing guard has stepped up her game, and we've had another day of flawless execution.

Anyone with Joan Armatrading in their collection is alright by me. When Duane and I first met and I learned that not only did he know of Joan, but he LIKED her music, I was smitten. In fact, one of our earliest dates took us to her concert at the old Tower Theater on Westheimer. Magical. When she sang “Willow” and we flicked our lighters and swayed to the song, the theater overflowed with love. And, I swear it wasn’t one of those self-conscious clap your hands with the band scenarios. It was pure and true.

So, here I sit in our new digs in Nelson, NZ listening to Joan Armatrading and once again I’m feeling the love.

Whenever I visit a new friend’s house, I like to snoop. No, it’s not the drawers or the diaries, it’s the books and the music and the walls. What are they reading? listening to? hanging up? From this inventory I see how we relate. Is it all Tom Clancy and pictures of bluebonnets? If so, we may not go far. Do I spy Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible? maybe a little Catpower playing in the background? Have wild flowers been plucked into a little glass vase…..ah, in that case, I see a blossoming friendship.

And, so it is with our new home. This house, this space enchants us. I feel a connection with Kathleen. Her shelves are lined with books I’ve cherished. And, who can deny the wisdom of Dylan, Van, REM……..and Joan? The garden is beautiful…. not too manicured, brimming with alyssum, impatiens, agapanthus, lobelia, and, well, too many to name. We even have strawberries, figs, lemons and tomatoes – can we be self-sustaining? Not quite.

I guess you might say we’re happy with our space for the year. Honestly, it’s all we could have hoped for from an internet search and some jpegs. There’s plenty of space for the kids to explore, a sweet kitty named Smudge and lots of nooks for Duane and I to sip a glass of wine and look across the bay to the mountains. We hope you come join us.

This is not the best recording, but here's some Joan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl3i1GMuyeU

Lemonade.

We have been blessed with two highly fertile lemon trees, and right now is the season. So, the drill goes like this: Send Andrew out to collect (and go help once he's gotten the low ones). Return to kitchen and wash lemons. Don't they look luscious?

Juice of 4 lemons. Andrew is adding that to the pitcher. Melt 1/2 c. honey or 1/2 cup raw sugar in hot water. That's the darkish liquid in the measuring cup. Add to juice. Add 3 c. cold water, ice, and stir.

Yum yum yum.

Our kids like Mondays – even Dean who would scheme to miss school any chance he could. Now, it is his only social outlet, but truth is, school’s fun. I affectionately liken it to summer camp. Dean says it’s “brilliant.”

Days are short – about 6 hours. Dean’s in intermediate school - Years 7 and 8. Ages range from 11 – 14. Dean’s in a mixed 7/8 class though some are exclusively one year. His schedule includes a twenty minute “tea time” in the morning and 70 minutes for lunch and recess….lots of time for soccer, leaving 4 ½ hours class time.

Most of the day is spent with Mr. Wood who does an incredible variety of activity. Beyond the academic, he regularly takes the kids out for a mile run. Or, he may devote an entire day to bike maintenance, or teaching the kids cricket. Next Wednesday the Fifeshire Team (think Harry Potter) will bike to Tahuna Beach for a team building day. And, Friday’s are always sport day. They have Maori in the morning and then do sport the rest of the day with a closing assembly.

This is not to say it is ALL fun and games. They have MATHS Monday – Thursday and have been divided into separate classes according to ability. The expectations are high, with a bit of competitive element in the class. Mr. Wood demands excellence and integrity from his students whether they are building origami mobiles or writing personal essays. They also do woodshop. Way fun.

Duane and I are relieved that school has been so positive. The forthcoming field trips are awesome – caving, tramping above the tree line to develop cold weather skills, biking to the beach…. That it is not academically rigorous is just fine with us. If “Maths” and writing skills are honed, that’s enough. I applaud our assistant principal who said kids only get thirty minutes of homework a night, because they need to “have a life.” Amen

There’s probably a lot more I could tell you. And, I know we are still in the honeymoon stage. Six months from now we may have a laundry list of gripes. For now, it’s all good

Yesterday I and my family went to this hotel.

And, the hotel rooms looked like boots.....they kind of were boots - ginormous boots. (Before that we went to the wild food festival.)

Here we are feeding eels. The tiny eels stole ours sticks. Our food was raw hamburger meat. Some of the eels were gigantic, but not so aggressive. The little eels were so aggressive. It was really awesome.