Christmas this year was a nice mix of the old & the new. Leg of lamb. Pecan pie.

But first, the leg of lamb.

- As you can see, Christmas mid-morning Barbara is a blur of activity. That's because we are invited over to a friend's, and we are bringing a leg of lamb. One of two, so it I guess it wouldn't be a disaster if ours is a failed effort. But still... nothing like some good turkey-cooking stress, and never having cooked a leg of lamb before this holiday season ... I will confess that we chickened out and gave it a trial run earlier in the week. Based on that experience, I'd have to say that the cooking is perhaps easier than the carving. Our first attempt at carving left us with what looked like a pile of table scraps, alongside a bone the dog had worked over. If only we had a dog to blame it on.

But even unschooled north americans can be taught, and our second attempt at carving would go much better, with the help of a little shoulder surfing from a native trained in the art. You will also notice that it helps to cook in a scarf, regardless of temperature in the kitchen, or outside. It just helps.

What the discerning will notice in this picture, is the importance under the tree of staples from the old world: Dr. Pepper, ramen, 100 grand bar, to pick out a few. But now I will give you something new... fresh 'taters.

I planted two rows of Rocket potatoes on Sept 25, and my barber Snippy Ritchie, who is knowledgeable about such things, told me with any luck I would have "potatoes for Christmas."

So this shows what 3 months in the ground will do for you. This is what I dug out beneath one plant, so I reckon I have a couple hundred potatoes out there. Barbara says she is going to chronicle our urban garden elsewhere, but suffice to say that I did absolutely NOTHING to grow these little beauties. I dug a bit of a trench and chucked in a potato every foot or so, covered it back up.

The last thing I will tell you is that alongside a good old Texas pecan pie, made with corn syrup from the asian grocery, was a big bowl of trifle and a pavlova.

It's light. It's fluffy, Go to the House of Pies and order a merengue pie with the biggest tallest topping you can find. When it gets to your table, take it in hand and flip it straight over on the table. Tell the waiter that you are now in New Zealand. And, if it is not a fruit pie, can you please have some berries to put on top.

That's the news folks. Happy holidays, on all sides of the ocean.

Well I guess it's become more of our fishing blog, what can we say. First trip out for the summer season, and there was reason for optimism as reports had it the snapper were biting. As (usual?) we started out with the first catch of the day being a stingray. This is the third time. It's fun, kindof, because they are powerful, and it was cool to see this one gliding by near the surface of the water.

But after that there's the question of what do we do now? Today we hauled that sucker in and used a life vest to shield away the tail. Is this smart or something for Jackass? I don't know. The whole Steve Irwin thing has people a little freaked out about rays, when I'm sure they just want to get off that hook and back in the water.

They have these big eyes staring at you, and you'd like to think they might know you are trying to help.... nah, I reckon it would stick you given half a chance. It did calm down a little but was probably just tired. Plus it had stuck its barb right into the life vest.

So out come the pliers and we get the hook out, disentangle the barb, the net and got Mr. Ray back over the side.

Just in time because the next 3 strikes were all snapper of small but keepable size. Then a Trevally, a Kawahai (threw back) and we were done.

I see a lot of boats further out, but this was right in the channel between Tahunanui beach and Rabbit island.

We're on the edge of spring. Last weekend was beautiful and warm. This weekend, so far, has slipped back to cooler and windy. So... let's go back to last weekend. We went out for a day at the beach. If there's someone in ski wear at the beach, it is likely to be Barbara. I did not know this, but I am learning.


Someone stayed up late the night before, and kept his head down for a snooze on the ferry. The walk seemed to do the trick. Or maybe it was crossing the estuary in bare feet with crabs about. Someone doesn't like the idea of crabs underfoot.

Start burying.


Mid burying.



Done burying. They tell me it's comfy in there.



We had an appetite for our favorite. No, they're not burritos. Can't get those. They're kebabs, and they are pretty tasty. Dean says, stop with the pics already. Especially when I am about to discover that I've opened the wrong end and it's all going to come tumbling down. Very soon now. A couple of bites.

well this weekend it was term brake and my family wanted to go some where. we went to Abel Tasman a hiking spot near Nelson and we walked for ages and then we were at a beach. we ate lunch there but it wasn't the right spot so we moved to the next beach. to get there we had to cross a mucky estuary and my mom and dean didn't want to cross the river but me and my dad toughened up and did it so we finished first. then we were at the right beach and we gazed at an amazing jellyfish(picture below). then we visited a hut where you can stay overnight. after that my brother found a long hole in the sand and told me to cover him up in sand so i did.





after that we turned him into a mermaid(picture below).







this is the amazing graceful jellyfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


then my mom,dad and bro turned me into a penguino.


then we took a water taxi back to are car and ate kababs in Motueka. by Andrew

Change is afoot.

We got back after having a fabulous trip to the United States. Still, we re-entered our small island nation, and we were not ready to say goodbye to it. Though the folks who have been renting out this house are ready to move back in, and decisions needed to be made.

The first week we went out looking for alternate places to live, rent, buy, house-sit - we were open to just about anything - we came across a place that felt right. Best of all, it's right around the corner. So we signed on it and we'll be there in a couple of weeks. It's funny, because after moving halfway around the world, you'd think a move down the street would be easy. But it's not. It's still new digs, possibly new routines, and a somewhat different fabric of life. And that's a little scary. We'll be saying goodbye to this pleasant red-trimmed house with the rooster on top, and moving on. It's good to know where.

All my dog friends


kelly

kiko, courgy

kiko

On our trip I met a lot of dog friends let me list every dog, -Courgy(He has short legs and walks funny).

-Kiko(big and furry).

-Freeda(playful Lab).

-Andy.

-Abigail(small and fluffy).

-Lucky.

-Cocoa.

-Gracie.

-Oscar(miniature Doxon).

-Kelly(playful Lab).

Andrew

Just back from the USA. This time, when we entered both the US and NZ, the passport screeners said "Welcome home."

And, somehow, both feel like it.

That's Ivey and Kiko.

It was a great visit back to the states. Our first day started with the USA v. Ghana in the world cup. Then it was on to Tom's big b-day, the pride parade, and hurricane Alex started burbling out in the Gulf. Yep, you're not in Montrose if the streets aren't flooding and someone's chucking beads at you. Here's to watching people drive where the street used to be.

It was pretty much nonstop from there. Loved playing Oh hell with Hlavinka boys, the epic volleyball re-match at Rice U, Scrabble night, and a string of other great chats and visits with family and friends. One thing about having only a few days, we really appreciated each and every get together.

We'll get some more pics up soon. Now it's back to folding clothes in the goblin hat.

Miss you guys already.

I know, I know ... what people really want is an update on the fishing.



We have tried it many ways: from the pier and in a boat, on a donkey or a goat. And fish or no fish, I can't complain about a single minute of it, because it's a beautiful thing to be out on the water.

Let's start with the most recent expedition. We decided to hit the local rivers, and I had a brainstorm that the trees were teeming with cicadas, so this might make a good live bait. That meant we spent the morning climbing trees, catching cicadas (we got better and sneakier at this) and popping them into a milk bottle.

We then set off for the Motueka river where we had previously scouted a number of fish & game access points. One of them turned out to be a fine swimming hole but not much place to fish, two other spots we gave it a go without success. I was surprised, really. Not even a bite. Maybe it was the wrong time of day, maybe we didn't do a good job of presenting the bait, maybe the access points are fished out. Yep, it would be great to know a friendly farmer with prime river frontage.




Sometimes when we are out for a drive, we stick the rods and tackle in the car and leave ourselves open to chance. This is a spot near Pelorus and a beautiful spot it is, but... no fish. Andrew tried spinning with his prize new frog lure, which proceeded to snag on a log or a rock or who knows what. We could see the line going into the water and judge about where the lure was, and A. went in for an ice cold swim but really couldn't get it. Barbara - who always wins the prize for last one at the beach as winter comes on - well, she declared she was not going to go save our frog lure for us. So I decided to take a dip, see if I couldn't rescue our new frog lure. You go, polar bear.

People say that you can use a mouse lure, and there are tales of using live mice, to catch some of these big fat river trout. But we haven't gone that far, and so far no joy with froggy.

Since all that sounds pretty grim, I will recount a more successful expedition to the Marlborough Sounds. Picture below. Again we spent time in the morning getting our bait, which in this case is spotties caught off the pier. That's good fun in itself, but then we headed out toward deeper water.

We were chumming the water with a frozen salmon block, via a burley pot with some lead weights in it. This had attracted (or maybe we were just in a lucky spot) a bunch of kahawai which we were pulling in pretty much as fast as we could net them. They weren't large, but edible and we were enjoying ourselves. Andrew was using a small spincast rod with a medium hook and line. All of a sudden he got a huge tug, right up by the boat.

"I got something!" he says, but then it releases. What's that, I'm thinking, maybe he hooked the anchor line. But then it comes again, three feet from the boat, a silver-blue flash in the water, and the rod tip bends auspiciously. Whoa!

Whatever it is, Andrew pulls his smaller fish right out of its mouth, and up pops the littler one swinging through the air on only a few feet of line. "Drop it back in," I say. Who knows, right?

He plops the spottie into the water right off the side of the boat and as Andrew has now christened it, "The monster from the deep" is immediately all over it. The spottie and the line were gone, just like that. This added some excitement for all of us, and we are still debating what "it" was. Andrew thinks a large blue cod. I am inclined toward a kingfish.

Anyway there's a lesson here, and that is, once that larger fish has locked on, it wants its dinner and it is pretty much impervious to your presence, the boat floating in the water, or anything else you'd think might have thrown off the chase. At least in this case.

To catch that monster, Andrew, we're going to have to get you a bigger rig.

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another." Anatole France


After reading this quote, all that conflicts me is clear. My melancholy certainly stems from a degree of homesickness. But, far more significantly, I am coming to terms with my own insignificance. As I entertain the possibility of leaving my home forever, I contemplate my very own demise - dying in one world to become reborn in another.

Oh, yes, that's a bit of melodrama -the metaphor too extreme. However, if one is coldly analytical and realistic, one cannot help but see some truth in this. If not present in the everyday fabric of someone's life, without a regular chat, meet for coffee, look in the eye one begins to fade. As I stay yet another year in New Zealand, I become at best a shadow in the community I left behind. And, over time, I cease to exist.

Descartes said, "I think therefore I am." Perhaps in my case it is best rephrased as "you think of me therefore I am" or better still "we have laughed together therefore I am." A more self-actualized person might not need the validation of others. Another person might not define themselves by their friends and community, but rather from within. I guess I am not there yet. I find tremendous satisfaction in being a part of something bigger. I like knowing people and, to be completely true, I like people knowing me. I hate the thought of being forgotten.

This is not a pathetic plea for affirmation. And, please, don't construe this as self -pity. It is a clinical assessment of the facts, my reality. I am grateful for all the friends and family who have kept in touch. I find solace in knowing that I will not be completely forgotten, that even across this equatorial line of division some connections can survive and even thrive. However, should I stay here, for many, if not most, I will disappear.

I understand this because not only have I been the forgotten one, I have been the forgetter. No one deliberately erases a friend from their life. But, in one's busy and rich world it is the here and now that matters most. The people we see at our jobs, in our neighborhood, at school, in our book groups - this is the reality. I see you therefore you are, I don't see you therefore you aren't. It's that simple.

Is staying in this beautiful country (and it truly is) worth being forgotten? Can a visit every one or two years sustain the memory or does it merely prolong the inevitable? Is this a mourning process that I'll one day get over or, will I be haunted by regret? I just don't know.

No one asked me to leave; no one packed my bags, sold my house and stuck me on the plane. And, no one ever said, don't come you back, you hear. Nonetheless this is where I am at, contemplating a deal with the devil and wondering if it's a deal worth making. Choice is a luxury, but also a curse.

Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. Robert C. Gallagher

Summer Fun 2010

Duane believes my level of happiness ebbs and flows with the success of my studio. I say my level of happiness is in direction proportion to sunshine and swimming. It's probably all of that. All I know is that when the sun is shining and it's nice and warm, I imagine myself staying here forever. But as the days shorten and the water temperature drops, I long for the Texas heat once again. Anyway, we've had a lovely summer and here is some of what we've done.



We started off with a trip to Wellington. I really like it here and am happy to get a city fix. It was the International Unicycle Competitions which was quite fun. Unicycles EVERYWHERE!



Then we went over Takaka Hill and spent a couple of days in Golden Bay. A little bit of hiking and a couple of swims in cool rivers. I'm loving it!










There's this fantastic little bush walk that's like Jurassic park. Less of a hike and more of a jungle gym. The boys had a blast.



Finally, we went over to the Marlborough Sounds. This area remind me SO much of the Pacific Northwest. It is absolutely beautiful. There we rented a boat. We did lots of fishing and exploring.We also did some sea bisquiting which was terrific fun. That's our friend Gavin And, there's Dean! Woo-hoo.

I really hope some of our friends in the States might come visit. We are really getting to know this area and would love to share it with you. Peace and warm wishes to all. xo, Barbara

Hey its Dean.

Today my post is about shuffling. Shuffling is a style of dance in which you make yourself move across the ground in a way sort of like moonwalking. A lot of people do it here and in Australia and it is really fun. Me and friends were going to shuffle in town for money, but Winter break ended and we never really got around to it. We also like tektonic, jumpstyle, and jerking. There are also other new forms that are being invented, and we like trying them out too. Here are some vids. Also I really like techno songs now. Shuffling is real tiring. Also I skate now.

Here is a Youtube vid of some pro shufflers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zjQTBukG0w

A vid of me and my friends shuffling (lol): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewA_sJSwRyE

Tektonic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bytf3gZMFkY&feature=related

Jumpstyle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyAvaLsLFl8

All three(best vid ever): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyCWIXv9Bvs

this is my post about palago. it's about a game where you put pieces together and make creatures here are some examples.This one here is the paladeer it's the second hardest to make.he's my second favourite.






this is a palagator this is the hardest to make.I've made 1 up that has the same head.this 1 is my favourite.





this is the palagirafe he's my third favourite.funny he's a girrafe he's got wings and a bumpy neck i might call him a pala chicken.


this is the palapus it's in octopus even though it's got 2 tenticles and a boxy head.


this is the palabug suprisingly it's bigger,better,faster,stronger and harderto make then the bird below it.
this is the palbatross it's a predator to the fish but not to the bugs obviously .but fish can be hard to catch sometimes so times ar'nt so great for the palbatross.

Andrew

Dear Friends we have not been good about getting out cards. Christmas and the holidays (also summer vacation) have been good so far. School starts again in early February.

We went out to a tree farm and picked out a nice tree, and this year we sprung for a tree stand instead of a bucket so life is easy. Here's Andrew picking out ornaments. You can't hardly tell it's a chicken, but next to the star is a chicken. We like it.




This one kind of sums it up, eh? Andrew is on my back and I am on a ladder trying to get the star on top of the tree. Barbara is....

directing the operation?




Happy holidays to you all.