Posts
The Two Crazy Cats -Nick & Zack
3 years ago
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Frosty Friday
Today is Friday and we got a minus 1.1 this morning. I must admit it is going to be a beautiful day. It is clear and blue and cold - just how I like it. It is 8am and I am just about to jump in the shower and head off to work. First stop breakfast, every Friday morning someone from the team brings in breakfast and we all get together and start the end of the week by winding down.
This week we had to take Frodo to the vet, because he needed stitching up. So now he is running around with a cone head on again. He is healing well though and running round like a mad dog. But the cutest thing was that when we were waiting in the vet's waachtkamer, we noticed they had a birthday calendar on the wall. Mike had a look at February and there was Frodo February 27th and Forrest on April 4. They had all their patients birthdays on the calendar - how sweet!
Love for now - time to get blogging others!!!! You are keeping me in suspense!
This week we had to take Frodo to the vet, because he needed stitching up. So now he is running around with a cone head on again. He is healing well though and running round like a mad dog. But the cutest thing was that when we were waiting in the vet's waachtkamer, we noticed they had a birthday calendar on the wall. Mike had a look at February and there was Frodo February 27th and Forrest on April 4. They had all their patients birthdays on the calendar - how sweet!
Love for now - time to get blogging others!!!! You are keeping me in suspense!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Poetry Day
Haven't been much in the mood for blogging of late, as you can see the time I have spent in front of the 'puter has been for some research into other peoples poetry. Hone Tuwhare died last week. He was the first Maori poet to be published in English and I realised, even though I knew of him I had never really read or studied much of his work. So I went on a quest to do so. In doing so I also found these two poems I blogged below.
I wanted to share People Who Live by the Sea because I loved the way Erica paralelled the circle of human life with that of the sea, and Dergamo's piece becuase I idenitified with the final stanza of his Zen Moment. Both these themes I have written about many times myself - another reason I quite liked them. Also, neither were filled with or even slipped in any cliches - something that makes me cringe! When they rear their ugly head in my own works - they get the short sharp boot up the j@$ksee and the thesaures gets a look in.
Anyway I am home today, becuase the little Frodster needs his mum 'cause he had to have surgery yesterday and is a little worse for wear.
I wanted to share People Who Live by the Sea because I loved the way Erica paralelled the circle of human life with that of the sea, and Dergamo's piece becuase I idenitified with the final stanza of his Zen Moment. Both these themes I have written about many times myself - another reason I quite liked them. Also, neither were filled with or even slipped in any cliches - something that makes me cringe! When they rear their ugly head in my own works - they get the short sharp boot up the j@$ksee and the thesaures gets a look in.
Anyway I am home today, becuase the little Frodster needs his mum 'cause he had to have surgery yesterday and is a little worse for wear.
Zen Moment by Degarmo
I found this poem on www.allpoetry.com click on http://allpoetry.com/poem/3820181 for the original version. Sorry Degarmo I tutued with the structure somewhat but all the words are yours.
Zen Moment by Degarmo
I think it was Monday morning
and the rain poured a mint shandy
that tasted like organic espresso
fusing with the air
(what began breathing too.)
you were sitting naturally on the air
curling your tongue around my words
(it was one of those zen moments)
because as my words dripped
from your tongue I caught them in my palm
and i felt like i was Buddha
and i felt vowels sieve through my fingers
like drunk loveless mosquito's
I think after I felt nothing
and nothing
and nothing but that.
Zen Moment by Degarmo
I think it was Monday morning
and the rain poured a mint shandy
that tasted like organic espresso
fusing with the air
(what began breathing too.)
you were sitting naturally on the air
curling your tongue around my words
(it was one of those zen moments)
because as my words dripped
from your tongue I caught them in my palm
and i felt like i was Buddha
and i felt vowels sieve through my fingers
like drunk loveless mosquito's
I think after I felt nothing
and nothing
and nothing but that.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
People Who Live By the Sea - by Erica Jong
People Who Live By the Sea
People who live by the sea understand eternity.
They copy the curves of the waves,
their hearts beat with the tides,
& the saltiness of their blood corresponds with the sea.
They know that the house of flesh is only a sandcastle built on the shore,
that skin breaks under the waves
like sand under the soles
of the first walker on the beach when the tide recedes.
Each of us walks there once,
watching the bubblesrise up through the sand like ascending souls,
tracing the line of the foam,
drawing our index fingers along the horizon pointing home.
Thanks http://www.gypsygirlsguide.com/2007/12/pleople_who_live.html and http://womanwandering.blogspot.com/
People who live by the sea understand eternity.
They copy the curves of the waves,
their hearts beat with the tides,
& the saltiness of their blood corresponds with the sea.
They know that the house of flesh is only a sandcastle built on the shore,
that skin breaks under the waves
like sand under the soles
of the first walker on the beach when the tide recedes.
Each of us walks there once,
watching the bubblesrise up through the sand like ascending souls,
tracing the line of the foam,
drawing our index fingers along the horizon pointing home.
Thanks http://www.gypsygirlsguide.com/2007/12/pleople_who_live.html and http://womanwandering.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 14, 2008
Scary News
Our digital TV got disturbed a month or two ago when the neighbours had a problem; yes the neighbours that left in mid December! Supposedly the "Digital-TV-People" came to fix the problem and they totally b*%%erd up our own TV feed ... So to cut a long story short the BBC have been playing the National Dart Championships for the last two weeks ... OK ... tonight we turn on the Teeve and there is the Snooker Champs - like next I think they are planning Grass Growing Competitions - Mik says "OR Paint Drying Competitions" - Geeze that 'll be it! THANK GOD FOR YOUTUBE!!!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The Epic Tale
Following links from other bloggers I happened upon Mark J’s blogspot a couple of days ago where he described the ritual family expedition from Dunedin to Westport to visit with grandparents. He reminded me of my North Island Version … so here goes. Thanks Mark for the inspiration …
Destination Algies Bay ...
Once upon a time in a land far far away, I think they called it the seventies, Mum, Dad, Tina, Bode, Scooby Doo and Horse all piled into the Morry bound for a week or two with Nana and Poppa. No, we didn’t just do this once - we did it almost every Christmas holidays and then when the parents got smart they started putting us on the bus to Welsford; Nana and Poppa would pick us up from the bus stop, and Mum and Dad would have some well needed space for a couple of weeks.
God knows how, but they piled the four of us into the back of the Morry and off we went to Algies Bay.
On a good day, the trip was 10 hours long (slight hyperbole); surely I remember leaving at 5am in the dark arriving in time for dinner usually. Following the North Taranaki Coast to Mokau, we could look back on a clear day and spot Mt Egmont across the sea. It was then we knew we really had gone “overseas”.
Yes, it was Mt Egmont still in those days, it was the Mt Egmont that Ed Hillary used to climb several times in one day and then bike back to Stratford afterwards. It was the Mt Egmont that eventually went back to it’s pre-European name of Taranaki. To us it was simply “The Mountain” and a huge part of our lives. We clambered all over it, Mum, Dad, Tina, Josie, Suzie and Carlos – yep the lot of us… but that’s another story - back to state highway three, this was the only traffic jams we had….
With the Mountain in the distance we did not stop until absolutely necessary, for farting & burping were not good enough excuses, unless of course the burps were of the liquid variety, which they often were and is the reason why Burp Hill is named as such. Most other people know it as Mt Messenger – but we know it as Burp Hill.
It was a dangerous journey through Dinosaur Country …
and Tiger Country …
Two hours into the trip we usually got to stop at Tiffany’s in Te Kuiti. It was a very posh affair where one could get a cup of that brown instant stuff they called coffee.... But we got to stop at the “rest a rears” on the other side of the road with our home made sandwiches; probably cheese and pineapple, and some of the brown stuff for Mum and Dad in thermos flask.
Even though it was summer time, it often pissed down and I vividly remember sitting in the back seat trying to be good - it wasn't easy - while Dad had to get out and change a flat tyre on the boat trailer in the pissing down rain on Pack-a-Sad Hill, just north of Otoro-bloody-hanga.
I felt like we were getting real close when we got to Huntly – but I think it was only half way really. It was about this time I probably fell asleep because the next thing I remember we is going through Orewa north of Auckland. A little back water it was then, now it is practically part of Auckland’s poshest spots.
Once we got to Warkworth we had to hang a left and not far after that this is the view that awaited us from Nana & Poppas balcony…
Destination Algies Bay ...
Once upon a time in a land far far away, I think they called it the seventies, Mum, Dad, Tina, Bode, Scooby Doo and Horse all piled into the Morry bound for a week or two with Nana and Poppa. No, we didn’t just do this once - we did it almost every Christmas holidays and then when the parents got smart they started putting us on the bus to Welsford; Nana and Poppa would pick us up from the bus stop, and Mum and Dad would have some well needed space for a couple of weeks.
God knows how, but they piled the four of us into the back of the Morry and off we went to Algies Bay.
On a good day, the trip was 10 hours long (slight hyperbole); surely I remember leaving at 5am in the dark arriving in time for dinner usually. Following the North Taranaki Coast to Mokau, we could look back on a clear day and spot Mt Egmont across the sea. It was then we knew we really had gone “overseas”.
Yes, it was Mt Egmont still in those days, it was the Mt Egmont that Ed Hillary used to climb several times in one day and then bike back to Stratford afterwards. It was the Mt Egmont that eventually went back to it’s pre-European name of Taranaki. To us it was simply “The Mountain” and a huge part of our lives. We clambered all over it, Mum, Dad, Tina, Josie, Suzie and Carlos – yep the lot of us… but that’s another story - back to state highway three, this was the only traffic jams we had….
With the Mountain in the distance we did not stop until absolutely necessary, for farting & burping were not good enough excuses, unless of course the burps were of the liquid variety, which they often were and is the reason why Burp Hill is named as such. Most other people know it as Mt Messenger – but we know it as Burp Hill.
It was a dangerous journey through Dinosaur Country …
and Tiger Country …
Two hours into the trip we usually got to stop at Tiffany’s in Te Kuiti. It was a very posh affair where one could get a cup of that brown instant stuff they called coffee.... But we got to stop at the “rest a rears” on the other side of the road with our home made sandwiches; probably cheese and pineapple, and some of the brown stuff for Mum and Dad in thermos flask.
Even though it was summer time, it often pissed down and I vividly remember sitting in the back seat trying to be good - it wasn't easy - while Dad had to get out and change a flat tyre on the boat trailer in the pissing down rain on Pack-a-Sad Hill, just north of Otoro-bloody-hanga.
I felt like we were getting real close when we got to Huntly – but I think it was only half way really. It was about this time I probably fell asleep because the next thing I remember we is going through Orewa north of Auckland. A little back water it was then, now it is practically part of Auckland’s poshest spots.
Once we got to Warkworth we had to hang a left and not far after that this is the view that awaited us from Nana & Poppas balcony…
It was the seventies, that wonderland where we could have every kind of adventure all kids should have, catching my first fish, catching frogs at 5am, burying Uncles in the sand up to their necks, panning for gold and eating fresh fish and chips - fish that someone in the family had caught that day on Poppas boat and cooked up in butter by Nana.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Where is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu?
Here is something classic. While looking for NZ Maps I found this site and could not believe there was a place called Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu! BELIEVE IT! See http://www.backpack-newzealand.com/maps/area/56389-na/taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu.html.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sir Ed Dies
He was a Kiwi Hero and lives on on our 5$ note. I surprised myself when I had a pang of loss when I heard that Sir Ed passed away. I had never met the man, but it felt like he was someone I knew. I've gotta say he really did have a long innings. For me the man should be a saint - for all the selfless giving he did.Sunday, January 6, 2008
The year is in full swing ...
So the year has begun and we made it through 3 days of work. Phew!!! We were so knaffed that we just took it easy yesterday. Mike played xbox all afternoon but I couldn't even look at a screen so had a snooze on the beanbag in front of the fire. It was a really gloomy cold and wet day so it was just the ticket and we went to bed at 9.30 pm after a very yummy left over curry from New Years Eve, kindly cooked and donated by Greg.
Today though we woke up to brilliant sunshine and 3 degrees. Although we still needed a sleep-in till 10am. Wow! We just went for an hour and halfs walk though, as the doglets were a little stir crazy. They also lay in front of the fire yesterday so were in need of a good walk. It was a bit much for Mike though as he has now gone back to bed. He never really got well from last week and he now has a chest infection and is not feeling the best.
Maybe one of the reasons we were so tired and that Mike is still not well is because we went out on Friday night and did not get home till 1am. That is not really like us but we went out on the spur of the moment with some new friends. (YES!!! we have friends!!!) These guys are from Southern France and have just moved to Leuven. We had a lovely time and went to an African restaraunt in Leuven for dinner.
Today though we woke up to brilliant sunshine and 3 degrees. Although we still needed a sleep-in till 10am. Wow! We just went for an hour and halfs walk though, as the doglets were a little stir crazy. They also lay in front of the fire yesterday so were in need of a good walk. It was a bit much for Mike though as he has now gone back to bed. He never really got well from last week and he now has a chest infection and is not feeling the best.
Maybe one of the reasons we were so tired and that Mike is still not well is because we went out on Friday night and did not get home till 1am. That is not really like us but we went out on the spur of the moment with some new friends. (YES!!! we have friends!!!) These guys are from Southern France and have just moved to Leuven. We had a lovely time and went to an African restaraunt in Leuven for dinner.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year
Here we are now in 2008 then - actually this was the first time in about 5 years that I managed to see in the new year. Normally I can't stay up late enough unless there is several glasses of wine involved and this time there was...needless to say not feeling the bestest today though. Well at least it does not happen too often these days ...
Anyway ... 2008 is here gosh, not long now till the momentous occassion. In March this year Mike and I celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss - crickey where did that last 15 years go? We have decided to celebrate it by doing something unusual - not like us????? About the same time our jongens (F&F) will turn 2 years old, our first borns (Cleo & Picasso kindly adopted by kitty retirement home in Greytown, NZ) will turn 15! & Beauzy (still miss ya puppy) living in Puppy Heaven in Bell Block, NZ, will turn the big one oh! Me 30 something, Mik 40 something.
Bacon and eggs are ready... we spent last night with K&G in Brussels, even though they cancelled the official fire works (due to terroist threat!!!), we saw tonns of unofficial ones - twas kinda fun, though both boys didn't make it to midnight, on account of sickness - poor boys!
Anyway ... 2008 is here gosh, not long now till the momentous occassion. In March this year Mike and I celebrate 15 years of wedded bliss - crickey where did that last 15 years go? We have decided to celebrate it by doing something unusual - not like us????? About the same time our jongens (F&F) will turn 2 years old, our first borns (Cleo & Picasso kindly adopted by kitty retirement home in Greytown, NZ) will turn 15! & Beauzy (still miss ya puppy) living in Puppy Heaven in Bell Block, NZ, will turn the big one oh! Me 30 something, Mik 40 something.
Bacon and eggs are ready... we spent last night with K&G in Brussels, even though they cancelled the official fire works (due to terroist threat!!!), we saw tonns of unofficial ones - twas kinda fun, though both boys didn't make it to midnight, on account of sickness - poor boys!
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