Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Moving to the country....

This may have been the easiest move on record for me. Traveler did nearly all the packing and moving while I was away at fiddle camp. I'll have to stop telling the tale about the move from Salem to Jay Street that I did nearly by myself now.

Then when I returned from camp sick as a dog, he finished the move and final clean up for me as well. Best yet I did not have to go back to the old flat and see it all empty and devoid of us. As excited as I am about our new flat, it will be awhile before it feels like our space. It comes with some furnishings, which is wonderful, but also means that its not the normal completely blank slate with white walls that I am used to in America. White walls I hear are a very rare thing in New Zealand.

A week before hand, some friends and I walked through a local park and took this photo of our flat... I looked at the digital image through out fiddle camp to try to get my head around the fact that I really truly was moving.
I am having a hard time with change at the moment. I think my sense of identy is a bit lost with all the medical things going on, being in a new country for so long now, having a job that is so far removed from direct hands on teaching/clinical work.... Don't get me wrong I love it here, and I am learning lots and growing a bunch too -- but its not the easiest phase of my life as I get it all sorted. I am needed to do lots of self talk and visualization to get myself to believe basic things like 'shannon you are leaving flat A and moving to cottage B next week.' Perhaps some video social stories are in order:)

Once we moved in, it all becomes easier. I mean with a view like this off your deck, its hard to struggle too much!
The walk home from the bus is a highlight as well. Traveler jokes that I now ride the short bus. I only allow this because I have been riding the 'short' bus with wonderful kids for many many years. I love my short bus as it slowly winds it way up past the harbour views and to the end of our narrow winding road to our new rental.


I am thinking that a portable barbque is in order now that we have a deck. Winter and its rains have arrived, but that might mean that I can get a good deal on this 'suitcase' griller!


Monday, April 28, 2008

Fiddle Camp

This was my second year attending fiddle camp. I was sick most of it and my camera had no flash drive.

In spite of that it was an amazing week of music, fun, and food. I am so glad I went. I look forward to next year. And hope to see at least a few of the people again soon!



Monday, April 21, 2008

Flying send off

The last days I was in our flat I was preparing to leave for fiddle camp.

Traveler was playing with his new toy - a remote control helicopter, or as a younger person in my life called it, 'a baby helicopter.'


It was great fun to try to control and even greater fun watching other people being kids in body and heart as they attempted to make it fly. Anything in the helicopter as it flew in circles would be violently ill -- until they crashed. This was very much a crashing experience --- it has already been under Traveler's sodering iron several times, and now needs more intensive surgery.




It is also nice that our old flat was captured in the background before it was dismantled into boxes.

Monday, April 14, 2008

The days before our move

The days before a move are field with emotion for me. I often do not look forward to leaving the place I have come to call home. This move was particularly heart breaking for me - as much as living in a one room flat over a garage is not a permanent solution of choice for me.

But I had some distractions...

We went to sorching bay with friends to enjoy leaping in waves, leaping in the air, fox and the hound games of tag, tossing a frisbee this way and that with all different hand holds, and climbing on the climbing frame.





I also saw a hot air balloon alight on the way down the hill from the flat.
And we made a pecan pie to bring over to dinner to our new land lord's house. We are still perfecting the corn syrup free pecan pie. It will take awhile as it was nearly $40 to buy the pecans for 3 pies!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Piha


We managed to squeeze in a trip to Piha one evening after a long day of work meetings. It is unbelievable to me that this beach is only 45 minutes from Auckland (well maybe an hour from down town). The drive out there is through lovely native bush and is my favourite kind of windy road. The Wilson River Road is W I D E in comparison.
For some reason my eyes sees these toodler size foot prints as being reversed. My eyes just can't see the truth that the sand is depressed, instead I have the illusion of the foot prints being embossed on the sand!
Here are a couple maps for those who like that kind of a thing showing where Piha is

And here are two of my work mates who joined me on this adventures. You may remember these lovely ladies from another post work adventures near Auckland.

Some photos from the past few weeks


Kapiti Island in Paraparaumu.... a really wide long beach. Mellow surf and this incredible island offshore.



This I think is the local police station in Paraparaumu. At least it had police precint on a sign in the window. The duck pond moat is a lovely touch I must say! Cute and non-formidible - but still you probably aren't going to wander into the brown water to tag the police station walls or other wise bother them.



Ducks also can be found at local parks. This park is in Tawa, a suburb between the city and the Kapiti Coast area.

This is a lopsided bucket spinner. You can get your self going round-n-round with your legs going up and down. It is sort of a sin wave in place kind of ride.




Even though much of the play stuff looks new, there are still plenty of 'older' style things around, including this climbing triangle we names Mt Cook.

We had friends over for dinner and post-dinner relaxing....
I watched the local private school girls walk past me as I waited for my bus


And more dinners with friends, new and old.
We discovered another tucked away park in Ngaio.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Stipulations

Well you'll all have to help with the strict stipulations on us moving the the country side. Our new landlords have a couple requirements:



Requirement number 1 - A proper 4th of July party















Requirement number 2 - A proper Thanksgiving meal













I think this might work out just fine!


Which made me search back through the archieves of other Thanksgiving time events..


2007 - My first trip back to the States

2006 - Snake River / Hell's Canyon / Thanksgiving




And more thanksgivings

2005 - I went home (where I bought a tree to take on the plane with me and got to pick the family house tree myself!), Traveler's dad sent us an amazing wreath, and Traveler bonded with his brother in New Haven