Tidying
As I sit down to write this week’s post, it is just turned half past four in the afternoon and we have finished the bulk of the clearing up after hosting a shared lunch for around 28 people. Just the dishwasher to empty now. We are putting up our feet with a pot of tea in the lounge, where the temperature is 28º, same as in the shade outside. The ranch sliders have been open all day, but the hot sun has been out all day too, accompanied by a warm northerly wind from Oz.
The shared Parish lunch went very well. I made pork pies yesterday, and Nicky converted two loaves of bread into sandwiches this morning. We added gluten free muffins from the freezer and thick slices of watermelon. Everybody brought something with them, some quite a lot, and we ended up with masses of food. It felt like a banquet. There was quite a bit left over, but not an excessive amount. We had laid out the food and drinks inside and put most of the seating outside in the shade under the car port. With most parishioners knowing each other, it was a friendly and happy gathering, and even though it was quite a bit of work for us, it was an enjoyable event.
Our week also began on a sociable note. Nicky’s morning was occupied with church cleaning, laundry and starting to trim the flax in the front garden. In the afternoon we drove to Dudding’s Lake near Bulls to meet Kat, Israel and Ari.
We suggested the location as travel time was almost the same for both of us. Nicky and I have driven past the sign for it a number of times, but hadn’t visited. Of course the name rang bells. It’s a small lake with a basic campsite. Ari really enjoyed paddling in the lake, and it was good to catch up as it had been just over a year since we had last seen them.
The weather has been good all week, getting hotter each day. Much tidying of the garden has been done, notably the sweet peas and trimming the front flax. The Christmas decorations came down and I cleaned the windows for the first time this year (second time since I retired!).
Late on Wednesday afternoon John called in for a cuppa and to give us a Christmas gift: a Lego kit of a Charms Class at Hogwarts. I think we will enjoy assembling it when Claire next visits. Laurie and Sue came round for dinner (smoked salmon flambéed in brandy with mascarpone and pasta, followed by Christmas mince tart and custard). Sue is always very quiet, so the bulk of the conversation was left to Laurie, Nicky and I.
After another busy day in the garden on Thursday, we were taken out for dinner by Mike at LalQila, a new Indian restaurant in town. We enjoyed our meal but didn’t feel it was quite as good as Spice Guru.
Breakfast time on Friday brought us a 5.3 earthquake, 106km deep over in Waverley, a bit north of Whanganui. It lasted about 20 seconds. I planned to follow my amble with a ride on the paddle steamer from Upokongaro back to town, as the Waimarie was scheduled to stop at Upokongaro for an hour and a half. But they didn’t, so I just ended up getting too hot in the sunshine.
Saturday was as mentioned before, pie making for me and a bit of shopping for Nicky. She bought some petunias but while planing them in the front garden lost one of her hearing aids. We haven’t found it yet, but will look for a seventh time after dinner. Mark and Krystyna came round for dinner last night. Nicky made a lovely chicken risotto and Christmas mince and apple tart. We had a good evening.
We have enjoyed watching Grand Designs UK House of the Year this week, and were very pleased that for the first time the one which we thought should win did. It’s a wee robust home on the Isle of Harris built in Harrision gneiss:
What with the garden tidying and socialising, it feels like it has been quite a busy and productive week. NZ starts to come out of its Christmas holidays in the coming week, so life will become a little more routine again.
Take care, Rick and Nicky.
PS: Post rest and dinner of LOB’s, a finger tip search of the garden where the petunias were planted revealed the lost hearing aid. What’s more, it still works. The dishwasher has also been emptied.
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