It is Chinese New Year today according to my calendar and red is a colour strongly associated with this event.
Red was also one of the theme colours in our recent family wedding and a colour I love and wear a lot of.
So here is a planter bowl of red impatiens that sits near my sunny doorway and cheers me on each day.
Most noted award goes to Mother Nature in 2011. Relentless earthquakes continue to rock Christchurch. One major quake claimed a large number of lives, while many have caused extensive damage and destruction.
In NZ we also experienced volcanic ash clouds, flooding, tornadoes and we watched in horror as tsunami killed tens of thousands in Japan. On the flip side it has been a surprisingly calm year where I live with gale force winds being much rarer than usual.
One word to describe 2011 = Draining – mentally, emotionally and physically.
Achievements of the year:
Beginning to blog again and meeting friends from other blogs. Sort of cyber pen pals.
Decluttering a junk room which is now a bedroom of sorts
Learning more about digital photography
Pursuing creative hobbies, such as knitting, sewing, family heirloom recipe books and gardening
Strengthening relationships
Music award for 2011 goes to the community group we sing with. The fun, fellowship and joy of sharing our singing has helped fill our tanks.
Academic awards go to three family members this year: a Certificate, a Diploma and adjunct Certificate and a Degree were all completed.
The Courage award is shared this year by 2 family members. One who recovered from major surgery and the other who faces more surgery in 2012.
It is also awarded post-humously to our cat who had had frequent visits to the vet, tests, scans, interventions, and medication but whose life was ended with mercy and love on December 22, 2011.
The “take courage” baton is now resting with our other cat as he comes to terms with the loss of his brother and constant companion of 13 years.
Highlight of the Year has to be the 4 days of family, fun and excitement in December. Our youngest son married on Xmas eve in the most beautiful weather – hot, sunny and calm. You will note the cabbage trees in the photo taken at the Reception venue are not moving. That is the rarest of rare things!
We spent Christmas and Boxing Day with family and new family by marriage.
And in the wee small hours on December 27th our new granddaughter was born. Mum and baby well.
Works in progress for 2012:
More tidying and Decluttering
Income generation based from home for me
Keeping resolve, resilience and relationships to the fore.
Happy New Year everyone!
I am having a deliberately quiet morning after three really busy days. My head is full of lists and plans, which is normal for many people at this time of the year.
I have been getting out with my camera and I have photos to use on my blog in the future. I have also been aware of lots of ideas to blog about but we have a family wedding on Christmas Eve this year and naturally all our attention is on that, plus Christmas arrangements. Excitement is building.
Our beautiful Melia tree is flowering in great abundance and for the first time I have given more attention to it and delighted in the delicate fragrance from its clusters of mauve star- shaped flowers.
Rain has caused the flowers to begin to drop and this morning I stopped and picked some up. In an unconscious move I have arranged eleven of them in a clock shape…..it is eleven big sleeps until the wedding and we are all feeling the clock ticking I realized after I had arranged them.
The star shaped flowers speak to me of Christmas and the short time the stars are shining in our southern hemisphere sky right now as we head to the solstice.
As I mentioned in my post “Backyard Cricket and Barbeque” it was the women’s turn to gather a week later and honour the bride to be.
So last Saturday a dozen or so invited women gathered at the bride’s parents home to enjoy a Bridal shower. It was my first experience of a bridal shower. I was more familiar with Kitchen Teas so it was with some relief that the invitation asked us to bring a Xmas tree decoration for the bride to decorate her first Xmas tree. Note: the wedding is a calendar month away today. Yes, a Xmas eve wedding.
In terms of organization, compared with the men and the Stag do the previous week, this event was an example of a well-oiled, highly organized and skillfully arranged and prepared celebration. The bridesmaid had done a superb job handling the whole thing from start to finish.
We played some really fun games, we ate from a groaning table with lots of food, and some specially made to accommodate dietary needs. There were prizes and surprises and to cap it all off we were entertained by four talented female singers from the choir Nota Bene. The singers had been given a list of the bride to be’s favourite Xmas carols and songs and from that they selected numbers that worked well with their voices.
While the men had scurried about and found various articles of clothing to wear to the stag do that fitted the theme, we women agonized over the old chestnut of what to wear. Did we dress right up, go casual or smart casual? I am relieved to report that we all looked fine in what we wore and the bride to be looked radiant.
So the countdown is really on now. I am off to write a list of things that need to be done before the wedding and Christmas. You will understand why my blogposts have thinned out lately…..there is a lot to do.
Suddenly it is November which means a birthday in the family and a short run down to the family wedding on Christmas Eve day, Christmas and the promise of a new grandchild early in the New Year.
There is a bit to get sorted and organized between now and then so please bear with me as I blog a little less.
While my focus is on preparations here is a photo or two of just how busy nature is being out in my garden during this abundant spring we are experiencing.
These are our Snowball trees in a mass of creamy white flowers.
I see that I have not posted much on my blog this month so here is a quick summary of the last week plus another day or two:
Plenty of ordinary tasks around the house and garden, plus some budgeting and early last week I was practicing for a special singing occasion.
Tuesday last week saw me sing in a group of 100 others (all of us there because we love to sing- no auditions or qualifications required!) in a television recording. Our singing director was leading this group on behalf of the programme, “Praise Be.” We had had three previous rehearsals and then it took around two hours to get a “take” of 10 songs. Now I have to wait to see the finished result.
On the way to the recording we spotted eleven Royal Spoonbills on the edge of the Pauatahanui Inlet. It seems likely that numbers of this regal, white, member of the heron family are increasing and that is splendid news.
We have a family wedding at Xmas time this year and I needed an outfit. Last Wednesday a good friend, who has a keen eye for colour and style went with me on what was intended simply to be a “look”. However I found the perfect outfit and came home really delighted to have that ticked off the wedding “to do” list. It was made easy with such great support.
In order to have guests here at the time of the wedding I have been trying to do some decluttering and tidying each day to chip away at what is quite some task.
Meanwhile in the garden, nature has been moving ahead and our small kowhai tree is almost in flower now. There are plenty of flowers on it but they have yet to reach the point where the tuis and other birds can access the nectar. I am really hoping to see Tuis visit “my” tree in the next few days.
Saturday saw me hurt my knee and I have been hobbling about since then. I’m off to see the physiotherapist this afternoon for a second appointment. I am taking life at a very gentle pace right now and of course I am being reminded of how one part of our body not working fully requires a lot more time and attention being given to everyday activities. My cats are great at showing me that there is much to be said for relaxing, sleeping, staying supple (!) and spending time in good company.
ordinarygoodness 