| From: rona (Original Message) | Sent: 5/01/2005 3:31 p.m. |
| Howdee Folks, "Alone again....naturally! " Wasn't that from a Leo Sayer song? Oh well, it has been heaven today. Just the cat and me at home. Eugene was here but out in his little hidey hole, from which he emerged at lunch time to see what was to eat. Gerald has started work today and Terri is working on a holiday programme, which is run by the Waiwhetu Marae and Lower Hutt City Council. I still can't get over the fact she's working with kids - my daughter who "doesn't like kids, and isn't going to have any". Mmmmmm yes, well I suppose there is till hope. Welcome to 2005 everybody. Not a very auspicious beginning what with the tsunami and its aftermath. It is just so...................DEVASTATING!!!(which seems a futile word to use for what has happened!). It just makes me all the more thankful for what we have got. Just please God, don't let it happen here. Our start to the year was very quiet, as was our Christmas. Christmas dinner was not a hangi as I thought it was going to be. We ended up having a seafood meal. Shrimp co  cktail , mussells (store bought) whitebait omelete, crayfish tails, BBQ groper steaks, prawns (which I've decided I'm not fond of - nor was our cat when I tried to give him mine!) with a green salad on the side. Didn't even have room for dessert. We were invited out for dinner, (hangi) at a cousins house. Only had a little as I was still full from lunch - just a little dessert, steamed pud, and a little home made pav. New Years Day was wet and miserable here, but we did manage to get a little hangi done for our lunch - then it was blob out and watch the "Marathon - Open All Hours" on UKTV, which Gerald and I enjoyed greatly. I reckon they should have marathons on - Dad's Army and Are You Being Served. They were great programmes.New Years Resolutions anybody? I've got a few, but at his stage not going to divulge anything, as I'd proably just embarras myself with all that I don't achieve. BUT if I do get to complete any of my resolutions you'll be the first to know about it. I do have a little list that I have written out under the heading "Goals for 2005" - rather the New Years Resolutions. It makes it sound more achievable somehow. I will let you into a little secret though - one of them is to do an assignment a month for The Writing School to which I have become a student - to learn how to write-(profitably)- but that's a big maybe at this stage. Wish me luck. Eugene is still contemplating what he will do this year. Will he finish his job and go back to Uni full time to finish his degree, or will he keep working and do it part time? The temptation of more money and responsibility is being dangled in front of him, much like a carrot on a stick. He seems to think he will be offered the Co-ordinators job on his shift. I do find that quite pleasing as he has only worked in that department for six, seven months. Mind you, if he's not careful his sister will finish what she's going to do before he does - what that is, she (and me) are not 100% sure of YET. Well that's all from me for now guys. Will catch you all later. Lotsalove Rona |
3 comments:
From: Margret Sent: 7/01/2005 8:11 a.m.
Hi Rona
I have a liking for prawns and a liking for hangi. I even like rotten corn. Your seafood Xmas meal sounded to be 'my cup of tea'. When Richard and I lived overseas, weekly, Dad would write a letter and inform me of the Kai Time at 27 Blake Street; no doubt Roger had years of letters informing him of the diet enjoyed. Mum would save a pottle of whitebait to cook him 'a feed'; I don't know how you could wait until Xmas lunch to eat them instead of having them for breakfast!
Good wishes on your writing school. Aim for stories that represent a lifestyle that has gone - a growing up in New Zealand type before you do the big novel/la.
A tsunami, if it hit NZ based on the mega-thrust experienced in the Indian Ocean, delivered from the Pacific Ocean or the fault lines near the bottom of the South Island, would find ourselves awash. Mind you, you only need to be near the Waikanae river and the Hutt river and you could have a similar experience. The Paraparumu and Paekakariki areas have had some battles - did you over the hill have weather hassles?
Love from the islander, Margret
From: raf Sent: 11/01/2005 4:16 a.m.
Hi Rona,
Your talk of abundant seafood is making my tastebud memories work over time. I do miss the tucker of whitebait and crayfish. Margrets comments brought a laugh as I have a love of rotten corn also. It is a misnomer actually since the corn is not really rotten but it gives off the impression that something is past its prime. My grandmother Hanna Nicholas would cook it for us when we visited. To me it was like porridge especially with fresh Brixton cream. When I smelt it cooking I was not late to the table for breakfast.
The comment of the recent tsunami brought back a memory of the time in 1962 when I holidayed at Urenui Beach with Michael Coopers family. Radio 2XP said that there had been an earthquake in the Pacific and there was a possiblity of a tidal wave. Being a natural lookie-loo I headed down to the water in search of the impending act of nature. After a few minutes of thinking, I figured that being up front and personal may not be a good thing and so I headed up the cliffs. While standing up there I worried about not being high enough if a big wave came along. By now the rest of the naturally curious started driving up to the beach, putting out blankets, deck chairs and having a picnic. After a few hours of waiting for nature to show up, they all left visibly disappointed that the big once in a lifetime event had passed them by. This was a classic example of Darwins IQ Law where some parts of the general population tend to voluntarily remove themselves from the gene pool.
Over the weekend we here in California have been treated to a vast amount of rain which has made many of our streets into streams and layed many feet of snow in the mountains and closed many highways. We received the wet weather from Hawaii which is dubbed the "Pineapple Express". And from out of the north we got the cold artic air mass coming down and from the south east we felt the effects of warm moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. All 3 weather patterns have caused flooding, snow storms, ice storms and power outages across the US. We are not used to getting Taranaki Sunshine in LA. But fortunatly for me I get to take the train to work and avoid the tangled mess of highway prangs.
Sherrie got me to the train station today so that our kids who are visiting from Oregon have some wheels in the city. We had a birtheday party yesterday for 3 of them; Jamie 27, Sarah 25 and Lakiya 5 (Jamies daugther). We started in a 3pm and by then the rest of the Gaskill (Sherries family) clan arrived and partied until 11pm. We had a good time, especially since it was pouring non stop all day long and no one complained about being indoors. So here we are again with another year to celebrate. I hope everyone in your family is in good health.
love rog
From: Sherrie Sent: 11/01/2005 8:06 a.m.
Glad to take a few minutes and wish everyone a happy and safe new year. The tsunami, so devastating. So many people however have been responding, and I think we are all watching to see what more can be done. Roger's letter was enlightening, only now after reading it do I understand why the rainy weather has been so hot and humid -- I thought it was maybe hot flashes!
We are so enjoying our company of Sarah, with husband Chad and baby Freya, who just turned one year old. It is so cute to see her walking through the house. Also daughter Jamie, with Lakiah and Sebastian. Although our house is only 1,000 sq feet, there is always room for everyone. The kids have been helping with shopping and cooking, which has been a real treat for me.
I wanted to tell you Rona, that when we lived in Oregon, our favorite 'Britcom' was 'Are You Being Served?' Loved that one the best. Glad to hear of your new direction in writing! I took a journalism course a few years back, and enjoyed it very much, especially the feedback from instructors who often said something to the effect "I didn't expect to agree with your position on this subject, but.... " It was a satisfying exchange as I felt I was able to influence my instructors, as well as the other way around. I did learn that writing well is hard work! It isn't always poetry that just flows out of you effortlessly onto the page. So you have my respect for pursuing this path. Let me know if you discover any tricks to making the time to stick with it. And I agree with Margrets point of writing for posterity, to preserve the culture, even if it's just your own family's culture. Very worthy goal and one that Margret excels at.
Everyone take good care.
Love, Sherrie
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