foties

coming. back at work, happily so.
more later

and a pukeko in a ponga tree

Merry Christmas, everyone. Tanti auguri a tutti.

Here is the Kiwi version of a well known Christmas song.

It could almost be a white Christmas... the snow is lower on the hills behind us than I have seen it before, and this morning the valley below was lost in a dense layer of white fluffy fog. Tonight will be colder. I am glad that it is weekend and I am not working in the open building. I'll pretend that it is Dunedin... it is still not as cold as it was the night we were racing at Forbury Park way back in the two children days.

Today I am grateful for cous cous and polenta, candles and warm fires.

the battle for the couch

Yes, I will write about art one day soon.

Zacchi knows well that he is not to sleep on the couch, and if caught he slinks outside without a word from me, looking as guilty as a muffin can look. Pickle, on the other hand, still pushes her luck. You would think that with snow on the hills not too far away the message would sink in faster... caught on the couch and out you go!

We had a little tussle the other day. I was on the couch, snuggled under a blanket, and Pickle was on her perch, the plastic box which doubles as pantry and sometime coffee table now padded with a mat. She seemed to think that my blanket was the better spot to be... how many times can you push a dog off before she gets the message?

Tonight I got up to make a milo; I couldn't sleep, and thought that the day's intake could extend to some winter comfort. Milo is a luxury to be used sparingly. I found Pickle asleep on the mat which was folded beside the couch, up on the pantry perch. This was all OK with me, she often sleeps there when I am in the kitchen. She opened one eye, tried to make herself invisible, and waited to be put outside.

Really Pickle, I know that you intended moving over onto the couch once I was properly asleep, but I don't usually punish BEFORE the crime!

Zacchi, on the other hand, has become the most obedient dog around, quite the educated, gentlemany role model. While Pickle and I tussled he sat upright on the mat near me, saying "Look mum, I'm being sooo good!" I am sure that despite being so well looked after when I am away a little bit of separation anxiety goes a long way in the discipline stakes!

Today I am grateful that Pickle is learning...

11 a day is not easy

Today is the first day of "accountability". I have been home for two full days, and have slept enough to say that any jet-lag is over. That I woke at 5am does make me doubt that a little, but I feel fine! Maybe it was just the neighbour's over-enthusiastic rooster that helped get me up and about so early - it is still dark, and he has been crowing since 3am! Christmas dinner, maybe?

Feeling confident I stepped on the scales. Shock, horror! Dad's cooking was too good. I put on 2 kilos in New Zealand. AFTER the doctor had told me that my knees would appreciate it if I lost some weight.

The new regime is 11 a day (click for Harvard report) ... servings of fruit and veges that is. Maybe it should be 11 kilometres a day! It is not yet 7am and I have eaten three servings already. Luckily the trees are loaded with mandarines and oranges, but I think a better balance is called for. Maybe I should start with prunes...

I was enjoying my vegetarian meals and lots of fruit and veges with my vegetarian and health conscious crew, and was beginning to feel more energetic and alive. A change of diet eating with guests (while still eating healthily) brought a noticeable drop in energy levels. Now I eat to improve my health, not to indulge in treats just because I can. How hard can it be, staying off coffee and wine in Italy?

Today I am grateful for two little doggies who take me walking.

need over want

As I unpacked my odd assortment of "treasures" that made it safely from NZ to Italy I thought about how generous people are. In NZ I sorted things I wont need in the foreseeable future and wondered who to give them to, whether or not I should sell them, where they would be most useful. Some it was hard to let go, and others survived for another round of selection. Some, in fact, that I expected to be easy to give away, proved to be difficult to find homes for. Sometimes I found it difficult balancing my in-built caution (I might need that one day) with my wish to give things a new home.

I am not as generous as I would like to be. I found that my attitude to parting with things was much helped when daughter number one said "Think of how much pleasure that will give someone". I was thinking only of myself, keeping what I might need, and giving out of a wish to be charitable rather than in a true spirit of giving.

Today (my time) it is 21 years since my brother died. One of our last conversations was centred around his view that "no one person should have too much money". He was right. Increasingly I think no one person should have too many possessions either. Research now shows that where there is a more equitable distribution of material wealth then both the wealthy and the poorer benefit in many unexpected ways.

I had two wonderful grandmothers, a minimalist and a hoarder. I take after the hoarder. After two world wars and the great depression I imagine that she had an excuse to save everything for the future. I have no excuse. It is time to pass things on, even gifts that have been given to me but are no longer things I need. The other grandmother, who left her few possessions neatly ordered and ready to be gifted when she left this world, apparently asked her children "Do you need this?" and if they hesitated before replying it was gone.

I have received generous and unexpected kindnesses and gifts. One friend said "I love giving gifts, it's paying goodwill forward and it's as simple as that". How wonderful are her words, "it's as simple as that"! The next time I think "Can I afford to give this away?" I will try to remember the joy of giving and put my instincts to store for the future well away from me. When I do have regrets about things I haven't kept the regrets don't last too long.

Now, what can I give away to make room for my assorted bits and pieces? Zacchi, Pickle... (just kidding Sally!)

Today I am grateful for having enough.

Christmas thoughts

From an email: A very special Christmas message


T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE,

MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.


I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY,

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO,

IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE.


I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.


NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES,

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.


WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT,

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.


FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.


THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR,

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.


THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED,

AN AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER.


WAS THIS THE HERO,

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?


I REALISED THE FAMILIES,

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS,

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.


SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE,

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.


THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM,

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.


I COULDN'T HELP WONDER,

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE,

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.


THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT,

A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES,

AND STARTED TO CRY.


THE SOLDIER AWAKENED,

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

"SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;


I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."


THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.


I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL,

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED,

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.


I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE,

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR,

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.


THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."


ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

This poem was written by an Australian Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The following is his request: PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Lets try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.
Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Thanks to Krista in Australia for sending this to me.

coming back soon

Thanks for the emails saying you have missed me! This "no computer" time has been interesting!

My goal for public scrutiny is... lose ten kgs by 1 April 2010. OK gang, keep me honest! I will need all the encouragement, fruit and vegetables that I can get!

Today I am grateful for inspiring television programmes.