THINGS TO CELEBRATE

I think if I made a list of all the things I could truly celebrate it would be a long one, and it is good to stop and count ones blessings. At the very top of the list would be 48 years  of marriage. Paul and I celebrated our wedding anniversary of December 14th  after all the ups and downs of the past few months this Anniversary became very important to us.

As we were 48yrs ago.

 We decided to go away for a couple of days.... forget the house, the insurance assessor had been and  we know sometime the front room will be pulled apart and new flooring etc will go down meanwhile we have the contents of the room scattered around us, quite depressing at times so we turned our back on it all and took off.
This is what the living room looks like with the dolls house which is taking quite a bit of the space., and this is a tidy room!  others have things from the front of the house scattered through them.

Our destination was Wanganui, not too far, just an hour and a half's drive south from here. We had two nights down there and mostly had a relaxing time, although the weather was damp we did enjoy a trip up the river on PS Waimarie, New Zealand last paddle steamer.












Two nights out to dinner were also treats. we chose a motel with a restaurant so it was only a short walk to dinner. An excellent Chef, the meals both nights were outstanding. we need an excuse to go back again.

I am very grateful for all the messages I have received both through the blog and by email, I have yet to answer them all, as sitting at the computor does not agree with my back so I only do short spells at a time, I share with you one message I received......

Life can and will test us with every breath,

beauty can be enjoyed in the moment which we give thanks for.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas Day here has been a bright sunny day and we (Paul and I) have made the most of it having a quiet restful day enjoying the warmth of the sun and knowing we have God's Blessings..

 To all my blogging friends I send you Greeting and Blessing for Christmas may you have just the most perfect day possible with family and friends. Thank you for all the messages received it has helped to know we have had the thoughts and prayers of friends.

Our family phoned to exchange greetings and share news of their travels they are away in their motor home for several weeks. it is the Summer holidays here and school it out till the end of January.

With all the upheaval of the flood and everything moved round the house I have not put up the big tree this year, only this little one has come out and found a corner in the dinning room, In the half light with the lights turned down it glistens and the blue shades look deeper. To me this tree is the Night sky over Bethlehem  It just need a star above it.

I wanted something special to share for Christmas and found this in my collection I don't know where I got it from however  it is written by Desmond Gilliland........
God made a star and said to all wise men and children wise and all wise women too.  Follow the Star throughout another year. Follow with love and hope and faith - how has the journey been for you?
God left a star. Where is the star now at the dark year's turning, with mists of doubt and clouds across the moon?
Yet we move on, from habit and from yearning, glimpsing the star again, and limping on, until, ahead, a huddled shack, a dim light burning, and the clouds part, and we are running, running towards a great Star. Towards the great Star and the starlit stable, Kneeling, we know that life is love. And love is God, and God has come among us!
Outside the star has gone. The sky  is dark above.    But out of our faith and from the stable's treasure God makes a Star and says to  all wise men, and women wise and all wise children too..........
'Follow the Star throughout another year. Follow its light with a step and true. Follow and it will guide you home again'
God makes- Oh Look! A Star.

And in the words we sang this morning... Love came down at Chritmas.

 

Happy Christmas everyone.

WATER, WATER EVERY WHERE.......................

You got to look on the bright side, even if there ain't one.

I realise it is a while since my last post however most of what has been happening here does not make a happy post so I will briefly bring everyone up to date then look to the future. We had a lovely few days in Napier with Joan and Denis, very relaxing and what we both needed, as well as my back problems, Paul's health has taken a downward turn. Arrived home and as we retired for the night I was sure I could hear water running....! we found it..... the front room of the cottage was flooded! There is a small hand basin in the room which we have never used in our 11 years here, somehow one tap had come apart and not only was the hand basin full, the water was now coming out like a fountain and I truly I was wading in water. SOS to the family and it took us 2 hours to get everything out

 We were not using the room as a bed room, the dolls house was there (no damage thankfully) my second computor (Jan checked it the next day it still works) however fabric stored in cane hampers, papers etc stored in cardboard storage boxes did not fear as well. It took days to sort out and salvage what I could and dry out photos, fabric etc.

 The biggest loss was all my research notes specially the Wessex notes, 25 years  research and designs and all I managed to salvage was 5 pages. Although  I tell myself I am no longer teaching and so dont have such a great need for them, I still felt the loss.  My Turkish research was fine and I promise I will share that sometime soon. and the other Workshop designs and notes , and all my genealopg research is out here in a bookcase so safe.

Insurance inspection has declare the floor has to come up and be replaced along with skirting boards etc. so we will be living with the dolls house in the centre of the living room for quite a while yet. With Christmas only a few days now I imagine it will be into January before we see anything done.

 I have yet to face sorting out everything that is spread out in our other room and certainly nothing will get stored in cardboard boxes in future they are like blotting paper when it comes to them sitting in water and not all plastic bags and plastic boxes are water tight too,
On the bright side... I have been saying it was time for a good sort out of everything, well now I have no excuses it must be done !!!

 Back soon on a brighter note.