Surf's Up.

Jordy, see this white stuff....it's called SURF, and it's real fun. You run into the freezing cold of the Pacific Ocean, and you squeal really loudly, and then you run back onto the sand and then you do it all again...and again...and again! Your wee cousins have done this when they were here in Dunedin for your Mummy & Daddy's wedding. I can't wait for you to try this out too. The louder you squeal, the more fun it is.
Your Uncle Nick does big boy stuff with this white stuff...that's called SURFING. He'll be sure to show you how to do this when you're a big boy.

This is one end of our beach .....

And this is the other end. It is very very beautiful and I love walking along from one end to the other in all weathers. This morning was a "corker" ( that's a word we use here for something good ) It's Labour Weekend ( that's a day to celebrate work & all the workers get a holiday - well except those that work in shops, for some reason they have to be at work cos people love shopping and they like to go shopping on a holiday weekend ) See how there's no people in the picture? Well, they're all shopping! Not me! I'm at the beach!

When you reach one end there's a lot of wee water pools and sometimes you can see wee crabs. They're not big enough to catch for Grandpa Ukelele's favourite Chilli Crab dish though so I just sit for awhile watching them. You're just going to LOVE this place Jordy, and guess what! Every day at the beach ends with a Fish & Chip Picnic....ahhh, now Fish & Chips...that's another story....

My Backyard Part 2

This wee Rhodie really is in my backyard! David bought me this one when I first moved into Dalmeny ( and Nick bought me a white one, but it's finished flowering now ) The little bush is taking awhile to grow but it's very pretty and by the time Jordy's tree climbing age, it'll be just the right size for him!

My Backyard!

Last night the hailstorms were beating against the window and it seemed it might be another indoors day today but the morning was turning into a beautiful spring day so thought it a good chance to have a wee wonder through the top part of the Gardens where, if the hailstorm hadn't ruined them, the Rhodadendrams and Azaelas would be at their best. I am very lucky as it's a only a short 10 minutes away from my house and the walk up to the top is always beautiful

Sure enough, when I reached the top, the colours were breathtaking, the whole scene looking a little like a monet painting.
Once again, there was no one else about....( what do other people do on Sunday mornings! )

I've been wondering these gardens now for half a century.... Mum used to take us sometimes to feed the ducks and one of my earliest memories was Dad taking Judy & I on the bus to the Gardens one day to show us that our wee budgie was very happy in his new home with all his friends at the bird sanctury! We had left the cage door open for too long and were very upset that he was lost.
As a teenager I enjoyed biking here from South Dunedin and then when the boys were wee this was one of my favourite places to take them. And it's really nice to be in a place where youv'e been able to watch the trees grow slowly. I remember when the Azaeala Garden was first planted out and now it's world renoun.

And now when I walk the top way home I pass Nick's Castle On The Hill, looking very grand indeed standing in the sunshine. Maybe one day soon, after my Sunday walk, I'll pop in and he'll have lunch on the table for his old Ma!

The Little Photo that got Left Behind!

Don't ask me why - but it had to be somewhere so now it's got it's very own blog spot!

It's Official I'm Addicted To Blogging!

For the past few nights I've been trying unsuccessfully to post a few pix from my trip to Auckland but it's taken me as many hours as it took to fly there! Emailed Blog Expert Grandpa Ukelele and even his clear instructions didn't help - my images just kept turning into gobbledeedook but he did advise me not to pull my hair out, and since I spend quite a bit of money trying to keep it groomed I decided I should take his advise. To Keep trying....so I am posting this through Picasa and still not sure if it will work! Aleady the photos are proving a challenge!

Anyway - on with my story.
I now know I am truly addicted to my D.I.L's wonderful blogging cos 4 days away from tuning in was very hard. All the way home I was anticipating turning on the lap top and as soon as I arrived home I was hoping to catch up on wee Jordy's days. Sure enough there he was beaming away as he watched his daddy dance, and then looking adorable at his wee outing to the beach. So WONDERFUL! And I can't believe how much he changes day to day. Honestly, I can't express how much pleasure Dora's writing gives me. ( No pressure darling - heehee - I really don't expect one every day. Promise. )

So Auckland...
Our conference was at Takapuna, and it was a little visit through memory lane. We lived there when Nick was just a wee baby, not much older than Jordy is now and I couldn't believe that the Ownership Block where we lived was still exactly the same. Nick & I used to spend all our days walking through Takapuna to the beach. And the beach is still lovely. The weather was unexpectadley cold but it was still nice to walk along the sand reliving those times when my life revolved around my delightful little baby.

Rangitoto In the Distance

It was a great Conference with lots of very good speakers, but in between learning how to be motivated, and not have a morning cuppa until I've swum 10 laps every morning, how to recognise bullying in the workplace, how to fire someone, how to recognise my personality type and how to be a humble manager I took a break during the "how to find true happiness" session and took a bus ride into greater Auckland to visit two of my favourite shops: Boarders and Groovy Records. True Happiness Indeed!!! Especially as Boarders was having a 40% sale. House of Cards & The Complete Series of Cracker should see me through any chilly spring nights and I was in very True Happiness Mode when the helpful man at Groovy Records found me Spanish Apartment! Groovy Records hadn't changed in 34 years either although it is now going into recevership. Let's hope someone can take it over cos it's an old NZ icon.

Then back to the Conference to find out how Changing Your Style of Clothes can Change Your Life! We also had two very fun nights dining & dancing. And I still managed to catch up with my good friend Robyn.

So, as Conferences go, it was a very successful time but it was so good getting home to tune into all wee Jordy's happenings.

Well, am about to push the Publish Post Button and if it doesn't work I promise not to pull my hair out! Dora has set a good example. If a busy mum can take the time, so can an old Granny!

The Little Red Case Part 2

This is Mama Maree's Little Red Case in U.S.A.

This is Uncle Nick's travelling gear in the U.S.A.

You can imagine the stories my little red case could tell!

The Little Red Case

Not even two years old, this little red case has travelled far!

San Francisco, then across the vast Desert Highway to Los Vegas, it's even been to Hollywood!
Vancouver, Vietnam, Singapore ( twice already - it can almost find it's own way there! ) and here in New Zealand, Central Otago and of course Invercargill.

Tonight it's getting ready to go to Auckland for a few days as I'm off for a 4 day conference. I haven't been to Auckland for years so I guess I'll see a few changes. Hopefully I'll get time to catch up with my good friend Robyn who I worked with for many years.

Work Trips are a great chance to catch up with friends and family. Judy was up in Dunedin yesterday for a work meeting and we caught up last night. At last I was able to share my wonderful photos of her wee great nephew....I even did a blog showing as Jude is a stranger to blogging. I have written down our sites to give to Finnie....maybe he'll show Mummy how easy it is! She just LOVED all the photos and just thinks Jordy is beautiful and thinks what a great Mum & Dad he has.



I'd better go and pack that wee case. I remember in past life I would have been packed at least two weeks before a trip. Now I'm such a seasoned traveller it's all done at the last minute! Must remember to pack the camera...

"Hooked On A Feeling"

This morning was too lovely to not be out enjoying the day so with my trusty best mate i.e my MP 3 player switched to one of my very favourite songs - "More Than A Feeling" ( and singing my own version - "Hooked on a Feeling" I set off to Signal Hill lookout.

The climb up my hill was just the beginning of the steep climb to my destination and by the time I was half way up my wee player started playing "Eight Miles High" which seemed very appropriate. I passed a wee Asian fellow attempting to cycle up and gave him the thumbs up as encouragement cos he looked as though he was finding the going quite tough.

When I'd nearly reached the top I was heartened to see a young couple pushing their little toddler in a pushchair coming back down the hill. I really wanted to take their photo to show D&D that this is something we can do with Jordy when he comes over - but promise I didn't - that wouldv'e been just too cheeky!

The walk was well worth it. Due to the haze the pix aren't very clear but the view was magic. It was very still and best of all I had this beautiful spot all to myself. So I sat for awhile just reflecting on this beautiful city and how lucky I am to be able to enjoy it.

On the way down the views were incredibly beautiful too and I passed my wee Asian friend who had left his bike somewhere and was going to make it to the top by foot. I was pleased he was going to get to the top after all.

I was still "hooked on a good feeling" for the rest of the day and managed to get the lawns done and the car washed no prob..... and relax with my cousies at Andy Bay, it's amazing how a wee walk on a beautiful day can blow away the cobwebs of the working week!

Re Introducing Finnigan Ross Buckley

There is one wee lad here at the bottom end of New Zealand who can't wait to meet his little cousin Jordy. Finnie has been the "baby" of our family now for nearly eight years and he really likes the idea that a real wee babe has joined the clan.

Finnie lives a long 3 hour drive away from me, so especially in the winter, when the roads here are quite challenging, I don't get to see him as often as I'd like but we have lots of chats on the phone and last night he was very keen to hear all about Jordy....

".......Auntie Maree how old will Jordy be when I'm 12?" ( this is the age that Finn plans to be when he visits Singapore ) - ( I could almost see him picturing this idea in his head and how his holiday might pan out! )

".......Auntie Maree how old will Jordy be when I'm 15?" -me - nearly the age you are now - ( ah, I could hear him thinking ...that sounds workable! )

".......Really! " he comes back with very excited, " then I can take him to the pictures....I hope he'll like action movies like me cos they're my favourites, and do you think he'll like playstations!"

".......Auntie Maree, what about when I'm 18 and I'll probably have a car and I can take him for drives" I think he loved the idea of this visit best of all!

Finnie, being David & Nick's 1st cousin is of course Jordy's 2nd cousin but we have told him Singapore's culture whereby older people are referred to as "Uncle." He thinks being called Uncle would be "really cool!"

I told Finnie that when Jordy is a little older it would be nice for me to get a special connection to my computer so I could read my wee Grandson a bedtime story but that I would have to stay up really late cos of the big time difference in Sing. Finnie came up with a solution straight away -

".......Auntie Maree, you don't have to stay up late 'cos Jordy will still have to have an afternoon nap for ages & ages and you can read the bedtime story then, you can just tell him it's night time cos he won't know!"

What a bright little button.

Finnigan & I are now counting down for Big Nick's arrival at Xmas. He still talks about the wonderful times he had when David & Dora visited last Xmas. He loved being out and about enjoying the great outdoors with his cousies. He especially loved playing the piano with Dora. He hasn't seen Nick for well over two years and he's betting that Nick won't be able to pick him up any more, now that he's nearly 8! I told him not to bet on it.

Finnigan thinks wee Jordy is "really cute" and he loves that they both have the same middle name. He thinks that's really special - as is my darling Finnigan. The best nephew in the whole wide world.

Thank Goodness for Technology

It has now been 13 days ( and 5.2 hrs ) since I have held wee Jordie, but thanks to technology I know that he is growing ... wearing the wee sun hat that didn't fit him a wee while ago.. .almost smiling...taking trips to places I know - with his adventurous mum....being grumpy and not settling sometimes...listening to his mum's piano playing ...and today I even know that David is looking forward to his family meeting him for a business lunch!

How wonderful!

I am especially proud of Dora. I almost remember how much energy & confidence it takes to be out & about. It's all about the little things and Dora & Jordy are experiencing the magic of "each day"

How wonderful!

The day to day journals through blogs and David's wee suprise text messages are so heart warming. As is the sharing of photos with my friends. They have been especially comaradie & very interested about Singapore ( especially my food photos!! - sometimes I have to bring them back to the exercise - i.e. looking at Jordy! ) Margaret & Celia are especially spontanious in their delight at wee Jordy's changes and eagerly await Dora's blog messages.

How wonderful!

I can keep in touch with Jordy's wider family through his Grandad's very informative blog sites.

I can see Jordy's inclusiveness in this loving family and feel very comforted.

How wonderful!

I even know that Nick has recently rented out his house ( the one up my street that future Jordy's will be accommadated - no pressure Nick!!!!) and that there is a hen in residence and the garden is being looked after.

How wonderful!

So even though my wee family is far away and their photos sit, as mementos of a time, stilled , I am not so alone.