Some days I try to remind myself why did I relocate from the largest city in NZ to such a provincial town. A home looking out to the sea, a well paid job, good friends and colleagues. Then I remember; traffic like New York, not that I have been to NY but seen enough on tele, people everywhere, expensive cost of living and a mentality that shopping is the most important activity in the world.
Now I have space, a view of the Tararua's, snow capped in winter and changing shades of green all summer with the sun creating a vision of orange fluffy clouds in the later part of the day. My neighbours are separated by paddocks of long grass and the horses munch away in the bottom paddock oblivious to anyone or anything, the odd kick and race around. My vege garden is the size of my previous section and I am self sufficient in citrus, vege and some fruits including berries. I have planted hundreds of natives which are growing at such a rate that many are now taller than me in just two years. I have a house built with eco principles in mind that I love to live in. Forget heat pumps, I have gone back to wood burners and one doubles as an oven, the roasts out of that oven are amazing.
I have made friends and have a job I love. Shopping is now a treat when I go to a city, everything I need can be purchased locally. I enjoy participating in local events and am very interested in local politics. The amalgamation of three local councils into either a territorial authority or a Wellington Supercity is like witnessing a soap opera, everyone has their version of what is best.
For me I will go with the territorial authority if we get to have a choice. One cannot say Auckland's example can be held up as successful, particularly not if you are a resident of Pukekohe or Rodney, very disenfranchised.
Today I visited a Carterton garden called Richmond. Absolutely amazing example of a large garden designed with buxus topiary, hornbeams and beech, some pleached and others used in hedging or a stand alone examples. A large reflecting pool with a fountain as a feature, garden rooms that went from one space to another, each themed. A credit to the owners who bought it as a rundown wooden dwelling, extended and renovated and then set about creating the garden.
In the afternoon I dug a trench all around the outside of my vege garden fence which is black, so as to plant 200 daffodil bulbs tomorrow. Hopefully come spring I will have a nice display of Earlycheer, King Alfreds and Carltons.
Tomorrow I have planned to have some time out with my hubbie, our son and a friend having lunch in Martinborough at Medici. It will be our first visit but we hear it is very nice, a steak lunch with a nice glass of pinot, a chance to catch up with our son before he flies back to the big smoke.
Last week I finally got around to having my cycle tyres fixed and the handlebars brought forward to reduce the distance I have to lean. My intention once I recover from the flu - I had a flu injection and immediately became sick - is to resume cycling for both pleasure and fitness. Annoyingly I was recently diagnosed with polymyalgia and to control the symptoms I have to take prednisone which for those who know, makes the recipient very prone to weight gain. I have gained 1.5 kilos in less than two months. I have also joined a local country club and have been enjoying the indoor pool, the spa and the fitness centre at the end of most days work.
Now "What Have I Been Thinking?" - well I have been thinking that maybe I should buy some Mighty River power shares and take a gamble for once in my life, that green tea is good for you and I should get over not liking it, that lemon, honey and hot water drinks really do make you feel better; that I am so sad I have finished watching the BBC version of Lark Rise to Candleford - all four series; that I must close my beehive up for the winter before it is too late; that it is nice to have a new neighbour - finally the house down the road is finished and the lovely owners have moved in; that I secretly enjoyed the Fifty Shades of Grey books - all three, and had my eyes wide open reading some of it; that I want to make a difference.
“We cannot do everything, but we can all do something.”
― Dillon Burroughs
Now I have space, a view of the Tararua's, snow capped in winter and changing shades of green all summer with the sun creating a vision of orange fluffy clouds in the later part of the day. My neighbours are separated by paddocks of long grass and the horses munch away in the bottom paddock oblivious to anyone or anything, the odd kick and race around. My vege garden is the size of my previous section and I am self sufficient in citrus, vege and some fruits including berries. I have planted hundreds of natives which are growing at such a rate that many are now taller than me in just two years. I have a house built with eco principles in mind that I love to live in. Forget heat pumps, I have gone back to wood burners and one doubles as an oven, the roasts out of that oven are amazing.
I have made friends and have a job I love. Shopping is now a treat when I go to a city, everything I need can be purchased locally. I enjoy participating in local events and am very interested in local politics. The amalgamation of three local councils into either a territorial authority or a Wellington Supercity is like witnessing a soap opera, everyone has their version of what is best.
For me I will go with the territorial authority if we get to have a choice. One cannot say Auckland's example can be held up as successful, particularly not if you are a resident of Pukekohe or Rodney, very disenfranchised.
Today I visited a Carterton garden called Richmond. Absolutely amazing example of a large garden designed with buxus topiary, hornbeams and beech, some pleached and others used in hedging or a stand alone examples. A large reflecting pool with a fountain as a feature, garden rooms that went from one space to another, each themed. A credit to the owners who bought it as a rundown wooden dwelling, extended and renovated and then set about creating the garden.
In the afternoon I dug a trench all around the outside of my vege garden fence which is black, so as to plant 200 daffodil bulbs tomorrow. Hopefully come spring I will have a nice display of Earlycheer, King Alfreds and Carltons.
Tomorrow I have planned to have some time out with my hubbie, our son and a friend having lunch in Martinborough at Medici. It will be our first visit but we hear it is very nice, a steak lunch with a nice glass of pinot, a chance to catch up with our son before he flies back to the big smoke.
Last week I finally got around to having my cycle tyres fixed and the handlebars brought forward to reduce the distance I have to lean. My intention once I recover from the flu - I had a flu injection and immediately became sick - is to resume cycling for both pleasure and fitness. Annoyingly I was recently diagnosed with polymyalgia and to control the symptoms I have to take prednisone which for those who know, makes the recipient very prone to weight gain. I have gained 1.5 kilos in less than two months. I have also joined a local country club and have been enjoying the indoor pool, the spa and the fitness centre at the end of most days work.
Now "What Have I Been Thinking?" - well I have been thinking that maybe I should buy some Mighty River power shares and take a gamble for once in my life, that green tea is good for you and I should get over not liking it, that lemon, honey and hot water drinks really do make you feel better; that I am so sad I have finished watching the BBC version of Lark Rise to Candleford - all four series; that I must close my beehive up for the winter before it is too late; that it is nice to have a new neighbour - finally the house down the road is finished and the lovely owners have moved in; that I secretly enjoyed the Fifty Shades of Grey books - all three, and had my eyes wide open reading some of it; that I want to make a difference.
“We cannot do everything, but we can all do something.”
― Dillon Burroughs
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