Spring looked promising, summer looked like it was going to be a doozy however it's been very much an on again off again affair to say the least. I suppose in it's favour we haven't had to light the fire or anything drastic like that but it's been a far haul away from the long wonderful summers of childhood/teenage memory.
Having said that I have never been busier than since giving up work. First was our African trip, then the birth of my third granddaughter, Christmas and daughter and grandie over until January. On the day they headed back my sister arrived from USA for 3 weeks. She hadn't been here for 30 odd years and it was just absolutely fantastic having her here again.
We did all the crazy 'this brings back memories' things including finding all the old lollies, iceblocks, chocolates etc that were around in the bad old days that they don't have in USA. We picked berries which we ate with Tip Top icecream after scoffing the yummiest crispy fish and chips at the seaside. We had a bbq with our closest friends and I even got to take her for a ride on the back of the Harley around Lake Rotorua.
A week after her return to prison - whoops USA - Kent and I headed off with friends (12 of us) on a 4 day cruise from Auckland to Napier for Art Deco weekend. We cruised on the the Pacific Pearl which was on it's last month with the P&O line. We got lots of exercise just walking around the ship trying to find each other also with all the laughing, swimming eating and drinking... just a little bit of drinking... well we attended wine tasting and cocktail making and martini instruction classes to increase our knowlege and of course it would have been rude to refuse to drink the drinks, wouldn't it? Apparently we were all so loud and funny at the first Martini class that the second one got sold out! The weather wasn't the best, rainy but no wind so calm seas, got enough sun to have a swim. Napier was rainy too and not good for the Art Deco festival but we took the opportunity to catch up with Kent's parents and then headed back to the boat for more mayhem.
Daughter and grandie arrived back again at the end of February for Nanna Mary's 90th birthday which had all her fathers side of the family gathering together. Also celebrated on that same day is my eldest son's birthday, he is 38, he doesn't like the thought, I am amazed. Am I old enough to have a 38 year old son? I think not! haha
