So Much FUN!

I had so much fun on the snowy holiday. We ended up staying at Tokannu lodge, which had hot water pools. It was so great to soak in those every night. During the day, we went up to the ski fields. On the first day, I went sledding. We were sledding on inflatable swimming pool toys. One time I went down backwards and another time I just did it on my butt. It was exhilarating. Then next day was super clear! You could see all the way to the West coast and the mountain, Taranaki. It was also covered with snow. We went up to the very top on a chair lift. The snow was sparkling and we tried to avoid all the hard core snowboarder and skiers. I got a up close view of Mount Doom, aka Mt. Ngauruhaoe.

Jenny's Snowy Holiday

Jennny, Clint, the boys, Travis, and I are packing up for Jenny's snowy holiday. We are heading tomorrow to Whakapapa Ski fields. There will be a high of -2. But, the skiing and sledding is fun. Jenny and the boys are really excited! I hope that it all goes well and that everyone has a good time. A picture of Whakapapa- sounds like Fa-ka-pa-pa.

Big Day

Today I did something that I have been thinking since college. I got a tattoo! The design is a maori swallow. It is very delicate. And I like the symbolism of the swallow.

Swallow tattoos are associated with loyalty and fidelity - swallows choose a mate for life and will only nest with that bird and no other.

They carry a message of hope, when sailors saw a swallow they knew that land was near.

Freedom.

It's a symbol of good luck for adventurers and travelers who will always find their way home. The swallows return home to San Juan Capistrano every year. So the tattoos were used to say that you will always come home.

They are a sign of loyalty and pride.

The swallow tattoo is a sign of enduring life, love and hope. It represents enduring courage and happiness.

Do not let anyone tell you that it does not hurt, because- it hurts.

I have been trying to think what it feels like. So, here is what I came up with.....

It is like being scratched with a sharp object very slowly and deliberately over and over again.

It reminded me of the torture method that is death by a thousand cuts.

I also had the oddest thoughts as I breathed through the pain....

"Christmas is a magical time at home" was among them.

I also was thinking of lyrics, tensing my arms, sweating, and I shuttered once. I am just happy that I got through it and I am happy with the end result....

too bad this was not on my 30 before 30 list.... oh well....

Still it was a great adventure.

Jenny's 30th birthday!

Today is Jenny's 30th birthday. It has been a great day and I am so happy that I was here for it. We woke up and went to a horse trek. I rode on a old, brown horse named Bessie. She was bred as a stock horse, but was enjoying retirement taking people through a valley. Jenny and I did that last year, but the place was along the beach. This year, the farm had moved-Today the owner told us that she lost the lease on the property- and so we rode through lush, green, palmy, New Zealand bush. It was really cool. Jenny had a horse named Molly. Molly and Bessie were not friends. Molly did not want Bessie to be in front of her. At one point in the trip, we were walking by a waterfall and there was a tractor up ahead. The tractor was on the path and the leader thought it might frighten the horses, so we had to turn around, but then Molly was behind Bessie. Since, this would not do, Molly took off at a gallop to pace Bessie, but unfortunately Bessie felt pretty competitive, so she also took off at a gallop. Little did she know, I was holding on to the saddle trying to figure out how to put on the breaks. I crashed into a tree limb, lost my glasses, but finally grabbed the reigns to stop poor lil Bessie. We decided to be the bigger couple and let Jenny and Molly pass us. Besides that, it was a really easy going ride. The water fall and Kaituna river were not spectacular- like the beach ride- but it was cool to be in the bush.

Then, Jenny and I grabbed a bite. I had sweet potato french fries and Jenny had a gourmet Maketu fish pie.

When we headed home, Jenny put the baby to sleep and Clint, Jenny, and the kids went to the beach. I stayed home with baby Max. I just read and lounged on the couch.

While we were out, Clint had whipped up some Mac and cheese, Roast, Red Gravy, and peas. So, we had a filling dinner with a chocolate ice cream roll cake to finish it off.

Jenny and Clint have gone on a date and I am home with the kids.

Wedding Day

This was the day that I was suppose to be getting married.....

I have had mixed emotions today. In the morning, I did not want to get out of bed. I was feeling really sad and just depressed over everything. The break up was one of the hardest things of my life and in a way it still haunts me. I still have dreams and there are certain things that remind me of him. I think that there will always be some pain associated with his memory.

I might not want to speak to him every again in my life, but I am not angry anymore. That took sometime. I also do not want other people to bad mouth him. Because, I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone in all my life. It was real, deep, and completely consuming for me. I thought my search for "Mr. Right" was over. I was in love and therefore, blind. I will never say that he is a bad person. He just changed from the person I knew and I think that was because he met another girl. He started thinking about how easy it would be with her, in France. Life is America was scary and he was not a strong man. But, I do think he was a good person. He just chose for us not to be together, which is the painful part for me.

But, do I regret not getting married today............ no........ I can't. A divorce would have been worse. And, if it was not perfect now, when would it have been? I have to think of it as a blessing in disguise. I did not want it, but it happened for a reason.

The cheesy God blessed the broken road song by Rascal Flatts keeps playing in my head. Maybe it is true..........

Coast to Coast Pictures

West Coast of New Zealand- near Raglan

The pohutukawa or "New Zealand Christmas Tree"

Statue Compass on the coast

Black beach of Raglan

Paua Shell

Raglan Harbor

More of the Christmas tree

Devil's red hot poker- local name

Jenny, Max, and me on the top of the waterfall

Bridal Veils Fall- 55 meters

View from the top

Jenny and Max

Raglan Harbor

More birds

I went on a walk today and I saw these birds. I took the pictures off the internet because I did not get pictures of them. But, I think they are really cool birds. The black ones are called Black Oyster Catchers. They remind me of seagulls. They create a stark comparison when seen on the beach of all blues and tans, in their black furry feathers with that long thin nose. The yellow one is called a Yellowhammer. They are really brilliant as they fly through the air and today there was a whole flock flitting around me as I walked in the hills near Jenny's house.

Indecision

I have been struck with a terrible case of indecision. I have 16 days left in New Zealand and I want to do a few things, but I do not know what I can do and what I can afford. I have about $140 left to play with. I want to see a Kiwi bird. I have to go to a reserve for that. So, I think that is number one on the list. That is also a day trip for me. So, I think I will do that. I also want to go to the Kauri forest in Northland- that is north of Auckland, which is at least 5-6 hours away. I want to go skiing, but I think we have that all sorted for Jenny's birthday. I think we are going to the Whakapapa ski fields, which are about 3 hours away. We rented a cabin there, but Jenny said if it is bad weather, we are going to cancel the reservation. The kids would not enjoy wind and rain on the snow. I am trying to decide what else I want to do. I just do not think the South island will be possible. But, I think I need to read up on what is around. I do not have a guide book, but I think that is my mission for this weekend. Decide what I want to do and plan it out!

Here is a picture that I found on the internet of the Kauri forest. It looks so very cool! I would love to see it.

Coffee

This morning we went coffee with Jenny's friend Rachel. She was so funny. She is a preacher's wife and she told Jenny that she was pregnant with her FOURTH child!!! Oh my.... after living with children full time, I just don't know how people do it. I can understand one and maybe two, but three is craziness and four must be insanity..... I have absolutely no clue how EIGHT did not literally kill my mother. She is a saint.

The coffee was a joy and I had a little jaffa cake with it. It is an orange and chocolate concoction. Delicious!!!

Looking at only 21 days left and I am trying to fit in the last things I still want to do. I hope to go on another horse trek with Jenny.

Coast to Coast- New Zealand style- pics to come later

So with a lot of persistence and not much planning, Jenny, Max, and I set out on our coast to coast trip this morning. Jenny was supposed to wake me for the sunrise this morning, but it was cloudy, so she let me sleep in. No worries though, I am going to wake up tomorrow morning and hope that it is not raining here- although it is forecasted to do just that- in the morning and afternoon. Jenny and family had a portrait at 10 am and we hit the road by 11:15 am. I drove for the first 2 hours and Jenny drove the last two. The trip was pleasant. It was cool to see so much of the land and how it changed. The first part was relatively flat, but when we turned off toward Welcome Bay and then Hamilton, it became very mountainous. I was going about 30 on these switch-backs up and then down the mountains. It was a pretty view, but cloudy in the distance. Then, we hit the rain storm that we had been seeing. It was intense for about 15 minutes, but never became blinding-the way it does in Alabama. But, I know it has the potential for that. We got through it and through Hamilton and then there was only 40 minutes out to the coast. By that time, Max woke up, so we took a little stop on the road and I got out and explored, while Jenny took care of him. The hills in the west of New Zealand are sharp. They rise and fall quickly. They are green with just a tiny bit of rock exposed. About 7kms out from Raglan (the coast), we saw a sign for Bridal Veil Falls. We scheduled our check in time very late at our motel, so I asked Jenny if we could stop. The falls were only 14kms away. So, we went on a little side trip. The scenery changed so drastically. The hills were less extreme and where the road cut through the hills the clay was as red as any dirt I have every seen in Alabama. It was a startling, but beautiful landscape. There were also pukekos all over the fields, and you know I loved that. When we got there, Jenny bundled up Max and we walked the 10 minutes down to the falls. There was a small river, but it did not look like much and the foliage was palmy, moist, and either black, brown or green in varying colors. There was a sign that said top of the falls to the left- a one-minute walk-and middle or bottom of the falls to the right- a five to ten minute walk. So, we went to the top. The wind was blowing hard. When we got to the top of the falls, I was shocked to see the source of the waterfall was right there. I could have reached out and touched it. It was an amazing 55-meter drop to the bottom of the fall and the water was just gushing. It was powerful and the wind was creating mist off the falls. Then, we decided to walk down to the mid-way point, but it was 135 steps down. We went to the midway point. The cliff face must have been limestone and it looked like it had been carved with sharp claw marks that must have been made by the water over time. The bottom pool was still feet below us, but it started to rain and Jenny had the baby. So we quickly started to head back. Unfortunately, the rain was faster. By the time I made the 15-20 minute walk back to the car my thighs, butt, feet and even my rain jacket was dripping wet. Jenny and the baby were not much better. We piled back into the car in all of our damp glory and headed on to Raglan. We cruised through the town and then found the motel. It was a nice place. It is right on the canal. There are several palm trees, since it is the Palm Beach Motel. The room is nice. It is a living room with an extra bed and a couch, a private room with a queen bed and a baby cot, a kitchenette and bathroom. If this was a real apartment, I think I could live here. Then, we went back to town and had the biggest most bacon and cheese filled burger I have ever had in my life! It was delicious after not having meat for so long. I also had a coke and fries. The whole meal must have been 700 calories! I was ridiculously stuffed after. We came back here and Jenny stretched me for a door decoration for my classroom that she is designing for me. That was a whole funny experience. We were cracking jokes and laughing about this and that. Now, I am sitting here listening to the rain and watching Erin Brokovich. I think we are planning a nice breakfast, some shopping, and if the weather is nice a walk in a sculpture garden outside of Hamilton.

Tsunami

No worries mate! It just brought in a nice big tide. They recommended that people stay off the water, but there was no swell. So, I am fine. I went on a lovely walk today in a estuary. The tide was high and I found pumis stone on the beach. It is cool that pumis stone does not sink when it is put in the water. I threw a piece in and got a piece big enough to be a new shower stone for me. Jenny has me working out every morning at 5am. She is New Zealand's next fitness queen.

How many things I have done for 30/30 list

I have been working on my 30/30 list.

I have started reading Wuthering Heights for my 11 Classics.

I have learned how to drive a boat and how to gut a fish. That is 2 things learned out of 15.

I made one chocolate cake and sent it to Johnny's school for 4th of July- that is one dessert given away. 1 down 18 to go.

So far, I have enjoyed 3 beach sunsets out of 21.

I have sent 29 postcards!! Yeah!! And I still need to send a few more.

So that is a good start. Here are some of my sunsets and Maketu beach.

One of my Top 10 Things to do in New Zealand

Go to the Polynesian Spa in Rotorua, soak for an hour in the hot pools, get a honey and walnut body polish, followed by a mud wrap, mud wrap facial, and scalp and neck massage. That is the definition of heaven on earth.

Skycity Luge in Rotorua

The Saturday that we rented the lake house, we went to a concrete luge in Rotorua. It is a large down hill trek with these tiny carts. Actually, you started on the bottom of this large hill and went up to the top in a gondola. Then, you got a helmet and went for instructions. They taught you how control the cart: pull back to go, push forward to stop, if you let go completely it locks. So, I took the scenic route because I had Johnny with me and I did not want to have him or me be scared. It was fun, but I was pretty tense when I was going down. I went really slowly. But, it was nice because you drove though a red wood forest and you got to see the whole lake, which surrounds the city. When you got to the bottom of the route, there was a chair lift back to the top. I think the scariest part was a chair lift because I was afraid Johnny would do something weird and fall out, so I was holding on to him for dear life. Jenny, Clint and the kids went a few more times and I was able to sit inside and hold baby Max talking to Julie and Travis- Clint’s brother and sister in law, who are in town for a while. It was great to get a complete 360 degree view of the lake and city. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful experience.

Wild Life on the lake

Tui

Swans

Geese/Baby Geese

Pukeko

Fantail

Lake House Last Weekend

It has taken me the better part of this week just to stop and write this. I have felt a certain amount of anxiety about writing. I think I just want to put some time and energy in to getting it all down correctly and I was feeling tired before I even started it. So, I have broken down my weekend holiday into little pieces and I will just write one at a time.

First thing is that we rented a house by the water. It was newly refurbished, which was nice. But, the kids were there for all of 20 minutes and the house was a mess. That is just kids though. Unfortunately, about 45 minutes after we got there there was a huge rain storm for most of the afternoon. But, before it started raining, we went on a walk around the property. It was right on Lake Roititi and there was a dock and a nice bench out by the water. There was also a fire pot, but we did not use that. There was a lemon tree. I really want one now. The lake was teeming with wildlife. There were baby geese, geese, swans, and other birds. I saw my first Tui, which is a bird with two large white vocal sacks hanging from its throat. When it sings, the sacks move. It is quite unique. I also saw a Fantail, which use to follow me in the kiwi orchard last year. They would eat the bugs I disrupted. Lastly, I saw my favorite New Zealand bird- the Pukeko. One of the strangest birds I have ever seen. It is called the chicken of New Zealand. It is dark blue on top and bright blue on its breast. It has gangly bright red legs and a bright red beak. Two came out to the water the first night to eat. I was so excited to see them.

It was a beautiful house on a beautiful lake. But, beware of renting. The lady was a total flake. At first she acted like she owned the house, but we came to find out that she was just the property manager. She pointed out there was a washer in the unfinished workshop down stairs, but then was aghast that we used it. Then, she did not let us know that we could not use the linen there, so we used it and washed it and hung it to dry. But, she said that she would charge us a fee. The water stopped working for 4 hours and there was a mouse, but they never even took that into account. They gave back most of the deposit, but kept $20 per set of sheets. Ridiculous!! I guess just read all the fine print and talk to the person A LOT before you rent a house.

As we were leaving the house, the same crazy lady came over and took Jenny through a walk through. She criticized that the floor that was just mopped was not clean enough. She made Jenny clean out the crumbs in the bottom of the toaster and went crazy over the linens. We were so happy to leave.