pootling along

The Meeting here seems to be divided into two groups - those who are worried I've got too much to manage on my own and those who are worried that I'm bored and lonely!

Well I'm certainly not overworked as Resident Friend altho' today has been one of those days for the phone ringing and visitors - hardly a problem though, I still managed to crash out after some gardening and read my book for a while. As for lonely well I managed to eat out at various houses three nights in a row last weekend! Hardly....

I'm far from lacking for things to do either - I still haven't managed to find time to catch up with some of my local rellies or make half the phone calls I've been meaning to since I got here. The days are nicely complete without being rushed, overly full or stressful. It is how I always imagined retirement would be! Yay, I've fancied the idea of early retirement for years, in fact probably since I started work and it kept getting in the way of things I'd rather do instead =) However the realistic practical streak in me knows I'll need to earn some money again at some point and I have started keeping my eye open for some part time work. It'll take me a while to get something as the only clause I can get an addition to my visa is the 'they can't find a Kiwi to do the job' one. There's a handy 'Christian job watch' website here which covers not just actual church jobs (anyone fancy being a Ministry leader in Taupo?) but also those within Christian organisations - including care work, youth work, administration and fundraising etc. As I'm here on a missionary visa (!) it seemed sensible to start with the church groups as I've a better chance of persuading Immigration that I'm 'qualified' and have relevant experience not only of the practical tasks but the 'religious background/live church connection'. Must admit though it does feel a bit strange! Whilst I'm far more comfortable with the 'christian' lable these days I'm still not so sure about 'Christian' yet... (a bit like conservative and Conservative!)

Anyway some more random kiwiana for you

jug = kettle (I'll put the jug on...)
(out in the) wop wops = back of beyond, out in the sticks/woods etc
oh and Hokey Pokey ice cream! Basically ice cream with little balls of barleysugar in it, a local phenonomen and one which no doubt keeps the dentists busy. It is nice, honest, (there is a dairy free version!) but incredibly sweet.
Matariki = the Maori New Year which is in June (Pipiri) and is tied to the rising of the constellation Matariki (Pleiades, Seven Sisters...) - ie it is in the middle of winter, when celebrating New Year makes sense (coming out of the darkness, rebirth, Persephone and the underworld etc., all to the tune of the can-can of course... hmmm, not sure about that one but it sure sounds good played on steel drums! Do you remember that Kate?) Anyway, as I was saying it makes far more sense and I'm all for the move here to make it into a national holiday instead of the Queen's birthday (well she's got two).

The strawberries in the garden have started to ripen (but it's November...) and the beans are shooting up, so are the weeds... I've been helping Marion & Quentin with their garden and went round yesterday to do some more strimming of the jungle to find there had been a chainsaw massacre out the back - half the decking has gone and a load of the bushes! Their french windows now open out onto a 7' drop... however believe it or not (and if you saw it you'd wonder) all it means is that the long awaited renovations have finally begun so it was a case of setting too on the front garden to make room for rescuing the currant bushes out the back that are in danger of being crushed to death by a mountain of lavender bush now unceremoniously dumped across the path to the compost heap (and pretty much everywhere else thanks to the infamous wind). A mulching machine is to be my new toy next week - hopefully one that works unlike the one Shirley and I battled away with last year which needed more pit stops than Herbie on a bad day (and definitely had a mind of it's own).

Well I guess it isn't everyone's cup of tea (mmm, time to put the jug on...) as a way of life but I'm getting quite attached to it!