The Round Trip

 We were all set to go down on the 21^st of Jan to see Fred, but Leigh rang and said that he had been readmitted to hospital, and we weren’t able to visit him. We could tell by the crack in Leigh’s voice that things were serious and decided to go down the following week regardless, and check on how Leigh was doing too.

Fortunately Fred was now out of hospital. We arrived in Napier after lunch, only to receive a text from Leigh to say that they were at the medical centre, awaiting the results of an Xray – which had us guessing.

Fine we said, we’ll go to Trinity Hill and taste some wines.

Fred had fallen down the stairs, and twisted his ankle and hit his head – fortunately no broken bones. We enjoyed a glass of wine (Fred’s rationed by Leigh) and some nibbles together.

Nick, Cindy and their children Frankie, Oscar and Arlo have moved back from Western Australia and are living with them at present, Nick has a job at nearby Sacred Heart College.

Fred hopes to try a new medication this week which he hopes will give him a better quality of life. Let’s hope so.  We stayed in the Te Pania Hotel in Napier which was very pleasant.

Next day we travelled over the Napier Taupo Road and went to have lunch with John and Linda Tarbutt - more optometry friends. They have just bought a new home in the countryside - but in a new subdivision - close to Cambridge. It was very interesting catching up with them and looking at their retirement setting. We dropped Duncan's exercycle off for a service in Hamilton and headed out to Wren and Margaret's to stay the night.

Just picked up where we left off, even though it is so long since we were at Hahei. Wren is looking very fit for 80, and over COVID has taken to making up flat-packs of drawers and cupboards etc which he gets from Mitre 10 (the clients choose what they want and Wren makes them up).

I have long wanted to go to Zealong, the tea place which is just around the corner from Wren and Margaret's

The setting is beautiful and it was a gorgeous day

The top shelf

Just a wad of salmon left on my tower!

Here we are with our High Tea nibbles - just a stand each!!

The park-like surroundings are most enjoyable

Looking up towards the factory

There is a walk up to the Tea house with lots of brass statues to adorn the edge.

After a short nap it was off to pick up the bike, and then to my Medical Appointment with Grant Christie in Grey Street - just up the road from Duck Island Icecream Parlour that we used to take Theo to.

After that we headed over the Kaimais to Tauranga. The queues of traffic were appalling. We stayed  in a cheap motel and had some nice Turkish food, with a glass of appalling wine - we were glad to get back to our unit an open up a bottle there.

Next morning we visited John and Bev Watt - who coincidentally lived in the next block to the motel! They have a lovely view over the harbour, but are feed up with the traffic and the lack of town planning. A shift is on the cards - maybe to Christchurch.

So we got home quite late on the Saturday, but it had been a most entertaining trip away.

Christmas Cheer

 I think this post is really just for me to record some End of Year functions on. As I look back on photos of my friends, and note how young the ones who have died look I think I should record a lot more of these functions. The first lot is our trip to the Art and Garden Weekend in late November with the walking girls.

Anna and Robyn chose walking sticks for this country garden walk.

Me and Sandie at Wainui Beach garden

A cascade of paua shells

Lovely grouping of colours

Me, Robyn, Sandie and Anna

Lunch at Wainui Beach. Paul and Dawn joined us.

Next was Fifties Forward Lunch. I had only just got my negative COVID test before I went to this!

Jenny Christophers and Barbara Sadlier are joining the committee.

When Aileen started Fifties Forward she had to do it all from a seated position. Now she is much more mobile, and looks great. This was at the Tatapouri Fishing Club - hence the decoration on the wall.

Duncan's golfing mates weren't so keen on their photos been taken - at the Vines. Colin and Diane Christie and Cliff Poole. Vance and Karen Richardson were on my side of the table, with Jean Poole (who broke her wrist on Christmas day.)

Book Club went to The Globe for a Tapas set menu. You may have heard me regale the story of the small german lady owner telling us off for being 2 people short of the required 10 (2 were unvaxxed) and we all had to pay extra. The food was lovely, though.

Kay, Niki, Heather and Tui

Jill, Teresa and Lyn

The spread!

The golfing girls enjoyed dinner at Portofino. Pip is selling up and moving to Westport!

Jude and Pip

and Teresa

Sandy, Lesley and Sue

Sandy retired from nursing that week, as well as turning 70

Well, me and Judy always have a laugh.

The last Christmas function  to tell you about is the final morning tea at Fifties Forward. Edith is a great one for dressing up, and this, of course endears her to me. She also belongs to the coffin club and now that she has built her own coffin she makes all sorts of other structures - like this Santa House. We all thought that it wouldn't be Edith coming out - as the door was quite small. But indeed it was - and it was a hilarious squeeze a) to get Edith through the door, and b) to get her upright again!!

Hurrah! she's out, and handing out lollies all all us aerobic types. Edith is 86.

the Festive Season 2021 style.

 It was time to get over the fact that we couldn't go to Newcastle for Christmas, and settle for a week in Ohiwa.

Unfortunately we had been half living in the caravan while the kitchen was refurbished, so a lot of things got tossed in at the last minute - including some clothes that struggled to take into account my large seroma. It didn't take us long to set up on T12, and we really enjoyed this site, which has one side which is a bit of a slope - so no neighbours on this side.

Next day Lyn and Heather arrived, and they had a nice spacious unit V19 up the valley. Right, lets get stuck into that champagne.

Apart from Christmas Day we went for a swim each day - one day in the pool before the hoards of visitors with children arrived. The water in the ocean was very pleasantly warm, sometimes with a bit of an undertow.

Drowned rat, back from the sea.

Wednesday, Duncan and I went to do the last shop before Christmas in Opotiki, and then we returned later in the day for a very satisfactory meal at Crossroads - Heather and Duncan had a feast of the local mussels.

We were able to have another rest day on Thursday as Heather and Lyn were cooking our tea.

The afternoon nap - obligatory!

I did a bit of Christmas day cooking prep on Friday, and we had to don or wrist bands to say we were allowed in camp.

Christmas day, and its  a beautiful day!

Heather and Lyn arrive about 10, but the Haszards had their night disturbed by a fire alarm at 1.30, so it is nearly 11.30 by the time they join us. We have mainly gone for fun presents this year - possibly the most unusual being half a bottle of whisky which Heather scored for a very reasonable price after the Ministry of Education Whiskey tasting  sold off half drunk bottles.

Since the Italian Flag is red, white and green, I thought it would combine nicely with Christmas day Long Italian Lunch.

Millie wasn't sure about the rabbit tail headband I gave her.

Heather and Millie

Jill chilling

The hat brigade - Lyn and Alex

Panna Cotta and raspberries with Asti for dessert.

We began lunch with a choice of two salads and garlic bread, followed by Pasta primavera (spring vegetables) and steak perfectly cooked on the BBQ by Duncan.

The Unusual Christmas Quiz was between courses, and the Surrealist Christmas Word game had a couple of really good entries, but the Round up the Reindeer game created a bit of negativity. No one wanted to play.

Alas, the carefully garnered reindeer antlers remained unused.

The reindeer were very sad - but they put on a brave face.

So a winning team was never decided , but as a bonus, I kept all the mask clips which sit on the bridge of your nose and keep your glasses from fogging up. (3D plastic printed, I think Alex).

Next day, it was all action as we packed up and headed home from Ohiwa. 

So that's the festive season for 2021.