Dipping My Toes In

In an effort to regain some balance in my life, I have resolved to start writing again. 

The problem is that I would write, rewrite, edit, rewrite, add photos, rewrite and then maybe publish. I just don't have that kind of time anymore. 

So I will start small with something big.

Gratitude. 

Today, I am grateful that my baby loves her crazy Aunty and her nana so very much. 

I am grateful that I got to see Mum on FaceTime, which instantly made me feel less sick. 

I am especially grateful to be living here, in a safe, peaceful country where I am freely allowed to practise my (peaceful) religion. 

I am grateful for you and all those I hold dear in my heart. 

Ten Years At Our Montessori Unit

Tomorrow, it will be eleven years since I arrived in New Zealand; Monday will mark my tenth year teaching at the Montessori Unit at our school. A decade! At the same school! I have seen families come and go; I have taught all the children in some families (so I have known some for almost that entire time), and right now there are students in my class that I remember as toddlers or preschoolers who insisted on wearing the same dress every day (and this child's mother despairing over it!)

Today, my ten year anniversary was celebrated with some of my friends from school and with our Montessori family.

I have to say it...

I am one lucky girl.



After listening to a song written and composed by a student (who sang SO sweetly); watching one of my students dance (I wish I was that graceful); receiving thoughtfully handmade gifts/poems from the children, as well as beautiful flowers and gifts from the Montessori Board of Trustees, then listening to very kind words about me (and taking note of the stories that were kindly left out), I blubbed my way through thanking everyone there.

My co-workers, families at school and the Montessori Trust have not only been my friends over the past years, but have been my support system and been part of my New Zealand family.

I am so thankful - my heart is very full... and I know, I am loved.

(I actually have cake, not chocolate, but the thought is much the same!)  via

A Lot Can Happen In 10 Years

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of me landing in New Zealand. I was only meant to come here for a couple of years to work and see this side of the world... needless to say, I'm still here.  Time flies when you're having fun!

A lot's happened in the past decade.  Some of the highlights (and lowlights) include (off the top of my head):

Personally:

I became a resident of New Zealand.

I met the man of my dreams (after meeting a few of the men of my nightmares!)

I went to Singapore for an amazing Golden Jubilee Darbar.

Phill and I got married (in NZ and in Canada), bought a house and had a beautiful baby.

 I missed some family weddings (boo!)






We got to go to do a bit of travelling and go to some family weddings and engagements overseas (Aussie and U.S.A.).





Navaz and Shazeen got married and gave us our beautiful Noah & Maya.

 Phill's brother, Grant got married to a lovely lady, Jenna and also gave us a beautiful niece.

I developed an (unhealthy?) addiction to wool and knitting.


I've made some amazing, lifelong friends here in NZ (so blessed! These photos are by no means all of the amazing friends I have here, but simply the ones that are already on my blog and a small selection of the wonderful people I know.)

  Globally:

The rise of social media - the way we connect with each other and stay in touch has changed dramatically over the past few years. Along with that goes the mass dissemination of information - things happen and the world knows almost instantaneously... I feel that this is both good and bad in equal measure and something that has changed the world (my world) most drastically.

The iPhenomenon... Apple's changed the landscape of portable music/phone/tablet devices.



The first African-American president of the U.S.A. -  A pretty big deal if you ask me
The deaths of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston - two of my childhood favourites and idols

A royal wedding and birth - such lovely occasions to celebrate!

Natural disasters - earthquakes in Christchurch, Japan, Haiti & Pakistan / The Boxing Day Tsunami / Hurricane Katrina


The All Blacks finally win the Rugby World Cup again

The Global Fiancial Crisis

The Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (twice in the past decade actually)

There are many, many more - what's happened in the past 10 years that resonate the most with you?

Grateful For...

Amazing, supportive friends (& Phill.) 

I've always struggled with my weight.  I'm okay with that, and okay with aknowledging it - mostly because I'm very happy with myself the way I am.  I'm working to lose weight now, because I love myself enough to take care of my health for the future.

So along the lines of living with intention, I've finally taken the steps to do something about the need to lose weight.

I have a personal trainer.  He's a bit sadistic but deep down inside, I'm quite fond of him when I don't want to cry from pain after my workouts.  I suppose, it's a good thing that he pushes me to exceed what I think I'm capable of, and I'm always very proud of myself after I work out.  He's an awesome trainer and I highly recommend him to anyone in the Auckland area.  I'm particularly fussy about my trainers and have gone through many of them, so I know a good trainer when I meet them.
 

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Mosytly though, I'm so unbelievably thankful for the support of my fantastic friends.  My friends are aware of my goals.  They keep me honest, encourage me, support me, push me when I need it, and most importantly give me a good kick up the bum when I need it!  

So... overall, I'm down 5 kg (11 lbs) and around 4 cm (nearly 2") all over.  I'm pretty chuffed. 

Let's be honest - I've been working my butt off so I deserve this, but that doesn't stop me from being grateful for my friends who are helping me along the way.

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Living With Intention and Appreciation

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I don't make New Year's Resolutions anymore - well, I say I don't, but I always scrawl some down secretly; I never share them with anyone else though.

Faiza mentioned the phrase New Year's Intentions once on her blog.  I quite liked that - it fit with what I am trying to embrace in my life, but didn't quite know how to articulate it.  Then February rolled around and the resolutions rolled down that slope that seems to get steeper and steeper as the years march on, but the thoughts kept rattling around and around in my head.

Last year, I attended a leadership workshop - what resonated most with me was the phrase "Live with intention."  They talked about the number of times you see friends and say something along the lines of "Oh, we must get together!" but then that's the last time you see them, until you bump into them again.  Basically, don't say it if you're not going to do it. 
Then this quote popped up a few times in my blog trawling:

 "Live with intention.  Walk to the edge.  Listen hard.  Practice wellness.  Play with abandon.  Laugh.  Choose with no regret.  Appreciate your friends.  Continue to learn.  Do what you love.  Live as if this is all there is." - Mary Anne Radmacher

 
So, I decided the universe was trying to send me a message and I'd better stop and listen for a bit.

I know it's a lot bigger than getting in touch with your friends and inviting them over for coffee, but it's a start.  So I've started living with intention a bit more now.  I am actively working on all of those things, but most of all, I appreciate my friends.  I'm working on expressing this and staying in touch a bit better than I have in the past.  It's not that hard to pick up the phone, even with a time difference... there's nothing wrong with leaving a message and just saying, "Hi, I'm thinking of you."

Recently, I had some friends over to our new house.  (How long is it new for?  May I keep calling it our new house until we've been here a year?)  I invited my neighbours from many moons ago over to check out our new digs.  I moved out my little flat almost 6 years ago, and since then, my contact with them has been sporadic.  My neighbours were more than just friends - they were (are) my family here.  They fed me, clothed me, took care of me and even bathed me (I was allowed to use their bathtub upstairs when they weren't home.)  Like with a lot of family, it's easy to take them for granted.  They're always there in your thoughts, but it's easy to let it slide - after all, we're all just so busy.  So I sent an email to invite them over.  No response from two families, but a 'yes' from one.  Okay, that's a start.  I could have left it, but I thought that enough was enough.  So I texted the other two.  Still no answer.  Easy enough to just give up, but that's not living with intention!  So I rang - I picked up the phone, had a good old yarn and voila - they were all here on Friday evening.

It was fantastic.  We laughed and chattered like no time had passed - they oohed and aahed over our expansive garden and left laden with bags of veggies.  It was a perfect evening (although my healthy eating went straight out the window that day, but it was well worth it), which should have happened sooner.  I definitely intend to do it with more of my friends, more often.  That's a promise.

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The Alphabet Continues with 'Y' - Yummy In My Tummy!

Thanks to Phillpa who suggested my letter 'y' subject - I am most definitely grateful for yummy food!

I have a love-love relationship with food.  I love the flavours that explode in my mouth; the textures tickling my tongue; the experiments and the likely or unlikely combination of ingredients and tastes that come together to compliment one another perfectly.  It's such good fun!  Another reason I have a love-love relationship with food is one I have written about before, where I talk about the food I shared with my friends and the memories built around these meals.

Today was no exception.  Phillipa and Truman came over today to see Mum and to join us for dinner.  The table was groaning under the weight of steak, sausages and several salads.  It was divine.

My apologies for the tragic photo of the spinach and strawberry salad I made.  It was that good, that it was gone nearly instantaneously!  (Or, I forgot to take one.)  The recipe can be found here, on my recipes blog (at my Phillipa's super suggestion!)

It was great to spend time with great friends and we talked a lot about yummy food.  This would probably be due to my new-found enthusiasm for making chutneys from our garden produce.

I love the idea of making my own jams, chutneys, relishes and preserves.  Not because I fancy myself to be Nigella or Martha, but because I really like the idea of using and eating all natural ingredients, it (generally) tastes better and the simple fact that it is more economical.  I really like chutneys and sauces, but I never buy them because I think they're simply too expensive and I just can't justify the cost.  There's no need to justify anything now!  I've got some bottles stored up already, ready to be relished (yes, that pun was totally intended... groan, I know.)

The latest creation - Green Tomato Chutney.  Yummier than the first chutney, if that's possible!  The recipe is here, also on my recipe blog.

Yummy food is both a panacea and a celebration in itself.  There's nothing better then watching others enjoy what you've made for them, especially when it's made naturally, (hopefully) healthily and with a big dose of love and laughter.  I'm so grateful for the many opportunities I've had to share my culinary creations with my friends and family!

Fun in the Sun

The sun has finally come out to play this week - and what a glorious week we've had!

I thought we'd enjoy a pictorial journey through summer so far...

I finally finished Ellie's handwarmers that I started ages ago.  Love the wool - hoping to make socks out of the rest (if I can remember where I put the ball of wool when I was done!)

Matt, Julia and Lily Sides (such a perfect triangle) came home to visit from Japan; Zahrina came home to visit from India - it was lovely to have some of the girls over for lunch to meet Lily and visit with old friends.

An AWESOME combination - homemade lemon curd (which I made at the beginning of the summer, with lemons from our tree - it was a bit runnier than it should have been, but still yummy) and long overdue sultana scones.  They turned out perfectly... together, such a lovely pairing of my culinary awesomeness.

Mum, Rebecca, Fiona and myself out for a leisurely lunch at Masala in Mission Bay.  Yummy in my tummy! 

Homemade tomato chutney - made on a drizzly day with tomatoes from our garden.  All the recipes I could find were for large amounts, so I made this half portion.  The recipe is on my new food and garden blog, found here.

A stunning sunset out of the upstairs hallway window.  Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

And the following day was indeed stunning, so we legged it to the beach. 

A small (tiny) sampling of the beans from our garden.  I picked two full metal bowls of beans today.  They are now safely blanched, dried and frozen for future consumption.

I really do love summer holidays! Two more weeks of this fabulousness - bring it on!

Happy New Year!

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Sorry this is a day or two late - I've been busy enjoying having Phill home for a few days!

I loved 2011.  Of course, every year has its own ups and downs, but it is through those peaks and troughs I've find strength within myself and my relationships.  There's been so much great stuff over the past year, it's impossible to keep track of it all, but off the top of my head... I've been so blessed to have had the opportunity to strengthen and redefine friendships over the past year.  I've also been lucky enough to meet some fantastic new people at work that make me soul happy.  I spent some amazing time with my family in Toronto this year, and while I love everyone at home, I'm most pleased I got to know my niece, Maya a little bit better.  I could prattle on for hours and hours, but I shan't.

I just wanted to thank you for being part of my life... you are amazing and a beautiful soul.

Wishing you all the best for the coming year - may 2012 be filled with lots of love, laughter, happiness, peace, cupcakes, and more good stuff than you ever thought imaginable.

Happy New Year!

exhaustion tempered by gratitude

I'm exhausted for all the right reasons.
I'm too tired to write heaps, but feel like I'm going to explode with gratitude, so I had to share why I'm loving life so much (in no particular order...)

1. Great zoo trip yesterday - I love the zoo!
2. Cultural Fair today was AWESOME.  The children who organised it did a GREAT job and the parents were an incredible help.  The assembly in the afternoon was fabulous and everyone was well impressed with my students' square dancing.  Particularly grateful that no one was absent and I didn't have to get up there and dance in their place!



The sign they started yesterday and finished this morning (just in time too!)
















3. I'm going home TOMORROW!!  (and finally get to check out the international Air NZ Lounge!)
4. Tomorrow is the last day of Term 3 - only 8 more weeks of school until the long holidays, summer and beaches.
5. I was bone tired today and was lucky enough to be served a lovely dinner by a lovely husband while I was sprawled in my chair.
6. I'm going to see Noah and Maya and give them the stuffed toys I made with so much love (and swearing.)
7. I'm going to see my Mum, Navaz and Shazeen!
8. And my friends!
9. I got lovely letters from my Year 8 students that I mentored for exhibition (not from my class.)  It was a great opportunity to get to know some awesome kids that I don't get a chance to work with very often.  My favourite lines: "You have made this exhibition a whole lot better with your happy and cheery personality day after day which has kept me motivated.  You have helped me become more of a role model because you are such a great role model yourself."   and "Once again I would like to thank you for givng up your time to help us make our presentation.  And being the best mentor ever!" 
10. I got some beautiful cards (and a box of chocolates which came in handy at the zoo yesterday) from a couple of my students recently... it made me cry when I read "I am so greatful that I can now not be hurt inside.  I am also great-ful you have helped me with my Dislexia."  (How much do I love that this child spelled Dyslexia wrong?!)  "I know that they (classmates) are better but a know even more that I am better than them at somthing they are not... I can't imagine not having a teacher like you when I go (next year.)"  (It was very hard not to correct that as I was typing!) (The words in blue were written with sparkly blue pen.)  When I asked their mum about it, she said it was all her children's words - she didn't prompt them one bit.  Gorgeous!
11. This is my 100th blog post!
12. I'm now going to up to my bed, and I have a roof over my head, a full tummy and am blessed with all that I need for a happy, safe and secure life.

My Heart Is Finally Full of Gratitude

Okay.  I'll say it.  I've been struggling with being grateful for the last few weeks. 

There have been the odd dazzlingly-bright spots here and there (weddings, anniversaries and house purchasing - truly awesome) but overwhelmingly, the emotion I've was one of being sort of pissed off.  I have a lot of anger and frustration about Dad's passing and the fact that today is the one year anniversary of that day.  My heart was too full of anger, frustration, sadness and self-pity to be full of gratitude.  It wasn't a great place to be, but I'm not going to apologize for it.  It's natural and I'm okay with that. 

I'm also okay with the fact that there have been floods tears over the last few weeks (just to clarify, those tears have been mine.)  Usually, they would come at random and often inopportune moments.  Sometimes there would be torrents of tears, at other times it would be just a trickle... but they've been there, constantly threatening to come out and wreak havoc upon my carefully applied eyeliner and mascara.  One day, I started crying while putting on my eyeliner.  Then I poked myself in the eye with it.  After that I'm not sure if I was crying about Dad or the fact that I was momentarily blinded with a black slash of crazy Japanese liquid eyeliner across my eyeball.  I like to think that I was rocking the heroin chic raccoon look that day.  I can giggle at that now, but I couldn't when it happened.

Now that today has (more or less) ended, I'm feeling... lighter.  My grief hasn't lessened but as I lay on the sofa, staring blankly at Phillip I felt my heart fill up. (HA! fill up - Phillip?  Get it?  That was totally unplanned.  I'm such a dork.  Even dorkier - I'm not going to edit that out.)

Seriously though. 

I am so freakin' loved!  I'm not trying to be immodest, but in that singular moment, I stopped to think.  It came in a deluge - I was thinking about Phillipa, who sent me a text first thing this morning to offer her company and hugs if I needed it; about Shazeen, who has been checking up on me for the past few days; about Faiza who sent me so much love and so many hugs over the phone that I couldn't help BUT to feel them.  Then there was hearing the sound of Mum's voice that made me feel miles better... just hearing her was enough.  That was just today.  I have had friends and family sending me so much love and support and propping me up over the past year, it's unbelievable.  How can I forget that and have a pity party?

But Phillip.  Wow.  I am so in love with that man.  I don't know that I can express how thankful I am for him.  For his patience, his love, his slightly off-beat (and sometimes inappropriate) sense of humour, the hugs, his understanding, his intuitiveness and his just knowing.  I look at him, and my heart smiles and I know I'm home.  I am so grateful that he is my husband.

My heart is full of love and gratitude again.  That's how Dad would have wanted it.  

Clickety-Clack Go My Knitting Needles

I've decided I have knitting ADD.  I don't know how I'll ever cope doing items larger than baby things because I can't even finish those without a break in between!  The vest I'm making for Claire's bubs is just adorable, but I felt I needed a break and decided to work on my dear friend, Juliette's (slightly belated) birthday pressie.  She's so sweet - she told me last week that she was excited to get something handknit from me, because it's been such a long time since she's received any handknit pressies. 

I wanted to try something different, so I found this pattern for handwarmers and thought I'd give it a go.  The weather is starting to get colder and I wasn't sure if I was ready to try knitting anything with fingers, so a pair of handwarmers it was.  It was surprisingly easy and I enjoyed learning a couple of new techniques, which will be fairly useful in other patterns.  I really like how the wool has made them the inverse of each other.  I'll just pretend like I planned that. 

I'm hedging my bets and hoping Juliette doesn't come online before I see her tomorrow! 

I think I'm going to have to make a pair for myself, because I really enjoyed modeling these and they kept my hands cozy and warm!

I'm A Crafty Minx!

I'm resisting the urge to say "Top o'the mornin' to ya!" but let me tell you, it's a challenge right now.  I like a bit of cheesiness.  It makes me smile.  I have love for St. Patrick's Day... It has been celebrated at Glendowie Primary for just over 10 some odd years.  As Anne-Marie said today - it wasn't a celebration of just the Irish culture (in our school's case) but more the wealth of cultures, heritage and experiences we all bring with us.

Just before the end of the school day, our toes were set tapping to a fantastic and fun jig that sprung up out of nowhere... we were lining up to go to another classroom for a chat, and suddenly, two guys came around the corner playing the most rousing Irish Jig on a fiddle and a banjo!  It was great (and somewhat random!)  Such a fun way to end a school day. :)  Feeling particularly thankful for that, as I may have felt a bit challenged by some goings on today. 

Now, on to my crafty-minxiness.  I'm trying very hard to remember to take photos of my letters and packages before I send them off, as well as my knitting projects before I give them away.  The problem with both of them (as I have previously mentioned) is I get SO excited about them, I send them as soon as I can and don't remember to take a photo until it's too late.

But... I did remember to take a photo of the package I sent to my swap partner over at ellecupcake.  We had a bit of difficulty in co-ordinating our packages to get to each other because the emails we were sending one another wouldn't get through.  I was so happy to send her package off and I was thrilled she liked her bits and pieces.  Of course, I forgot to take a photo of the contents... but I did take a picture of the box!

A little box filled with goodies!  A post is planned over at ellecupcake later in the week to show off her pressies.

But that's not all!  I've been ridiculously busy clittering, clattering and clicking my knitting needles together to make my magnificent knit creations!  I spent aaaaaaages making (ridiculously adorable) vests for my friend's twin boys and forgot to take a photo of them.  I'm working on another vest (but in different colours) for another baby boy, so there will be a photo soon!

 

I can't get this photo to rotate, so you'll have to turn your head sideways.  I did this piece several months ago - it was the first thing I finished all on my own, with absolutely no help.  I was so proud of it!  I was going to keep it for myself "just in case" but when my dear friend told me she was expecting, I knew it had actually been made for her.  My heart melted when I saw the photo of her darling girl in it and I was so pleased I sent it over to them.  

 This one was another gift for another wee girl.  I really struggled with this one, but it turned out alright.  Not as good as I hoped, but I think she liked it.  I did think my racing stripes on the arms were super cute though. :)

Then I forgot to take photos of the many things I knit.  But more recently...

I felt very clever, as I whipped these up last weekend at Phillipa's request for her friends down in Manawatu.  It was the first knitting request I've had!  I was quite chuffed.

This cutie I also whipped up in a weekend (but only stuffed it yesterday) to send off to Christchurch for the collection that's happening over at Kiwi At Heart for the children of Chch.  I think he's gorgeous, as do my class!  I think the kids are starting to realise how cool knitting really is.

This jumper took me ages.  I'm technically not finished it because I haven't woven in all the ends - there are so many!  I did this one with a baby boy in mind, but upon meeting him, I realised it wouldn't fit come winter time.  So I'm hanging onto this one.  It may go in my hope chest, because I don't know that I will do something with little stripes like this again.  It was a bit of a mission with tangles... but so worth it.  I think it's my favourite item I've ever knit!

There's still one more knitting photo to come, but it's a little gift for Katy.  I'm giving it to her tomorrow, so stay tuned for photos.  Here's to hoping I remember to snap a picture this time!

The Concert Diaries - It's a Beautiful Day!

A few months ago I heard U2's 360° tour was coming to Auckland; I knew I had to go. I'd seen them twice previously and thoroughly enjoyed them both times. In addition to the fact that I love their (older) stuff, they are amazing performers. Their shows never fail to entertain and it's always a good night out. I was also encouraged by the fact that tickets ranged from only $40 up to… well, a great deal more. I was lucky enough to score mid-range priced tickets and our seats were pretty great. I was also very excited to see Jay-Z… I was hoping that Beyonce would find it in her heart to join her darling husband on stage, but I suppose the poor woman needs time off too.
 
Kerry and I set off to the stadium, with our hopes high for an evening filled with entertainment and a whole lot of dancing. When we got there, we were greeted by the monolith of a stage in front of us. Unreal.

We settled into our seats and prepared ourselves for the next few hours; the wind was biting and whipped up and around our faces, causing eyes to water, noses to run and hair to dance wildly in the wind… but we were so ready.

And then… A clock appeared on the screens… and I could barely contain my excitement… 2 minutes to Jay-Z!

He was fantastic. From the moment he came on up until an hour later when he left the stage, I didn't stop bouncing in my seat (I was far too cold to stand at that point.) I always kind of liked Jay-Z, but WOW!! He was an amazing performer. I do tend to wonder why U2 select opening acts like Jay-Z and Kanye West (the last time they were here) but at that moment, I really didn't care. From the energetic, thrumming bass of Bounce to everyone's favourite (right now) Empire State of Mind (which was when I was really hoping Beyonce would come out and since Alicia Keys' part) – he was great. I wasn't so concerned that he didn't rock the 360° stage, because the view on the screen was just amazing. The sound actually surrounded you, since there were speakers pointing in North, East, South and West… I was enveloped in Jay-Z!

He had his moment of silence for the miners who perished in the Pike River mine, which was touching… but I was a bit put off when he started rattling off Tupac and Biggie for their passing (I was okay with Aaliyah, because hers was a plane crash… I didn't say I was logical.) The thought was there I guess… and I liked the following graphic on the screen.

Rose and Maxwell arrived halfway through Jay-Z's opening act, and Rose was our sensible saviour with her little bag o'treats!

Kerry's dad was also at the concert, but he wasn't with the plebs. He was in a box… this is the text he sent Kerry just after Jay-Z was done (I nearly died.)

Seriously??

And then… the wait was on for U2!

Seconds before they came on...

Walking on!

They walked on and the crowd went nuts! We were all on our feet and ready for it! Bono strutted and danced around the stage (and I giggled, because all I could think about was a leprechaun – this could be because we were talking about them in class earlier that day.) They started with The Return of the Stingray Guitar, but more notably launched right into It's a Beautiful Day and it was indeed. They played a number of old favourites, smattered with a selection of their new songs (you can view the setlist here.) We danced and jumped and sang at the top of our lungs. It was brilliant. I didn't love that I could feel the stand swaying with the force of thousands of people jumping, dancing and gyrating… but it was a small price to pay. There was the message of social conscience and we all dutifully held up our phones to make the Milky Way (which did look REALLY cool…) but when Bono did a tribute to the 29 miners who passed away, there was more than just a tear in my eye. All 29 names scrolled across the big screen and then they launched into their tribute songs – I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and One Tree Hill (written for a former U2 roadie who was a NZ'er who passed away.)

One Tree Hill while koru patterns danced around them

It was an altogether fantastic show – we trundled home, warmed by the dancing and great music… sleepy, but well worth staying up late on a school night. It was so good I seriously considered going again the next night… but I know my limits.