Ten Years Ago Today.....

Ten years ago today....

A Sunny Day

When the sky is blue and the sun is shining the day always seems brighter and more cheerful regardless of the temperature. Today is one of those crisp autumn days when the everything looks beautiful. The garden looks bright and green and colourful, the sky is blue and bright. Oh if only I could bottle it for the dark, damp dreary days that are sure to follow.

The day has been made even better, as I had a letter in the post today with a transcript of my results. It is official... I have my Masters in Music Performance and Related Studies, so have even more letters I can add after my name if I so wish. As I said in a previous post it all seems rather pompous, although does open doors. What is even better is I got a distinction for my dissertation so I am absolutely thrilled.

Making Memories.

A wise friend said to me just before I left for New Zealand to 'make memories' in light of the difficult times I would be facing while there, and so I have in a form of Scrap or Smash booking.  I thought at first it would be a bit 'boring' as I knew I wouldn't really be going many places, but it is surprising just how you can fill up a book if you put all sorts of little 'memories' in it.

I took my scrap/smash book and while there got some lovely bits and pieces from The Warehouse to stick in.

A few of the pages: 

The opening page.  

A few shops in Waipu and Whangarei where I bought a things.

Our hike.

Taxidermy & feathers.

Food eaten with others.

I recorded my visits with my Dear Mum.

Birds and Beasties seen.

My birthday

Six Years Ago today...

...taken from my original Balancing Kiwi blog...posted 18th April 2010.  How things have changed in the last six years!  My friend Jus, no longer blogs has moved to Kerikeri! Her goal to have a little farmlet achieved - she moved in today!  Me jealous?  Oh yes! Not sure you read blogs any more Jus, but if you do, way to go friend!  Enjoy your new venture!

Sunday, 18th April 2010 : What else did I get up to in NZ

One of my special memories of New Zealand was the time I got to spend with a blogger I first made friends with about a year ago. Jus of The Beach Hut writes the most hilarious and witty posts and is as much fun in person as she is on her blog. Fortunately we hit it off straight away! We first met on a Monday afternoon at The Beach Hut...we then arranged The Balancing Picnic as an opportunity to continue where we left off on the Monday afternoon as well as to photograph old barns.

I half inched this photo from Jus' blog - hope you don't mind ;-)

Now why didn't I take a photo of Jus?

Now I think the area we chose to photograph old barns was a bit optimistic... Coatsville is hardly 'Old Barn' territory... now look at this grand entrance!

An absolutely beautiful house with the most amazing park like gardens.

Another grand driveway - can you imagine the size of the house at the end of this driveway?

Some Highland Cattle were grazing in the paddocks...although this one was having a bit of a rest.

Who do you think you're staring at?

All in all it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon and we arranged to meet up again for a meal.

Ha! Got you this time Jus!

Table preparations...

A lovely meal - frittata, salad and fresh bread. Yummmmmy

And the M & M's? They were the desert!

Thanks for a lovely time Jus.

Memories....