eMpTy page

The Big Apple

2011-12-24T17:56:00.003+13:00

I am back from a whirlwind week in New York accompanying little sister on a business trip. I absolutely loved it. Heaps of sightseeing, shopping, eating and walking.

Transport consisted of walking, the subway (yes, I braved it), the odd crazy New York taxi (tooting is their first language) and a horse and carriage ride in Central Park.

One morning K and I found ourselves walking in the Garment District. Lots of 'wholesale only' stores selling copious amounts of clothes (I assume to retail stores) and some amazing huge retail/wholesale outlets selling nothing but trims or ribbons or buttons. It was jaw-dropping and made me wish I could sew!

On my first morning I went with my penfriend from Chicago (who is going to be Miss 16's host family when she moves there in January) to a traditional New York diner. We each ordered an omelette that I could swear would feed 4 people. It must have contained 6 eggs and was stuffed with mushrooms, cheese and spinach and would have been at least 6 inches high. It was accompanied with a mound of refried potatoes. I almost felt sick upon seeing the huge portion but it was delicious and after eating about 1/4 of it I admitted defeat. Including coffee or juice
it came to the princely sum of $5.95.

From that day on we ate breakfast on 7th Avenue (just by Madison Square Garden) at a very cool and busy New York bagel deli called "Bagel Maven Cafe". To die for bagels and a standard size!

I was really impressed with the food - did not have huge expectations before I left. We ate in either funky neon-lit cocktail bars/restaurants or small candle-lit family owned restaurants (no more than 30 seaters). Prices were fantastic - no more than $15-17 for a main course which might be a huge bowl of linguini with huge scallops, prawns and mussels and a fresh salad on
the side. The thin crusted New York pizza was lovely - very simple - often just prosciutto and basil and again, $15 for enough to feed 2. I was surprised to see a lot of seafood - grilled calamari featured everywhere. I gave in one night only and had New York cheesecake (had to really!)

Shopping was amazing - Saks 5th Avenue was lovely and Macy's was hit hard. Christmas decorations outside buildings were fantastic -especially on 5th Avenue. Took lots of photos. Credit card saw a bit of damage (I blame Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein for making clothes in my size!). Huge floors containing warm winter coats - everything from furs to fleece. Sales
everywhere - possible to get a full length down coat with fur trim on sale for $200. Not that I need one in Wellington. (And I wouldn't buy fur!) Makeup and cosmetics were ridiculously cheap - the Bobbi Brown foundation I splurge on at $90 a bottle at home was US$45 - even with the exchange rate it was cheap. Suffice it to say I had to buy an extra suitcase to lug home all my purchases.

I did lots of touristy things including going to the top of the Empire State Building for the amazing views; Times Square was buzzy and neon (even the police station had a neon sign); the Ground Zero memorial was worth queuing for - a very sad place - and very calm and quiet amidst the bustle of the city; the Rockefeller Centre with its famous Christmas tree and
avenue of angels and iceskating; St Patrick's Cathedral to light a candle for dad. I had a day and a
half by myself (my penfriend had left and K was working) so I walked to Greenwich
and Soho which was a great afternoon. We went to a Broadway show one night - The
Book of Mormon - which I confess I had never heard of but which had just won 9 Tony Awards and consequently was practically booked out until 2013. We had to pay $299 for tickets (oops that's over $400 once converted!) but worth every cent - the funniest thing I've ever
seen. It got a standing ovation. Next time I will go to way more shows - there
was so much on it was amazing.

We spent a morning at MOMA (the Museum of Modern Art) - a bit of a quick visit but enough to get a sense of the vast range of work they cover - the collection area (painting and sculpture) held lots of works by people like Picasso, Monet, Warhol (the Campbell soup cans!), Kahlo, Matisse,
Cezanne etc ; there was a great architecture section featuring an exhibition on the architects who were invited to design a replacement for the Twin Towers; the photography section had a new exhibition of 6 American photographers with works from the 50s to 70s. My favourite, interestingly, was a display on typography which I found fascinating. Felloow scrpapers would have apreciated it, I think. I felt like we really just ran around it all to get a quick glimpse of what was there. Could have spent a day or two there. And I didn't get to the Guggenheim or the Met but there's always next time.

I had expected the people to be hard and brash but found the opposite. Occasionally they were indifferent but never rude but mostly they were very friendly and chatty. The streets were packed and frequently you'd get bumped just crossing the street but without fail people took a second to say "Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me, Pardon me" And "Ma'am" was heard hundreds of times a day. Most people knew where New Zealand was and I only had one person ask if it was "near New England?".

Anyway just a wee snip of my 6 days in NYC -hadn't expected to love it so much. Would I go back? In a heart beat.

(Blogger is doing silly things and I can't seem to load more photos)

Lane Tech

2011-11-10T22:15:00.004+13:00

Albert G Lane
Technical College Preparatory High School,

Chicago, Illinois - this is where Miss 16 will be spending her school days in 2012.

More than 11,000 students apply for just over 1000 places at this school each year. The school has over 4000 students - that's 1000 kids in your year.

The school day starts at 7.40am. I think, that for Miss 16, that's going to be a culture-shock all by itself!

Winter Wonderland

2011-08-16T22:26:00.007+12:00

I've lived in the Hutt Valley for almost all of my 40-something years and we have never experienced snow like we've had this week. We see it in the hills around the valley quite often but in my memory I have never seen it in our back yard. Inches deep.

So this week's weather has been the source of much amusement, discussion and concern.

Miss Indie (our 3 year old choclate labrador - didn't know what to make of it and ran around and around the yard like a total nutter. Tomorrow school is closed for Miss 16 and Mr 11 is praying his school makes the same decision.

This is what we came home to find after work today...

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Science Fair

2011-07-05T14:10:00.004+12:00

I have one kid who's good at the school stuff and another who hates it. So when Mr 11(the school work hater) runs to me after school with a big beam on his face I know it's good news.

Mother: "How was school?"

Mr 11: "It was cool. In science we dissected a cow's eye. It was really cool. Some kids thought it was gross but I didn't."

Mother: "Fantastic. I thought you were happy."

Mr 11:" Oh yeah, there's another thing. At the end of science we got to go and see all the science fair projects. And I couldn't find mine. And then R told me he knew where it was. And I came first in my class! And, even better, I came 3rd out of all the year 7 and 8 kids (130 kids) and, even better, P won the whole thing out of the whole school and he's only a year 7 like me. And we're both going to the regionals."

Mr 11's project looked at whether doing a blood test on clean or dirty fingers made any difference to blood glucose levels. (It did!) A totally relevant project for a type one diabetic.

But I want to know - do any kids actually do their science fair projects TOTALLY by themselves. Mr 11 did the research, the testing, the writeup - but I did most of the sticking to the display board. And helped him refine his topic. Come on parents - 'fess up!

Age

2011-06-27T20:58:00.002+12:00

I was talking to a 20-something colleague last week and remarked that I needed to find a birthday present for my mother who was turning 70. She suggested a possum fur gloves and scarf "Gifts like that are always great for the elderly!".

I nearly choked. "Elderly?" Amongst other things my mother still runs around after us, picks up Mr 11 three days a week after school, is the secretary on a committee,has coffee and lunch dates with 'the girls' several times a week, does the accounts for her church and still gets blonde streaks in her hair.

And then it occurred to me. To my 20-something year old colleague I am probably old enough to be her mother. So my mother must be really, well, elderly.

This is what 16 looks like

2011-05-04T12:36:00.009+12:00

Blinked and I missed it. On 27 April Miss 16 turned, well, 16. Her party theme was "A 6 year olds party". Tiaras and pink stuff galore.
'

Check out the latest 'must have' daywear. The purple and black cargdigan I knitted for her father about 15 years ago (and which has probably been hidden in a closet for 14 years!)

And, incidentally, this is what 3 looked like (courtesy of a scrapbooking page by Granny who came to the rescue and decorated the house and made a birthday cake while we were delayed in Nelson. We got home 2 hours before the party!)

COME ON DOWN, MR 11

2011-04-13T11:31:00.004+12:00

Move over Mr 10. There's a new bloke in the house.

Mr 11 emerges this morning. An inch or so taller. Hair definitely shorter. Attitude? The same. Still obsessed with Minecraft. Still a foodie (he chooses Ichiban Teppanyaki for his birthday dinner). Still likes Up 'n' Go and a muffin split for breakfast (every day!). There's a new iPod touch to play with (and make movies with). And a paintball party to look forward to next week. He might be 11 but he's still sweet.

Happy birthday, Mr 11.

DORK OF THE WEEK

2011-03-29T12:21:00.002+13:00

Dork of the week goes to the person who said to me. "You are lucky E is so good with his diabetes. I'd never be able to get P to inject. Her tummy is so little. And she doesn't like needles."

Excuse me?
Lucky?
Little tummy?
Like needles?
You ****wit!

If you don't inject you die.

Excuse me while I puke.

PS "Dork' doesn't know I blog!

WHY I BLOG

2011-03-29T09:09:00.003+13:00

Julie from Bittersweet Diabetes has invited me to blog about blogging! Specifically why I blog. It's a bit of a project really, because she was invited by Christy from My 2 Sweet Babies who was asked by Dawn from Sugar Free CandyLand who in turn was invited to participate by DawnMarie from Words from DUG (hope I got all that right.)

So 5 good reasons? Not sure if they're good but here goes...

1. I blog because I like writing. I blame my mother, who was a journalist in the days before women did that sort of job.

2. I originally blogged as a way to keep in touch with a wide network of scrapbookers around the world. Through my conversations with these scrapbookers many of us discovered other shared interests and blogging became a way to connect with like minded people who shared interests in books (a book club formed), writing, art, baking, cooking, parenting, green household products, gardening. Many of my current blogging friends are people I have never met in real life.

3. Over the years my blog has morphed into a bit of a family diary/snapshot. It gives extended family and friends a wee glimpse into how life is for us. Better than keeping a diary and easier than scrapbooking.

4. When Mr 10 was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last year I found there was a whole new community out there in cyberspace: bloggers who share the Type 1 journey. Our stories are remarkably similar. It has been an amazing relief to find out that we are not alone. I have received some great advice and information from what my family call my 'pretend friends'. I like to think that maybe I have helped other parents of Type 1 diabetics in some small way.

5. One of my biggest disappointments when Mr 10 was diagnosed with Type 1 (well apart from him having a life threatening condition and having to learn to inject himself and having to do zillions of blood tests and never being able to eat anything ever again in his entire life without considering the blood glucose implications) apart from all that, my biggest disappointment was that there was so much ignorance and judgement about Type 1. The number of people who insinuated that we somehow caused it or that it had something to do with what we fed him or how much exercise he did or didn't do really bothered me. I love being able to use my blog to educate people about Type 1 diabetes. Just a little. (Though I'll bet the people who were the worst offenders never read this!)

The world just seems a bit smaller when I blog.

I don't like tagging people but if you feel inspired to write about why you blog why don't you do it? I'd love to hear your story.

REMEMBERING CANTERBURY

2011-03-01T14:07:00.005+13:00

Today I went to a birthday lunch with some friends at the bustling Cafe Reka at The Dowse.

At 12.45pm we observed that there was a huge downpour. The heavens just opened.

At 12.51pm the manager banged a water jug with a spoon. All she said was "We would like to observe 2 minutes silence." Interestingly, she didn't say what it was for. She didn't need to. Everyone knew.

Some people stood.
Others sat.
You could hear a pin drop.

Some people cried.

And then the rain stopped.

That helps

2011-02-25T13:34:00.003+13:00

Parent note to teacher:
"Re homework - Mr 10 is not sure whether he needs to cut out ingredients lists from the backs of packets or does he need to provide an actual recipe?"

Teacher note to parent:
"Yes."

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

2011-02-24T12:20:00.004+13:00

I found this on the internet somewhere - can't remember where. I hope it's OK to reproduce it. I love this...

"WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability- to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip -to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

" Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills... and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ...about Holland.

1987 copyright by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved."

ANSWERS TO LEARN

2011-02-14T09:48:00.008+13:00

Recently I've been reading blogs of parents who have children with Type 1 diabetes. One I've just come across is Beta Buddies . In an earlier post she makes a list of the things that parents have to very quickly get to grips with when their kids are first diagnosed. Here's my list:

1: What is type one diabetes?
2: What does the pancreas do?
3: What is a glucometer?
2: What is a test strip?
4: How do you calibrate the glucometer?
5: How to test your child's blood sugar?
6: How do you operate a lancing device?
7: How do you change the needle of the lancing device?
8: What is a normal blood sugar level?
9: How do you treat a low blood sugar?
10: What is a high blood sugar?
11: How do you treat that?
13: What is a fast acting carbohydrate?
14: What is Glucagon?
15: What is Insulin?
16: How do I give an insulin shot?
17: How do I give a glucagon shot (it's different)?
18: What is a pen needle?
19: How do I change the needle on a pen?
20: How to carb count?
21: What are ketones?

All of this stuff the superhero paediatric diabetes team taught me. But I had to teach myself the worst bit - how to convince your crying child that he will have to have these tests and injections day after day after day forever. And that he will never ever be able to eat without considering about what insulin he may or may not need.

No wonder I took my eye off my own weight loss needs last year. When there was all this to learn. when the food rules changed. Ah well, I know all this stuff now. Roll on 2011.

HEROES

2011-02-06T20:42:00.005+13:00

Waitangi Day 2011

A WINNER

2011-02-05T09:12:00.003+13:00

"I'd like to nominate my husband and my sonto win the VIP tour of the new A320.

E is 10 years old and 9 months ago he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It has been a huge learning curve for E and our family. He has learned to inject himself in the stomach with insulin and prick his finger numerous times a day to do blood tests. He is my hero. But heroes sometimes struggle and E hates that Type 1 diabetes makes him different to other kids. Maybe if he won this prize he could learn that being different is sometimes a good thing!"

We won. Well rather they did. Tomorrow morning DH and Mr 10 have an appointment to be on the tarmac at Wellington airport to greet the new Air New Zealand A320. And stepping off the plane to meet them and 9 other lucky kids will be All Black captain Ritchie McCaw and a few of his mates.

Was I bad to play the Type 1 Diabetes card? Maybe. But it paid off.

SIZE MATTERS

2011-02-02T07:24:00.005+13:00

In the 90s people with Type 1 diabetes had to inject themselves several times a day with a needle precisely 12.7mm long. The needle has to go all the way in. Get out your ruler and take a look. That's a lot of needle.

Although the daily injection regime continues thank goodness when Mr 10 was diagnosed the needle size on a pen injection (one of his insulin devises - he also uses a syringe but that's another story) was down to 8mm. It's still quite long. Nearly a centimetre to be squeezed into your tummy a couple of times a day (or more).

So imagine how excited we were to find out that in November a 4mm needle has been added to the Pharmeceutical Schedule - meaning it's available, subsidised, on prescription.

When we visited the hospital last week we were able to take samples home to try. No more squeezing. It still hurts a bit but it's less daunting.

Roll on more medicsal advances. Because when it somes to needles - size does matter.

OTHER HEROES

2010-12-02T14:34:00.005+13:00

I've read a few blogs lately. A few Christmas newsletters. Seen a few Facebook posts. Heard a few stories. Proud parents sharing the happy news of kid successes. Top of the class. The sports award. The excellence results.

Is your kid one of these? A high achiever?

Be proud. Congratulate them. Urge them to do it again next year.

And while you're there would you mind taking a moment to get them to think. About the other kids. The rest of the class.

For every kid who wins there are 2 or 3 dozen others who don't. These dozens will never be top of the class. Or play in a representative sports team. They struggle to make an achieve grade.

These kids, through their own lesser ability, allow your child to shine.

These kids learn early about disappointment. They learn not to get their hopes up. They know they will never be feted or lauded. They know what second place or last is like.

Spare a thought for them.

TRUE STORY

2010-11-20T11:00:00.002+13:00

Miss 15 makes a very quick phone call to DH's mobile.

She finishes: 'I can't talk. I've got no credit left."

She hangs up.

DH hangs up and looks at the caller ID.

She was calling from our home phone!

How God Selects the Mother of a Child with Type 1 Diabetes

2010-11-02T10:20:00.004+13:00

How God Selects the Mother of a Child with Type 1 Diabetes

by Erma Bombeck

Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressures and a couple by habit. Did you ever wonder how mothers of children with diabetes are chosen? Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant ledger.

"Armstrong, Beth, son. Patron Saint Matthew."

"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, Patron Saint Cecilia."

"Rutledge, Carrie, twins. Patron Saint Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally, He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a child with diabetes." The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly", smiles God. "Could I give child with diabetes to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."

"But has she the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I am going to give her has its own world. She has to make it live in her world and that's not going to be easy."

"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in You."

God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one is perfect. She has just enough selfishness."

The angel gasps. "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she cannot separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with less than perfect."

"She does not realize it yet, but she is to be envied. I will permit her to see clearly the things I see .... ignorance, cruelty, prejudice ... and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as if she is here by my side."

"And what about her patron saint?" asks the angel,his pen poised in mid air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."

WOO HOO WOJO

2010-10-12T17:55:00.003+13:00

How exciting to see my friend, Bernadette Casey, in the Dompost and also on the TVNZ news tonight.

Bernadette and Sally Shanks own The Formary. I describe them as designers who are saving the earth.

This from their website:

We decided to do it another way…

Moving from designing and producing home wares and furniture to using our specialised knowledge and decades of expertise to meet the demand for workable solutions for the vast amounts of commercial waste generated each year.

Our team of designers, from textile to industrial, in collaboration with our materials engineer now work with industries world wide, providing assistance through de-production processes and extending the useable life of waste products through clever and thoughtful redesign.

Today's big news from their website is this:
Starbucks store interiors are being further enhanced by a revolutionary new textile made from natural and renewable raw materials. Created by The Formary, a New Zealand based design company, using a unique, upcycling process, Starbucks coffee sacks are combined with wool resulting in a new sustainable textile called “WoJo”.

Wojo will be used to upholster seating in Starbucks all around the world.

(photo by Starbucks)

Don't you love that?

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE -September

2010-09-30T21:31:00.001+13:00

September Book: The Lacuna
Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Didn't read it. Got it from the library. No time. Didn't perservere with it. Took it back.Story of my life this year.

Epic fail.

A HONEY!

2010-09-16T14:34:00.003+12:00

Today I received an unexpected courier package. A big basket of beautiful products from Aratiki Honey.

A recipe I entered in an Aratiki promotion was a winner.

Here it is below...

SPICY HONEY NUTS

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups mixed raw nuts - almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, peanuts (anything you have)
• 1/2 cup mixed seeds - sunflowers, pumpkin
• 1 egg white
1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt

Method:
Beat an egg white in a large bowl. Add to thenuts and seeds and mix til nuts are coated.

Heat the honey in the microwave (or in a small pot on the stove) until warm and runny.Add the spices and mix.

Pour the honey and spice mixture over the nuts and seeds, stir well, then place in a roasting tray which has been lined with baking paper.

Bake in the oven (180°C)for 15 minutes. Stir then bake for 5 more minutes until golden and crisp.

Cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Maybe I truly am a domestic goddess?

Hmmm...

2010-09-12T21:21:00.002+12:00

A full month since I last blogged.

Questions:
Is anyone out there in blogland?
Does anyone blog anymore?
Does anyone read them?

I'm not sure I have anything left to say.

I''ll be over at Facebook for a while til I get my blogging mojo back...

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - AUGUST BOOK

2010-08-12T20:01:00.005+12:00

August Book: Novel About my wife
Author: Emily Perkins

"Tom Stone, skinnyish, fortyish, English, is madly in love with his wife Ann, an Australian in self-imposed exile in London. Expecting their first child, they buy a semi-derelict house in Hackney. They believe this their settled future, despite Tom's stalling career and their spiralling money troubles." -from the back cover.

It doesn't take long to work out that the 'novel' refers to the husband's efforts to tell the story of what leads to his wife's death although it seemed to me that he actually didn't always understand her very well. And neither did I. When Ann becomes convinced she is being followed/stalked by a strange man it's never clear whether this is a real person or a vision created by some pyschosis (maybe brought on by her somewhat non-mainstream previous lives). But this is all part of the intrigue of the book.

The only slightly jarring aspect for me was that the book was written in Tom's voice.I kept thinking that Emily Perkins is a woman and wondered how difficult it might be for a woman writer to think/write like a man. This distracted me at times from the story. It seemed like a woman was talking the whole time.

However it was a great read. Ann was complex and compelling character.It moved quickly and the other minor characters were interesting.

Melissa's rating: 7 out of 10

WHILE MY BACK WAS TURNED...

2010-07-26T12:14:00.006+12:00

I leave the family room for all of 10 minutes. When I return Cute Labrador is no longer asleep under a blanket. Cute Labrador is nowhere to be seen. But I'm pretty sure she was reponsible...

...for this.

Not cute.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - JULY BOOK

2010-07-26T12:07:00.004+12:00

July Book: Wolf Hall
Author: Hilary Mantel

Hey Blogosphere Book Circlers - has anyone read this? I haven't seen any reviews and July is coming to an end...

As for me...

OMG I've just read some reviews about this book on Amazon and I'm kicking myself. It sounds like something I'd really want to read but...

I got it from the library about a month or so ago and, well, things were a bit hectic at home and it sat next to my bed for two weeks without me opening it and when I went to renew the book from the library I couldn't because lots of people were waiting to read it. So I had to take it back. Unread. Bummer. And it won the Booker prize!

I have reserved it again. Later in the year I wil read it.

Sorry folks.

BREAKTHROUGH DAY

2010-07-05T15:27:00.002+12:00

I didn't think this day would come for many more months but yesterday it did.

Mr 10 spent the night staying with Gran and Grandad. I gave him his insulin shot before he went off on Saturday night. On Sunday morning Gran was geared up to do her first shot. She has been practising drawing up the precise amount of insulin and has even practised injecting her stomach. She was ready.

On Sunday morning Gran is about to inject Mr 10 when she says to him "I bet you could do this yourself." So he does! And last night at home he does it again. And this morning at home when I go to give him his shot he takes it and does it himself. Again. "Because, Mum, there's no point forgetting how to do it!"

I am amazed. It is 69 days and 138 injections since he was diagnosed. Some Type 1 diabetics take months or even years to be able to inject themselves.

Mr 10 knew a reward would be involved. There have never been so many bribe/rewards in the Thorn household as there have been the past couple of months. Injecting himself was the final frontier. A $100 reward of Mr 10's choice. And he knew what he wanted. A giant box of Lego City. I am grateful it is a reward that will survive for years.

And Mr 10 is grateful that Toyworld has a 20% sale on Lego. So he gets more than he thought. That's a lot of Lego.

That's a lot of bravery/guts/balls for a 10 year old.

Shout. Laugh. Love

2010-06-29T16:42:00.003+12:00

I'm participating in Suzannah's blogfest. Shout. Laugh. Love.

The idea is that you post on one of those topics. Shout. Laugh. Love.

Just the thought of this reminded me of something I posted years ago.

Miss Then About 10 was making a card and she was drawing a heart. She said

"Why do we call them love hearts, anyway?
You don't love with your heart.
Your love with your soul."

I remind myself of that sometimes.

A SECRET

2010-06-21T13:40:00.009+12:00

Penny posted a photo of her recipe book shelf and challenged us to do the same. So here are mine.

I have a gazillion recipe books. So many that when I got rid of 30 or so recently I still didn't have quite enough room on my shelves. The problem is I like recipe books. I 'read' them. For fun. I have overflow recipe books in another room.

I used to arrange my recipe books in colour order. Did you know that most recipe book covers are in shades of blue or pink or orange or purple? Not green. Now I arrange them by subject. My preferred cooking mode is baking. I could definitely be on New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker (except for the 'hottest' bit)!

This is my favourite shelf. It's my most used baking books. Alison Gofton's Bake is my all time favourite.

And this is my 'treasure' shelf. My Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion is possibly my 'best info' book. You can find out how to cook anything in this recipe book. All Ray McVinnie's books (I didn't like him on MasterChef but I love his recipes). You might be able to see 'Sizzle' (I have two cookbooks of that name) - both, surprisingly, barbecue recipes. And on the top is Luke Nguyen's Secrets of the Red Lantern. It was a gift from a friend. I have never cooked one single recipe from this book but the life stories amongst the recipes is amazing.

And although it's the grubbiest, this is 'my most used, best-loved' by far. It's an old A4 hardcovered notebook where I have scribbled recipes gleened from family and friends. My mother's famous sweet curry classic is there along with every old family recipe from my childhood. There are wee gems like this Banana Cake recipe, hand-written by my friend, Bev, who died many years ago from breast cancer.

Amongst my 'cookbooks' I also have over 20 folders of recipes from many years of attending Ruth Pretty's Cooking Classes. Some of these recipes I have used over and over so much that that they are no longer Ruth's recipes but mine!

And, just to prove, that I do really cook, here's a photo of 'Best-Ever Bacon and Egg Pie" from my latest addition - 'Taste - baking with flavour' by Dean Brettschnieder and Lauraine Jacobs. Mr 10 chose this book for me for my recent birthday. He knows what I like!

Oh, and I did hint at a secret... I would love to write a cookbook. Any guesses what type of food it would cover?

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - JUNE BOOK

2010-06-14T09:47:00.001+12:00

June Book: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman (Illustrations by Dave McKean)
First Published: 2008

From the blurb:
“Nobody Owens… is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.”

Neil Gaiman may be a ‘beloved master storyteller’ but I’m not interested in hearing.

I am totally turned off by this genre but I decided to surrender to the book circle process and give it a go. After all this is why I joined – to have me try reading stuff outside my normal scope.

In the end I spent about 30 minutes skim reading the entire book (it’s quite a short book aimed at a teen audience and, OK, it was a very quick skim read).

I tried. I really did. But I hated it. I couldn’t relate to the characters, the setting, the story, the genre. I didn’t want to. It’s just not me.

The illustrations served only to break up the text but to me didn’t add anything to the story. I think my imagination did a better job.

So an epic failure this month. I am hoping the second half of the year turns up some more interesting reads for me!

Melissa’s rating : 1/10 (now I’m feeling really bad about scoring Bad Science a 2 last month. After reading The Graveyard Book I should revise Bad Science to a 5!)

UNLIKELY SAVIOUR

2010-06-10T10:39:00.004+12:00

This week we have an update to the Type 1 Diabetes story that has engulfed our family.

Mr 10 has decided he doesn't like the 'pen' injection which is a shame because instead of having to carefully draw up the precise insulin dosage (as you do with a syringue and which can be quite difficult even for an adult) the 'pen' has a dial so you always get exactly the correct doasge. Never mind, we tell Mr 10, you just have to have insulin. How you have it is your choice. He needs to retain some control.

So he chooses to continue with the twice daily shots. (Which will increase to 3-5 times a day in later months). Which is all very well and it keeps him healthy except that these shots need to be administered by DH or myself. Which means one of us has to be there every night and every morning. No more weekends away for parents. No sleep ins for one of us. That's OK, we think. Maybe in a few months he'll think about injecting himself.

Until an unlikely saviour emerges this week in the form of Miss 15. She somehow convinces Mr 10 that it would be good if she could inject him,too. And to prove she is serious she proceeds to inject her own stomach (several more times than is necessary!) to show him she can do it and to show him that she gets what it is like.

And, unbelievably, Mr 10 decides that Miss 15 is trustworthy and kind and yes she can inject him, too, from now on.

Thank you, Miss 15, for going beyond the bounds of sisterly niceness. Wonders will never cease.

Part 1: A NEW "F" WORD and Part 2: LADY OF THE LAMP

2010-05-12T21:06:00.009+12:00

I removed this post when it was going to be used for a publication but they never published it so I've re-posted it. Thanks to all the amazing supportive people who left comments when it was first posted.

Part 1:

Thirty-six hours ago life seemed a whole lot different. Our Man was 5 days into a month-long business trip to the Middle East. I was beginning to make plans for the sightseeing I would do when I joined him (without the kids!) in 3 weeks time in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Visits to a falconry, a desert oasis in Al Ain, shopping in the souks and Middle Eastern food were in my mind.

And then life throws us a curve ball.

I take Mr Just-Turned-10 to an after school doctor's appointment. For the past few days I'd noticed he's been going to the toilet very frequently and drinking 2 litres of water at a time. At the back of my mind I know these are classic symptoms. But I put those thoughts away - maybe it's just a bladder infection?

We see the doctor at 4.30pm. At 4.45pm we are heading for hospital. Our doctor knows and now we know: Mr 10 has type 1 diabetes.

There are 2 types of diabetes. Most of us know about Type 2 - sometimes (but not always) brought on by lifestyle, too much weight, not enough exercise. Sometimes triggered by other factors.

But I didn't know much about Type 1. Now I do. Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune disease. The immune system - which normally protects us from infections and other diseases - turns against healthy cells in the pancreas. It destroys the body's ability to produce insulin and control blood sugar levels. You can't catch it and you can't get it by doing anything wrong. It's genetic and it's thought that some environmental factor (such as a virus) triggers it.

If you have Type 1 diabetes your pancreas is poked. At a basic level when you or I eat, our pancreas squirts out a little bit of insulin which converts the sugars in our blood stream into energy for our body to use. In a Type 1 diabetic that doesn't happen.

Type 1 people need daily injections of insulin to do the work their pancreas used to do. They also need to do blood tests (via a finger prick test) several times a day to monitor their blood sugar levels. Too high and they need extra insulin shots, too low and they can become 'hypo' and need a sugar 'fix'. A hypo manifests itself in symptoms such as feeling dizzy, slurred speech, lethargy, irritability, headachy, shaky legs etc. Ultimately they could become unconscious.

For Mr 10 this means learning to do blood tests for himself and, at the moment, twice a day injections into his tummy. Later there will be more. It is a constant monitoring game and adjusting dosages of insulin.

At first Mr 10 was fine. "If I stay in hospital for a week will I be better then?" Sorry, Mr 10. No.

Today we learned a new dirty 'F' word. FOREVER. Type 1 diabetes is forever.

Mr 10 is distraught for a couple of days. "Why me? My life is over."

I know of other people with Type 1 diabetes. They live normal. ordinary, fulfilling lives. Mr 10 can too. It's just that getting to an ordinary life seems nigh on impossible. It won't be. We'll look back one day and we'll have got there. But at 3am that destination seems a long way off.

Our Man is flying home from the Middle East. I have cancelled my holiday. I can't imagine ever being able to leave Mr 10 for a night, let alone a week.

I don't cry. I can't. I have to handle this. I cry on the inside though. For my boy who has always seen the glass half empty. We always knew you were special. You were put there to teach us something. You are stronger and more capable than you ever imagined. And you don't have to do it alone.

After 2 days in hospital I pull the blue curtains back from our little cubicle where Mr 10 and I have been hiding from the world. I look around at who else is sharing our ward.

I talk to the parents. I sit with their kids so they can take a break. I play peek-a-boo with a 4-year-old with Down who has just had her 19th surgery. I help a 7 year old with spina bifida make her meal choices. I chat with the parents of an 8-year-old who was hit by a motorbike while walking to school. I play games with a 10-year-old with a broken arm and an infection that is eating away at his bones. I realise that if I can deal with what is happening to Mr 10 and still find room to give something of myself to these other people then things will be fine.

A week later we are home. All of us. Our Man is back from Abu Dhabi. Our phone bill will be horrendous. But it seems like this might be doable. We realise that we don't have to do this alone. There's a whole community helping.

We are still running back and forwards to the hospital. They provide an amazing team - a paediatrician with a great bedside manner (we find it kind of fun that his name is "Dr Phil"), a lovely dietician, and a fantastic Paediatric Diabetes Nurse Specialist who phones every day and who we visit several times for education sessions. She even comes with us to Mr 10's school to educate his teachers.

The school is fantastic. Four teachers visited us in hospital. Family and friends rally around. There are wonderful friends who visit and make meals and offer to help and who bring gifts.We see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"One good thing about getting diabetes, Mum, it's like having your birthday all over again!"

When we were in hospital I saw some kids who were surrounded by pretty crap families. And I am thankful that our family is surrounded by love. Forever

Part 2:

Look what I made!

A big thanks to Beverley for the huge inspiration at a time when creating stuff was the last thing on my mind! For instructions on how to make the paper roses and lamp have a look at Teresa Collins Website.

The roses are quick and easy to make for someone like me who hates precision and measuring. Once I'd made them it only took about half an hour to hot glue gun them to the lampshade. You could scout the second hand stores for a suitable lamp but I bought mine from Freedom Furniture ($39.95). I used an old stash of 7Gypsies scrapbooking papers but I think you could even use photocopying paper to make an all-white lamp.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - MAY BOOK

2010-05-09T18:55:00.001+12:00

Well it has been a busy couple of weeks and not much reading has happened so I'm pleased I actually read our May Book Circle title last month!

May Book: Bad Science
Author: Ben Goldacre
First Published: 2008

From the blurb:
” Dr Ben Goldacre dispenses fast and powerful relief from:
Scaremongering journalists
Pill-pushing nutritionists
Flaky statistic
Evil pharmaceutical corporations. ”

On the cover:
“Includes a brilliant, shocking and previously unpublishable new chapter”.

Pardon me but I was turned off before I started. For a supposed scientifically-based expose there was just way to much emotive language in this book. Words on the cover like “scaremongering”, ‘flaky”, “powerful relief’, “shocking” and, best of all “evil” well I was on the back foot before I started.

I’ve never liked conspiracy-theorists and this is one of the best. While I agree with quite a bit of what Dr Goldacre has to say (I did like some chapters) it just left me wondering what type of person would write it? And what type of person would buy it? I’m obviously in the minority because this non-fiction book was a Sunday Times (UK) top 10 bestseller.

I was brought up with the maxim “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all”. So I guess I would prefer to read something positive. And this was negativeness in its extreme.

Melissa’s rating : 2/10(It got 2 because I wholeheartedly agreed with his comments rubbishing the premise of detoxing).

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - APRIL BOOK

2010-04-19T17:47:00.007+12:00

Blogosphere Book Circle April Book: Replenishing the Earth: The Settler Revolution and the Rise of the Anglo-World 1783-1939

Author: James Bellich

James Bellich is a reknowned New Zealand historian and former Rhodes Scholar. He has written a number of award winning historical tomes.One of his books even got made into a television documentary series.

Confession time. I finally obtained this book from the library yesterday (there's a waiting list for it). And I flicked through it. And I sighed. It's an academic book. It's filled with pages of notes attributing the sources.It fills 560 pages not counting the 13 pages of index. I sighed again. It lost me in the title. I don't care enough. I couldn't do it.

And so, to make the people still on the waiting list happy I am returning it to the library tomorrow, unread, so they can read it.

Score out of 10 this month: Fail (that's me not the book!)

DOUBLE DIGITS

2010-04-14T12:31:00.004+12:00

Our 'baby' has hit double digits. We have a 10 year old in the house. As usual I was too busy 'organising' to take many photos. (E is front left.)

Can you guess what had just happened when this was taken?

TOO OLD? TOO SCARED?

2010-04-05T15:59:00.001+12:00

Mr Nearly 10: Dad and I are going to see "Clash of the Titans" this afternoon.

Me: Cool. Can I come?

Mr Nearly 10: Nope. You will be too scared.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - MARCH BOOK

2010-03-02T09:13:00.007+13:00

March Book: Access Road
Author: Maurice Gee
First Published: 2009

As I am still waiting for the February book from the library I thought I had better be first off the mark for March.

I have to confess I haven’t read a lot of Maurice Gee’s work (I know, he’s a Kiwi author, I must try harder!). But the movie adaptation of his novel ‘ In My Father’s Den’ remains one of my favourite all-time movies.

I enjoyed this latest offering. It’s the story of three elderly siblings as they uncover/reveal their past and, in particular, a dark secret. I liked how the ‘New Zealandness” of this novel is etched clearly. I liked how I could see the places the novel is set. That I knew them to be real. I liked how at first I thought I was reading a tale of a family of quirky old Kiwis but how the quirkiness turned a little more sinister.

While I felt the plot was a bit far-fetched what drew me to the book was the writing. Maurice Gee has a wonderful way with words and I felt I was reading the work of someone who really knows how to write. I read a review recently where someone described him as New Zealand’s greatest writer.

Here’s an example of what I liked.It was just a little scene-setting snip describing how the mother’s life had changed during her transition from a privileged childhood to a harder marriage:

“ I don’t think she regretted what she had lost. It was real; she identified it, and bred small selected pieces into her children’s behaviour – good manners, quiet voices, little observances of precedence and obligation, a ceremony of goodnight when we went to bed: things I remember and practice inside myself even as I leave them neglected in word and deed.”

This year I’ve decided to rate the books. It’s arbitrary! 7/10

NEW FRIEND?

2010-02-24T19:22:00.002+13:00

I really like the website Trip Advisor. It's great for sussing out places to stay when we're travelling. Some time ago I left a review about a hotel we'd stayed at in Rarotonga. Today I get this response to my review:

I am male from sri lanka. If you visit sri lanka, I can help you in many ways. Please mail me.

So, would you reply?

JUSTICE

2010-02-24T14:07:00.002+13:00

Two of the losers who shot Miss 14 in the leg (and another woman in the arm) with a BB gun a couple of weeks ago appeared in the Lower Hutt District Court this week. One was remanded for a few days because his lawyer was unavailable (he had trial matters in Wellington.) The second defendant pleaded guilty and was convicted and sentenced to undertake 40 hours community work. And the Judge decided he should pay each victim $100 as emotional harm.

Yes, Virginia, there is justice.

Polly's Piece For Olivia

2010-02-17T14:02:00.003+13:00

ZM Online - Today's Hit Music - Morning Crew - Highlights: Polly's Piece For Olivia

I couldn't have said it better myself. This should be compulsory reading for every 14,15,16 year old you know!

GOT THEM

2010-02-07T21:06:00.001+13:00

Miss 14 arrived home from doing a good deed early this evening. She was walking the dog around the block and said ”This is weird but I think I’ve just been shot by a BB gun.” And she had.

Turns out some thugs in a pink boy racer car shot her in the thigh from quite close range as they drove past. She was fine but had a big welt on her leg. I called the police, but had no great hopes of any resolution as Miss 14 said she could recognise the car if she saw it again but she didn’t know what type it was and had no idea of the identity of the occupants.

To my surprise the police questioned Miss 14 for ages and then said that the police would visit us later that evening to talk to her.

Imagine our surprise an hour later when a policeman from our local station phoned and asked if we would mind bringing Miss 14 into the station. Turns out she wasn’t the only victim. Someone else had been hit just a block away. And, better still, the second victim got the number plate. Within an hour the police had three suspects in custody. So quickly. Miss 14 had to go in and file a statement. And those losers are being charged.

Moral of the story – if something wrong happens, report it. Even if you think there’s no possible way the cops could get someone. Sometimes they can.

Go the woman who got the number plate. And go the Hutt Valley police!

(And what sad, brain-dead, no-hoper losers some kids are. How did they get like that?)

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES

2010-01-13T14:11:00.008+13:00

Today these three things joined our household:

A set of three Scanpan Impact saucepans. I have been coveting a set of these for a long long time. And today they arrived. Courtesy of a chef brother-in-law with connections (ie wholesale!).

Three cartons of preserving jars and bottles from Arthur Holmes. Now I can start making stuff. As we speak I have lemongrass and ginger jelly dripping through the jelly strainer.

And, best of all, Sam Hayes' new book Tell Tale. I have been waiting for this forever. Ms Hayes does not write fast enough to satisfy me! I need her to write more books. Love, love, love her work. I didn't think this was going to be available in NZ until March but I had asked our library to get it and voila! I asked the librarian why they have it but I can't buy it yet. Seems they get book directly from the publisher. Ah, now I know. Go find yourself a copy.

Good things come in threes.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

2010-01-10T09:55:00.006+13:00

DH had an unplanned trip to the Middle East this week. 4 days notice to be precise. Holidays interrupted. Work beckons. This time he flew into Dubai but had to go straight from there to Abu Dhabi. So he booked a driver. Upon arrival at Dubai airport he was relieved to see a driver waiting for him with a big sign saying "Mr Darryn".

Naturally we laughed at that but it interested me that name conventions around the globe can be quite different. The names of some of the people Darryn has meetings with in the Middle East are very interesting. Their names tell those in the know a lot about family connections. Names are often chosen in these places to reflect the family history and honour forebears more than because the parents think it's quirky (as is often in the West).

Muhammad, which means “one who is praiseworthy”, is often given to boys as an honorary prefix and is followed by the name by which they are commonly known. It is regularly cited as the most common name in the world, though there is no concrete evidence. It came be spelled a number of ways (Mohammed is common in the Middle East.)

I often wonder what people in other places make of our names.

BIG GIRL'S TOYS

2009-12-26T15:16:00.002+13:00

All Miss 14 wanted for Christmas was a new electric guitar (which she got) but I couldn't resist this grunge doll purchased in July at the Sunday morning Arts Centre market in Melbourne.

And we really didn't need to buy Mr 9 anything for Christmas because while attending the Games Workshop Boxing Day gathering he won $500 worth of Warhammer and Lord of the Rings models. Something to keep him busy during the holidays.

Everyone happy.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

2009-12-24T16:01:00.004+13:00

A little Miss 7 I know left a message on Santa's hotline this week. When she hung up she told her mother in a very surprised voice "I didn't know Santa had slave elves!".

Her mother duly phoned Santa back only to be told to leave Santa a message after she heard the "Sleigh Bells".

Bummer. I was going to ask Santa for a slave elf for myself.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS...

2009-12-16T09:17:00.002+13:00

Mr 9 has 2 and a half days of school left but this morning he decided he felt dizzy and needed to stay home.

After an hour or so I asked him if he was still dizzy or sick or did he just want a day off school? I told him it didn’t matter what the answer was I just needed the truth. He said he wasn’t really feeling dizzy anymore and just wanted to stay home today. I explained to him about mental health days and how maybe once a year it's OK to have one of these.

So I let Mr 9 stay home because I am a good Mummy and because all his school books came home yesterday so no work's actually happening at school today and they will probably just be watching a DVD this afternoon at school.

But mostly I let him stay home because you won’t get into trouble in our house if you tell the truth.

BAKE BAKE BAKE

2009-12-08T09:17:00.005+13:00

This year I decided I love baking. I like all things to do with food really. I don't even mind grocery shopping. But baking is my true love. I love how baking incorporates science and art - how you can take a recipe and work out the science part of it (ie what is really required in terms of setting and texture and cooking) and then throw in the creative side where you can play with the flavour combinations.

Over the past few weeks I've done an awful lot of baking. DH's work decided to bake for their clients. No mean task as they have a lot of clients. My contribution was 100 cellphane bags filled with yummies (75 bags of biscotti, peanut cookies, ginger cookies, spicy star biscuits). I've also managed to make (for family and friends) belgium biscuits, Christmas mince pies (and lemon curd pies for those who don't fancy the mince stuff)and my first ever Christmas cake (which is huge and will mostly be chopped into big giveaway slabs since I am the only person in our household who likes dried fruit).

Of course the best part of baking is in the eating and one thing I have had to learn is to not eat quite so much! I failed yesterday. It was my friend Zeetra's fault. She gave me the most amazing fudge recipe. It worked to perfection and tastes unlike any homemade fudge you've ever tried. It was expensive to make but it made heaps - over 100 pieces. After gorging myself I decided to pop it all in cellophane bags. Partly to protect myself from eating more but mostly so it was ready to give away. Here's the's recipe. It makes a really smooth and creamy fudge that is easy to cut and doesn't crumble:

DECADENT CHOCOLATE FUDGE
Ingredients
2 x 400g cans sweetened condensed milk
2 cups firmly packed soft brown sugar
250 g butter
100 ml liquid glucose syrup (most supermarkets stock this now)
3 tablespoons golden syrup
400 g white (or milk or dark ) chocolate, chopped (I used a bag of Nestle Melts which are only 375gm)
1 teaspoon vanilla

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Method
Spray and line with non stick baking paper, a 20 x 30 cm, quite deep (at least 4 cm) tin. I used a 20x20cm tin - I could have used 2 tins)

Place all ingredients, except the chocolate and vanilla, in a large heavy based saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and boil gently until it becomes very thick and changes colour to a dark caramel brown paper shade - about 6 minutes, to the soft ball stage, 116 degrees on a sugar thermometer. Stir often to prevent catching on the bottom - I find a silicone spatula or wooden spoon (that hasn't been used for anything except baking) the best gadget to stir with. Remove from heat and stand until the bubbles subside. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla until melted and smooth.

Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Cool to room temperature (about 3 hours) then refrigerate until firm. Tip whole slab out of tin. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 weeks - if you're lucky.

Thanks, Zeetra, I think!

DECEMBER

2009-12-02T09:30:00.004+13:00

Yes it's December. For the first time all year I have not finished reading the Blogosphere Book Circle book of the month. But I am halfway through. (When I ordered it from the library I was 26th in the queue!)

The November book was The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Swedish author Stieg Larsson.The book was translated to English. In Sweden it was called "Men who hate Women".

Synopsis (from Wikipedia): A middle-aged journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, publishes the magazine Millennium in Stockholm. In the opening courtroom drama, Blomkvist loses a libel case brought by accused Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström, and this has serious repercussions for the future of Millennium. In disgrace, Blomkvist agrees to be hired by Henrik Vanger, the aged former CEO of the Vanger companies, owned by a wealthy but disfunctional dynasty. The old man offers not only to help his financially strapped magazine, but also to give him information to prove that Wennerström is corrupt. Officially, he is to spend a year writing the Vanger family history.

Blomkvist's real mission, however, is to solve a cold case—the disappearance, some forty years previously, of Vanger's great-niece Harriet when she was sixteen.

My favourite character is Lisbeth Salander, an indie punk. A violent and antisocial but extremely intelligent hacker and researcher, specialized in investigations of persons.

This book is totally not my genre - it is essentially a murder mystery with a reasonable bit of violence thrown in but I am loving it.

What really intrigued me was that the author wrote this book and two following books in the Millenium trilogy (as well as notes/synopses for more books) but died before they were published. Post-humously he has sold millions of copies. There has been a lot of controversy around his will - he only left an unsigned will leaving everthing to the Communist Workers Party in Sweden but as it wasn't signed the courts did not recognise it. They ruled that his estate (including future royalties) went to his brother and father. His long time partner received nothing. There's probably a book in there somewhere.

Our December book is "Love in the Time of Cholera". Once again there was a big waiting list for it at the library and although it is now sitting next to my bed I fear it will be required back at the libary before I have a chance to read it. So my December book might get read over the hoiliday break, perhaps.

Happy reading.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MANNERS?

2009-11-23T14:29:00.008+13:00

Observed over the past 3 days (names changed to protect privacy)...

1. A woman is introduced to another women at a social function- neither had previously met. "Hi, I'm Michelle. Nice to meet you." "Ah, Michelle, I'm Liz. I see you're expecting. When?" Michelle is not pregnant and has actually lost over 20 kgs recently.

2. A new employee(Andrew) pats another man's (David's) tummy and says "I see the gym's not working." David has actually lost 30 kgs over the previous few years way before Andrew ever joined his workplace. David works hard at the gym 4 to 5 times a week to keep that 30kgs off.

3. A woman(who is gorgeous and actually does part time work as a plus-size model) told by her boss that it was "important for the company that we pay attention to image and a healthy work/lifebalance and maybe you should talk to Jo (another colleague) about the gym she goes to". Jo is a natural size 8 who eats chippies and chocolate bars for lunch every day.

These are all true stories.

What I want to know is:

a) do these people know how rude they are?
b) are they just ignorant?
c) do they ever empathise with others?
d) do they just open their mouths before they think?
and
e) having made a hurtful comment why could not one of them realise it and apologise?
f) the first 2 scenarios were made in the company of several other people - why did no one step in and pull up the person who was out of line?
or
g) am I just over sensitive?

I'd also love to know what Michelle should have said in response to the suggestion she was pregnant?

FACEBOOK WOES

2009-11-18T13:40:00.003+13:00

Anyone ever had their Facebook account hacked? I have.

This morning my friend, M, phoned me to say that she thought she had been having a chat session with me on Facebook only to realise she was chatting with someone who had hacked into my Facebook account and impersonated me. The person claiming to be me said I (and my family)had been mugged while on holiday in London and had all our credit cards and money stolen. They then asked her if she could send money to help. M suddenly realised it was a hoax and advised Facebook.

Facebook promptly disabled my Facebook page. Bah humbug. I'm the victim and I get cut. Gotta be a better system than that.

I'm hoping that all the lovely old friends I've recently renewed contact with on Facebook won't think I have vanished off the face of the earth.

Technology!

ANYBODY OUT THERE?

2009-11-02T11:31:00.004+13:00

Does anyone read blogs anymore? Are we all too busy on Facebook?

RANDOM PHOTOS

2009-10-23T21:58:00.007+13:00

I downloaded some photos today and this was amongst the mishmash that appeared:

Haven't made cards for a while - drew some random stuff and cut it up.

Do you think Indie tucked herself up or did she have help?

But best of all was this. Discovered in Mr 9's art book. The subject of many bedtime scrawlings...

IN REVIEW

2009-10-23T14:10:00.003+13:00

If you'd asked me yesterday if I had ever reviewed books professionally I would have said no. But I'd have loved to.

But today while clearing out some very old files on my computer I found something I'd totally forgotten about.

In the mid 1990s I reviewed children's books for Kiwi Parent magazine. As I now recall I didn't actually get paid in money but I did get to keep the books (payment enough for this book lover).

Funny how I'd forgotten.

RANDOM

2009-10-21T13:20:00.008+13:00

When I see those cheap Jetstar flights I think - it would be cool just to buy a ticket and go somewhere random for a day. But I never do because I'm not really that random.

But my friend K is. Back in May she says. What are you doing on 20 October?

And I can't think of one thing and she says good because we are going to Auckland for that day. Girls trip shopping.

So K and A and I head off bright and early. Airport. Rental car. Newmarket. Red Current for Christmas pressies. Zarbo for lunch. Nuffield Street. Ed Hardy, Trelise Cooper Kids (just browsing - who can afford that stuff?). Dressmart (it's so much better than our Dressmart). Gym gear. More Christmas pressies. Airport. Home.

Credit card not too damaged.

Because when the flight to Auckland is only $10 return - wouldn't you rather be random. And shopping?

FOOTNOTE

2009-10-10T11:38:00.006+13:00

Last night I went out with Bret McKenzie (of Flight of the Conchords fame).

Well 99 other people were there too but we did have a good night. We went to see Footnote Dance Company's Footnote Forte Solo series. It was a brilliant concept. 6 solo performances. 4 performances at Circa Theatre. Then we split into two groups and wandered first to the Museum Hotel for another performance and then to Courtenay's Place's Hooch Bar for the final performance. Way cool. The weather was very cool. Stormy. We needed wetsuits. Countless umbrellas were binned enroute. But it was a great night.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK REVIEW - OCTOBER

2009-10-06T11:50:00.004+13:00

October Book: Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world
Author: Vicki Myron
Non-fiction
Synopsis: (Courtesy of Dewey's website)
Vicki Myron was a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm and an alcoholic husband. But her biggest challenge as the new head librarian in Spencer, Iowa, was to raise the spirits of a small, out-of-the-way town mired deep in the farm crisis of the 1980s. Then, on the coldest morning of the year, Vicki found a tiny, bedraggled kitten almost frozen to death in the night drop box, and her life—and the town of Spencer—was never the same.

I like cats. We have an almost 18 year old one. We are cat people (OK and we have a dog but the cat is higher up the pecking order).

I don't like the way people who are obsessed with cats treat them as human.

I loved the story about small town America. I loved the little glimpse into life there. I hated the sickening-sweet relationship the author described with her cat. The cat who liked her better than it liked everyone else. I found this a bit pathetic to be honest. I also though the cat's name was strange - our pronounciation of Dewey is different to our US cousins who say "Doo-we" - somehow to this Kiwi ear the name was just wrong.

It was a sweet read but to me it was over the top. That said thousands will disagree. 'Dewey Readmorebooks' has his own website and thousands of people round the world visited or contacted the Spencer library about him.

Each to his own.

I've read quite a few books this month (I think the Book Club has spurred me into action). One I can highly recommend is "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I couldn't put this down. Probably my best read of the year to date. Beg, borrow or steal a copy if you can.

I've also just started "My Bum Looks Brilliant in This" by Wellington psychologist Karen Nimmo (she is a new addition on the morning TV Breakfast panel). Some really good stuff here. Take a look if you're interested in the psychology of weight loss.

BUT IS IT ART

2009-10-02T21:57:00.004+13:00

Some of you know that this year I ticked off something from my 'bucket list' and enrolled in painting classes through The Learning Connexion.

As a complete novice it was somewhat daunting to find I was joined in my class by 3rd year art students. But it was fine. Our tutor, a well known artist himself, was very encouraging and helped us to figure out how to express ourselves. I came to the realisation that I love words and the symbolism of the cross so these feature in most of my practice work.

But just recently I came across a fantastic blog by a wonderful Hawkes Bay artist, Katherine Quinn. Inspired by her whimsical women figures I had a go myself. Here are my first couple of attempts. Mine are more grunge than whimsical. The blonde is a self-portrait and the redhead is Miss 14. I have a long way to go (it's OK, I know they're not great!)but it's fun and, hey, if I make it - it's art.

Thanks Katherine for inspiring a beginner!

LIFE LESSONS

2009-09-11T11:11:00.002+12:00

Over the past month or so Mr 9 has been having a clearout. We decided to teach him the value of a buck when he decided he had a whole lot of PS2 games and DVDs that were just gathering dust. So he embarked on a sales campaign which netted him a fair bit of money.

Last week he realised that there were 6 or 7 PS2 games and about 10 DVDs not sold. So he decided to donate them to the Hutt Hospital's Children's Ward. After school we lugged 3 bags of his games, DVDs, books and transformer toys to the Children's Ward. The staff were suitably impressed and generous in their praise of his donation.

Walking home Mr 9 said to me:
"Mum - I didn't get any money for those things we gave the hospital. But I feel really proud!"

Yep - it isn't all about the money.

A good life lesson learned today.

CALLING ALL FOODIES

2009-09-04T21:19:00.003+12:00

For all you foodies (and I know there are a lot of you lurking out there) my friend, chef Mark Dronjak has a new website that I just had to share:

www.markdronjak.co.nz

Mark leads the Schools team at the Hospitality Standards Institute and also teaches members of the public at the Auckland Seafood School

You can read more about Mark in the August/September issue of Foodtown Magazine.

And if you check out his website you'll find some great recipes. (If you check it out leave him a message and tell him I sent you!)

BEAUTIFUL BOY

2009-09-01T09:23:00.006+12:00

I'm first out of the blocks this month - it's only the 1st of September but I have just finished reading the September Blogosphere Book Circle Book (OK I read it last month - sometimes the library does that to me!):

Book: Beautiful Boy
Author: David Sheff

Non-fiction this month. "A father's journey through his son's meth addiction" sums it up pretty much.

Some months ago I heard David Sheff and his son Nic interviewed on National Radio -it was a gripping interview and this was a gripping book. I loved it. I loved the story from the father's point of view.

The book has won lots of awards check out the author's website . (On the website I learned that David Sheff is, amongst other things, a contributing editor to Playboy magazine and did the last ever interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He's also interviewed a gazillion celebrities - none of this is mentioned in the book and I like him all the more for that - the book is his personal family story.)

I think what drew me in was the parent's heartache, the feeling that while he was desperately trying to help his son he was still merely an observer on the sideline. That there comes a time when you have to let go even though a part of you will protect and hold them forever. I also loved the title which comes from the John Lennon song - this is a special song in our house as I used to play it to E when he was a baby.

At the end of the book there was a preview chapter from Nic's book (he's written his own story) and I've got to say I wasn't interested in reading more of the son's story - I identified with the Dad and I think he said everything I needed to know.

Most important lesson I learned from this book - if you're having troubles with your kids don't do it alone - share your story with someone - true friends won't judge you.

NOT FANCY

2009-08-27T11:32:00.002+12:00

Miss 14 has to take German food tomorrow for a shared lunch with her German class. Me: "Shall I make a Black Forest Gateau?"
Miss 14: Nah, that's too fancy."
God forbid we should make something fancy!

Julie Biuso (Kiwi/Italian cook) came to the rescue with her German Apple cake recipe which is in the oven as we speak. It smells fancy!

P.S. I LOVE YOU

2009-08-21T09:17:00.003+12:00

Nope not some deep and meaningful post today - just the title of our August Blogosphere Book Club title. Cecelia Ahern's book probably need no introduction as most people will have seen the movie. Husband dies. She is heartbroken. He left letters for her. She reads the letters and rebuilds her life without him.

I only saw the movie about 3 months ago - not sure why I missed it first time around. I loved the movie. Wept buckets. The book? Hmmmm. Didn't like it so much which is unusual. EVERYONE likes the books better than the movies. But in this instance I found the book very 'chick lit' - was it the way it was written. It was very light. I thought the movie had more substance.

But weren't the movie and the book so different? I'd say the movie was loosely based on the book and that was all. There were so many significant differences - especially the new man and how the letters were received. In the movie the letters arrived randomly - I loved that but in the book they arrived at a set time each month. I think that's why the movie won out for me - I like random!

FACEBOOK

2009-08-16T10:59:00.004+12:00

There's an interesting article in the 'Sunday' magazine supplement to the Sunday Star-Times today about "Space Invaders. WTF! Our parents are going online? OMG!". Yep, us oldies on Facebook.

As a recent Facebook convert I found it all very amusing. Having resisted for some time I finally gave in when I discovered I could make short quick contact with lots of different people. Former primary school friends who live all around the world. Former work colleagues. Scrapbooking friends. Extended family.

This renewed contact doesn't involve huge energy or finding room for more relationships, rather it's quick "Yes I still like you. Yes I'm pleased to know you remember me. Yes I can get a little glimpse into what your life is like.". Through Facebook I get to have a little laugh with neighbourhood friends whom I mostly wave out to as we drive by on the way to school/sports/shopping.

But I don't accept everyone as friends - sorry friends of my kids - I really don't want to have you starting a food fight with me. I'm not interested in which band is cool. My own kids will tell me that.

Oops, better go. Got to update my status. TTFM.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - JULY BOOK

2009-07-29T15:29:00.002+12:00

July Book: Letter to My Daughter
Author: Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou has been described by Wikipedia as an American autobiographer and poet.She has also, amongst other things, been a dancer, producer, playwright and actress.

I Googled Angelou and found this on the USA Today site:
She was raised by her grandmother, "the greatest person I ever met," in racially segregated Stamps, Ark. She has written about being raped at 7 and becoming an unwed mother at 17, and about the friends who changed her life, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin, whom she knew as "Jimmy."

Now, she's a great-grandmother. She has an 18-room house in Winston-Salem and two town houses in Harlem, black America's unofficial capital, which is enjoying a real estate renaissance. One she rents out, the other she uses as an urban getaway, perfect for dinner parties.

Prior to this all that I knew about this author is that she is highly revered by Oprah Winfrey who describes her as a mentor. I knew that Oprah has thrown her a week long cruise for 150 of her 'closest friends' for a significant birthday. In fact Oprah is one of the many women who are acknowledged at the beginning of the book.

Letter to my Daughter is a collection is essays written to the 'daughter' Angelou never had.

I loved some of the words in the introductory passage:

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." On reading this right at the beginning I was quite excited, thinking I am going to love this book.

Wrong.

It only took a couple of hours to read the whole thing but as I went through it I became more and more cynical. It seemed preachy, self-indulgent and too assuming. I felt like it was a book of sermons but sometimes I couldn't get the message. Perhaps I'm just not well read enough but I didn't know who all the people were that she talked about. Was I meant to? The random words of wisdom seemed, well, too random. There were some amazing words in there but bound as a whole book I found it all too much.

But, hey, that's me. Lots of people will disagree.Plenty of people will love it. That's fine. This is how I felt about it. Today.

What's your soul?

2009-07-27T12:50:00.004+12:00

I've reported this before but many years ago when Mr 4 was,well, 4 he said "I think I'll draw a love heart" and Miss 9 retorted: "I don't know why we call them love hearts. You don't love with your heart. You love with your soul". Words of wisdom, indeed.

So I was inspired by Mim's link to this discussion. How would you describe your soul?

Here's my attempt. I'd love to hear yours.

My soul is a Chocolait Hub 70% dark hot chocolate, with cinnamon.

My husband’s soul is blues riff on a 1965 Fender Stratocaster.

My daughter’s soul is a waffle drenched in maple syrup and something heard only by her inside a headphone.

My son’s soul is a fighting space marine hugging a chocolate labrador retriever.

IT'S A MYSTERY

2009-07-17T15:31:00.002+12:00

So today I decide to de-clutter a bit and I start on our wardrobe. 3 hours later I emerge - there's more space, shelves are tidy, there's a pile of stuff for the Sallies, the outside bin is full and...

I have 27 stray socks. That's correct. 27 socks for whom their partner has up and left. Perhaps I should start a support group

Where do the odd socks go???

MELBOURNE SOUVENIR

2009-07-12T12:33:00.005+12:00

Melbourne was cool.

Bringing home souvenir swine flu was not!

Shhhhhhh

2009-07-03T08:46:00.003+12:00

Something interesting is happening over at The Mum Files.

Someone you know might be there...

(And why don't you email them? You could be next.)

QUEEN OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE

2009-06-29T10:45:00.006+12:00

Well I like to think that I'm the Queen Bee around my small universe but during the weekend I was upstaged by some queens who were larger than life. They were competing at the St James Theatre in Wellington in the Queen of the Whole Universe beauty pageant. It's really just a big fund raiser for AIDs-related charities.

It's the 6th year this event has been staged but the first time it has been held outside Auckland. It was a heap of fun. If you get a chance to see this next year it's a great night out.

THE ANSWER IS NO!

2009-06-26T16:44:00.003+12:00

So, if you had gorgeous red hair like this would you want to dye it brown? Even if 'all the other gingas at school are dyeing their hair brown'? Would you?

LIFE ELSEWHERE

2009-06-12T23:06:00.008+12:00

Over the past few weeks we've been having geography lessons in our house.

DH has had not one but two work trips to the Middle East in the past month. We now know that Dubai and Abu Dhabi are emirates or states in the country known as the United Arab Emirates. And we know that Abu Dhabi is the federal capital of the UAE.We know that Doha is in another country called Qatar and that Qatar is pronounced 'cutter'. And we know that the Americans use the commercial airport in Doha as a base for their airforce planes that fly to Iraq. And we can find these countries on a map.

We've learned all about how the emirates are run
and DH has even met a Sheik. We've learnt that doing business there is quite different to how it's done in NZ. We know that if you want to have a drink in the Sheraton bar you have to show your passport. We know that women in the UAE can hold senior government roles. We know that temperatures in the Middle East at present reach in the 40s and will continue to climb over the next 2 months. We know that the tallest building in the world (the Burj) is being built in Dubai and it makes the other skyscrapers look like toys.

We've learned that DH takes some unusual photos when he is away but these give us more pleasure than the usual tourist shots.

We've been excited to learn about somewhere new.

And we're rapt that DH comes home to us tomorrow.

THE MUM FILES

2009-06-10T21:01:00.003+12:00

Check out Lisa and Ligia's great new site "The Mum Files". Awesome tips and observations about family life and parenting. They both are great writers and have an awesome sense of humour. I'm loving it.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE

2009-06-09T21:51:00.005+12:00

June Book: The Zookeeper's Wife
Author:Diane Ackerman
Synopsis:
In a nutshell -a true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.
Verdict: I just couldn't get into it. It felt a bit 'try hard'. After chapter 4 I decided to give up. Life's too short. Maybe I need to try again some other time.

I feel like out I copped out this month so (purely to make me feel better) here's a review of a book I read last week that I did really enjoy:

Title: The Slap
Author: Christos Tsiolkas

Synposis: (courtesy Unwin and Allen publishers)
At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a child who is not his own.
This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the event.
In this remarkable novel, Christos Tsiolkas turns his unflinching and all-seeing eye onto that which connects us all: the modern family and domestic life in the twenty-first century. The Slap is told from the points of view of eight people who were present at the barbecue. The slap and its consequences force them all to question their own families and the way they live, their expectations, beliefs and desires.
What unfolds is a powerful, haunting novel about love, sex and marriage, parenting and children, and the fury and intensity - all the passions and conflicting beliefs - that family can arouse. In its clear-eyed and forensic dissection of the ever-growing middle class and its aspirations and fears, The Slap is also a poignant, provocative novel about the nature of loyalty and happiness, compromise and truth.

Verdict: I loved this book. Over the past couple of months reviews of this book seemed to pop up in publications I was reading. And then a week or two back I heard a long interview with the author, Australian Christos Tsiolkas, on National Radio. I knew I had to read it. I wasn't disappointed. It was gritty, fast moving and hard core at times. It made me think. I found myself taking sides. And then changing them. Another observation is that I realised I don't read many books by male authors. Are other people like that? If you don't like sex and expletives it's probably not for you. But I loved it.

RULE KEEPER

2009-05-29T12:36:00.003+12:00

I have a confession. I am a rule keeper. I obey the rules. In my nearly 44 years I've never had a traffic violation - not even a parking ticket.

So it comes as some surprise to me to learn that I have produced a teenager who is not so bothered about the rules.

This morning I looked at her and said:
Hmm. That wouldn't be eyeliner you're wearing to school would it?

Miss 14:
Whatever.

Ruler keeper:
You could get a clothing detention if a teacher catches you.

Miss 14:
I don't care. T and J (BFs) both have clothing detentions at lunchtime today so if I'm caught I'll just go with them. We'll just chat during detention so it's no big deal. Don't worry about it.

She's right. I shouldn't worry. It's not my problem.

I just wish I was so relaxed.

BLOGOSPHERE BOOK CIRCLE - MAY

2009-05-26T08:28:00.004+12:00

MAY BOOK: The Nineteenth Wife
AUTHOR: David Ebershoff

SYNOPSIS: (courtesy Louisa Thomas, New York Times)

Faith can make troubling claims on believers. In a prison diary — one of the many fictional documents in David Ebershoff’s third novel, “The 19th Wife” — the Mormon leader Brigham Young states one such problem plainly: “I know my faith to be the true faith of God . . . yet I cannot force belief upon others — or can I? Is this not my task, my mission? . . . I cannot know.”

Brigham Young married many women, some more by force than by choice. One of these women — officially his 19th wife (though the number was probably much higher) — rebelled. Her name was Ann Eliza, and she is a central character in Ebershoff’s book. A fictionalized version of her story runs alongside a murder mystery narrated by Jordan Scott, the son of a modern 19th wife who has been charged with killing her husband, one of the leaders of Mesadale, a modern-day fundamentalist community. Devout despite a wretched life, BeckyLyn Scott says she didn’t do it, and Jordan believes her.
THE VERDICT:

I loved this book. It is probably not one that I would have chosen myself. It took me a long time to read it - I think that was because I was taking in all the historical parts. While I was reading it I was conscious that it was fact interwoven with fiction.

The two stories were easy to keep separate and I didn't find them confusing.

I was really interested in the history bits (though I know some of it was fabricated) but you got a broad sense of the early history of the Church of Latter Day Saints and the divisions therein.

I actually found reading about polygamy a bit stressful - I definitely know I couldn't be one of many wives!

Definitely one to recommend.

BOYS AND MUD

2009-05-19T15:42:00.002+12:00

Mr 9 meets me outside school with his scooter but in bare feet. "Can't wear my shoes they are COVERED in mud".

They are. Caked. Can't actually tell what colour the shoes were.

Mother: How did your shoes and socks get so muddy?

Mr 9: Ahh well... it was like this... we were writing narratives and we had to write about texture so we went outside and had to feel something to write about and... well.. I decided to write about mud... but there was no way I was going to put my hands in it!

TICKING OFF THAT 'ONE DAY' LIST

2009-05-13T13:00:00.003+12:00

Do you have a 'one day' list? You know, the list of things that one day you'll get around to? My list includes things like learning to play the piano, going on an African safari, getting over my fear of heights (and birds), being a size 12, living overseas etc

But one thing on my list has recently been ticked off. It was "go to painting classes". I didn't want it to say "learn to paint" because I wasn't really sure if I could actually learn to do it but I did want to try.

I've been inspired by various people. One of them is Cath. Cath has studied art for a few years through The Learning Connexion. When I found out that TLC was only a 5 minute drive from my home I knew I had to try. So I enrolled in night classes. I've only had three classes. I've learned some techniques. It's been fun and hard. There are only 3 beginners in the class. The rest are experienced. Some are third year diploma students. Scary. But mostly I've learned that art is whatever you want it to be. If I make it it is art. So here for posterity is one of my very first attempts.

I'm hoping that in years to come I will be able to look back and see that I've got better!

TECHNOPHOBE OR TECHNOPHILE?

2009-05-02T13:37:00.008+12:00

I admit it - I am not into technology. I have no techno-envy when friends show me their latest iPhone or laptop. Sure I like to use it - but I just want my phone/laptop/iPod to work. I don't care how. And when DH (Techno Man) buys an amazing (read 'we-could-have-bought-another-car') stereo which he's been researching for months online and via his subscription to Tone magazine it's nice but... well... whatever. It doesn't rock me.

So this weekend I have a small problem. The PS2 has been shifted from one room to another and needs to be hooked up. But can I do it? No. And where is Techno Man when you need him? In the Middle East. True.

I try every possible installation option. Nothing. I can't install it.

I decide to email TechnoMan halfway across the world for assistance. Maybe I'll get a response tomorrow.

In the meantime Mr 9 is playing with the TV connections and yells out “I’ve got it “. And he has. I tried for 20 minutes – he tried for 2.

“It’s because you’re a girl, Mum, and I’m an ICT monitor!”

Hummpfff!

This is Mr 8 turning into Mr 9 a couple of weeks ago.Did you notice the tshirt slogan: How to spot a gamer. Apt.

FEEL GOOD

2009-04-20T11:05:00.001+12:00

How cool is this? (You'll need to copy and paste.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EYAUazLI9k

SHOW SOME PASSION

2009-04-16T10:45:00.009+12:00

Just back from a few days in Taupo. What amazing weather for this time of year.

Mr 8 is no longer. He turned 9 while we were away. We went to Rotorua for his birthday and he chose to visit the Paradise Valley Springs wildlife and trout park. Oh it also has lions. Mr 9 took a gazillion photos (with my Canon). The story behind the one of DH and I below took my fancy. DH was over posing for photos. So Mr 9 pipes up "Come on Dad. Show some passion!" A fashion photographer in the making?

On our last day in Taupo DH took the kids on the lake trout fishing with some friends from Wellington. Between 5 of them they landed 10 trout. 6 were keepers. Kids pretty excited about catching such big ones. But note how Miss 13 refused to actually touch it!

Blogosphere Book Circle Book of the Month

2009-04-06T10:11:00.010+12:00

APRIL BOOK OF THE MONTH: In Defence of Food
AUTHOR: Michael Pollan

SYNOPSIS from www.michaelpollan.com
"Food. There's plenty of it around, and we all love to eat it. So why should anyone need to defend it?

Because most of what we're consuming today is not food, and how we're consuming it --in the car, in front of the TV, and increasingly alone -- is not really eating. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances" -- no longer the products of nature but of food science. Many of them come packaged with health claims that should be our first clue they are anything but healthy. In the so-called Western diet, food has been replaced by nutrients, and common sense by confusion. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become.

But if real food -- the sort of food our great grandmothers would recognize as food -- stands in need of defense, from whom does it need defending? From the food industry on one side and nutritional science on the other. Both stand to gain much from widespread confusion about what to eat, a question that for most of human history people have been able to answer without expert help. Yet the professionalization of eating has failed to make Americans healthier. Thirty years of official nutritional advice has only made us sicker and fatter while ruining countless numbers of meals."

DID YOU LIKE/DISLIKE THE BOOK?:

Having spent the past 4 years on a healthy eating/living journey I have read more than my fair share of books on eating. I liked this book because it offers yet another/same perspective. I enjoyed reading non-fiction, too, this month.

It's basic premise is "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants". End of story. Ha!

You know what sucks? I like food. A lot. It's like my own personal brand of heroin. (Thanks for the line, Edward Cullen.) Cathy says it better than I could.

DID IT AFFECT YOU IN ANY WAY?:

I can't say it affected me but I guess it's another reminder to keep on the straight and narrow.

If only it were that easy.

Want a gift from me?

2009-03-30T17:47:00.001+13:00

Want a gift from me?

Mim is being crafty and is going to share her talents and she's inviting her readers to do the same.

The deal is that I am supposed to follow these rules:

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this next month.

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or something sewn (but if you know me well you'll know that sewn is highly unlikely). I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! I do promise fabulosity here folks...

So, who's in?

MARCH BOOK CLUB REVIEW

2009-03-28T12:56:00.003+13:00

This month's book:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Synopsis (thanks Janine): Oskar is nine years old and grieving after the death of his father, in the 9/11 attacks. Oskar comes across a key that is tucked away in an envelope labeled “Black.” He is convinced that finding the owner of the key would somehow lead him to answers about his father’s death. The event of finding the key becomes the backdrop of the story as Oskar sets off to track down everybody with the surname Black in the city. Interwoven into the story are stories of Oskar’s grandparents who came to America from Dresden, Germany.

Did you like/dislike the book:
I point blank didn't like it. I tried and tried. The different voices confused me at times, sometimes I wondered who was speaking. I perservered through about 3/4 of the book then skimmed to the end and read the last chapter hoping all would become clear. It didn't.

I did like the illustrations throughout which added a slight quirkiness.I kept thinking they were cool.

Penny said she struggled to comprehend that a nine year old would think these things but I concede that a 9 year old (was he autistic?) kid might. My Mr Nearly 9 never ceases to amaze me with his thought processes.

The best thing about the book was the title.

Did it affect you in any way?:

Well reading a book I didn't like reminded me that it is good to stretch myself sometimes. But it made me feel like a loser because i just didn't 'get' it - made me feel intellectually inept or something.

This book remined me that it's OK not to waste time reading stuff I don't like!

2009-03-24T10:22:00.005+13:00

Thanks, Lisa for this cool blog award:

Now it’s my turn to share the love around.

Here’s the deal…

First, share memories or thoughts of childhood or adulthood sister-friends. Funny, sad, whatever.

1. As a kid I remember we 3 girls on road trips with our parents. We'd be in the back seat of our red Holden Belmont and we'd sing and sing (not usually all singing the same song) until our parents would beg for some peace.

2. I remember as a young teen singing a ghoulish folk song by Steel Eye Span over and over to torture Miss K (4 years younger). It had lyrics including "We will prick him, we will pinch him; we will stab him with a pin. And the nurse will hold the basin; for the blood all to run in". She would scream and get my parents to make me stop singing.

3. On a recent Joseph girls excursion to the Martinborough Fair the Joseph girls (me, my two sisters and our Mum) watched the Mamma Mia DVD and relived our youth. We all sang.

4. As a grownup it occurs to me that the girl friends I enjoy spending time with the most are those are still aren't afraid to sing.

Is there a music theme here somewhere???

Second, pass the award on to however many bloggers you’d like to share this with- but make sure you share this award specifically with bloggers that you feel a kinship with. Bloggers you learn from or feel that you teach, bloggers you’ve connected with in a really familiar and friendly way.

So my award goes to:

Penny
Janine
Delys
and anyone reading this who wants an award. It's OK to give one to yourself. You have my permission!

STICK FIGURE FAMILY

2009-03-20T08:50:00.003+13:00

Ok this is Penny's fault because she directed me to a time waster (but it was fun!)

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

NO GO

2009-03-17T13:31:00.003+13:00

When you're a seven month old labrador retriever you cannot fit through the cat door.

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE...

2009-03-15T22:03:00.009+13:00

When you're nearly 14 you can't go to Vodafone Homegrown unless you're with an adult so DH unleashed his indulgent Dad/inner child/midlife crisis gene and took C and her 2 friends.

They came home with this...

... Miss Nearly 14 (centre back with cap) and her friend, J, and the entire lineup of Kiwi band Good Night Nurse - their favourite Kiwi band. Apparently they had to beg to get into the signing tent as the queue had officially closed. But when you're Nearly 14 begging comes naturally.

And I hear there was the incident of Miss Nearly 14 by herself (friends too scared)in the mosh pit when heavy rock/metal band Blindspott were playing. DH was at the venue but not totally aware of where C was. I don't really want to know any more about it. But I hope it doesn't mean that I have to be the chaperone next time!

ROCK CHICK

2009-03-05T12:16:00.015+13:00

So Miss Nearly 14 asks us if it would be OK for her and two friends to go into Wellington by themselves at night to see the Summer Jam concert at TSB Arena. Four bands: P Money, Midnight Youth, The Veronicas and... drum roll.....direct from the U.S.... Metro Station (featuring Trace Cyrus- Miley's way cool step brother or something and demi-gods to Miss Nearly 14 and her friends).

So we agree.

So they catch the bus into Wellington after school and change at DH's work (hmmm.. was there makeup? I hear there was.) They go a couple of hours early to queue.

"We want to be up the front."

And we arrange for DH to collect them at the end.

"Could we walk back to Dad's work (in Featherston St) and have him collect us there?" (Not cool for Dad to collect you from the venue.)

So we agree.

And when DH collects them they scream their lungs out because guess who they met outside Dad's work? Two of the guys from Metro Station who had snuck out after their set to find food.

"And they shook our hands. And he said Hi, I'm Mason. MASON MUSSO!!!! He's the lead singer. And ANTHONY IMPROGO - he's the drummer!!! We got photos with them. OUR FRIENDS ARE GONNA DIE!!!!"

So we agree. That is very cool.

"And can we have tomorrow morning off school 'cos we're not going to able to sleep after this?"

And we said no.

Because there are some times when parents have to draw the line.

(Edited - photo from The Edge website - spot the redhead in the second row - Miss Nearly 14)

THE INTERVIEW

2009-02-23T14:24:00.011+13:00

I've been interviewed by Penny
1.One of the things I admire about you is your amazing weight loss journey and the way you have turned your lifestyle around by choice. I'm currently trying to find some ideas for healthy snacks or ways to deal with the 4.00pm munchies... any suggestions?

Well journey might not be the the right word - sometimes it feels like a monumentous uphill battle. I'm certainly no saint - the chocolate biscuit box gets the odd hammering. It's a neverending challenge - which I struggle with day after day. But like you I get the 4pm munchies and while there are lots of things I can and do eat at this time (rice crackers and hummus were on the menu last year) I've recently made a rule that at 4pm if I need to eat then it can only be fruit. I'm the rule queen (she who has never had a parking ticket!) and I think that if I make myself some rules this just eliminates some of the bad choices I could make.

2. Your career sounds awfully interesting. Tell us some more about it. What do you find the most challenging? What do you find the most rewarding?

I find that I laugh at the term 'career' because I never really planned any of my jobs - I fell into them. When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer, a journalist or a speeech language therapist. I became none of these. I left school half way through the 7th form when my parents could see I was mucking around and they got me a job interview in the Justice Department (that wouldn't happen now!). I worked for over 20 years in the Public Service - the Justice sector and the land arena. One of my most interesting roles was in the late 80s when I worked simultaneously for the Indecent Publications tribunal (there aint a dirty book I haven't seen!), the Abortion Supervisory Committee and the Committee of Inquiry into the Sharemarket crash. Most of my 'career' was spent working for the Registrar-General of Land. I had lots of different roles including NZ Operations Manager which was challenging and fun when it involved looking after 12 offices round the country but not so fun when we had to close 7 of them. Through that experience I learned heaps about performance planning, HR, project management, strategic planning, audit, and more and I became very involved in change management. They were really useful experiences when I took up management consulting over the past couple of years. I now work for a very little company on a range of things from reviews of organisation structure, to project managing small projects to leadership training and individual coaching. My favourite thing is the individual coaching. I am fascinated by people and their life experiences and love working with people who want to improve themselves. Coaching others has been good for me, too as it's forced me to look at myself. As a coach you need to be pretty sure about who you are and how you can help. I'm a real talker, though, and in my coaching role I have to constantly remind myself to shut up - it's about them not me.

Interestingly I don't have a degree - I have one law paper I did part time. Lots of people over the years have told me I should study but I've always wondered why? What would it give me that I don't have now? I think I came from the last generation where it was possible to have roles I've had without a degree. It wouldn't happen these days.

PS I also had two and a half years as a stay at home mother and, while I did get bored, it was the most rewarding job of them all. It was during that period that I finally had the time for myself and was able to start my weight loss and ftness journey as well as be there for my family. It's a cliche but true.

3. What is the thing that most surprises you about being a grown-up?

As a 'grown-up' I don't feel any different to how I felt as a teenager - maybe more confident in myself - but I remember as a teenager that I thought I would die before I turned 20 because I couldn't imagine how my life 'being old' would be. I am so pleased I hung around to find out.

4. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?

Like most people I have these dreams of living in a foreign land but if I really think about it the dream is really to just take an extended holiday.3-6 months in one spot would do me just fine - not too fussy - Rarotonga or France or Italy or the States. New Zealand will always be where I would plan to come home to. We have a dream about living in Mapua (in the Nelson region) but maybe the holidays we take there will suffice. Home is where the heart is. Anywhere with DH suits me just fine.

5.Floral, oriental, chypre... what perfume (if any) do you gravitate towards? Do you have a signature scent?

I like florals mostly. I hate musk. I love perfume but unlike most women I do not have a collection of perfumes. I generally have one bottle of expensive stuff which I use and use and use until it is used up and then I get another one. I love Jean Paul Gautier (those torso bottles!) and although I've never owned a bottle, Chanel No 5. At the moment I wear Bvlgari everyday. I'd never worn it til DH brought it home from an overseas trip. I only ever buy perfume duty free so when I run out I have to wait for an overseas trip or (if I'm waiting too long) get someone who's travelling to pick it up for me. I have my eye on Issey Miyake next.

I do have a question. Why do I not like the cheaper fragrances? I'd love to pick up a bottle or two of those pop star perfumes - you know Brittney's or Celine Dion's. They're cheap and I could have a few of them. But when I smell them - nup they don't do it for me.

When we were in Rarotonga recently we went to a place called Perfumes of Rarotonga and I brought a couple of bottles home as gifts. I kept one and opened it recently. Wow - in Raro it smelled of, well, Raro. It was florally and heady and great. At home? The only thing you could use it for is an airfreshner - so it sits on the top of our loo!

If you would like me to interview you just leave me a message and say 'interview me" and I'll email you some questions.

I'LL TAKE THAT

2009-02-18T19:13:00.002+13:00

Mr 8 and I were having a laugh while playing The Simpson's Operation board game. Suddenly he stopped and our conversation went like this:

Mr 8: Don't make me laugh so much Mum, that's Dad's job.

Mum: What do you mean?

Mr 8: You know. Dads are the funny bone and the brains.

Mum: So what are mothers?

Mr 8: Mothers are the heart and soul.

I'll take that.

Blogosphere Book Circle Book of the Month

2009-02-17T16:46:00.002+13:00

February is month one in our online book club (see Penny's blog on the side bar for the full list of participants). Our first book was:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society / Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.

Synopsis (copied from Penny, she who oganises our book circle):
"Set in London/Guernsey just after the war, this book is written in the format of letters to one character to another which takes a little getting used to... Julia Ashton is looking for her next book topic and discovers it when she is contacted by a man who has bought a copy of a book that used to belong to her. Thus begins a correspondence that quickly evolves into more as Julia gets to know each member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and their life on the island during the German occupation. Each letter reveals a little more about their stories, their perspectives island life, characters who live there and connections. Julia eventually visits the island and finds more than just her book."

Did you like/dislike the book, did it affect you in any way?:
I LOVED this one. It's probably not the type of book that I go for so I am rapt that in month one the Book Circle has turned up trumps. I loved how the book was entirely composed of letters. I felt sad at the end when I read that the author died before the book was published. I loved that the content was both frivilous and shocking. The accounts of war experiences were not what I had expected when I started readiong. I loved how some of the most memorable lines were in letters from not the main characters but from the bit characters.I loved the quaint turns of phrase. I liked the humour and the heartache.

These little snips tickled my fancy so much that I wrote them down before I returned the book to the library:

"I have a parrot in my keeping - her name is Zenobia and she does not like men" (This made me laugh out loud.)

Which contrasted considerably with this:
"The SS forced the prisoner's orchestra to play music as we lugged the corpses- and for that I hope they burn in hell with polkas playing"

And this:
"He looked like the German you imagine - tall, blond hair, blue eyes - except that he could feel pain."

And this:
"My aunt says she will never set foot in our house ever again, and Mother hasn't spoken to me since. I find it all very peaceful."

I tried to read it slowly (unlike my usual reading style) to savour it for a bit longer. I was disappointed when it was over.

10 out of 10.

THE DOG WHISPERER

2009-02-16T10:49:00.005+13:00

Hands up if you watch The Dog Whisperer on TV? I confess I am an addict. Even when I didn't have a dog I couldn't get over how he could take control and turn around bad behaviour in dogs. But it seems that it's not really the dogs that misbehave - it the humans who haven't figured out how to master them.

Last week we had Wellington's own dog whisperer pay us a visit to sort out a few small issues with Indie. Canine Solutions is run by Jo Goddard and her partner Craig. I called them in after no less than 6 different people (including strangers I met at the beach) recommended them. At 6 months our puppy looks nearly fully grown but still, at times, behaves like a crazed toddler.They were like miracle workers. Like the Dog Whisperer they talked about the dog's energy. They gave me heaps of tips on how to ensure that the humans in our house are the pack leader (not the dog).

But best of all they taught me how to stop her running at the door and jumping at visitors. Now she doesn't. In one hour they were able to show me how to change her behaviour (and mine). Pretty impressive.

We start obedience classes with Canine Solutions in a couple of weeks. Despite my misgivings about what I thought was my unruly dog Jo tells me we are doing a great job and Indie can skip grades 1 and 2 and go directly to grade 3 (whatever that is). Apparently it's a good thing.

A calm dog is a happy household.

I HATE RUNNING

2009-02-05T12:49:00.003+13:00

I hate running. The most I can do is about 2 minutes at a time. Then I need a couple of minutes recovery before I can run a bit more. My world record is 10 minutes without stopping. I don't even know how many kms that was. It was a year ago. It drives me mad because DH runs 5-7 kms often. And there was a time when he couldn't.

Anyway I hit the gym yesterday and thought to myself 'Stop saying you can't run. Just get on the treadmill and run. Mind over matter. Just run'.

So I did.

For 90 seconds.

Until I realised I wasn't wearing a sports bra.

Bugger.

BLISS

2009-01-30T10:05:00.019+13:00

Miss 13 in the resort gardens View of the resort from the lagoon
Photos by Mr8Glass bottomed boat snorkelling trip

We're home from Rarotonga. 8 days of swimming, kayaking, snorkelling, husking coconuts, hunting crabs, reading (I got through 4 books). Lots of rain (it's the rainy season) but 30 degree temperatures every day meant it didn't matter.

Kids club outing

We had a rental car for a few days which was fun. You have to go to the police station to get a licence and they sell police souvenirs!

We were rapt to meet up again with artist Mahiriki Tangaroa and purchased an original art work from her - something we had been wanting for years.

Little geckos (moko) everywhere at night.

The Pacific Resort was good (our 2 bedroom Garden villa was great but definitely not the 120 square metres they advertised (I think they must have included the garden area outside).But we've decided we like the Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa (where we stayed last time) better. For those of you planning Cook Island holidays with small kids the Pacific Resort kid's club only catered for the over 6's. They only did outdoor activities so if it was raining (which it did a lot) then the kids activities were cancelled. Activities finished around 4pm. The Rarotongan's kids club take kids from 4 years old and have an indoor facility. They also have a 7pm-9pm session meaning you can feed the kids early - drop them to the kids club and have an adult dinner on your own.

Anyway as our kids are a bit older it didn't matter at all to us.

We highly recommend Trader Jacks in Avarua for great seafood meals and drinks (especially the mango slushies). Cafe Salsa was great, too. The Saturday market was bustling and fun. The glass bottomed boat snorkelling trip was amazing. Even Mr 8 snorkelled out of his depth. And deep sea fishing on charter boat "Akura" netted a yellowfin tuna for DH.

A lovely family time.

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE

2009-01-18T20:10:00.002+13:00

In about 10 hours the family Thorn will jump in the car and head to Wellington airport en route (via Auckland) to Rarotonga. The Cook Islands here we come.

And coming with me will be my brand new suitcase.

It's pink.

INTERIOR DESIGN TIP

2009-01-07T13:32:00.002+13:00

I've had the luxury of time to read a few magazines this week. I came across this good tip:

Don't spread your art works arund the room. Instead cluster them all on one wall to make an impact. The blank walls will draw your eye to the cluster. This will bring a less cluttered look to your room.

I tried this in a couple of rooms and it worked.

Here's the result in our family room. What I love best is the mix of artists. The 3D tuatara is by Morgaine Wakelin (a Nelson artist); the cabbage tree limited edition print is by NZ artist Tom Burnett; the hei tiki was a gift I gave DH; can you pick the Hotere? And the other 2 are by me. Talk about art extremes.

SUMMER JAM

2009-01-05T10:44:00.004+13:00

I love summer fruit. If you have access to apricots (or even just a cheap supply in your local supermarket) here's a recipe for microwaved apricot jam. It couldn't be easier:

APRICOT JAM
-courtesy of Homegrown Issue 1

To make 3-4 cups of apricot jam you need:

Four cups fresh apricots. Choose very ripe fruit, remove the kernels but don't peel,and bring to boil in a large bowl in the microwave.
Cook until tender (approx 10 -20 mins). Take bowl out of microwave and add 4 cups of white sugar. Bring to the boil again in the microwave and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Pour into sterilised jars and seal.

Happy jam making.

HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE

2008-12-12T22:21:00.001+13:00

Healthy Food Guide
January Issue
Page 27

NO COOK

2008-12-10T12:27:00.007+13:00

You know how at this time of the year you need a few treats on hand in case friends pop in or you need to take a plate or give a last minute gift to the neighbours that you'd forgotten to buy a pressie for? Well...

...here is the solution. My friend K's famous White Chocolate and Apricot Balls.

I must say I was sceptical at first. After all there's no butter which is usually the setting ingredient in truffles. But anyway I've made it heaps and it works.

K'S WHITE CHOCOLATE AND APRICOT BALLS

Mix together:

1 TIN CONDENSED MILK

1 PACKET VANILLA WINE or MALT BISCUITS (crushed)

1 PACK DRIED APRICOTS (chopped)

1 LARGE BLOCK OF WHITE CHOCOLATE ( I use Whittakers either Milk or White Choc and Macadamia - chopped)

3/4 CUP OF COCONUT(optional)

MIX ALL THE ABOVE IN A BOWL. ROLL INTO BALLS (with wet hands) AND ROLL IN MORE COCONUT

LEAVE IN FRIDGE TO SET.

(This is one of those ‘anything goes’ recipes. You could add nuts or other dried fruit or change the white chocolate to dark. It’s a great recipe if you need to take a plate and you only have 20 minutes to prepare something.)

Confession 1 The photo above is not of my baking - mine look lumpier and less smooth (bit like me). These freeze really well and (Confession 2)I can eat them straight out of the freezer. Hmmm, perhaps that’s not a good idea!

A MARTINBOROUGH WEEKEND

2008-12-08T15:49:00.005+13:00

For our 20th wedding anniversary celebration DH and I chose to go to Martinborough for a long weekend with our great friends, G and Lou.

Lovely weekend - eat, drink, music, shop, sleep, read, walk, sun, laughs. Perfect, really.

Here's Lou and I at Alana Estate. We both hate the photo. But can you see who else is in the photo? Check out the background. John Mellencamp and Sheryl Crow. Awesome concert. Loved Sheryl Crow best.

Oops, correction, love DH best. (Sheryl sings better,though.)