Finally made it to New Zealand. Flight was long but not boring as the in flight entertainment was great. The food was good too. A big Thumbs up to Air New Zealand.
We are now at Waiwera campsite with out slightly tatty motorhome. Going to some hot pools later.

Wiiol pop in again later when free.

Off now to Neew Zealand and hopefully some sunshine. I will be popping in if I can between baeaches.:D

See y'all in a few weeks.:D:D:D

Yes I am and trying to be cool abour it but jumping with excitement inside.

I have been away at the local Bhuddist entre for the weekend and despite feeling decidedly ropey felt relaxad and calm from just about the moment I arrived.

My little conservation group were working on and around the pond which is pretty lifeless as there was no water movement and it was filled with weed.

We did see two or three frogs, in my friends garden there were 12 and they have now spawned. There was no spawn and no signs of small life anywhere.

Hope we have done enough to restart the life of the pond.

We worked around the outside as well, clipping stumps of felled trees that were doing their best to regrow and clearing a lot of old wood from a previous felling some time ago.

The bhuddists fed us and provided chocolate. Needless to say, we will be back

The community there is made of all sorts of people from around the world, not just English. I got up early on Sunday and they were practising devotions I could only hear the singing which was very beautiful.

So now the last few days before we fly and I am to collect my NZ dollars tomorrow

Struggling with my monthly migraine so just popping in befoe it gets too bad.
Hubby is off doing pond work today at the Tara Bhuddist Centre. I go up tonight, hopefully, with littl'un and we work tomorrow on clearing a hedge of brash. It is only a few years old and no birds are nesting in it yet.

Ordered money for my hols yesterday. Less than a week before we fly. Getting V. excited.

Went out last night with a group of friends known as the DCV mums. Had a nice carvery meal but I was good and missed off the stuffing and yorkshires. I have given up on Weight Watchers for a bit. Just kept thinking about food all the time. Now I am just forgetting it.

Having dreams about work at the moment. I suppose I am going to as I am going off into the unknown and right out of my comfort zone.

Hope you all have a good weekend

The Peak Park that is.
Had a great time yesterday with my friend G. We walked from Harting ton to a place called sheen over muddy fields infested with sheep....droppings. The views were quite dramatic as there had been snowfall. Even the low hills looked like mountains.The wind was really biting but luckily my hat did the trick. i wasn't as puffed out going up as I thought I might be either. Just coated in a fine layer of mud

We must have walked for only three miles and we had a bit of time on our hands so we thought we would go and look at Pilsbury Castle, apparently 2.5 mles from Hartington, on the way home. We went down gated lanes and had to reverse up one as it was single track and someone else came the other way. We then got attacked by geese, well sort of honked at. No castle though. Had a great adventure and I slept pretty well last night apart from littl'un's coughing.

I am getting along with my friend well but find that there is a barrier between us. I suppose I fear her going back to her old ways. I don't want her dropping in nearly every day like she used to and expecting to be fed. She sort of lurked last night and the night before and I couldn't bring myself to say for her to stay. I don't feel like I am such a great friend. I suppose things will improve with time. She has only been back two weeks.

Been feeling like I am wading through treacle all the time at the moment. My thinking is sluggish so I am hoping a walk in the Peak Park with G this morning will air my brain cells. I was hoping that I would feel more perky once I had finished nights, but I don't. There is still an element of sleep deprivation with Littl'un keeping me a wake with coughing at the moment and I could do with a lie in too.

The visit to my brothers was OK. Stayed in a guest house not far away from them. They are doing ok except for D, his wife. It is four years since K. died She is still grieving. It was particularly bad as Sunday was Mothers day and also the date of K's death is coming up. This is so tragic but I feel powerless to help. They are hoping to bury K's ashes in a church not far away so hopefully there will be some closure then. They still have them because they moved and then they wanted a special place to put them.

Loving the changing weather at the moment. Had it all in the last few days. This morning it is chilly but sunny. Gotta wrap up warm for this walk.

The last few days have been full of doing the usual stuff. I helped my friend G fix her fence yesterday. It had taken a battering a few months ago in the high winds and was leaning dangerously in places. She is doing Ok now she is back from visiting her Mum but I can see she is struggling a little, despite making the effort to get out and meet people. She has already quietened down and has that look on her face that tells me what is going on on the inside. Hope things improve over the next few weeks or she will really be back to square one.

Took a look at the Tara Center yesterday. We were to be doing pond work there for the weekend next week but the winter is too mild and the wildlife is getting going already. Luckily there are many things we can do instead like clearing all the brush around the edge of the pond and working on hedge that surrounds it. This is going to be a weekender and the food will be free as wellas th accomodation which is nice and warm.

Today I am off to visit my brother. I haven't seen him for a while but he sounds like he has just about recovered from a brain haemmorhage he had this time last year. Other anniversaries are upon us too. My Dad and Neice both died at the end of March, always a sad time though my Dad didn't want to get old, so he got his wish. My Neice' my brothers step daughter, was only 12 and carbon monoxide got her. That was four years ago now. The family is healing though D her Mum is still struggling at times.

I'll pop in on Monday and catch up with yu all then

Stayed up to watch the emotional roller coaster that is Comic Relief last night. Not much to say except to remind that there is a need 365 days a year for local and international charities to raise cash. if you can't afford to give try DOING something. Do it locally or adopt a larger charity organisation and get involved. Even if you only find out more and spread the word of local groups you could make a difference.

Just dn't make charitable giving and caring an annual or bi annual event, make it part of your life.

Off soap box now.

I felt a bit low yeatrday and went for a long walk witht he dog. The sunshine and general feeling of spring prked me up. Today is even better, it is warm and I have already got two loads of washing on the line.

Winding up for NZ now. Went to Asda last night for shorts,cozzies and underwear for Son No2 and Littl'un. Suceeded mostly except for the shorts. So one more to do thing is off my list. Need to get some shorts for me this week and a few shirts and I am sorted. Only his lordship to sort out then

Today I am lunching with my sister and doing a bit of gardent clearing. The end of the garden has become a bit of a dumping ground. Had a new visitor the other day. A pair of greenfich popped in. So distinctive. I am also going to turn over the compost bin as I have not done that for all of winter. I will have a pile ready then for when I start to tend to the garden after my hols.

Also on the agenda is more clearing and housework. I am making an impat at last. Everywhere was loaded with rubbsh, mostly mine to do with my business. The mountain is slowly becoming a hill.

Yes, thats me. Littl'un swam half a width of the pool without arm bands last night. She also touched the bottom of the pool and spent a short while in the bit where she can't quite put her feet to the floor. She will be swimming like a fish in a few months time:d:D

HAd a great weekend fire building in the Peak Park. This was to burn the waste fron the hedge my mates were laying not because I am a rabid pyromaniac.

All last weeka dn the weekend, when possible, I have been collecting data for the accountant. I saw him today and he was pretty Ok. I wa snervous about him seeing my incompetent book keeping, and he should pay for himself, at least in the first year

This is biggie I was putting off, so I feel a lot better now.

Went to see a friend afterwards who fed me lunch and showed me pics of NZ her daughter had sent. She is touring the South Island at the mo. The pics were stunning.

Off now to pick up litl'un and then off to swimming.

had a fine leaving do with 18 out of 25 people at the chinese to see me off. I thought I would be all emotional but I must have got over that in the week as I didn't even for the speech.

My friends have given me New Zealand dollars and a book about driving round New Zealand. Also another tourist book from my special friend M.

I will be seeing all of my friends again when I do my day job, and hopefully make a few more.

Sweet dreams fo me now:D

Feeling tons better today. i am going to get the accounts finished and then take the dog for a long walk to our local 'castle'.
Tonight is my leaving do and so am being picked up at 7. Need to go and have a quick look round town for an outfit before then.
Saw loads of stuff last week when lunching with my workmates.

So enjoy the sun and have a good day.

Have been low in mood all week and thought it was just hormones. i think now it may be that I am sad about leaving my job for pastures new. I have worked there for 17years and am not leaving because I hate it, more that I am following my star. I am leaving long standing friends and contemplating a whole life change.

Feeling better now I have identified the why and know it is just emotions. Wouldn't be human without them.

Saw my friend E today. she is ok and her pregnancy is running smoothly eg morning sickness and off tea and coffee

I have been sort of busy in a gentle not rushing round sort of way. Yesterday I saw G in the morning. her fence started falling down while she was away due to high winds so we were looking at what we could do about it. She has kept herself busy by going to the local Green Gym and she is coming away with us this weekend for conservation.

I went with an old bookcrossing aquaintance for lunch. C has borderline personality disorder and also her husband has just had major surgery to remove the bulk of a cancer from his throat and chest. He looks well but I think struggling with speech. C seems to have coped marvelously. They are cat lovers and have 10 cats. They all seem to be of different varieties The sound of purring was almost deafening.

Last night was spent taking our kitchent ot pieces to as some of th electrics had failed. It took us two hours which I don't think was too bad.

Today I am doing accounts. I see a proper accountant on Monday for the first time and am trying to get all in some sort of order. I have big plans for the next five or so years and I want to make sure I am going about protecting my earnings and being tax effiecient. I am a bit nervous about this but I liked the guy on the 'phone. I don't want to look like a complete dimbo when it comes to my accounts. I think this is an old thing for me. Fear of authority. Never was brave. Think I will be OK though.

Today i do lunch again. This time with E. A conservation friend who is pregnant. She had a miscarriage last summer so I hope this one holds.

Well not doing anything exciting today. I am still tired after my weekend of nights but will be walking the dog, doing some housework, seeing J my business partner this afternoon.
We are working out things about our little sales unit. Sales haven't covered the rent, though mine nearly have, hers hasn't come close. Her hubby is worried that we will continue to make a loss. I may end up on my own with it, at least for a while. We did start at a quiet time of year, in a place a little off the beaten track. Weather has not been in our favour. I still think we have done OK for just three weeks trading. Things will improve as we advertise and the weather gets better. Also, we are the only people selling what we sell in the town.
Got to see littl'un's teacher this afternoon. I was poorly for parents evening last week and didn't go.

Right. action time......

Yay. it's my last night working the whole night through for the forseeable future. No more jet lag, no more missing TV progs, no more bad sleep over the weekend and hols. Long nights in with family doing family stuff
I will be able to do a regular course in creative writing if I wish and do an evening class in pottery or pilates.

I am off for the next three weeks and have lunch a total of 7 times and evenings out at least 3 so far.

Such a beautiful sunrise this morning. It lifted my soul to see it. So sad to miss the eclipse last night, but I was working and there was no time to escape. The sunset was my reward

Saddened then on the way home to be reminded that it was the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana. I remember waking very early that morning and putting the TV on at 6 am. this was not something I normally did. Later on I found many people had done the same. Like a big psychic shock had woken us all up.

Yesterday i had very little planned apart from going to meet friends for lunch. G popped in after dropping her mum off at the train station. We took the dog for a walk and had a good chat. The off into town to meet friends in Debenhams. As it happens Debenhams were having a fashion show for Cancer Research. Now I am not into fashion but we went anyway as we got a goodie bag with chocs in it as well as perfume samples and body lotion. There were also glasses of wine. I had one of each and a glass of juice, plus nibbles.

After a very satisfying lunch and a wander around town I went swimming with littl'un and was just back in tie to go out again to a launch of a local writers mag which also downloads to Ipod. Great stuff. Especially the free wine and nibbles. needless to say I had gone over my WW points allowance for the day, but really enjoyed doing it.

There was a storyteller and a poet who both gave great perfomances so that was free as well.

A peasant surprising day lucky me.

Well not really, cement mixing is very much like cake making, get the ingredients wrong you just get a sloppy mess.

Spent yesterday in the rain with Son No 2 mixing cement and building a base for a small shed for a friend. It was great fun and we came home filthy but satisfied that we had done a good job.

Last night I didn't have to cook because I went out to eat with my other half to a local curry. This was for no reason in particular apart from that his work were paying for it. A thankyou for doing work beyond the call of duty to the tune of 35 hours over time which he won't get paid for as he is salaried.

Today I am going out to eat again, this time with a friend for lunch at the local bhuddist retreat. They have a lovely cafe and it is very reasonably priced.

I am lunching with C who's husband has had major surgery to remove cancer from his neck and chest. They got most of it but he will have to have some chemotherapy to reduce the rest of it. Hope he makes a full recovery but I have no experience in this field so I don't know how likely that is. He is only just forty.

The rest of the day will be spent happily plodding on through mundane stuff like cleaning and putting clothes away.

Hope you all have a good day. The sun is shining her and the wind is perfect for drying clothes