On parenting and parcels that fail to arrive.

Here they are Tom and Rosie with Brooke , Tom's girlfriend on the right.  You can't see Tom's hands but I've long held a not so secret dream for these hands.I thought they could make him a fortune by becoming accessory models. You know modelling man- jewellery, bracelets, rings and wrist watches. Rosie and I have frequently thought it unfair that that the boy should have been born with the long slender fingers that tan at the slightest hint of sunshine.  This week those hands have been attaching cups to cows udders( as part of a practicum he's had to do) and apparently enjoying it!!! Now I have to admit to myself that the time is long overdue for me to release my children from the tyranny of my spoken and unspoken expectations and aspirations  for them.  And as the days for saying goodbye to school for the  last time approach he must be free to pursue whatever path his life intends for him. I will watch and see with interest.

A while back in moment of light heartedness we 3, made up a family motto.

"Don't tell lies.,don't steal and try to be a good person."

I guess if I can hang onto any aspirations at all for my kids it is that they would value their own human qualities beyond things, possesions and a career. Even then they will decide. I do think this is the hardest part of the parenting journey. The part that lets them go. So if you have little kids enjoy every moment of the experience!!

This is the errant parcel- who knows where it is malingering - maybe at the bottom of a pile of stuff somewhere or delivered to another address. I'm sorry Rosie it's not there. It's got a mini birthday kit in it for you to enjoy with your friends before you come home. The strange looking white photo is a pass the parcel complete with insructions. I thought you might have some fun with that. Anyway if it turns up enjoy and I will assemble the very last parcel for they year and hopefully it will get to you before you leave.

Progress inside and out is slow this week. You can see where the new fence is going to go and the gravel area is in preparation for the paving tiles which will go on top. everywhere I look there is something that is the beginning of something else. A layer of chaos has descended over every available space in the property. I am trying to maintain an inner calm knowing that it will all come together soon. Meanwhile I might clear out for a long walk on this beautiful day. Grab a coffee on the way and enjoy other peoples order.

Have a  great week.

Marg

Nothing is ever as it seems.

 

At times i have read posts on other peoples blogs that seem so personal that I have felt like an intruder. Like I'm  spying on a life that has no business with me. But today I understand that need to say personal things. Because  today when I woke up I remembered that's its 5 years and 1 day since we got home from work and school to find that he had gone. Had packed up 22 years into one small suitcase and left . Gone with no forwarding address.  Now I can't remember why I cried every day for a year. We have found a life we didn't even know we didn't have. Gifts sometimes come to us in strange and mysterious ways.
These pictures may help correct a false illusion created by selective photography last week. It might have looked like I have a great garden. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a house and section that measure 200 square metres all up and the section is in the early stages of development. Next week someone is coming to reconstruct this back area. There will be a paved area, a lovely trellis back fence and a gravel path leading to the raised vegetable gardens. This little section will be a tiny urban celebration of small scale gardening at it's best and easiest. In my minds eye it is stunning. I think it will feature in a photo shoot for the house and garden magazine.  I will look at it and be envious of the owner and then I will remember that I am the owner!!

 The parcel this week went bright and early on Sunday morning complete with instructions for a sick student hanging in there till the end of the term. I thought that this supreme effort would be rewarded with a Monday or Tuesday delivery.  Off all the parcels this was the slowest to arrive - it took till thursday . typical I suppose when for once it had the most sensible contents. NZ post promise efficiency. Like I said  nothing is ever as it seems.  You may not think that raspberry drops and fejoia sours are sensible items but to me they are fruit. That makes them sensible. 


Happy Labour weekend. enjoy the day off on Monday. Have a great week 


Marg

Somethings are too big to go in a parcel

Some things just don't fit no matter hard you try to wrap them up and post them away. Like my new china cabinet from my current favourite secondhand shop , Wiers. It's a quirky  brother and sister combo who run the shop but luckily for me they have a crazy penchant for salt and pepper sets and disney stuff  and also lots of china cabinets which are going cheap because they are not popular at the moment. Now wouldn't you think if you were a savvy business operator you wouldn't be selling china cabinets by the dozen if they weren't popular. If it were me I'd hide all the china cabinets away in storage and just put one on display and still sell at a very fair price but the virtue of just having one on display would  signifiy high demand. A luxury item indeed! Quick let me buy the lovely last one. But they seem to do a roaring trade( with only a modicum of custom from me) so I'm sure they have the right formula.

Rosie if you are looking - I wanted you to notice my new raised garden beds -partly planted with beans, spinach and broccoli. The cat has ruined  any chance of the carrot seed coming up by digging the row up - even getting under the wirenetting to carry out that peice of gleeful revenge on me.Oh and did you notice the wall behind the china cabinet? That is the new wall just waiting now to be painted after the new gib board has gone up.

These will be gone by the time you get home. This rhodendron just yesterday was a bud - today after a night of rain it is open - in a week it will be gone. So lovely it makes me stop and look each time I go past. Actually Dunedin is beautiful right now. The Rhododendrons are all coming out fast and there is still lots of blossom and spring flowers around. I love my walk to work in the mornings. I find myself arriving late because I'm dawdling on the way looking into all the gardens as I go.

So what actually went away this last week? These ungainly looking things called coconut biscuits ( gluten free- mostly coconut with 1 Tablespoon only of rice flour held together with an egg and some sugar ) . I was sure they would arrive as crumbs but apparently not. And evidently very tasty despite appearances. Also some more brain food - nuts and dried apricots from central otago. And no junk from Wiers. Not one little thing. I got to thinking that maybe just a month out from packing up and coming home for the summer that perhaps adding to the possessions wasnt such a clever idea. Still I have walked past Wiers everyday and gazed in the windows thinking what I would choose if were going to buy.
Im sure my walk to work is almost the highlight of my day most days.

Enjoy the coming week. Marg

Which One Do You Choose?

Seriously this is a difficult decision. Last week I sent off  2 salt and pepper shaker sets. The merry corncobs and the bashful aliens. Salt and pepper shakers are becoming quite the the thing for students who live in Wellington and so this week Rosie and her flat mate got have one set each. How they decided who got which set I don't know. But I do know that when there is just one week to go till the end of classes and assignments that it makes for the longest week ever. Time seems to stand almost still. The minutes inch past at a snails pace and still so much to do, so much work!!!!

My idea that in my week off I was going to learn how to do tricky things like make sure photos go the right way up went by the board pretty quickly. I got sick ( isn't that what you do when you have a break?) and felt really bad so hardly did a thing. I did however find these old story books with records that I thought were just about the cutest I'd ever seen. If you want to know where all this junk is sourced - try going into Wiers on St Andrew Street in Dunedin and you'll find great stuff going very cheaply.

Last things to in the parcel this week are some sensible things. Brain food - almonds and cranberries, comfort food - chocolate and an emergency meal - gluten free spaghetti and tomato paste. Not that appealing but a backstop.

Well that's all this time - have a great week. Marg