A New Day Dawns

Today I waved goodbye to my youngest grandson.  He’s on the way to University in Christchurch in the South Island and on the way to the next stage of his life.  I can hardly believe that little boy who wasn’t even born when his grandfather died, is old enough to strike out on his own.

His mother and I shall miss him and his older brother will be lost without him, although sometimes one could imagine that they don’t even like each other.

So good luck Darling No. 4.  He is the last one to leave school and start at University. What a great time he is going to have and as Dr Seuss says:

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
Out there things can happen and frequently do
to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting
So..get on your way!

Two years ago the 13th February was a Friday and I wrote about superstition and then went on to write about my day; a beautiful sunny day in Ohope on the east  coast of the North Island of New Zealand.  On days like that, this certainly is Godzone.  And what was I doing?  I was Watching.  Here’s part of that blog post:

Today I am watching

• The way a newly born baby attracts people and noticing the joy of being allowed to hold her
• The huge waves rolling onto the beach; they are quite magnificent in their power
• Surfers battling these waves and some succeeding in standing up
• Children paddling in the surf
• Two older couples just enjoying the sunshine, sand, and the water’s edge
• Puffs of smoke emanating from White Island – New Zealand’s most active cone volcano.  It’s very close only 48kms/30 miles from shore.  It’s puffing away merrily today.
• And strangers interacting as they meet on the beach
• A couple walking their dogs
• A small child clambering onto a tyre strung up to make a swing
• My partner stretched out on a lounger contentedly reading
• Teachers from the local school rounding up the pupils
• A group of teenagers enjoying their lunch on the beach
• The same group chasing each other and generally having fun
• The brilliant sun shining down onto our part of the world that we call Paradise.”

So different from today  Again, it raining and windy – oh where has summer gone?

 But some summers are brilliant.  And as a reminder, here’s a photo of the beach in front of our house in Ohope.

“Abundant sunshine, warm waters and safe swimming make Ōhope Beach the perfect summer holiday destination. Maybe that’s why it was voted NZ’s Most Loved Beach—with 11 km of easily walkable white sand beach from the Ōhiwa Harbour entrance all the way to West End.”  Whakatane.com  Information.

And have you had a chance to look at my new blog, Books&morebooks where I review the books I have read.?  Maybe there’s a book that appeals to you.

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