A New Favourite

Reading books and meandering through my ancient mind

A World Apart

You will have read Chris’s post How The Light Gets In. I too am a great fan of Louise Penny and her Ganache character and all the other people who live in that lovely little village – Three Pines.

I have read and listened to all her books and am eagerly awaiting the next one. But..

I have now discovered another author who is currently pushing Louise aside to become my favourite. Michael Robotham.

Quite by accident, I came across The Suspect. I was absolutely fascinated by the protagonist Clinical Psychologist, Joe O’Loughlin. In that book, he has just discovered that he has Parkinson’s and is trying to come to grips with it. while helping in a murder investigation he becomes the chief suspect. Fascinating reading. I am about to write a review on one of my other blogs in which I write book reviews. I later discovered…

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How The Light Gets In

Louise Penney one of my favourite authors.

A World Apart

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen from ’Anthem’

A busy exciting day here at North of 43, mostly doing stuff I don’t usually do. See, it doesn’t take WHOOOOO WHOOO make life exciting around here.

And when I got home, showered after lots of physical work, went off to Crabby Joe’s for a hamburger and a beer, I kept thinking about this being my day to blog. You know because Judith and I alternate days.

Problem is that one of the books I have on the go, one that I have read by real book, ebook, and today audio book is one of my favourites and I just couldn’t put it down. Uh, or off.

Any way the book is:

Now I am, as you may know an ardent…

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A Friend in Trouble

Just a regular Friday in the life of this octogenarian.

A World Apart

“Friendship is a rainbow
between two hearts“
Judith Baxter

Sometimes you have to put aside your plans for the day when a friend needs you. Today was such a day.

I had a all at 8 am to say that a friend had been told by an organisation, he knew not who had called him having been half asleep. at the time. The gist of the conversation and thus that which I received, was that another friend had a car accident last night, had broken her leg and was in the hospital. No further information was available except that it was close to a construction site.

Oh dear me. Chinese whispers. After many phone calls (none of the friends who live close by had even heard the news), the retirement village management was not aware of this, although it transpired that in the accident, she had driven through…

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Sisters

A World Apart

By now you will know that I used to have two biological sisters. Unfortunately, the elder one died last year. How I miss that gal!

Over the years our friendship grew and I often think this quote by Christina Rosette (English Poet1830-1894) was penned just for we three sisters.

“For there is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather,
to cheer one on the tedious way, to fetch one if one goes astray,
to lift one if one totters down, to strengthen whilst one stands.“

However, I have so many memories of my big sister (14 months older than me), both as we were growing up, sharing our lives and a bedroom until I moved out to marry my DYS (Dashing Young Scotsman), and then later on during my trips to California to see her.

Mother with her three girls. Christine on Mother’s right, Marianne…

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OLD – Babes on a bridge and Ball in the Park

Well what else can we expect from a Canadian friend. Watch this space to see what she comes up with next

A World Apart

The perfect summer day – sun, but not too hot; domestic chores, mostly chopping up fresh veg for the freezer; and a lovely walk in the early evening.

But what about the title above you ask?

I got a card from my SIL that has been viewed with hilarity and very loud laughter by all who view it. **Warning, we have been referred to as TWO HOT BABES. Uh, by ourselves of course.

Sometimes when I am walking I come across a little league baseball game in progress and smile.

But a big smile happened the other day when I saw this:

Not little league but OLD league. I watched for awhile and was tempted to ask if I could play when I suddenly realized all these OLD people were probably twenty years younger than I. I did wonder if I could find a Septuagenerian League.

It’s Monday here at…

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Lightning Strikes

Today’s rambling from this octogenarian

A World Apart

“Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while,
nine out of ten people couldn’t start a conversation.”
Kim Hubbard, Editor at Large, People Magazine

Alright, I know I said I would not talk about the weather, but really! We have had the most amazing five days.

Torrential rain, almost gale force winds, thunder and lightning. In fact, according to the DomPost, our local paper “New Zealand saw nearly 20,000 lightning strikes in the 24 hours to 8am, and MetService say there’s more to come with a severe thunderstorm watch …” and this was only until 10am on Friday. And nothing much changed over the weekend.

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play.
So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.”
Dr. Seuss,The Cat in the Hat

Today is Monday here and the newspaper records “There were 9700…

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Time Flies – So we must be having fun.

Fifty-five years on

A World Apart

Tomorrow is June 11, fifty-five years since my children and I first set foot in New Zealand. Their father had come on ahead, so it was just the three of us arriving.

My children were 7 and 4. Oh how very long ago that was! We knew nothing of this country. The Embassy in London was obviously staffed by English people who knew just about as much as me. “Wouldn’t you love to be able to dry your washing on an outside line every day?” I was asked. Yes, but not in Auckland where it rains most days. And in response as to whether I should bring my about to be delivered new car I was told that wasn’t necessary as new cars were readily available to buy in NZ. Wrong again. When we arrived we discovered new cars could be purchased only with overseas funds. At the time NZ…

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Ten years later I’m not sure I am brighter

Happy Birthday, Chris

A World Apart

This evening as I write these words I am on the cusp of completing 75 years on this earth. Tomorrow I will awaken 75 years old and embarking on my 76th year.

I found myself wondering – have I changed? improved? gotten better? I mean I always talk about improving, learning, you know.

My life is more comfortable in many ways, but I still make mistakes, errors in judgement. Of course being human means non-perfection. I do wonder if I am any wiser? Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, so I guess there is some wisdom from lessons learned.

I thought it would be helpful to look back at a blog from my 65th birthday. Ten years ago on Bridgesburning. Below are actually interesting facts about my city which at the time of my 65th was celebrating its 100th.

History aside, I guess it matters less what I learned…

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Typical, Topical, Tuesday

Movie Musing

But of of course, it’s Tuesday not Wednesday.

A World Apart

Wednesday night in Wellington in June. It’s winter here and so tonight the wind is blowing and the rain is falling down; a good night to stay home in one’s dry, warm house.

But no. We had tickets to the opening night of the French Film Festival and when we left home, the rain hadn’t started. So off to a favourite place for an early dinner.

Accompanied of coir with a glass of Prosecco.

Then. the movie. An early start – 6.15 pm. This year the main sponsor is L’Or – coffee pods and capsules. We missed the opening address by the French representative in New Zealand, but we have heard all the earlier ones, so what did we miss?

“There are people all over the world
who carry the mermaid inside them.”
Carolyn Turgeon. Author and editor in chief of
Enchanted Living (formerly Faerie Magazine)

The movie was a

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Mental Meanderings

Chris is in a thoughtful mood today

A World Apart

My habit of late has been to walk first thing in the mornings. Okay, first I wake up, make coffee to have in bed while I review blogs, make comments, check email (in this I am channeling JB – who of course has tea instead.) Then I dress, brush teeth and walk. This only works on the days I don’t go meet friends at Cafe O. on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays.

This is us and the photo is from the instagram page of Cafe O Roaster & Bakery. Sometimes the group is larger, sometimes a bit smaller.

I love walking though must talk myself into it on occasion. I love looking and this one, at eye level made me smile.

On the same walk I stopped to enjoy (visually) this back yard park.

I was tempted to sit on benches around this area but people are really funny about trespassers.

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