Watch, Read, Listen

31 January 2014- So…Abel Tasman has been breathtaking….magnificient…amazing.  Alas, even though we'd love to stay we feel that we need to keep moving.  Our goal is to try and make it all around the South Island in these short two weeks we have and the only way we're going to accomplish that is if we…

23 February 2014- Dear Darling Avi Baby, How is it that today you're EIGHT YEARS OLD?????   I keep saying this…and I'll keep saying it – time flies by too quickly these days.  I just wish I could make time stand still -even for just a moment- to sit back and enjoy you as you…

31 January 2014- Hey!  Are you awake?  Want to go on a jog with me???? Remember I said this campground is called Old MacDonald FARM (& holiday park)??? Here's more of the "farm" bit:   Llama,llama, red pajama! Check out the beautiful sunrise over the mud flats: Entrance to the campground: The campground office….doesn't it…

30 January 2014- GOOD MORNING!!! Rise and shine sleepyheads!  Let's go for a jog…  Do you see the little quail I'm "chasing"???  Well, I'm not really chasing it but it sure is running frantically to and fro in front of me as if I was chasing it.  Little bird – if you don't like me…

January 28-29 – After a picnic lunch in the parking lot in Kaikoura it's time to head back out on the open road…. our destination for tonight?  How about Picton?  It's on the north eastern coast. The drive north is taking us through some beautiful scenery: and through wine country:   through lots and lots…

24 January 2014- Did I say New Zealand?  Didn't we go there LAST year?  Why yes…yes we did.  And it so happens that we liked it enough (or should I say "loved it") to do it all over again.  But this time we'll visit the South Island (last year we stuck to the North Island)…

9 January 2014- Just as Westerners may consider Christmas the most important holiday, I think you'd hear most Chinese tell you that Chinese New Year (CNY;which is also sometimes referred to as the Spring Festival) as their most important holiday.  And as we like decorating for Christmas so do the Chinese decorate for CNY. Today…

19 January 2014- Annika has a new love- baking.  She can turn out batches of tasty cookies all by herself.  Actually, it's a wee bit dangerous as nobody should eat that many cookies.  ;-) And if you know Annika she also loves to create opportunities to make a little cash… Hence her idea for this…

13 January 2014- Happy 41st birthday to me.  (do I sound excited? No????)  This year I just didn't feel like making my traditional birthday torte (Malakoff Torte).  Actually, I didn't feel much like celebrating at all.  🙁 So, it was sweet of Mark and the girls to bake this chocolate cake for me and decorate…

24 January 2014- It's that time of year….it's time to celebrate Chinese New Year and welcome the Year of the Horse! This year the school hosted a Temple Fair for the students.  They split the elementary school into two main groups- Grades 3-5 students (who had the morning sessions) followed by the Nursery – Grade…