Two weekends

Last weekend was our annual pilgrimage to Puniho Marae for language class, this time with the added bonus of our Whanganui classmates coming up to join us.  There was a lot of fun and a lot of learning plus a fair bit of just sitting around and enjoying the sunshine.

Then on Sunday it was off to Hamilton for 3 days of library conference. This weekend is Labour Day and I have plans to go nowhere and do as little as possible!

Moving up in the world

We have been moving around at work and my view has changed.  I've swapped ground floor, south side for third floor north side and a view of my favourite bookstore for a view of the ocean.

Yarn Bombing

This last weekend, to promote Canteen the teenage cancer support organisation, the city was yarn bombed.  People from all over the place have been knitting squares that were collected and under cover of darkness the Canteen guys wrapped things around town.  Somewhere in there are a couple of dozen rows that I did - we had share knitting in the tearoom at work; pick it up, do some rows, leave it for the next person.  Very relaxing.

With family

It's almost a month since I last posted and that's mainly because nothing much has been happening. The weather has been wet, work has been flat out and the local rugby team have been playing rubbish.  But this last weekend I had the whole family here for my birthday which was wonderful.  Mum & Dad were here too although somehow they didn't end up in any of the photos.

My brother christening the BBQ

Breakfast the next morning

Up the mountain in some not very flash weather

At the Te Rewarewa bridge in much better weather

What colour is the breeze?

Rainbow coloured as it turns out.  This installation has gone up, as part of the Arts Festival, in a vacant lot/car park just over the road from work.  It's wonderful; 1001 bamboo wind chimes hung by coloured ribbons and it makes a lovely sound when the wind picks up which, being Taranaki, is often.

A weekend in Wellington

Last weekend my friend Deb and I spent 3 days in Wellington.  The main reason for going was Beervana, a craft beer festival we had heard about when she was visiting last year.  It was fantastic, especially the beer and cheese workshop and particularly a beer-soaked stinky blue - totally fabulous.  We also did some sightseeing, a lot of shopping and an equal amount of eating including dumplings and bomboloni (not together).

Beer, well the remains of and tokens for purchasing more of.

Bomboloni - note virtuous presence of 2 forks

Dumplings!

A swarm

That's the technical term for what is happening in Cook Strait between the north and south islands.  Yesterday evening a 6.5 earthquake hit, so big that we felt it here.  Since then my Geonet feed has been chocka block with aftershocks every few minutes.  A swarm of quakes.

Minor damage and minor injuries only in Wellington, more significant damage in Seddon at the top of the south island, the closest town to the epicentre.  Mass purchasing of candles, bottled water, camping stoves and torch batteries.