happy to be living here

two views; to the city and...
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

see the other photo for the other view from the top of the dunes

friday i'm in love

Hiring a long board on the beach. No photos today even though yesterday was very sunny and possiblythe hottest so far this holiday. before lunch very little wind, the rising surf and high tide. afterwards the rising easterly took the joy from the day, but not before henny had her defining moment

watching henny surf the long board into the beach, standing up and grinning from ear to ear. Looking back over her shoulder and grinning from ear to ear, checking out whether dad has been watching. i had, and i saw it all.

eliot did as well, though from further out and with a few wiggles thrown for good measure.

friday night is pizza night another tradition. i'm grateful for being able to sit watching Star Wars 2 eating homemade pizza [cooked in the recently refurbished oven that now works when the old one ruined everything i baked in it] followed by foul tasting chocolate from Cadbury who have ruined triple decker by adding this bright pink top layer. It may be the last time i let henrietta choose the movie chocolate again.

the politically incorrect joy of a sunburned face, and the tingle of feet that are also too red for their own good

henny snoozes

henny snoozes
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

aren't kids just so cute?

Thursday on holiday

waking to a windless morning and warm sun, heading to the beach with henny and the body boards.

cheese rolls and lots of chippies in the yard [where it was still windless even though the easterly was well and truly settled in at the beach]

eating ice cream on the beach [even though it tasted like arse, and seemed to be full of grit that was straight from the scop in the store]

henny snoozing in the afternoon

girls doing jigsaws

henny's pav yum

henny's pav yum
Originally uploaded by ninefish.

food to be grateful for, though it may hang around for longer than i wanted around my waist.

see more of the pictures here

boxing day and more

Beryl got in touch, yay!

There's been a few things to note and most involve the sea or the children or both.

Watching eliot taking henrietta to the beach and holding her hand whilst he did so. a definite mastercard moment.

reading more of joe bennet's book, in the sun in the backyard with the kids lounging in the sunshine and in the hammock

eating salmon spiked with garlic, [actually there's been lots of food gratitude this christmas, some of it involving home baking, some the local delicacy of deep fried mars bars which involved waiting for the chip shop to open this morning. we'd gone to the shops to get some milk and enjoy the beach walk in the warm morning rain {thanks for that too}, and henny and india realised that they could get the fabled delicacy if dad had bought along their beach money. luckily he had. I had a long black from Switch Espresso while we waited for the chippy to open.]

going surfing [see the pictures here]

Christmas Dinner

IMG_0048.JPG,
originally uploaded by ninefish.

the kids and nanna and poppa sit down to dinner. Big ups to the chefs!

Christmas Day aftermath

so many things for christmas day!
the sound of wrapping paper being torn, smiles on faces, reflected gratitude for small joys unlooked for.

hugs and kisses from friends not seen for too long

messages and distant touches from bebil and jody

the belly laughs i had while reading the first chapter of a book Sharon gave me for christmas


I think it was the lugubrious reference to page three of the sun that really got me laughing, he'd computed that in his time away from england he'd missed some 9,000 women exposing their boobs to him, i couldn't help but laugh at the thought of what i'd also missed.

and, whilst sad, i'm grateful for James Brown who died yesterday. i'll miss him. He was played a lot by me at Sharon's wedding reception in 1988, he never failed to wake me up, and gave everyone a little shaken booty now and again, i think i managed to sneak some on the the soundtrack to my wedding too

bye James, thanks for all the FUNk.

Tags:

• gratitude
• christmas

One two three for 211206

we got presents at work!
all the corporate gifts received at UMC were distributed, and i got my fair share with very few naff ones, and managed to swap some of them for other less naff ones. watch out children's stockings there's some free naff stuff coming

i fiinished getting the christmas cards out, phew!

and finally the magic of the internet bought some fast responses to the e card i sent for foreign correspondents

bonus gratitude: getting gifts to nettie before their surprise departure for the North Island for christmas