Coddled Eggs

Coddled Eggs

Sunday 8 February 2015

                         The annual Duck race

Every year Wanaka Rotary holds a duck race to raise funds for charity.
This year it was in October.  Yesterday I was having a recall of some fun.


Join the community with the Rotary Duck Race! Pop into Video Ezy or any Rotary club to buy your tickets.

Rotary Duck Race

Location: The start line is at the Dungarvon Street Creek and the race finishes at Dinosaur Park Creek.
Cost: $5 per ticket
Prize: $500 cash prize for the winning duck!


Families and tourist gather on the lawn beside the creek and wait for the loader to bring in the ducks. Once the ducks are dropped the race is on.Volunteers retrieve wayward drifters and set them back on their path.












What a wonderful way to see how gardeners make a feature of the creek running through their gardens


It was with great excitement for Grand daughter number 2 as she followed the ducks to the finish line.
 Her Mummy and Daddy had bought 2 ducks , numbers 1180 , and 1181.
We actually spotted 1181 when it was caught up in the rushes.
Thank goodness for volunteers that waded into the creek to save stray ducks.
I love it when "Community" works to bring people together.

B. R. Ambedka

I do love it when community come together ,whether it be a dance a picnic a music event or a game.
 This year I was so pleased to join in the fun and dance Music and picnic and celebration of Waitangi day

Waitangi Day
Traditional Maori Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi, Bay of Islands.
Official nameWaitangi Day
Observed byNew Zealanders
TypeNational, Nationalist
SignificanceThe day on which the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840
ObservancesFamily meetings, hui, parades, citizenship ceremonies, Order of New Zealand honours.
Date6 February
Next time6 February 2016
Frequencyannual

I celebrated Waitangi day with three of my Mokopuna (Grandchildren) in Queenstown gardens ,where community had come together and put on a festive day .Music song kapa haka and picnics were the order of the day.






Each year, as it becomes more and more accepted in New zealand that we live in a bicultural society and as we all become more and more tolerant of others ,Waitangi day becomes special.

I got a Moko stamped on my chin . I had no idea that this  simple act would draw so many stares.
Some of them left me feeling more than a bit uneasy. The stares and snares were from conservative upper middle class  white NZers. Not the tourists.

As I queued to get ice creams for my mokopuna a lady moved away from me and pulled her daughter toward her .It was only when she saw the little ones also sporting the stamped on tattoo that she realised it was safe .Her whole persona changed. It made me feel so sad.
On reflection I felt great empathy for minority groups .It must be so difficult to be different and to show it.
The Moko I had stamped was the same as the one this Wahine has .


Eight years ago I began to study the Maori language.
I had a slight advantage. Not only was my son the teacher but I had also had Te Reo lessons at my work in the 1980's . More on that in a later blog.
The government was, in the mid to late Eighties fulfilling a promise to  Maori of New Zealand that the "language of  Maori"  (Te Reo) would be kept alive.

Te Kōhanga Reo is a Māori development initiative, aimed at maintaining and strengthening Māori language and philosophies within a cultural framework inspired by Māori elders in 1982.

Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board was established in 1982 and formalised as a charitable trust in 1983. The Mission of the Trust is the protection of Te reo, tikanga me ngā āhuatanga Māori by targeting the participation of mokopuna and whānau into the Kōhanga Reo movement and its Vision is to totally immerse Kōhanga mokopuna in Te Reo, Tikanga me ngā āhuatanga Māori.
The Trust Board, as the governing body, has therefore had a key role in providing the support needed by Kōhanga Reo. This support has involved specific investment in mokopuna, whānau, and their cultural infrastructure of language, kinship, relationship management, whānau learning, and whānau decision-making.
from http://www.kohanga.ac.nz/?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=10
I was fortunate enough to be on teams to help with funding and set up costs for Kohanga Reo (Learning nests). I had been affected by the enthusiasm of the hard working people that kept the vision alive.

When I was young I remember my Father and Mother saying we would no longer be speaking Dutch.Pappa became Dad and Mamma became Mum.
I remember saying to Pappa 'What if I forget how to speak Dutch" His reply has stayed with me and will forever.
His reply was simple and powerful. He said "You can always go back to Holland to learn, but think on this". "Where do the Maori people go back to when their language is lost"
That was in the 1960's now in the year 2015 the language is alive and used by Maori and European alike.
Through Te Wananga O Aotearoa ( The University of New Zealand ) free classes have  
become available.
I completed my  certificate in  Advanced Te Ara Reo Maori in in 2008. For three years I sang ,ate ,danced  and learned. I was enthralled, challenged, frustrated and sometimes even got tearful. It was a fantastic experience.
I loved the stories of the old ways as well.
The old ways of healing and community and family support are certainly being lost in Anglicised Countries.
I would love to one day go to The Australian outback and learn more about the aboriginal culture.
I would also love to go to Cornwell, Ireland and Whales and learn more about the Celts. 

I Believe that the loss of  language, culture and identity in a nation, is the greatest loss. It is not only a past lost but a present and a future loss and that to me is very sad.



























Wednesday 4 February 2015

         My dear friends from the Aged Care Home

Last autumn I had a van full of wonderful, exuberant elderly folk from the local rest home come by our garden to pick up walnuts to take back to the rest home .
They had a wonderful time and wanted very much to return in the Summer to see the garden.
Well return they did.
 Their sensitive carers had made a wonderful picnic which they all enjoyed under our pergola.
For privacy reasons I couldn't name them but I can share a couple of stories with you.
They then each made a posy of flowers to take back with them.
It was a wonderful day


Buckets baskets and watering can at the ready ,full of blooms...





Look at those beautiful hands in the background.

The picnic consisted of wonderfully fresh club sandwiches, muffins and lots of piping hot tea . 
The most adorable little steak and kidney  pies with a home made preserve. Although I have never been a fan of kidney I was quite tempted when asked if I too would like one.I respectfully declined even though everyone kept saying Yummmmmmm they are so delicious.
My poor dad always complained about the terrible food he got at the rest home where he was, one day when I was there he got a saveloy and piece of white bread for his evening meal.Oh how he would have loved these little pies.  


and I too had a mug of coffee , my favourite ,freshly ground and a drop of cream...

After the picnic the ladies got to and started their creations, the one male participant gave up pretty quickly and gave his flowers to his wife. This caused great hilarity with the ladies .He was called upon later to help tie each posie with a thread of flax .He sang a lovely song as he worked. It was so much fun



This was my favourite posie made by a delightful lady that said she would return and teach me how to make rose beads.....


another equally beautiful posy


and another


All of the posies nestled in the basket ready for the trip home.





Over the picnic the ladies and one gentleman chatted away. 
Here is a story relayed to us all , it went like this.You might want  to imagine the soft voice of an over 90 year old lady telling it.

One Evening , as I was throwing a little party I noticed our cat under the kitchen table whining and howling. I had fed it some of the stew with wild mushrooms that I had just fed the guests. In a panic I called the Dr and told him" I think I have just poisoned  my friends with wild mushrooms".
We were all rushed to the Dr's office where we had our stomachs pumped.Whew that was a close call.
When we all returned to my place for pudding ( you see we were all hungry again ) there was the cat, still under the table ...but happily feeding 6 brand new kittens.

Everyone laughed and the lady that told the story beamed...Its nice to make people laugh.


Each one of us can do a good deed, every day and everywhere. In hospitals in desperate need of volunteers, in homes for the elderly where our parents and grandparents are longing for a smile, a listening ear, in the street, in our workplaces and especially at home.

I have always loved to pick flowers and try to have enough to pick all year round.
I have passed this love on to my grandchildren .The three oldest grand daughters have become quite adept at making little nosegays tussie mussies and posies.

A daisy chain made by threading the daisies onto florist wire.The children also love to make daisy crowns.


Made when Grandchild number 1 was 6.



At four years old Grandchild number 2 was showing great skill.



 Sometimes its just as much fun choosing which little jug or vase to use.


Sometimes its nice to stitch a posie. 

and other times its just nice to look and touch and leave the blooms where they are.





You know .You are  never too old to be young .Here, my Dad was being page boy for our eldest daughter ...he enjoyed every minute of it and refused to walk with his stick....
Be kind to someone you know If you cant give them a little bunch of flowers give them a hug and a huge smile.....or make them laugh.