Wishing you a merry Christmas

well this year was the opposite of last year's Christmas - we had no whanau visiting and two boys with a new x-boy game ... what to do? Off to Te Papa ... to view the European Masters

here's a few of my favs ...
Rousseau


Renoir


Klinger


Evenepoel

another adventure

Bolt was super excited to see me this morning when I rocked up at the parentals that I decided that we needed a new adventure .... after a conversation with mum I decided on Wrights Hill. Mainly because I know how to get to Karori!

Bolt had a fantastic time, with the happy dog gallop and smiley face (reminiscent of Coco in Richmond Park), running around sniffing for possum bait, and insects. I just enjoyed the sunshine (a little too much if you look at my arm).

Here is a pic of the view... worth the run up the hill for

a little something that caught my eye in a magazine

The Invitation 
Oriah Mountain Dreamer 

The Invitation by Oriah
It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon...
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved

Jai Ho

here's a little intro to Jai Ho

my first quilt

following in the whanau tradition ... I have made my first quilt 

it is so big Josh had to help me hold it up and them he decided to pull the tall trick on me 

is she a dog or a frog?

this is Bolt looking extremely pretty and girly which is a change as she is really a tom boy 

and here is my frog ... Bolt has some amazing skills like sitting like a frog 

Bollywood Wednesday

A friend from school, Sumi, is getting married in January
As part of the wedding celebrations we have been asked to do a Bollywood dance
here is the first part of our dance

Wellywood weather

the weather here in Wellywood has been unusual - very hot and wet like a Monsoon or very sunny which usually comes in February
here are two pics from this evening

Bolt

Bolt is our whanau dog and she's pretty cool.
She's always keen for an adventure ... especially when it is about exploring a new place and having a good sniff around!

time for a change

I decided it was time to start blogging again, mainly to save me from boredom and also because I have been inspired to find another way to share India, especially Sangam, and the world with you all.

I hope you enjoy!

Watch this space .....

things are changing .......