I'm such a lucky girl, my kids went with their Granny for the long weekend and I got away to the beautiful South Island West Coast with friends. We briefly visited the Punakaiki tavern where all the motorbikes were stopping on their way to the Greymouth street races but the majority of our weekend was spent on the Pororari river trying to catch tasty west coast whitebait.



I enjoyed some beach walks and bush walks and two nights in a batch where I could hear the sea roaring and night. We lit a fire to heat the water for showers and used solar power for music and lights. It was beautiful and I wish I could have stayed all week or forever.

Potters Patch

I thought you might like to check out our craft co-op. We have 11 members as well as numerous other crafters who sell on commission. We each work half a day in the shop which was established in 1982 by a group of potters. It's the best place in Motueka to purchase local craft , of course I am biased. We also stock a small portion of imported product including some Traide aide. Come inside and have a look, or even better call in when you are in town, we've always got something new.

finally wiping the slate clean

I had a go at rewriting my "about me" but I don't want it on my side bar. So I'll post it here and then start fresh, as a woman age 38 on her own with three children at home, having just sold our family home and all our old dreams along with it:
"I'm a keen gardener and creator, motivated mainly by the need to provide my large family with fresh healthy food. I created the garden and life of my dreams as my relationship destroyed me and my family with dis - ease.
My life has been tarnished by domestic abuse. I allowed it to happen.
Now I find myself at 38 starting over, having been displaced from the family home by New Zealand law which provides for a man to be entitled to the equity in his home no matter what the circumstances are.
My children have had the support of wonderful family and community as well as skilled Councillors and youth workers.
My older blog posts paint a picture of contentment, and for the most part I fooled myself that I was content, I avoided others in an effort to hide what was going on, I pretended things were all "hunky dory", but they weren't and the physical and emotional pain manifested itself with physical symptoms all too often.
So read my archives bearing in mind that they helped me escape and build strength and confidence, I discovered myself as I wrote and got feedback from my contacts all over the world.
I am still me, I share less but grow happier with every day.

Spring 11

My garden has blossomed a beautiful farewell to us and a welcome to the lovely family who are moving here.
Creating a garden to nourish children is one of my most satisfying accomplishments and we leave here for new challenges full of hope and promise with faith that it is all happening perfectly.

Recent Holidays

My kids had a lovely midwinter school break.
Skatey boy probably had the holiday of a lifetime skiing in Wanaka with two school friends and then had some time on a farm in Christchurch. My friends generously gifted him the holiday, and he worked for a couple of days as a builder's apprentice to contribute to the costs. I'm very proud of him, the feedback I got from the family he stayed with was very complimentary.
While he was away it snowed in Motueka for the first time (my Uncle said ) since 1977! And I missed it too, as I was away with friends. The small kids made a big pile of snow on the trampoline and lit candles with Granny during the power cut, very exciting!Then we all got to enjoy the snow as a family at Rainbow ski field last weekend. The little kids took to skiing like ducks to water and Skatey showed me his newly acquired skills.
I went to ski school, but I was a bad student!

It's finally stopped raining, I had a wee look around the garden this morning and the garlic has popped up. It amazes me how it endures the coldest of winter's frosts at the beginning of it's growing cycle. I planted them about a month ago and made pickled garlic from the smaller bulbs.
Next job in the garden will be fruit tree pruning if the weather settles, I want lovely fine, still days.

Re opening shop

Winter has really arrived here now, it's snowing on the hills today, so I've filled my shop with wooly's for babies. Some of these have featured on the blog before and been tucked away in my market cases ever since. It seems I've just become too busy to get out to events recently.

Almost midwinter again

Hello my friends,
Welcome back here.
It would take forever to try and fill you in.
I've neglected the vege garden because the house has gone up for sale. (reluctantly)
The fruit trees still provided over summer without any input from me. Yeee Ha for good groundwork!
I made sweet chilli sauce, tomato sauce and fejoia chutney, berry jam and pickled onions this autumn. The chooks have enjoyed liberation in the vege garden for several months and their population has exploded. I hope they have eaten all the grass grubs!
We shall probably eat a lot more chicken soup this winter.
Pumpkins also did well unattended
At the height of summer PJ and our neighbour made a delicious pudding mostly from our garden.

Lemon Meringue Pie with garden fruit salad

Magic of the tide

Yep that was me all wet suited up. What a blast, I think it was the best summer the kids and I have ever had.

All the darkness is gone. We found fun, joy, adventure and silliness. I found a little too much and wrecked my ankle on a rope swing. But hey it served to remind me my body is not 18 any more even if I feel that way.

I didn't garden or write or knit.
I got to know a whole other me, I remember her from very long ago and I like her alot!

Summer here

Amazing adventures, a different path.