Tuesday saw some rain and cooler temperatures, and it was a catch up day for all and work day for me!

Wednesday brought back the sunshine and the boat repair man, all summer holidays without a boat, we were all pretty excited.

Ploughed through my work in the morning and 2.00pm found me at the helm with a very excited Steph and Jaxon ready to catch the big ones.

Lots of little ones and a few good keepers! It was bliss to be back in the ocean. We fished into the low tide and landed back on the beach at 7.00pm….with dinner,which was lucky as the designated cook, George, was lounging in the spa and dinner wasn’t started!

After boat clean up and filleting of fish, showers and a well earned beer, we devoured our beautiful fresh fish and crashed for the night.

Today mum turned 85, so after an early start, me working, the newlyweds packing for their camping trip, George swimming his laps at the gym, we headed into Orewa to take mum out for brunch. Trudi joined us too.

Jax and Steph headed off on their journey and we took mum for a walk along the beach, visited her friend Joy and Mum enjoyed an ice cream (after coffee, squid rings and chips)

A little blustery with an Easterly and surf rolling in at Orewa.

Back home to finish the washing, work and a cheeky little dip in the sea at high tide.

It’s a girls night tonight with Sue, Trudi and Maria having a catch up while last nights chef has another go at cooking dinner!

Thursday began at 4am for Jaxon as it was the Brisket BBQ day,

I joined him for a Mother/Son moment at 6am on the beach to watch the sun rise and then got on with the last minute sewing jobs and ironing to ensure all the wedding ensembles were in order, as there would be no sewing after the mother of the Groom had her nails done! (in five different colours). The wind was dropping and the blue sky was promising a fantastic wedding weekend.

Russell Rose was blooming in the garden, having been watered daily in readiness for the big day.

The BBQ is a full day event and the wedding party started to filter in, in the afternoon to prepare for the big day. So Thursday day evening was a team effort to prepare a feast for 25 people at the Bonnici-Carter Cottage at the beach..

Round one…..followed by round two and three, a few quiet drinks (and not so quiet for Sue who was waiting for the Carter Family from Wanganui).  Most had an earlish night, except Sue and Brenda and Graeme (Carter), who brandy coffeed it until a little after midnight!

But it was an early start for Sue, with cars to wash and windows to clean and food shopping to be done (for the Hors D”oeuvre part of the wedding event at the cottage.

The Merc was delivered to Don for its wedding present (a deep clean and valet) together with Dons New BMW X3 for the bride and her girls! She is looking very smart I might say, and will certainly sell if I choose to take an offer, but I am enjoying driving her and might just hang on a bit longer!

The bridal party worked on the hall all day on Friday, and I (with the help of a couple of bubbly bridesmaids) prepared the BBQ (normal one) for another group feast!

The wedding day (saturday 11th January) dawned with a bluebird sky, no wind and promised to deliver as planned for the 4.30pm wedding.

Gazebo up, Awning out, tables and chairs and Ice bins in readiness for the afternoon festivities….Dan appeared with Floyd and I took a moment to have a run on the beach with the eldest son and canine….and soak up the morning sunshine.  Helpers for food prep were arriving at 9.00am and away we went…

The kitchen team from Te Anau, Coffs Harbour and George! Happy in their work with beautiful big smiles…

The Groomsmen and Jax worked all morning, finishing touches to the hall and around the cottage, filling up drinks bins, icing down and setting up tables and chairs.

3.00pm – setting up at the Beach, I took a stroll with Stephs
Family to the designated point where they set up the venue for the important bit, the wedding vows.  My job was to talk to all the daytrippers (and dogs and loud music and bikini clad pippi gathers) to advise them we had a wedding here and would they mind toning it all down at 4-4.30pm for the actual event!  I get the good jobs, but as it was such a nice day (and I am such a polite person) they all were very co-operative, some wanted to be invited even!

Meanwhile back at the cottage, my cousins Karen and Mark had taken over the kitchen, in good Bonnici Day out style, and had everything ready for the nibbles and drinks after the formalities, while the bridal party strolled around the beach for wedding photos!

So, back to the cottage, quick shower, find makeup (which hadn’t been worn for a long time and one should wear makeup to weddings, expecially your sons) Throw on frock, quick photo with Jaxon and down to the beach to await the arrival of the Bride.

The boys waiting patiently on the beach, suited up and looking very relaxed (if a little warm)….The crowds were gathering on the beach and the grass bank in readiness, tide slowing making its way in….perfect timing.

The beauty about a beachside wedding, there is something for everyone, Mary, Brenda and Graeme in prime position on the grass bank with the shade of the trees, or in the sunshine if they desired, sun now behind them so no squinting into the sun.

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Bonnici Boys in the front row (and only) designated seats, Dan, Dane and George….all suited up and also looking very smart (from the front as well)

And here she is….with her contingent of beautiful bridesmaids, all wearing wedding ensemble from Malta…and loving altered(by Sue) to fit Kiwi girls with bare feet (not the 5 inch heels that Maltese girls would wear!)

 

Signing the papers with their best man and best girl…..and waiting for….

THE KISS….Mr and Mrs Bonnici, Waiwera Beach, with Sugarloaf Island in the background!

Family photos, and all the guests and non bridal party family, strolled (or ran depending how thirsty they were) back to the Bonnici-Carter Cottage.  My Cousins ran a smooth operation with food and drinks and everyone chatted and soaked up the evening sunshine. Until we got the call at 6.30pm to head to the hall for the reception.

The only picture of me, in my Berlin outfit, beautiful silk jacket, which I have now wrecked by gentle washing (in machine), shrinking to fit a hobbit and green colour run into the gold….however it was very classy on the day, and lasted for my 2nd speech in four months (not my forte), welcoming the beautiful Steph into the Bonnici-Carter clan.

Dinner done and the beautiful cake, decorated by my cousin Trish….where the mountains meet the stars…then it was a big night, with drinks, music, dancing, noise control warnings and  back to where the celebrations started until the wee small hours (actually 5.30am!)

Needless to say it was a hiberation sunday for most except those of us who began the tedius job of cleaning up at 8am…..cottage and hall.  With the help of the oldies and a couple of young ones the mess was cleared, and Stephs family just had to deal with the sorting the decorations and returning hired stuff!

Today, monday saw a more relaxed holiday mode with me back at work (remotely at the beach), washing and sorting some space in our little beachside cottage. And George is 24 today! so a dinner out in Orewa this evening and no cooking!

Now we just need the boat fixed so we can go fishing….Early this week I am told

 

 

This time next week, Jaxon will be married, George will be 24 years old and maybe the boat will be fixed!!!!

2020 is filling up our days and slipping by bringing unprecedented events and carefully planned events.

The fire disasters Australia is experiencing are hitting our shores with a galeforce blast. I was at Trudis cottage yesterday (ironing?) and I felt like “Dorothy” as a wind gust threatenened to whisk me away to OZ!

The sky’s have cleared and we are still holding our skirts down as the wind blows…the sea is chopping up a storm and no boating in the mix…not for the Bonnici-Carter crew due to ongoing boat issues (or any one else due to 30-40 knot wind and surf like conditions). Ok so the ongoing boat saga (this is getting really old now) is that another Man with a computer has visited (the boat) and there are several issues, (and parts to be fixed). The main issue is that the original service performed and paid for ($1800 )….a Yamaha motor service, shows very little evidence it was undertaken! Taking advantage of a poor unbeknowing middle aged female…ha! We will see how far that gets them.

The boys in Blue hit the town last Saturday (not wearing blue, I believe the groom to be was in pink) to celebrate Jaxons last weekend of being a single man…these two and one other mate (and the bride to be) where the last ones standing in the late small hours of Sunday morning…

The girls (Lexi,Trudi & Sandy here) also celebrated with Steph at different places (me included for a portion of it) and met up with the boys after midnight.

Everyone was still standing (or lying) unscathed the next day…these events can be dangerous at times! No one was injured or outrageously embarrassed!

It’s a week of lists before the wedding…..bridesmaid dresses now have all all alterations done, that’s a big job out of the way. Suit hunting (for dan and George), haircuts, housecleaning, food prep, etc…for the big day on Saturday. It looks like the wind is dropping and while we pray for the rain for Australia, we can only hope the weather gods in Waiwera allow a beach wedding in this beautiful place we live!

The final days of 2019 saw a prolonged saga of boat repairs (and frustrations) for a very unmechanical Sue. The chaps around camp were very helpful and all came to the conclusion (after battery charge and installation of a second battery) that the “Check Engine” fault that would not go away needed some expert attention! The short version…there is no fishing until a tech guy can visit on Monday after they are all back on deck after the holiday period. So at least I can forget about it until then (and the family is resigned to the delay).

Two days before new year George left us to head to a concert with his uni mate, and ready for the action, a cheeky little Speights at 9.30am (for the person that drinks rarely, it looked like it was going to be a big one!) What happens on tour, stays on tour, but he was safely back in the fold by 9am New Year’s Day (needing sleep and food!)

Meanwhile the girls in red (Christmas attire), Sue, Steph and Trudi took a step back in time for new year!

The theme being 60s flower power! This was late in the evening and we had lost our headbands and lipstick!

New Year’s Eve began at 2pm (for the younger generation at least)… Trudi had work and I had some bridesmaid dresses to alter, this took me until 4pm and the eyes were struggling!

Dan and Lexi joined in for part of the proceedings, Lex outlasting Dan by a couple of hours!

Jax and Steph seeing out the distance and well into the wee small hours, it was a big night! Sue was ready to hit the sack by 10.30pm (Russ would have rolled with me on that one) but was buoyed up by a strong brandy coffee to see in the new year with the team!

We made it to the hall with five minutes to spare! And popped the poppers, sang auld Lang syne and had the odd hug or two! Sue and Trudi made a quick escape(after a sociable period – 5 minutes) and were looking forward to at least half a nights sleep! Oh no…not in the Bonnici Carter household, Jaxon, the wanderer, kept us on our toes until about 4am. While I lacked a few hours sleep at least I wasn’t sporting a hangover!

New Year’s Day we had a job to do!

Russ has maintained the New Years races (for kids and adults) for a number of years and our legacy is to keep this going in good Bonnici-Carter tradition.

Pop and Sandy joined us, as did cousin Bob, bringing his two adorable kids to represent us, coming well into the money with wins and places in the running, sack, potato and spoon and three legged races!

The boys did us all proud, an unhungover Dan helping with setup and Jaxon on the Microphone, and George staggering the ages…a great team effort! Sue having to step in when Jaxon needed to participate in the adult events!

It’s now 10pm….and we are all in bed (yay) looking forward to a good nights sleep!

WELL ALL, with the christmas colour and franticness of the supermarket, it is hitting home that Christmas is just around the corner.  Not surprisingly for us this year, the sights and sounds are bittersweet.

The Boys, Dan and George, put up the Christmas tree while I was at work….with Russ on the top! WE are nearly set up in the cottage for Christmas….we now just need food and some pressies.  Really just good friends and family, kindness and love is all we need (and of course a cold Speights) There is a great big (about 6ft 3in) empty space in all our lives this year with Russ on our minds every waking minute… I know many of our friends around the world will be feeling this too.

The Elf (Mary) and reindeer (George) singing away at the Christmas carol morning at Maygrove this week….Mum is slowly improving after our little hospital visit last week.

And the Elf on the shelf (not Mary) with other treasures adorning the top of the kitchen cabinet, alongside the icebucket and glasses from the Wachstetter clan in Texas! Russ’s little singing snowman has lost his voice this year, but the fat Santa, another of Russ’s superbuys from Lake Jackson is in full voice, ready to be placed at the gate to “Ho Ho Ho” everyone into Riverhaven. He is a very noisy little creature.

Yes it looks like Christmas in the Bonnici-Carter Cottage, we are all together and trying to hold onto the fun times we all had earlier in the year…

From Waiwera to Malta, Malta to Vienna, Vienna to Zurich, Zurich to Wawsaw, Wawsaw to Berlin, Berlin to Silverdale (Auckland) and back to Waiwera where Dan and his team have worked hard to implement Russ’s renovation plans…and we are almost there, just a bit of paint to go!

The back deck almost ready for “Hot Summer Nights”, I say as I sit here in my jeans and sweater with the sky crying yet again! But Russ would be proud of the job done, And will be happy we are all together for Christmas!

 

My last story pre Christmas precluded a series of events that have sped us towards 2020 without realising more than a week has passed.

My final food shop for Christmas fare took two try’s to get in the door of the supermarket – day one a full circle (or two) of the parking lot and we drove out…day two (by now Christmas Eve) up at 6am, in the parking lot at 6.30am, doors open at 7.00am (so far so good), list in hand, only to enter the fruit and vege department to be stampeded from behind by trolleys and mad men and woman who all seemed to have one aim in mind, getting to the checkouts first! And they probably did, I stayed locked to the handlebars of my trolley until the herd had passed! Job done, my few presents under tree, last work emails answered, and Christmas Eve was upon me!

It was this guy we were all missing and wanting to be with us, not Santa!

Remembering the good times, bringing tears and laughter and anger and everything that you cannot see! We had all of this…but tried our best to go through the motions!

Jaxon and Steph bring the Christmas spirit to the world! And we had a big morning planned with bringing Mary to the beach, pop and Sandy coming for Brunch, and Trudi and Ovin (George’s mate) sharing the Bonnici-Carter bedlam!

Mum looking very festive and Sue walking off the brunch…low tide but a still warm summers day!

No Christmas Day is complete without a game of beer pong… I took mum home around 2.00pm, it had been a long morning, and joined in the festivities and relaxed a little on my return – maybe too much – my beer pong skills seem to have somewhat diminished!

We saw out the day and were pleased to go to bed….to sleep off our emotions and varying levels of alcohol!

Boxing Day saw another calm day and an excursion in the newly serviced boat took shape. Low tide, so it was an excited Steph, Sue and Trudi in the boat, Jaxon holding it while Aaron took the trailer back to the shed, and ran back to join us and hit the deep sea adventures! The best laid plans….the $1800.00 service had rendered the boat motor without a roar! Yes we were going no where…back up the beach went Aaron, fetching the trailer, and the boat (trudi, Sue and Steph still aboard),were towed back to the port! Followed by “the walk of shame” (and comments of “that was quick, what did you catch”) back to the cottage with our Picnic, rods and other fishing supplies!

After an emotional Christmas, and an 1800 dollar boat service!, the only thing I could do was have a sleep! We all did for about three hours!

Well if you ask enough people, they kind of feel sorry for you…and we borrowed a trickle charger and left it on the battery all night, then Jaxon and I, with Aaron’s assistance and a few knowledgeable other campers, decided that the motor now goes, the battery had gone flat, (a relatively new one!) but should be ok to go….lesson learned, will check again today before embarking on another fruitless excursion!

So yesterday, became a day of chores! Clean up, Merc polish and park up for the festive season…living at the beach is not ideal for a white car, it seems to attract leaves, the red flowers of the pohutukawa tree, and bird Poo!

George went off to the gym and brought Mary back again for a few hours! She does enjoy sitting in the sun and eating what ever she can!

Today, however, I have some painting to finish, after a peaceful morning (I hope) …. two weeks until the big Day (wedding number one of the Bonnici-Carter off spring)

After four days in hospital with Mary, the weather gods have been good to me. When I buy my morning coffee (at hospital kiosk) I am now being asked if I am staff (discount!) No I am too honest!

Mum is securely back at her rest home and, while I am a little anxious, I know she is where she wants to be…after all we have a wedding to look forward to in less than four weeks!

So the powers to be predicted rain all weekend and, thankfully they were were wrong!

It was a big painting weekend for the Bonnici Carter’s! George partying it up with his mates in Wellington (well away from a paintbrush). After suit shopping with my middle son on Saturday, and a visit with mum, it was home to paint!

Dad arrived and helped me with a very un health and safety arrangement on painting bench, plastic bins on top and a couple of planks of wood to boot! Kiwi ingenuity, number eight wire! Dan arrived and the first coat finished on three sides!

Jax came up in the evening, and a lamb roast was enjoyed by all, with an early night ready for a Sunday paint fest!

And it was, Jax and I up at 7am an on the brushes, the other two sides done and then, a second coat on all five! Jax and I tag teamed with brushes and rollers and the rain stayed south of the Waiwera hill! As you can see painting is an art….to see what parts of the body can join in the fun! I even managed paint between the toes!

But after a big day, visits from my mate Barry, Phil, Dad and Sandy who cleaned the clearlite ready to put up, Dan did a dump load, and Jax and I painted the World! (And ourselves)

Job done! Back to work tomorrow to catch up on my week off after last week at my hospital short stay.

Dan bought me Chinese for dinner and I am now scrubbed raw (soap and water, paint removed) a couple of Speights (my beer of choice) and I am ready for bed to face a new week!

George returns tomorrow and he and Dan have a clearlite project, and the clothesline will be back up!

With Christmas only 10 days away, we need to put up the tree and think about some shopping! Nothing like getting last minute bargains….or not…..seriously a quiet time is all I need right now!

Be careful what you wish for, I always said I want to be a Gypsy….but sleeping in a different couch/chair each night was not really the idealist dream!

The weekend was hectic with the cottage hosting crate day from midday to mid nite on Saturday.

My boys all hanging out together, and looking after their mumma….well mumma looking after (feeding and making sure all found their beds) at the end of the night.

Lack of sleep and a bit of a clean up, coupled with intermittent thunderstorms and downpours prevented the schedule painting activities…

Monday night after work – a big walk into downtown at twilight illuminating the somewhat uninhabited pink cycle lane over the motorway junction…on our way to the Breakers (NZ basketball team) game…

Down Queen street, and this big man, who has adorned our city corners for the last 59 years, is making his last stand! It is reported that after this Christmas he will be gracefully retired from duty! A little nostalgic as his first year of action was the year I was born in 1960!

Two rows back (best of the cheaper) from the court side ( which was outrageously expensive) our seats, a great spot to watch the winning game. The walk back home was all up hill, with taxis and ubers pricing themselves out of work, we walked off the excitement of an Adrenalin pumping game.

Couch number one…that was mine at Jax house, George had the spare bed as I am the early waker!

The drive to work on Tuesday a mere five minutes, followed by a busy day and arriving back at the cottage to watch the final outside plaster touches…veges done, chops in oven and first beer opened, when I got the call, mum had had an incident at her rest home and ambulance was on its way. George and I (beer undrunk) zoomed off to meet at the home. I rode with mum in the ambulance and George followed behind to the hospital. An overnight stay was definitely looming, I dropped George home, ate tea, quick shower and headed back in for the night!

Next obstacle, the motorway was closed for maintenance by 10pm and I had to follow the coastal (dark and winding) detour back into town! 11pm arrival!

Last night an orange vinyl (slippery) laziboy chair for the nights accommodation! At least I was clean and had a full tummy! Mum was snoozing and I managed the odd hour or two until all the action with doctors and assessments began at 7am!

And they removed my orange laziboy chair – only allowed at night evidently….so now I have a very small hard desk chair for the day!

George is managing the tradies at Waiwera, and I am stopping with mum as she is moving to a ward today!

It looks like a long week ahead….and the painting will happen at some point!

This might be boring, but a week of ticks (not the animal kind), aching muscles and blood sweat and tears!

The team of tradies (and Dan, George and Sue) have had a big week under the blazing kiwi sunshine!

It started with the outside plasterer getting the full coat of membrane on (after fixing many imperfections), followed by yet another furniture move around for the laminate(final piece of flooring) to go down. This then meant Dan had to install the edges, Sue and Dan paint and George taping edges before we could move furniture back (and have an unobstructed path to the loo). Wednesday saw the roofing team on site, ripping off iron, installing insulation and up went the new roof. A huge mess of old iron, cut off edges, old building paper, timber and plastic was left in their wake….a big clean up and three garbage bags later, a Facebook post for free batts, and old roofing iron and the deck is nearly clear!

Thursday I went to work early and came home at 2pm and attacked the outside beams with sealer – paint was drying faster than the brushstrokes, and I had the most intense yoga workout, balancing on the old sawhorses, twisting around the beams and arms up for three hours…all in 30 degrees (celcius) direct sun with no breeze! End end result (Sue) was a very wet, pink and unattractive specimen of human, who slept well that night!

My wonderful painter Brought his boy at 7am on Friday and left him with me for the day to finish the sealer and get the first coat of new paint on the woodwork…I managed to work until lunchtime and then attacked the eaves!

So in short….new floor, new roof, cottage totally sealed ready for final plaster coat, painting well underway and its only Saturday morning…

And crate day – three beautiful crates of Speights in readiness for the fun to begin at midday! The boys not me…I might pick up the paintbrush again, or my book, at 7am I am undecided!

To escape the construction site I took a stroll around my hood, not having had the chance to enjoy this glorious weather to date…

The beach in pano at half tide..

Seaside flowers possibly gasping for a drink.

Palm trees across the road (not swaying in the breeze as there was none)

And our quaint little seaside church a couple of doors up. This really is a beautiful place, now the time to enjoy it is getting close!

All in all, we have had a very productive week, George is back working (remotely) for his English company, progress on the finishing touches, and we can see the end in sight of this project! And Summer is certainly here – shorts and t-shirts are out in force!

George’s first week at home and he was worried about the snoring (mine) in close proximity in the cottage. But I had another surprise for him… the day before he arrived (my shifting day) I managed to secure a good hearty head cold, which very quickly developed into an almighty symphony of coughing. At least he isn’t on this side of the deal. I have had an exhausting week of house clearing (outside) water blasting, a bit of work, food stocking, and on the side…coughing!

Yesterday I took a moment to enjoy my morning coffee at the beach, before the day began.

And mid week our neighbour Dennis, the pipi man, shared his pan full of pipis steamed in secret recipe.. if you have been following for a while you may remember my explanation of the pipi digging excursions! It is quite a process, but culminates in the delicious seafood pan of pre dinner snack!

The weather has been warm and dry and the plasterer has started the outside of the cottage -all going well it will be totally reclad by the end of next week, during which time (weather permitting) a new roof will go on and the final laminate on my inside floors will be laid….it will then be a family painting bee and I hope the kitchen man can make my storage cupboards before Xmas or it’s. “Bunnings….here I Come” for a temporary solution!

Meanwhile my pots in the rock garden, opposite the front door, are adding colour to my life, as I am religiously watering them each day.

A couple of big decisions this week, well yesterday actually. The boat is back serviced and ready to roll, the trailer is unwarrantable, and needs replacing….later….as it doesn’t need to go on the road for the rest of the summer (and I don’t have a spare 8K right now) – boatshed to beach, that’ll work!

I have decided to say goodbye to this ride, as from a maintenance point of view, she is definitely a blokes hobby, and preferably a bloke who is a mechanic….give me a boring little Nissan or Toyota, cheap and cheerful to run and repair!

Ok Saturday morning, and the question is “where is the boat key?” This week has been a week of locating missing objects – oh yes – I found the original trailer plate too…it was in the chilly bin (or esky if you are Australian)!