And some things are small, from one side of the world to another and all together in our Tiny House!

George arrived this morning from Norway to bask in the sunshine for the summer, and stashed away all his winter garb until next year!

I moved into my summer cottage, with a huge effort from Dan and Jax. Dan has been working tirelessly on putting all Russ’s plans into place, so the boys and I can have “A place to call Home”….. honouring his wishes and taking care of me. It is a little bittersweet that Russ is not here to share this with us.

We now start on the outside and with plaster, paint and a new roof (I hope) before Christmas…

Dan and Lex taking a moment to relax with a stroll along the waterfront, barefoot kiwis!

And an afternoon, well deserved nap in the refurbished boudoir!

While there are lots of little jobs to finish, the car boots are nearly empty, the boat is having an overhaul, life jackets are tested, most of my “stuff” is in one place, George is sleeping like a baby, and we are all happy to be here in one place to help each other move forward. It’s been a tough few months for the Bonnici-Carter’s, but all Russ’s plans are falling into place.

A week of work, followed by a Saturday working bee, the annual Riverhaven clean up day.

The day started early, after a week of running around (in my spare time) hunting for number plates (for boat), well hidden by Russ and never to be found. A very helpful lady at the AA suggested a name change, then de register (in my name so I get the refund that I have just paid for a year) and then a new registration and plate number! Phew, I was ready to transport the boat a few miles down the road for the well planned service. Or was I?

Dan appeared bright and early Saturday morning, as his truck and towing and backing expertise was needed to undertake the proposed excursion. First obstacle – The wires to plug in the lights on the trailer has been cut through and with a bit of kiwi ingenuity, ignoring the colourblindness, Dan managed to resplice and tape wires to get the indicators and one tail light going! A high viz vest on the prop! New number plate taped onto the boat ladder (as couldn’t remove the rusted bolt to secure it in the numberplate bar) and we were off! 7.45am! Safely delivered to the workshop and the little hiccup of forgetting to leave the boat key! This issue was easily fixed with a quick turnaround from only a short distance! And back to Riverhaven at 8.45am in time to join the crew, Jaxon, Steph and Trud, for the working bee!

The day had only just begun, for Dan who worked all day on the drainage crew, while the rest of us gardened – for the morning at least! Tidying up the gardens around my cottage and over by the boat port.

The Dotteral is a small NZ coastal bird nearly extinct, and very protected. These guys nest on the sand around Waiwera!

Whilst gardening, a lost baby about the size of a fifty cent piece, was darting around the camp looking for its Mum. We managed to herd him back to the beach towards the nest area, as you cannot touch them or the mother will reject him.

The day went on and my nephew, Fraser arrived around lunchtime with his two kids. They are camping in my empty cottage for the night…and had a lovely day at the beach and playground.

Fraser with his beautiful daughter Esme! Dinner at Trudis cottage!

Free beer and BBQ at the gazebo by the estuary after a busy (for some) day! Very chilly wind so we didn’t last long…..back to Trudis cottage and ready for tea!

One last evening wander, Trudi with her solar lights all changing colour on her deck…. Fraser and the kids tucked up, Dan and Lex back at their house with Floyd, and Jax, And his mates enjoying a cheeky game of beer pong and a few beers.

Sunday – funday! I think some prep on the cottage for the carpet laying and unpack a few kitchen boxes, Steph is bringing up her laptop so Dan can try and get my internet connected…which was supposed to be done by the very inefficient Vodafone on Friday…,got the usual email…”congratulations your internet is easy to use, just turn on modem and watch for the lights all to come on and you are ready to go” (and we are happy to charge you premium prices for a service that doesnt work and you have to sort out yourself!). They will be getting a very cross call and a return to site to Sort out phone call if the boys have no luck!

Some things we cannot change, while Australia is burning, George is freezing in Norway, and we here in New Zealand have the best(?) of both worlds!

A weekend gone of mid 20 to plus 30 degrees, and stripping off to shorts and T-shirt’s, to a complete turnaround on Monday to 10 degrees, rain and hail!

Clearing the space in the cottage in readiness for the floor action, a couple of boxes of loose glasses just had to find their pride of place in the new kitchen!

The finer points in life are important, paint touch ups, blinds up, curtain shopping, and we are starting to get excited!

They say this is the crazy time of the year, work is frantic, traffic is at a standstill and the shops are being filled with Red and green and gold (the colours of Christmas). We all start thinking about the kiwi Christmas, BBQs, beer, boating and beaches!

The boat is booked for a service and just realised, Warrant of fitness out, and good old Russ has hidden the trailer number plate. (Yes we need to tow it on the road to the garage). In hindsight, I should have checked, why wouldn’t you take the number plate off a trailer that is in and out of the sea so it doesn’t rust! This would not have been a problem if I had not emptied the cottage, it would be safely stashed away….but with boxes and beds at Daniels house, the Merc boot full of “stuff” and my room at Dads bursting at the seams, not to mention bins and cupboards on the back deck under a pile of building materials! It will be a marathon effort on Saturday to locate this missing piece…that is if I haven’t thrown it out in my ruthless cull of junk!

Worst scenario, I can tell a good story if the men in blue decide to stop a frantic old lady towing a boat with no registration plate or warrant!

Lying in bed listening to the rain, about to start a busy Thursday and roll into another weekend of action…all hands on deck.

A week of bee issues and wardrobe fails!

A weeks of 20 plus degrees summer sunshine, and these little guys are out doing there business…..however one decided to share its world with me last Saturday evening, while I was peacefully basking in the evening warmth, cool beer in hand! Yes a bee sting, maybe Russ telling me not to drink too many Speights! Well initial sting and red itchy patch, developed into hot, red, shiny, unbelievably itchy entire forearm and when red itchy (like very itchy) spots started travelling past my elbow, I decided it may be time for a quick doctors visit.  (please note; no doctors visit here is quick, always time to read three magazines and the news on your phone, even if you are the only one in the waiting room)

Deciding point was on Tuesday evening, there I was, sitting in the dentist chair, attending to some more personal maintenance, and the image on the screen, they have for you to look at while you dribble and choke on your saliva (quietly and trying to maintain some decorum). Yep a plethora of spring bees pollinating our summer veges (good on them)…. and all the while all I wanted to do was chew my arm off, which was impossible with the dentist fingers and tools inside my mouth.

So before work  and visiting mum on Wednesday, off I went to the doctor at 8am…to be there first and unannounced,  as if I rung for an appointment, I would possibly get one three days later.  Still had to see a doctor (not mine who was enjoying his morning coffee) who prescribed a course of steroids (Ok Russ, I’m with you on that one too) to ease the allergic reaction.  Anything has got to be better than slapping malt vinegar on my arm all night and waking up smelling like a stale salad!

Day two of steroids, I am happy to say, arm has halved in size and redness!

The wardrobe fail – The bag packed for an overnight stay with Jax and Steph in town (after the doctor and visiting mum), leaving mum’s hospital I noticed the one pair of jeans I was wearing and planned to wear the next day, (said jeans four years old and purchased at charity shop for $5.00), had a broken zip…metal and not repairable. Fine when standing straight, with tummy in, sitting (as I do in office all day) big gape.  A safety pin may have worked for one day but not two.  So a mercy dash back to the house before finally arriving at work around 10.30.  Big morning and Big day, I was very glad I was staying in town only five minutes away!

The cottage (my summer abode) is rolling along, working toilet, shower, hand basin and new kitchen sink, painting inside should be finished this week, and then a bit of electrical maintenance and floor operations (sanding and carpeting) and we should be all good to go by the end of the month.

All in all a week of 3rd world issues, allergies, teeth, working, driving in traffic, wrecking clothes and couch surfing around Auckland.

 

 

 

Russ’s yellow rose is flowering in the spring sunshine while the Bonnici-Carter’s are floundering a bit. A little hint he is telling us to hang in there.

This first weekend of November certainly feels like a promise of summer, the shorts are out, somewhat cautiously, and while life is a bit up in the air, we wake up each morning to another day of work!

My cottage is a work in progress, and with a freshly painted kitchen and new bathroom, I’m getting itchy to move in….however patience is needed! Tradies don’t work on a Sunday!

Sitting on my front step in the sunshine, I’m looking forward to having a place to call my own. Right now home is where the toothbrush is! At work, at Dads, at Trudi’s, at Jax and Stephs and a combination of all in a mere week. My car is a storage unit, my bag is constantly packed and occasionally I stay in one place long enough to throw through a load of washing.

A stroll along the beach at Waiwera is a gentle reminder that we are lucky to have this piece of paradise in our world. While George has sub zero temperatures in Norway and a new job to contend with, we are rolling into the warmth and familiarity of a kiwi Summer.

Another couple of months and we will all be together again….Christmas and new year at the beach!

Right now, life is unsettled and confusing as we roll on the waves of a very different pathway.

With a triple shot flat white in hand, after a class of hot yoga and a cool shower, third week down and it is almost enjoyable…..

A year of very little exercise, apart from wandering the pavements of northern Europe, the rest of my body is finally awakening….or at least letting me know there are some muscles somewhere in there.

Do something for yourself, they said! And I decided time to go back to yoga. Maybe a trip to the hairdressers or a nice facial would have done the trick, but no, yoga it is and as the saying goes “no pain, no gain!”  All I can say to this is that there must be alot of gain going on here, maybe I can win the New Years Day Riverhaven races again if I keep this up!

Time is ticking on towards Christmas, and Summer (we are led to believe), while the temperatures are telling us a different story, barely in double figures this week, we do believe that Summer is just around the corner.  Work is definitely telling us that Christmas is coming, with the frantic last minute orders flowing in!

The Cottage is rolling along, Dan and Mike installed the shower in the weekend, and last bathroom painting underway ready for the all important hand basin and Toilet! Then there is no stopping us… it will be a project in motion from there, but not having to visit neighbours to use the bathroom will definitely be a plus.  With our long weekend looming, a big clean up is the plan ready for the next stage of painting and floors.  Russ and I bought a new Pantry weeks ago and they were holding it for three weeks, I must visit them and make sure they haven’t onsold it to another punter.

And not to forget the all important Rugby World Cup, with our infamous “All Blacks” coming up against the might of the “English heavyweights” (well in their words at least) for the semifinal on Saturday night.  Thinking this may be a quieter event than the quarter final last weekend, wherein my middle son and my cousin decided they needed to see the bottom of the whisky bottle (well two actually) while cheering on their team…as Allan said, louder than Eden Park.  But Russ would have been proud of their efforts and encouragement from afar!

On that note, I need to focus on work, I have my HR cap on this week, recruiting a warehouse person and so far so good….but back to sales now as this is what makes my world go round, and only one thing is certain right now is the world will continue to go round, despite the Yoga Pain, Rugby games, cottage renovations and wind and rain!

 

 

Almost a month since Russ left us to fend for ourselves….we have been battling the changes and trying to get our feet moving forward.

The Kiwi kids are back at work, I am trying to get back into work (and yoga!) and George has returned to his Norwegian home and new job.  We had a frantic week before the celebration of Russ’s life, trying to get this just “how he would have liked it” a famous saying from the world of Russ….

And another week of gathering ourselves….not too many fun or happy times.

George and I holding each other up, balloons still hanging from the celebration for Russ’s birthday…must say looking a little weary.

And the week after was my birthday, and not in the mood for celebration, they boys and their girls joined us at Dad and Sandys house for dinner.

George sporting all the hats.  I was treated to a massage by the youngest offspring…a slightly bruising exercise when all the shoulder knots were attacked and made sure I had a cake from the “Cheesecake Shop”.  I was also spoiled with the mandatory chocolate scorched almonds and Speights!

Renovations have been ongoing at the Cottage at Waiwera, Dan has been putting in hours and making sure this is ticking along so I have a home for the summer….

A trip to Placemakers (hardware store) saw Floyd holding the fort in the drivers seat of the Ute while Dan collected supplies…. to keep the project rolling along.

The Kiwi spring has been terrible, with cold and lots and lots of Rain, we are still in winter clothes and as George says the weather here is Bi-Polar – every day is littered with Rain, wind, sunshine and sometimes hail!

My Pal Trudi has taken over her cottage at Waiwera, and we had the first Saturday night there enjoying familiar territory….and new sights.

These miniature donkeys visited our little patch of paradise on Sunday and created a pleasant distraction for the locals, Trudi and I included.

While I don’t feel like writing much these days, I will try and continue the stories and I’m sure there will be more adventures in the future, so the blog keeps alive: we have a wedding to look forward to in January and a catch up with lots of old faces. We are very blessed that we have a supportive crew around us and keep taking baby steps forwards….

 

 

 

The world of the kiwi travellers has been turned upside down, inside out and flipped sideways.

Russ lost his battle to this terrible disease IPPFE…a little over a week ago and we farewelled him on his next journey on his birthday 21st September. A day filled with sunshine, sadness(for our loss), music and beautiful words! And humour!

From around the world, Russ’s friends have shared their love and stories and here at home my family has surrounded me with love and support.

The hard bit starts now, and living without my travel buddy, my best friend and my partner in everything in this world, from the first thing in the morning “are you awake” call to last thing at night “rehash of the day and plan for the next one”.

Wherever my journey takes me from here Russ will be travelling with me and discussing the “where to next” with me, and probably changing our minds several times.

The Tag team looking after Russ waiting for George from the other side of the world!

George and Dan on the beach, collecting the treasures to make a non floral bouquet!

The Artwork, labour of love, painted by Daniel to send with Russ…and the Kingi (fish – which Russ is good at catching)…

A few of the favourite things – Texas Longhorns, Heineken, and his sons!

Kitchen time – lots of this! I was mainly on dishes! Food just seemed to appear.

Daily visits with Nanna to keep her in the loop. This day she had horses in the hospital! Yes they do all sorts to relieve the boredom!

From adventures to mis adventures, Russ is loved around the world, and I can’t say the tears have dried, as I’m sure they will flow for a very long time (for those who shared the service – my calmness was due to a solid shot of Jaxon’s, very expensive, scotch) Not a whisky girl, but it worked!

Russ touched the world and hearts in so many places, and will always be with us all! We always promised each other we would travel until we couldn’t fly any more! We took this to the 11th hour….and nearly became flightless kiwis stranded in Berlin!

I’m still standing at the end of a very hectic week, the first week of spring! Bringing with it, rain (like sideways flooding rain!), cold, (outside that is, inside the boarding house at colonial drive, its bikini weather temperature), more ailments for the team, and….

Trudi! She has finally made it to the hibiscus coast, in time for summer activities! Now we just need summer!

Work on the cottage(our summer abode) continues, the boys are ticking away at a brand new bathroom.

Ok so that’s the good news!

Dad came down with the “bot” (flu, cold,etc affectionately known as the “bot”), yours truly developed the cough from hell….mainly disturbing the household at night with loud barking! (you know: one of those coughs, no matter what you do just goes on, uncontrollably, until it’s ready to stop, and you’re left with eyes watering, and body temperature 5 degrees hotter!)

Russ decided he was missing all his friends in hospital and a visit was long overdue, so back in on Monday to try and get back on track again. So it’s been early starts (to beat the work traffic), coffee and the morning with Russ, into work for the day (a short day) and back to the hospital, either to Russ or Mary for the week!

Sandy has been getting dad back on his feet, and Trudi has slotted in wherever needed, catching her breath before she’s into her new job next week!

Sue continues to battle with Qatar airways for a refund on the business class (x2) tickets from Berlin to Auckland. Have been offered a miserable $507 New Zealand dollar refund of the airport taxes! That’s like a slap in the guts with a wet fish….so no, the battle goes on….so far I have put my case to Germany (too hard), they transferred me to Qatar Australia, I phoned the Australian contact and got put through to India! Now India wants the story! So Qatar is certainly spreading its wings to all corners of the world, with the most unhelpful and miserable employees they can find in “Customer Service!”….. “Fair go” here I come (if only I had the energy).

So this weekend looks like, driving, coffee breaks, hospitals, more airline battles, rugby (the small matter of an all black test mid afternoon) and maybe just a little R&R in readiness for another busy week.