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)!

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.