News from Nowhere
Good news helps raise the spirits, especially if there is an element of humour in it.
Leanne Curtis of CanCERN fame, and formerly of the Avonside Red Zone, has moved out into the middle of nowhere near Waikuku Beach. Here is her latest report of life way out there.
Our move to Waikuku Beach has been great and I know it's not always easy to hear the good news stories when you are still stuck in the thick of it but I tell it because we need to know there is a future after the Red Zone and it can be a great one. Below is a summary of the first two weeks.
We have officially moved out to the wop wops - no internet access until a port becomes available (what?) and very limited cell phone access unless you put the phone onto speaker, leave it in the perfect place on the kitchen bench and shout at it. So we are satisfyingly disconnected from the social media world and that is all good from where we sit.
We thought the garden was pretty cool when we bought the house but now that we are slowly whacking away three years of growth, we are realising the garden is amazing. The whole place is being transformed and I'm not even a gardener!. The wind doesn't even begin to think it can enter our property such was the brilliant designer who made the extensions. We now have four carparks instead of two after Andrew took the weedeater to the driveway. It is truly a haven of peace and calm (unless the kids are there) and we couldn't think of a better place to recover from earthquake sh*t.
There were three gorgeous wee ducklings and parent ducks running around the backyard when we arrived and a not so gorgeous hen and baby chick. Some bastardly dog (not ours) put paid to the ducklings so we are almost bird free. Andrew is eying up the chicken to see how far it will go in a stirfry. Our dog is in seventh heaven swimming in the river, chasing rabbits and rolling in dead things. The cats have all lost weight and have become pro stalkers even though they have developed a healthy respect for the ducks. The kids are mostly gone from the house and when we asked if they wanted a trampoline for Xmas which we have been meaning to buy for about 5 years they told us it would be a waste of time because there's too much to do - LOVE IT!!!
The drive in and out is not too annoying yet although we have to look for other people's houses to visit if we have a bit of spare time between city events. So if we casually drop in for a coffee, be kind to us and don't feel used. We chose you because you were special!
I think the coolest part of the shift is the school the boys will start at next year. The Principal wants to market is as the 'anti-safe school - we run with scissors'. I love that and it is going to be the making of Louis. He's into managing risk, they have a hedge with a magical labyrinth in it and guess what - the kids are allowed to play in it (just like the old days). They have a deal going that any kid who can do a lap of the netball court on the unicycle gets morning tea shouted from the Principal. Louis told him he could buy him lunch if he mastered it in less time and although he was told he would bleed trying, he's gearing up to the challenge. The school is designed for boys (bullrush included) and it is going to be great. It almost makes me want to go back teaching.
So that's a wee sum up of what's happening in Waikuku. We're happy to be there, happy to explore and happy to feel like we're living at the bach. Xmas will be happier for being out there and for that we're thankful.
I hope you're all well and getting into the Xmas spirit.
.
Leanne Curtis of CanCERN fame, and formerly of the Avonside Red Zone, has moved out into the middle of nowhere near Waikuku Beach. Here is her latest report of life way out there.
Our move to Waikuku Beach has been great and I know it's not always easy to hear the good news stories when you are still stuck in the thick of it but I tell it because we need to know there is a future after the Red Zone and it can be a great one. Below is a summary of the first two weeks.
We have officially moved out to the wop wops - no internet access until a port becomes available (what?) and very limited cell phone access unless you put the phone onto speaker, leave it in the perfect place on the kitchen bench and shout at it. So we are satisfyingly disconnected from the social media world and that is all good from where we sit.
We thought the garden was pretty cool when we bought the house but now that we are slowly whacking away three years of growth, we are realising the garden is amazing. The whole place is being transformed and I'm not even a gardener!. The wind doesn't even begin to think it can enter our property such was the brilliant designer who made the extensions. We now have four carparks instead of two after Andrew took the weedeater to the driveway. It is truly a haven of peace and calm (unless the kids are there) and we couldn't think of a better place to recover from earthquake sh*t.
There were three gorgeous wee ducklings and parent ducks running around the backyard when we arrived and a not so gorgeous hen and baby chick. Some bastardly dog (not ours) put paid to the ducklings so we are almost bird free. Andrew is eying up the chicken to see how far it will go in a stirfry. Our dog is in seventh heaven swimming in the river, chasing rabbits and rolling in dead things. The cats have all lost weight and have become pro stalkers even though they have developed a healthy respect for the ducks. The kids are mostly gone from the house and when we asked if they wanted a trampoline for Xmas which we have been meaning to buy for about 5 years they told us it would be a waste of time because there's too much to do - LOVE IT!!!
The drive in and out is not too annoying yet although we have to look for other people's houses to visit if we have a bit of spare time between city events. So if we casually drop in for a coffee, be kind to us and don't feel used. We chose you because you were special!
I think the coolest part of the shift is the school the boys will start at next year. The Principal wants to market is as the 'anti-safe school - we run with scissors'. I love that and it is going to be the making of Louis. He's into managing risk, they have a hedge with a magical labyrinth in it and guess what - the kids are allowed to play in it (just like the old days). They have a deal going that any kid who can do a lap of the netball court on the unicycle gets morning tea shouted from the Principal. Louis told him he could buy him lunch if he mastered it in less time and although he was told he would bleed trying, he's gearing up to the challenge. The school is designed for boys (bullrush included) and it is going to be great. It almost makes me want to go back teaching.
So that's a wee sum up of what's happening in Waikuku. We're happy to be there, happy to explore and happy to feel like we're living at the bach. Xmas will be happier for being out there and for that we're thankful.
I hope you're all well and getting into the Xmas spirit.
.
