Random musings

Fresh'n'fruity yoghurt is absolutely yummy! I don't care what's in it, it is heaven in a pottle!

All cats are created beautiful, even the cunning, thieving one which surreptitiously comes into my home and steals my affection!

Sunny warm days are shared by everyone, even those who are not happy.

Cabernet Merlot tastes better with good company.

Sometimes lots of family are good at a distance.

A walk in the rain is good for the soul, but still wetting.

It's actually fun to sing to yourself.

Mornings aren't so bad, as long as it isn't too long till lunch.

Dreaming of a villa in Tuscany is alright, so long as you don't try to buy one.

Just when you wonder what is going to happen next, something does!

The world is full of successful people, so why aren't you one of them?

When you meet someone in the street, and they say "how are you?' Why don't you just tell them the truth and say, you are feeling really bad and the rellies are getting on your back and the cat threw up on the mat and you have a pain in the .......!

Watching a good movie with a friend is great, as long as the friend doesn't want to talk about something else all the way through it!

Well, I could go on, but hey, maybe next time ay?

Flags of our fathers

I think that is an appropriate title for this blog, because soon it will be Waitangi Day in New Zealand. A treaty was signed on the 6th February 1840, between the participating Maori tribes, or Iwi, and the Government of the day.
A chief called Hone Heke objected and twice cut down the flag at Waitangi. The flag being what we call the Union Jack.
Our flag now has the Union Jack plus the four stars which represent the Star system, the Southern Cross. It's a bit odd that in our National Anthem, there is a line that goes, Guard Pacific's Triple Star! What the? I don't think anyone knows the true answer to that, and yet we all sing along and place our arm across our breast in the patriotic fashion.
Is it time for a change? This question has been tossed around in the mouths of various governments and spat out so many times in the past few years. The Maori are the indigenous race in this country and yet are not represented on our present flag. (Another what the?) I am all for one nation, one flag, hence the included picture. With maybe a Union Jack somewhere in the corner?

There's gold in them thar hills!

Coromandel_2007 037
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

The last of the Thames goldmines was fully operational up until 1951. Now it is owned and operated as a tourism venture, where it produces a small amount of different quartzes and the out buildings serve as a museum and souvenir shop.
My intrepid friends went down into the actual mine on a guided tour, and looked the part in the obligatory hard hats. I personally am not too keen on holes in the ground, so I stayed outside and tried my hand at panning in the trough. No luck with that, but it was fun scooping the stuff up in the pan and sifting it through.
From the old photos in the museum/gallery, you can tell that it was a very hard life for the miners and their families in the 1860s when the goldfields first opened up. Nowadays thousands of people go through this very historic relic of New Zealand's past.

On the Peninsula

Coromandel 020
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

There is this beautiful piece of paradise just up past Coromandel called Papa Aroha. We stayed there at the campsite for two nights in the tiniest little cabin imaginable.
You'd have trouble getting a cat in the door, let alone swing it!
Lucky we only really had to sleep in it, which we did as we were so tired swimming in the sea and exploring along the beach and playing scrabble and dominos till all hours.
The weather was warm, the sea was lovely when you got in and the boogie board got well used. The beach was stoney though and all along, there were loads of scallop shells, having been cracked open by the gulls and relieved of the succulent morsels.
The drive up around the coastline is spectacular to say the least and as we left there and meandered our way back down, promises were made to return sometime in the future...........

Crusty's Bar Mitzvah

Help! It is the last day of 2006 and I don't have a subject!
Switched on the TV and the first thing that popped on was the episode of the Simpsons where Crusty the clown declared that he didn't have a Bar Mitzvah. I am not familiar with this at all, having been instructed in the Christian way from an early age.
I have since learned that Bar Mitzvah is a ceremony whereby a young Jewish boy becomes a man. (Did Jesus have one?)

In a more familiar world to me, was the fact that I attended Midnight Mass at the local St Patricks Catholic Church. I only went there on Christmas Eve to sing along with the carols, pre the Mass. I ended up staying for the Mass. My reasons being:

1. I was seated in the middle of an obviously very Catholic bunch of people.
2. I seemed to remember all the responses, especially the ones in Latin.
3. Couldn't remember where the car was parked.

It's what it's all about, this Christmas thing. It doesn't really matter whether you believe in it; what matters is that you believe in something, anything! It's what gets us all through. I hope that the new year of 2007 (according to the Gregorian calendar) will bring us all new understanding and acceptance of our human compatriots.

May the force bless us all! And a Happy New Year!

Fractured conversations

Well, here I am again babbling on about nothing in particular. (Although the particulars are quite important to me and mine.)
Recently at a family gathering, not being a particular happy one, I somehow got caught up in the presence of this occasion.
She says, "Thank you for coming, blah blah". I say, "I am so sorry, etc." The snippets of conversation go on....

Do we really listen to the other things that are not said? eg. I feel very sad. I will miss him/her so much! (Please have another one of these delicious savouries, I baked them myself!) Did you know that he/she was into making such lovely crotchet rugs?
There were all the good times from this persons life, a long and happy marriage, children etc.
Do you remember the time? We are living such a preoccupied existence, all relevance to this person's life are momentarily gone and we get on with whatever we have to, to get us past this moment.

I couldn't help wondering, are you related to so and so who's mother is your cousin's aunt? Oh no, he is my uncle on my grandfather's side.....

Heavy Metal rocks!

A few weeks ago I went to watch the heavy death metal band, Necroternal. I thought I'd better go along and see what it was all about, since I am sort of related to one of the band.
I took my neighbour and her teenage daughter (who was suitably attired with piercings in all the right places and the weird hair etc).

The place: A pub in the town
The atmosphere: Buzzing with expectancy
The crowd: Average age of twenty-five
The drinks: Flowing nicely

Necroternal came on as the second act, the crowd went wild! The head nodding began! These guys have a following here I could tell. The singer called out "Ready for some Country and Western?" Reah right!
The band then launched into a cataclysm of heavy sounds with the throaty growls of the singer just audible above the drummer's frenetic pace.

I have to say that it was an experience I wouldn't have missed for the world, but then I am somewhat biased.....Check them out here

It was cold up the mountain

It was cold up the mountain
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

This will be my last entry for the American blog. If it hadn't been for these two very lovely people in the photo, I wouldn't have been able to go and do all the wonderful things and seen all the places I have seen in America.
I thank you both most deeply for making this trip such a special time for me.
I went to look for America and discovered the real West Virginia.

A walk in the woods

A walk in the woods
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

Near the summit on Cheat Mountain there used to be a Fort for the Union soldiers in the Civil War. A lot of them actually froze to death and were placed in temporary graves, just about where I took this photo. The bodies were exhumed later on and now lie at rest in the Grafton National Military Cemetery.

The real West Viginia

More colour
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

Driving down through the State, in convoy with Ken and his daughter Kelly, and Daisy the part wolf dog, we saw the most stunning Fall colours.
It was so worth the long drive, from 9.30am till 11.30 at night. On the way through the town of Elkins we came across the annual Forest Fair and the traffic was backed for quite a way. We ate lunch at a great diner and then drove on to Cheat Mountain.

A favourite place

Leisure_pool
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

Here's a great place to chill out, or warm up! The swimming and fitness complex is a fairly recent addition to WVU.

See more pics here.

It's Hanover, but not in Germany

16 miles East of Gettysburg is the town of Hanover, where we stayed in a lovely old house which was built in 1834 and is now a Bed and Breakfast Inn.
Our room was upstairs and we had our own little porch on the balcony where we sat and happily worked on our cross-stitch. I could imagine ladies in elegant crinolines 150 years ago, doing the exact same thing or maybe entertaining their beaus and discussing the days affairs. No cellphones or laptops then, and we purposely did not bring ours; they would somehow have seemed rather out of place.

In the early evening we took a walk into the main town area and photographed some of the old buildings there. Americans really love their flags and all along the streets the Stars and Stripes were displayed on porches and even in the planted boxes on the sidewalks.

Breakfast was prepared and presented beautifully, smoothies, a baked pear with raisins, followed by eggs cooked to perfection in bacon "cups". This was accompanied by friendly service and interesting conversation with our hosts.
Soon it was time to get on the road to Gettysburg.

An uncivil war

USA_2006 012
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

How do you blog a battle? Union one, Confederates nil?

At Gettysburg on July 4th 1863, after three days of intense fighting, about 50,000 soldiers lay dead. This number was more than the actual population of the town.
Sons, fathers, uncles, all brothers in arms; such a sad and wasteful loss. There are around 1,400 monuments and markers on the main battlefield area; all tell a story of struggle and bravery.

The Eternal Light Peace Memorial located on the field of battle, is symbolic of peace and union and was dedicated by Franklin D Roosevelt in 1938, the 75th anniversary of the battle.

A tourist in America

USA_2006 061
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

There is a place called Falling Water, about one and a half hours drive North of Morgantown. It was created by the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright for the wealthy Kaufmann family and is a masterpiece of the 20th century, famous for its concrete and steel construction. The fact that it is built over a series of small waterfalls and incorporates some of the actual rocks in its construction that makes it so unique. It is set amongst tall trees and rhododendrons and is just beautiful. The construction was begun in 1936 and completed in 1938.

A tour guide takes you through the main house and then on up to the guest house and servants quarters, both of the same style and strong clean lines. Unfortunately no photos of the interiors are permitted, however we were made aware of the original pieces of art and sculptures, from the Picasso outside the guest bathroom, to the 14th century carved wooden statue of the Madonna and child.

Everything about Falling Water was built to reflect the natural surroundings and is entrusted to the care of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. To see more photos, click on the picture and it will take you to my Flickr photo page.

Grafton

Some miles South of Morgantown is a small town called Grafton. The drive there is very picturesque and takes around 35 minutes. A lot of it is a bit run down, but on the other hand lots of new places are popping up. The properties are less expensive there and it makes a reasonable commute to work for those who want a more rural type of lifestyle.
We visited the National Military Cemetery for the Civil War dead, and the very first Union soldier to die is buried there. Grafton has a lovely, fairly new Public Libary and the Genealogical Section is wonderful for those "granny hunters" out there!
I am sorry not to have a photo on this entry, as silly me forgot the camera didn't I!

Albert Gallatin

Albert Gallatin
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

Out and about near Morgantown, we visited Friendship Hill where Albert Gallatin (1761 - 1849 built his home. He arrived from Switzerland in 1780 and became one of the most important and influential statesman in the early American Republic years. He was involved in land speculation and also established a glass factory in 1796.
You can see more photos taken at Friendship Hill by clicking on the photo.

Chez Burgess - Menzies

Chez Burgess - Menzies
Originally uploaded by Cooky2.

This really is a big American house, three floors and a basement. My home till October 9th. It has lots of wonderful rooms and my favourite is the sun room where I sit and do cross stitch.

I am getting used to all the stairs and fit at the same time!
Click on the photo and you will be able to see my other photos of the house.

The Radisson

So, here I am in a swanky hotel in downtown LA, not knowing a soul and feeling like two sandwiches short of a picnic.
The room was marvellous and the bed big enough for 4 of me, a huge TV, Internet wireless connection and a beautiful sort of Italian bathroom. All I could do was load up on painkillers and go to sleep. I first organised a wake up call and checked out the Airport shuttle service.

In the morning........
I looked out at a gloriously fine day and the view from the 8th floor was stunning! Why am I here like this and unable to enjoy all this? I asked myself.
The shuttle transported me magically to the right departure area for my flight to Pittsburgh and I had a great seat, comfortable and plenty of legroom. I was feeling a bit better by now so I did actually enjoy the 3rd leg.

I was so glad to see Helen at the baggage claim area. I know she was relieved to see me as well! She even bought me a salad to eat on the drive to Morgantown. The first of many it seems; Ahhhh, the South Beach diet!

Darwin (the Jeep) knows the road between Pittsburgh and Morgantown very well and in the past week we have been up and back twice, crossing between West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The countryside is so beautiful with quite a few of the trees on the turn towards Winter. Soon there will be amazing colour everywhere; I may get to see some more of it yet.

Good morning America

On the flight from Auckland I sat next to a fellow New Zealand woman, so we sort of stuck together and went upstairs, where at least the ceiling fans were working. They provided some relief from the heat.

The shops charged like wounded bulls so I limited myself to only a couple of things. We re-boarded around 9.30 pm, but onto a different plane (still cramped seats). A very calm flight once again, however there is no way I can ever sleep on planes, so prepared myself for a rather uncomfortable 8 and a half hours.

About sunrise over the Pacific and a good three hours out from LA, I started to feel unwell despite doing all the "right" things. Lots of fluids and getting up and walking up and down the cabin. By the time we arrived at LAX I was not feeling good at all and it all went downhill from there.

My travel companion was marvellous and told the flight attendant who arranged a wheelchair for me. A most ignominious arrival at the Terminal!
At this point in my blog I do not wish to elaborate any further and so to cut a long story short, I ended up having an unscheduled stopover in the City of Angels. It was not a pleasant experience and one I would not wish to repeat. I did receive some insight as to the plight of the emergency health system in America however.

There is no photo for this post as taking snaps was not on my list of "must dos".

Never three legs again

You may all be wondering why the title is Never three legs again?
This refers to the three flights to get to Pittsburgh, the first being the one from Auckland to Tahiti. The second is from Papeete to Los Angeles and the third from LAX to PIT.

After a three and a half hour drive up to Auckland from Taupo, I said haere ra to NZ and flew the first leg, quite uneventful but pleasant and relaxing. Good food and service, however it was a bit more cramped in the Airbus 340 as opposed to the 747 of my previous travels.

As the sun was setting in the Pacific, we said bonsoir to Tahiti, where we were met by an Island troupe of musicians. It was hot and humid, no sign of air conditioning and also sort of tacky with the cleanliness a little lacking in some areas. A nice garden area though and the people in the shops were friendly. It gave me a chance to try out my French and was understood ok. Soon just reverted to English as they all spoke it anyway.