Cockies in Jandals

New Blog

2011-04-16T08:48:00.003+12:00

Hello loyal CiJ followers. Wanted to let you know he have not forgotten you, we just have started a new blog.

www.ecothriftydoup.blogspot.com

It is all about turning an abandoned house on a derelict property into an oasis...in 12 months.

Wish us luck!

Halloween

2010-05-17T13:07:00.005+12:00

Here in the southern hemisphere there is some seasonal delusion about when Halloween should take place. Here, just like the rest of the world, it is celebrated on October 31st. This is all sorts of backwards. Thank you colonialism.

While in the north it makes sense to be carving up your excess pumpkins and celebrating the transition from light to dark at the end of October, here October is spring. We should be glorifying baby bunnies and chicks and wearing pastel colors (someone should invent a holiday for that). Our transition from light to dark is May. And so we've decided that that's when we should celebrate Halloween.

Since we happen to have a few spare pumpkins lying around, and also happen to have a ridiculously fabulous recycling center just down the road, this party wasn't too hard to throw together.

There was pumpkin carving, pumpkins admiring, and pumpkin soup.

I dressed as Wonder Woman. Here I am showing some of my super moves.
Nelson said that he was dressed as "An obliging fiancé". But really he was... (make your guesses below).

Some famous movie stars decided to show up. Starsky and Hutch (Only Starsky pictured) and The Mad Hatter.
The party provided yet another opportunity to learn about cultural differences between America and NZ. Apparently some costumes that would be really offensive in the US, are ok here.... Like terrorists.

And black face. (He was a medicine man).
Happy Halloween from your neighbors to the South!

I'm Sorry

2010-05-13T09:25:00.004+12:00

I'm lame. I know. No posts since March? How did that happen?

I'll tell you how. Click Here.

Here is some eye candy to catch you up with the last few months. I'll fill in the details in the next few weeks.

Adventures in Babysitting

2010-03-09T21:22:00.002+13:00

For the past three days we have had our first overnight house guest. Her name is Piri and she's 2 1/2. Piri stayed with us while her mom went to Taupo to load the moving truck and bring all of their belongings back to Raglan. We're exhausted.

Honestly I don't know how single moms do it. There were two of us. And she had us beat. Easily.

We climbed up into our "up high" bed (all three of us) and slept hard, both nights. And at 9:30 I'm just barely hanging on tonight.

Before I go to bed, top three moments of the weekend:

#3: Bath in a bucket. (Piri, not me)

#2: The scientific experiment of testing the diameter of a dried pea vs. the diameter of a toddler nostril. No harm done. After a few tears and a bit of firm pressure above the pea, all is well.

#1: Me coming out of the house and seeing Piri running over. "Dani, Uncle Melsom needs help. He's stuck." Turns out that the latch on the outside of the door of our outdoor shower is not childproof. It is in fact child friendly. And a good way to trap an unexpecting adult.

She was clever and beautiful and funny and fun, but I think we'll hold off for a while.

I'm a bee!

2010-03-06T17:14:00.003+13:00

First off, apologies. I know I haven't been posting much lately. But we've had a lot going on, least of which was a parasite that decided to take up residence in my gastrointestinal system. There also been a timber fram workshop that Nelson ran a few weeks back, and an exciting recycled raft race that I took part in this morning.

But really, the most blog-distracting of all events has been my acceptance as a bee. From now on, in addition to posting here, I'll also be posting on Wedding Bee as Ms. Veggie. I know, who would've thought that there would be a Ms. Veggie icon ready for me to snatch up? I'll be writing about our wedding planning process as we attempt to throw together an eco-fun-budget extravanagza.

Posts about the timber frame workshop and recycled raft race coming soon. Cross my heart!

Sweets for my Sweet? - Not Exactly.

2010-02-15T12:54:00.000+13:00

The man doesn't really like candy. He certainly wouldn't like to get a little box of sugar hearts that say things like "Tweet me." and "LOL". He wouldn't want me to buy a greeting card. Ever.

So what did I do for my very own Captain Planet on the most Hallmark-y of days? Well, the way I figure it, the best part of Valentine's Day is knowing that someone has taken the time to do something special for you. So, I took a minute to make him some home-made valentines out of things we had lying around. Some were out in the open and some were hidden.

The first one was on his computer. I've been playing around with graphic design projects lately, and this was one I came up with a few months ago. I secretly put it on the desktop of his computer and so began the scavenger hunt.

Summer is in full swing and the tomatoes are practically jumping out of our garden. What better way to say I love you than with some juicy goodness?

A beany heart. This was my favorite poem because I worked his morning farting habit into it.

A garlic braid heart. Tough to find.

Scrabble heart. Need to use our favorite 2-letter word. What rhymes with Qi?

And the final heart was made out of something black and lacy. I think I'll save that picture for our archives and not send it out there onto the world wide web.

The scavenger hunt reminded me of when we were first dating and used to leave each other little notes in secret places. More than once I went into full blush mode when I discovered one tucked in my pocket or in my laptop case while I was in front of a room full of students. The joys of new love.

Happy Valentine's Day!

First Whanau

2010-02-11T13:15:00.006+13:00

whanau: (n -maori) Family

This past weekend our we had our first visit from family members to New Zealand. Nelson's dad's sister and her husband and his brother (did you get all that?) came to visit from California.

Even though I had never met them before it was still fun to show off our garden, our little home, and our town. They stayed here at Solscape for two nights to get over their jetlag before heading out to conquer the Milford Track.

We loaded them up with home-grown food and thought we could give them a little warm up for their trek on our own mountain, Mt. Karioi. (Note to self: test out hiking tracks before attempting them with family.)

Our little adventure begun at Te Toto gorge. We then climbed up through a meadow and walked along a ridgeline towards the summit.

We thought we had hit the most adventurous spot when we came to a 5 meter ladder.

We were wrong. The track got narrower and the trail got bumpier. We stopped to have a little lunch after two hours to consider our options.

Groups of sweaty hikers kept passing us on their way down telling us how close we were to the lookout. We pushed on.

But when we hit the sheer cliff that you had to scale using chains, we decided that we had had enough. Karioi, you win this time, but we'll be back.

Bob and Suzanne were gracious enough to treat us to dinner that night and then they headed off to Taupo and beyond the next morning. Perhaps we scared them off? Don't worry other family members, if you come visit we promise we wont try to make you climb a cliff.

Bob, Suzanne, and John. Thanks for the hours of great conversation, the good kai, and for giving us some whanau love in person.

Double Booked

2010-01-24T16:56:00.006+13:00

Sometimes life just isn't fair... like when your computer breaks and then your fiance has to go away to a conference for a week and he leaves the same day that your monthly friend comes along and you have cramps so bad you can't even stand up and then the wedding venue sends an email saying that oops they've double booked your venue.

Wait. What?

Oh yeah, the reason why I haven't posted this week is because I have been having a melt-down. Well, technically several meltdowns. One via Skype with little sister, one via phone with Nelson, and several on my own. These lapses in sanity have been prompted by an email from our wedding venue letting us know that our date was no longer available.

Their timing is impeccable. I had actually sent out the last few Save-The-Dates that morning.

This post was supposed to be about our amazing Save-The-Dates, created by the incredibly talented Shari Amos. It was supposed to be about how I was so excited to send them out that I couldn't sleep the night before. It was supposed to be about doing our first wedding project and having it come out perfectly and just how we (I) imnagined. It was supposed to be about getting emails from people telling us what they were going to grow for our big day. But its not.

It is now about me trying to be a calm and peaceful soul. It is about me trying to roll with the punches. It is about being thankful that Skype is only video and not sensory, because I really would have pummeled that camp director in person.

What will happen? Where will our wedding be? When will our wedding be? Is it all ruined (like I was feeling yesterday)? Or is it just clearing a path for a better thing to come along (how I hope to be feeling tommorrow)? Stay tuned. Only time will tell.

Wrong date, wrong venue, but they were just so very pretty.

Te Maunga Karioi

2010-01-16T11:57:00.003+13:00

The rise and fall of sunset in our back yard. Took me a while to get the camera settings right, and just as I got it figured out, it was over. Asi es la vida.

Day of All Days

2010-01-12T12:48:00.008+13:00

Sunday morning down to town for the Raglan Creative Market. Bought some of Liz and Rick's famous pesto and Nelson bought a surprising amount of french bread (to go with the large amounts of beer and hummus he bought earlier in the week?) Then back home for my first present, a personal reading of two brand new short stories by an up-and-coming author.

Surprise! Sunday afternoon picnic with friends.

Chocolate covered strawberries and solar-cooked veggie chili.

Twister. I may have used my ample toosh to tilt the playing-field. But, hey, it was my day.

Clear out ladies, let the men have a go.

Monday morning bike ride into town to stop at a few of our favorite places.

Whaingaroa Organic Co-op.

Roll-ups Fruit Yoghurt.

On the way back up the hill an impromptu visit with Dominique, Paul, and baby Rafael.

Home just in time for Nelson to cook my favorite dinner. Baked ziti (with homegrown spinach, zuchinni, red peppers, and garlic). I made the garlic bread. All cooked in a very hot earth oven.

Showered with special gifts. Some below and some unpictured.

Feeling so happy, so loved, and so ready for this new year.

28

2010-01-12T12:36:00.001+13:00

The first moment of my 28th year. This one is going to be special.

Out the Mouth Part Deux

2010-01-04T17:34:00.002+13:00

Not sure what is going on, but for the second time in two weeks we have found ourselves down for the count for twenty four hours, using the toilet bowl from the wrong end of our bodies.

We were forced to make the housetruck into a makeshift infirmary with a mattress on the ground to give us equal access to the puke bucket.

After a day in bed and a kind delivery of soda water and saltines from Baywatch Kyle, we are feeling nearly 100%.

The culprit? Raw strawberries from our garden (we think).

Out the mouth, I'm tired of you.

You are not welcome in our house(truck). Please go away.

New Year, Old Friends

2010-01-02T12:03:00.004+13:00

Happy 2010! It is still unbelievable to me that it actually is 2010. Wasn't Y2K not that long ago? Oh right, it was a decade ago. Wow.

We rung in the new decade with Jess, Jason, and Sammy who came to visit from Korea (where yes, they do eat dog, but only one variety). Jess and I last spent New Year's together in 2004ish at Big Boulder Lake singing karaoke with the Gallo fam. She's our first home friend to see where we live. It was so fun having her here and meeting her beautiful family, but was also kind of like one of those dreams where all these people you know from all different places are suddenly all together in the same place. Someone from Genesee here in NZ? It messed with my head a little.

Mildly disappointing that there was no karaoke to be had this year (Jess does a mean version of Tina Turner's Proud Mary). But we tried to make up for it with tipis, pizza making, and surfing.

All Native North Americans, except Sammy. She's a Native Korean.

Holy giant fern leaf!

Venturing down jungle paths with a stroller is exhausting.

Happiest baby ever. Talia Hardie may be her best competition for smiliest baby.

Jess is a momma!

Nelson's first surf of the year.

Jess's first surf ever.

Real men wear tights and hold babies.

Pie in the summmer

2009-12-26T15:51:00.006+13:00

When I was really little, four maybe, for one of our school holiday pageants my class had to dress up in summer gear and sing a song. I still remember the lyrics, because since then my dad has sung it on a faily regular basis.

"Christmas in July-yyy, There's no reason why-yyy, We can't have a pie-yyy in the summer".

Maybe I've been manifesting a summer-time Christmas since the age of four. But, in any case, here was our summery Christmas day (sans pie, but with lots of home-baked goodies).

Gorgeous weather on Christmas day. Mt. Karioi smmiling down at us.

A pile of presents waiting to be opened!

Some of us were very excited... others took a more laid back approach.

A stocking full of home-made strawberry jam with strawberries from our garden.Just a few of mom's cookies left by Christmas day. Straight from New Jersey to my belly.

Couldn't resist a mid-day surf at the beach. Seems like all of Raglan was out there. Then back to Solscape for a Brazilian style barbecue and potluck with 40 of our dearest (friends) and nearest (homesick backpackers).

Thiago teaches Kyle the art of the Brazilian barbecue.

Beautiful friends.
Beautiful food.
While the lamb was finishing roasting we did a gift exchange.

It got pretty heated.
Some people brought weapons to prevent gift theft. We fared well, ending up with an incredible home-made chocolate coconut cake (thanks Reiko!) and some gingerbread cookies. Hope you had a great Christmas, whether you are celebrating with surf or snow.

Holding my breath

2009-12-23T13:48:00.002+13:00

If bad things come in threes then I'm pretty much just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

#1- Got word from Jake, our local bit-too-laid-back computer guru. In fact I got three words from him. First text: "Bad News". I called him immediately, of course. No answer. Who sends a text like that with no follow up? Second text (24 hours later): "It's dead". Jake is a man of few words. Here's to hoping the more professional crew at the Mac store in Hamilton will have better luck.

#2- For 36 hours Dec. 21-22 I laid in bed teetering between actually throwing up and just being on the verge. Today I feel 90%. Still on the BRAT diet, which I hope to end by Christmas when Thiago will be teaching us the ways of Brazilian barbecue.

#3- ? Who knows. Coal in the stocking?

It's beginningn to look a lot like...

2009-12-16T09:21:00.005+13:00

First off, sorry for the hiatus. It was 80% that my computer is stuffed and 20% lack of motivation. Oh and an addition 10% of not wanting to interrupt Nelson while he's hard at work becoming a Dee-Ar. That's 110% of excuses. No wonder I haven't posted in two weeks.

Well, during that fortnnight Christmas has suddenly appeared. No, I don't ust mean the box of cookies that arrived from New Jersey yesterday (thanks mom!). While the Christmas craze has not quite made it to NZ in the same way that it manifests itself in the US, there is evidence everywhere that Santa is on his way to the Southern hemisphere. The weird thing is that kiwis decorate for Christmas the same way we do in the north. Sleighs, reindeer, snowflakes... ummm its summer people! Santa wearing board shorts, riding a 4x4, being pulled by possums might be more appropriate.

In our little house truck we don't have rom for a tree, but I was feeling like we should have some Christmas cheer, and start some Christmas traditions of our own. We are almost grown ups after all. So I made us some stockings to hang by the chimney. I am definitely not half as talented as my big sister in this regard. And hand-sewing is no joke. But, all in all, I think they came out pretty good (besides Nelson's stocking's club-foot).

Sewiously?

2009-11-29T20:02:00.004+13:00

Dani and Nelson walk out of the supermarket in Te Anau. Dani turns left. Nelson says, "Where are you going? We need to go this way." They look up above where Dani is standing and see this street sign.They laugh way too hard. Nelson says "If your family was here this would be one of those jokes you guys say over and over again for years". Dani responds, "HELLOOOO, my freezers open". She is laughing so hard she almost pees her pants.

Thankful

2009-11-26T10:52:00.005+13:00

It's Thanksgiving. No turkey. No cranberry sauce. No mashed potatos. No pumpin pie. No Ohio cousins. No touch football. No heated games of charades or pong. I think Thanksgiving is my most homesick day.

But I'm done pouting. I am thankful...

that we have a place in NZ that we call home and that we were welcomed back to it yesterday with hugs and kisses... that we are healthy and strong... that we can grow and eat good food... that we are loved...

I miss you all terribly and hope that your Thanksgiving is joyous, whether you are eating tapas, turkey, or vegemite.

US Families

NZ Family

NZ Home

Heading Home

2009-11-23T10:37:00.004+13:00

No posts for a few days, but I can't even pretend to be upset that we were out of tech-contact for the past week. What have we been up to?

A little of this...

and a bit of this...

and some of this...

and heaps of this...

and a whole lot of this...

Our holiday is over and we are heading back to the North Island tomorrow. Can't wait to share all the pictures and stories.

South of the south

2009-11-14T11:00:00.003+13:00

Off the southern coast of New Zealand is a small island called Stewart Island. The only place in the world closer to Antartica than this is Tierra del Fuego. This fact, mixed with weather reports of rain (and possible snow) showers, did not leave us with high hopes for our time there. But, like the rest of our trip so far, we had amazing weather. It only rained one day.

We took the ferry over to Stewart Island and even though it was supposedly the calmest day in weeks, I had to work hard to fend off a reappearance of my breakfast. We then took off with ambitions of getting as far into the backcountry as we could in four days. Our ambitious first day, through bogs of mud left us fellin old and exhausted, so we shifted routes for an easier way back. Even so, my left knee is suffering from a bit of bursitis (ironically known as "house-maid's knee").

The ferry ride back was a bit rougher and two days later I am still feeling nauseous. Luckily we have a bit of down time in the cute little town of Riverton where Nelson will be presenting three workshops at the Southland Environment Center.

We're not sure where we will head from there since we got an email saying that the next track we had reservations to hike, the Kepler Track, is closed due to avalanches. Maybe out to Doubtful Sound, or the Hump Ridge Track, or as far on the Kepler as we can get. So many possibilities!

A Tale of Two Hitch-hikers

2009-11-08T19:26:00.002+13:00

The problem with buses is that they only go where all the people go. So, if you're looking to say travel along the Southern Scenic route of New Zealand... total population circa 1,000. You're out of luck.

I don't fully endorse hitch-hiking, but as an environmentally friendly way to travel places that don't have public bus service, it has its perks (If you're with a strong man who will protect you from getting kidnapped and murdered of course... or if you can just run faster than whoever you're travelling with).

So thumbs it was. We stuck ours out on the outskirts of Balclutha and got a ride within 15 minutes to Surat Bay, where we camped overnight at this awesome little campground. I was admiring some fine-looking home-made veggie burgers being cooked by a nice Irish lass and we got to talking. Turns out her and her fiance had a campervan and were travelling along the Southern Scenic route as well. They had some spare seats. We had some spare wine. It all worked out.

Travelling with them was like being in a coach bus that stopped at all of the sites we wanted to see anyway. Those stops mostly included beautiful sea-side vistas and short hikes to waterfalls. (Pictures to follow at some point). We all decided to camp at Curio Bay, another gorgeous sea-side campground that we shared with a few aggressive sea lions. So agressive that after dinner we were all trapped in the campervan. (Video to follow). Then this morning they drove us to Invercargill where we are treating ourselves with a night in a hostel. Woo hoo!

Best part is that we convinced them to go down to Stewart Island, so they'll be dropping us off at the ferry tomorrow morning. Sweet. Can you call it hitch-hiking when you end up getting door to door service to all of the best sights along your route?

So, tomorrow us and the irishmen will take a ferry ride across the tumultuos sound to Halfmoon Bay where we will spend three days tramping through native bush and searching for kiwi birds. So far South Island = Fabulous.

Otago Peninsula

2009-11-06T12:38:00.003+13:00

A bit windy, but sunny. Here are some pics from our first two days in the South Island.

It wouldn't fit in a backpack

2009-11-05T09:46:00.002+13:00

Two days into our south island holiday and things are going grandly. Yesterday we went on a wildlife tour and got up close and personal with fur seals, sea lions, albatrosses, and penguins. Penguins were not afraid of us at all. I can now assert that it may in fact be plausible to pick on of the cute little guys up, but they are bigger than you think. And way noisier.

Pictures once we get on a computer that doesn't cost us $2/ 15 min.

Headin' down south to the land of the pines.

2009-11-01T20:15:00.001+13:00

Heading to the Fiordlands for three weeks of penguin-spotting, kiwi-hunting, tramping, and cuddling. Yes, those last two are separate and distinct activities. Will keep you updated as best we can.

Put your money where your mouth is.

2009-10-28T10:29:00.002+13:00

Tonight Nelson competes in the final round of The University of Waikato's Three Minute Thesis Competition. He is one of eight finalists out of a field of 60. The prize? $5,000 towards research-related expenses. (A wedding is research related, right?) I would say "break a leg", but he already has a possible broken rib after a rough surf session two days ago, so I'll just say "Wish him luck!".

350 dancers

2009-10-25T18:22:00.002+13:00

Hooray for 350 actions all over the world! Hooray for 350 people getting together and choreographing a dance! Hooray for that being 10% of our town's total population! Hooray for living in a town with all of these zany fantastic people!

Want to know what I'm talking about? Check it out!
Raglan (Whaingaroa)'s 350 Action organizaed by the Whaingaroa youth movement.

By the way: Two of the main dancers- Connor, the boy in the blue shirt, and Molly, the dark-haired girl in the white shirt- are part of our Solscape family. Hooray for them!

350

2009-10-24T15:30:00.003+13:00

Today is the International day of Action for Climate Change sponsored by 350.org. (Well at least it is here already, those of you in other time zones still have a few hours left to prepare your action). Actions will be going on all over the world to let politicians and big business know that we are serious in our demands for action regarding climate change. I hope that everyone has a fantastic 350 day. We certainly did here in Raglan. If you don't have plans yet, don't worry there is still time. And, likely there is an action going on right in your neighborhood. Go to the 350.org website to check it out.

Here's how we spent our day:
Of course we rode down.... And got dressed up for the occasion.

Hooray for the market... No pesto though, boo.Hmmm... lots of people around. Must be the start of summer. But it kind of looks like they're all waiting for something. What's going to happen? ... Stay tuned.

Famous people still have to do the dishes

2009-10-23T09:55:00.003+13:00

Since we have consistent internet, no tv, and no radio, we listen to a lot of internet radio. New Hampshire public radio, the BBC, and the KunstlerCast are some of our favorites. Recently we came across a new one called AgroInnovations.

And guess who they invited to be their guest this week? That's right, your favorite kiwi farmer/teacher/student (and mine). You can listen to Nelson's world wide web debut here. He's trying no to let it go to his head.

Relieved, I Suppose.

2009-10-19T14:28:00.004+13:00

So I open up the internet browser at work and Google home page pops up with the latest headlines. While I normally skim them and move on to complete my always reception-related duties quickly, yesterday two headlines caught my eye (delaying my Lexulous moves for at least a half hour).

Bottom left: A woman let go of her baby carriage on a train platform allowing the baby to fall over the edge just as a train pulled into the station. Don't worry the baby is fine, but I watched the video about a dozen times and still don't understand how the kid survived. Unbreakable?

And center right. I'll zoom in so you can read this one yourself. Top headline from the NZ Herald.

Elves vs. Dwarves?

2009-10-17T10:04:00.002+13:00

Didn't the elves and the dwarves team up when it really counted? When the ring was going to fall into the hands of the wrong crowd, didn't they band together to keep it safe? I wish I knew more about the Lord of the Rings to keep this parable going. On second thought, no I don't. I'll have to switch to terms more appropriate for middle earth(?).

You see, here in the real shire there has been a bit of a skirmish brewing between our two local populations. What's on the line? Is it nuclear testing? Nope, we all agree on that one. Is it the importance of fish and chips to a regular diet? Nope, we agree on that one too. What issue could be so important that it has fractured parliament and furthered the rift between the two cultures of this peaceful nation?

The Rugby World Cup, of course.

You see, apparently World Cup rugby is so important that it is every kiwi's right to watch it. That is why the National (conservative government) just had to step in when the tv station that won the right to air it could only provide free coverage to 90% of the population.

Wait, the government stepped in by funding other two other companies' bids with tax-payer money?

Wait, they told the other companies how much the first company had bid so that they could make sure to win?

Wait, the first company was Maori-TV and the others were pakeha (white) networks?

Ummmm... so all this amounts to illegal activity by the government to spend tax-payer money to ensure that a Maori owned tv station does not win rights to the biggest sporting event in the nation. Quick John Key... back track, back track.

Could you imagine if the US government gave one of our major networks millions of dollars in public funds to block a black network or women's network from gaining coverage to a major event? It's crazy. It would never happen.

It's pretty overt racial discrimination. Luckily, Merlin realized this and took things into his own hands before riots broke out in the streets over the quiddich match (wrong fantasy reference, I know). Let all elves, dwarves, orcs, and hobbits enjoy and be merry.

Liability?

2009-10-14T15:11:00.003+13:00

Someone told me that there is no civil court system in New Zealand. I don't know if that's true or not, but it certainly seems like the thought of liability doesn't even cross people's minds here. For example, can you think of a U.S. zoo where you can do this? While this guy just chills about 5 feet away?

If I look suspicious its because I was being "a giant baby". Sorry, I guess I was just pampered by being raised in a country that puts guardrails on roads on the edges of cliffs, warns people when they might be in danger of tsunamis, and actually puts fences around the animals in zoos.

TV Sitting

2009-10-11T22:03:00.005+13:00

House-sitting, always provides us with a welcome opportunity to expand our minds by choosing from one of the three quality programs we get via antenna (yes, you can still watch tv by antenna here, and no, we don't only get three channels, we actually get 12, but they all choose to show the same three shows... go figure). This week we have enjoyed Outlaw Bikers, apparently a Canadian production (Canadian bike gangs?), and The Hottest Place on Earth, a programme brought to you by the BBC. The extra "m" and "e" are for "mighty entertaining". Nelson has actually adjusted his life to make sure we are home to watch the next episode of this one.

As good as those shows were, it was a commercial that actually had us staring slack-jawed at the television. I wish I could embed the commercial here, but alas kiwi dumb commercials don't make it to You Tube as fast as American ones. Luckily you can watch the whole thing via their website.

I don't want to ruin it for you, but Vitality 4 Life sells vibrating "excercise" machines. You know the kind that shake you not-so-gently so you can shed pounds. Lee-Anne, a fitness expert, tries to convince us that we too can get fit, without even breaking a sweat.

I was kind of with her here.
And even here. I mean she is holding up her own weight at least.

Here's where it got a bit fishy.
But(t), seriously?

Oh yeah, new FTC standards require that I let you know if I am being compensated by this company for promoting their product. I wish. If I got one of these I could work out with a donut in one hand and meat pie in the other. Sweet as.

We're very funny

2009-10-10T11:48:00.000+13:00

Happy day.

2009-10-08T10:06:00.003+13:00

After 40 days of rain we headed for higher ground. We are in our "city house" for the next two weeks, perched at the top of a hill overlooking Raglan harbor. It's sunny and we're house sitting for again. Life is good.
Kitchen table.

Kitchen view.

Our bedroom with a view.

Fagan the cat.

Lawn Elimination and Soil Emancipation

2009-10-06T12:52:00.006+13:00

How to turn your average suburban yard into a food bonanza.

Step one: Evaluate said yard. As a designer you may want to work with existing structures, such as paths and laundy poles to minimize digging. This designer chose not to. Perhaps this is because he had a willing helper along to do the dirty work (or maybe it was because it worked better with the overall design).
From the top of the hill.

From the bottom of the hill.

Step two: Dig.

Step three: Build.
Step four: Repeat.

Step five: Repeat Again.

Step six: Hire cheap labor to finish the job.Johnny was paid in chocolate cake (which he helped make).

Step Seven: Plant
Step Eight: Fertilize.
Thanks Stanno.

Step Nine: Try to avoid the mud

Step ten: Ta-dah!
From the top of the hill.

From the bottom of the hill.

For this garden we chose to make curved raised beds. The raised beds terraced the yard which was sloped in two directions. The curved beds were just cool. The new main path will be laid in a curve going down the hill along the side of the beds. This allows more room for a small orchard, which will be planted along with wildflowers in the bare topsoil next to the house. Beds along the fence line were leveled and prepared for subtropical fruit trees and vines.

Post-engagement Wedding #1

2009-10-03T21:03:00.003+13:00

First of all, I can't believe no one commented on the last post. I loved that tiny shower bathroom. Couldn't get over it. Really.

So went up to Aukland last weekend for two reasons. We were hired to do a garden installation (more on that later) and our friends Rory and Catherine were getting married. Being engaged has heightened my wedding senses during normal every day life, so I was sure that going to my first post-engagement wedding was going to be an idea overload.

And it was. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so I don't have any pictures from the actual wedding. In summary, she looked gorgeous. He made a great speech. The church was fabulous. But our favorite overall element of the whole shebang was the reception venue which was in Fabel's Rug Gallery, an old warehouse converted into a rug gallery and events space. I didn't even know there were rug galleries. And even if I did, I didn't know you could hold events in them. It was all very cool. In fact much cooler and more sophisticated than anything the boy and I could pull off. They even had a jazz band.

The other thing that struck me was the size of their wedding. When we were sitting in church (between devout prayers) and at the cocktail hour (between devout champagne-ing) we were trying to figure out how many people were there. We were guessing about 150. Hmm... so this is how many people will be at our wedding we thought. Wrong.

A closer inspection at the table charts revealed that there were less than 70 people there. Our wedding will be more than twice as big... maybe even three times, and that's assuming we cut our guest list by half. That's a lot of people to feed. Start growing those veggies folks.

Age-old problem solved?

2009-10-01T14:06:00.002+13:00

How to stop habitual shower-peers. Build a bathroom so tiny that the entire thing is a shower. Thank you to the City Groove Hostel for unravelling this enigma with your clever space-saving bathroom. Yes, it may be a bit inconvenient if there are two people needing to shower/ potty at the same time. And yes, the toilet paper did get wet. But hey, I've never been able to sit on the pot and shower simultaneously. Have you? Not only space saving, but time saving too.

Manakau I. T.?

2009-09-30T12:12:00.001+13:00

A touch of home from our trip to Aukland this weekend for a wedding and garden installation. Pictures of both soon to follow.

The Big D

2009-09-24T14:18:00.003+12:00

Big D is in the hospital. It is very serious, although not immediately life threatening. Little d is doing the best she can to make herself feel like she is not a terrible daughter for being 10,000 miles away. She's not doing a very good job of it. She may be on an east-bound plane next week.

Big D and little d 1982

Analytics

2009-09-22T10:45:00.002+12:00

Just before I left the States my brother-in-law linked our blog to Google Analytics. Now, not only can I spend hours writing blogs and reading comments, but I can also spend hours analyzing the intricacies of my audience. A most productive way to spend my days. So, what have I learned?

You enjoy posts about babies and playgrounds more than posts about cereal.

I average about 15 readers a day.

We have a very international audience.New Zealand and East Costers I understand. I even understand Korea and Salamanca. But Brazil? San Diego? Hot beds of Dani and Ned supporters. Who knew?

It's No Oh's

2009-09-19T17:27:00.005+12:00

Sure plenty of exciting things have happened since I arrived home to Raglan. I started working at Solscape again. Nelson and I performed a karaoke duet called "Permaculture Lovin'" to the tune of "Summer Nights" from Grease (it was a runaway success... I love my man). We helped build an earth pizza oven. But none of those events compare to the discovery of Double Crunch! cereal.

Some of you may know about me and my siblings' obsession with Oh's Ceral. We love it so much, that we bought the Piggly Wiggly's entire supply when we were on vacation this summer. Do you think the store manager was confused? Did he think Oh's were the next big trend? Now that we've moved on is he left with 100 cases wondering what happened? Ride it out buddy, we'll be back in 11 months.

If you haven't tried Oh's, and live below the Mason Dixon, you need to find an all-night supermarket and go grab a box. If you're feeling generous you can grab one for me and send in a little care package. Just kidding. Kind of. Its really the only reason to ever shop at a Walmart, which was the only place I could find it when I lived in Baltimore. Just be careful because they really cut the crap out of the roof of your mouth.

But anyhow, I digress. Oh's are obviously not available here in the land of Kiwis. Mildly disappointing. But, even more disappointing was the lack of good cereal in general, and the complete lack of granola. Sure they have mueslix, but why would you want untoasted granola? That's just gross. So, needless to say with no Oh's and no granola, my cereal consumption was at an all-time low when I headed back home this summer.

But, having been reminded of the joys of cereal as I downed bowl after sweet bowl this summer, I was envigorated to begin my creal quest anew. And then I saw it. Glowing like a beacon among the many mueslix(es) at the Pak 'n Save:

Double Crunch! ?
Ummm... yes please.

Imagine Honey Bunches of Oats (my second favorite cereal) with dried apricots added in.

The best darned thing on this side of the Tasman.

J. & K. Crew

2009-09-15T07:59:00.007+12:00

I'm going through some serious baby withdrawl. Going from spending almost every minute of every day with Tilda and Annie to none has been a bigger blow to my system than the jet lag I'm fighting. To make it worse, they've been away at a wedding all weekend and have been un-Skype-able. I'm sure Annie has forgotten who I am already. And Tilda? She picked the day after I left to start walking. Dagger to the heart T, dagger to the heart.

I've been easing my heartache by retouching some of the portraits I took on my last weekend in D.C. My half-day photographer stint made me appreciate just how hard it is to take family portraits. And the kids are only half the problem. I would finally get Annie and Tilda to smile and Joe and Kristen would be looking down at them, I can only imagine thinking "Wow, I made some good looking kids". Snap out of it and look at the camera already! Jen, I don't know how you do it.

We shot at Glen Echo Park. Funny how a run-down amusement park could be the perfect setting for both horror movies and family portraits. Out of well over 200 shots I think I came away with a dozen that I like. Oh well, those will have to hold me over until next summer I suppose. Here are some of my favorites from that day. Some are retouched slightly. Most are not.

23 Horse-ridden Days

2009-09-12T10:16:00.004+12:00

Air travel is truly amazing. I woke up on September 9th in Washington D.C. at 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. I woke up on September 11th at 32,000 feet above the Pacific to an incredible sunrise. And here I am at 4 a.m (International Date Line East or New Zealand Standard Time) on September 12th lying in bed in our house truck wishing the rooster next door the most painful of deaths.

The body does not adjust to time changes as easily as my trusty travel alarm clock. So here I lay suffering the pangs of pre-dawn jet lag.

I heard once that this new-fangeled ailment exists because the human mind can only adapt to new surroundings as quickly as the human body could propel itself into them. Jet lag wouldn't exist if we limited our pace of travel to man-speed, not machine-speed. How far could someone possibly walk in a day? 100 miles? Is that the evolutionary limit to the amount we should travel per day?

I'm willing to stretch that to a horse-ridden day. I remember learning in elementary school that the conspicuous symmetry of the midwestern territories is due to the limits of one man riding one horse as far as he could in a day. (Mr. Oklahoma should have gotten a better horse). If that's true we can up our speed to about 300 miles per day.

It's about 7,000 miles from D.C. to New Zealand. So my mind should be arriving in another 22 days. Wish me luck until then.

Home Sweet... zzz

2009-09-11T16:53:00.001+12:00

Caught a great picture of the sunrise over the pacific this morning. Too tired to upload it. Maybe tomorrow.

Spending tonight (5 P.M. is night, right?) snuggling with my baby.

Home Again Home Again

2009-09-10T05:43:00.003+12:00

At 6:0o P.M. on September 9th, I leave from Washington D.C. to head home. With any luck after passing over Appalachia, vast expanses of corn and wheat, and the Rockies, I will arrive in L.A. with plenty of time to make my 11:45 connection to Auckland. Then, and this is the crazy part, after a 14 hour flight I will arrive in Auckland around 9 A.M. on September 11th.

Wait! What happened to September 10th?

I'm still not quite sure about that one. Somehow I just miss an entire day of existence. And not just any day. September 10th just happens to be the birthday of two significant people in my life. Becky, a childhood friend, and Kristen, my amazingly talented, slightly older, much more grown-up sister. Does this mean they both get to skip #29 this year? I don't think they'd mind.

I am so excited to get back to Raglan. There is a lot waiting there for me... good surf, veggie growing, the start of summer. But most of all I cannot wait to see Nelson. I can't explain how much I miss him. Three months is a long time. Most of it went by quickly, but these last few hours are torturous.

Thankfully I have lots to do to keep me busy. Finishing packing is the number one priority. OK, maybe cuddling the babies is number one. What are we thinking leaving these beautiful faces for another year?

Annie

Matilda

Scotty and Brady

Mikey

Masterful

2009-09-08T08:09:00.003+12:00

I know, I know. I haven't posted in a long time. You eight followers must be on the edge of your collective seats (Well, besides the fact that I've been living with several of you over the past few weeks). But there is a valid reason for the lack of posts. I have been busy.

What have I been busy with?

Becoming a master. It's hard work, you know.

But let me be the first to introduce Dani Lejnieks, Master in the Arts of International Education. Or Danielle Lejnieks, M.A. Or Master Dani. Yes, Master Dani. Sounds good.

Knee-highs

2009-08-19T02:26:00.006+12:00

Waves finally picked up... a little anyway. Molly was the first to give it a go. I'm sure we'll have a picture of her standing up by the end of the week.

Flat As Bru

2009-08-13T13:04:00.002+12:00

I should have taken a better look at the surf report before renting a surfboard for this week. But two weeks at mom's beach house has surfing written all over it. The house is even in the town of Surfside Beach. I was so excited to get out in the waves I didn't hesistate for a second.

Even those of you who don't surf can appreciate the zero star rating given to the not-so-aptly named Surfside Beach on this week's surf report. Can 1/2 ft. waves even be called waves?

Just for kicks lets take a look at the report for Raglan, New Zealand. Really? 4 stars? Really? Overhead? Well, enjoy the surf Nelson.

Saffron

2009-08-04T08:27:00.004+12:00

I wouldn't say that I'm a crazy bride-to-be, but I would say that I'm enthusiastic (read: potentially crazy) about the wedding. I'm now a member of The Wedding Bee website with my own bio and I actively see out pictures of eco, farm, rustic weddings as often as possible. Go ahead and send me a link of any you come across.

I feel a little bad though, thinking about wedding stuff and sharing ideas with everyone except Nelson. We talk 2-3 times a week, but there is so much to talk about besides wedding stuff and honestly, I don't want to overwhelm him. Did I mention that the first thing Nelson said after he proposed was "Don't turn all crazy please"? But, really what did he expect? Proposing to a girl right before she leaves for three months. So much time to think about flowers and dresses and food and... well, you get the idea.

So anyway, while I have lots of ideas, I don't have many set decisions yet for the big day. But, one thing I am pretty much sold on are the colors. I haven't consulted with the man yet, and I know the decision is half his, but here is what I am thinking right now: saffron/goldenrod yellow, chocolate, and gray. Summery, earthy, love it.

Now that I'm thinking those colors I see them everywhere. Check out this vintage sheet my sister had in her fabric collection (and the rediculously cute babies tucked into it).

And how about these potential bridesmaids dresses from Anthropologie?

And how about this gray and brown colored addition to the decor?
BRUCE!

Halfway There

2009-07-29T17:10:00.004+12:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I was working full steam on my thesis, which I finished today (HOORAY!!).

I left New Zealand on June 15th, 6 weeks ago today. Which means that I am halfway through my time in the states. Some days I think "Halfway already? I'm going to miss everyone so much when I leave". But for the past few days it's been more like "Only half way?". It's actually quite unfair that my brain can be homesick for two different places depending on which one I'm actually i at the moment. A piece of advice for all you travelers out there: Don't get engaged and then leave for three months. It's no good. Here's what's waiting for me across the Pacific. Makes me want to run out and buy a plane ticket.

Uncle Ned Would Be Proud

2009-07-18T01:41:00.002+12:00

No paniers or bob trailer yet. We're saving those for her third birthday.

Back in D.C.

2009-07-14T01:39:00.004+12:00

We brought Annie and Tilda to the monuments yesterday. Annie approves of Washington.And then shows us what she thinks of Lincoln.
I wonder what this means for her future in politics.

Wedding blogging

2009-07-09T03:05:00.004+12:00

I've joined a wedding website called WeddingBee and have been posting a bit over there. Since I have been a little delinquent about filling in the details of our engagement (!), I thought this story would be a good start:

Mr. Veggie Farmer Finds the Perfect Eco Ring

Mr. Veggie Farmer is good at many things. Ok, he's so good at so many things that it can drive (Soon-to-be) Mrs. Veggie Farmer a bit mad. But the one thing that he lacks is good common sense about fashion. His style might be best described as "Functional Salvation Army" (but that's why I love him, right?).

You might say that Mr. Veggie's proposal was a bit of a surprise for both of us. So much of a surprise that the day he popped the question he hadn't bought an engagement ring yet. Riding bikes back to our house (Soon-to-be) Mrs. Veggie found herself wearing a big smile and the ring from the key chain of our bike lock.

We are simple folks who like simple things, but even Mr. Veggie Farmer could see that we needed a slightly more suitable engagement ring. The only criteria we had was that we wanted something ethically and environmentally sound. I also wanted something that I could wear every day without worrying about getting bits of compost stuck in it, or snagging it on a chicken feather as I put the girls back in the coop.

He wanted to go out himself and find something special, but in my mind all I could think about was the aforementioned affliction that Mr. Veggie has when it comes to fashion. Is there a tactful way to say "That flourescent orange rock may be eco, but it doesn't go with my eyes?".

Luckily we live in a town full of artists with several jewelry boutiques. We decided ride down to town together, and then split up to see what we found. We went into stores that were right next to each other and five minutes later Mr. Veggie came to find me. He had found the perfect ring. I was skeptical, to say the least, but when I saw what he had found I knew it was perfect. Of course I still had to go to every other boutique in town to see what they had to offer, but he was right. He had found the perfect ring in five minutes (how did he do that?).

My ring is made by Ash Hilton from Nelson, NZ, which is about 300 miles from where we live in Raglan, New Zealand. He crafts the jewelry himself using ethical metal that he has either reclaimed and melted down or mined himself from the black sand beaches on the South Island. Nelson was drawn to a silver ring etched with a design of wind-blown grasses because it reminded him of the spot where he proposed(cute!). I loved the silver, but that particular ring was a bit too big for me. Because Ash is a somewhat local artist, we easily could have had him make us that ring in my size, but we were on a bit of a time crunch since I was travelling home to see my family in just three days and wanted to have the ring before I left. Also, I was more drawn to another ring that had trees etched into it. And so without further ado here is my ring:

Things we learned about buying a green ring:

- Finding a local artist not only reduces the carbon footprint of your ring, but can help remind you of a special place.

- Ethical metal does not have to be expensive.

- A diamond doesn't make an engagement ring. Although we ended opting for no stone at all, we thought about having a greenstone ring (a locally-available and culturally significant stone in NZ).

- And finally, Mr. Veggie Farmer does have some fashion sense! He was just waiting until the right time to let it show.

How did she do it?

2009-07-01T11:06:00.003+12:00

I have now spent two weeks with my nieces and while I am enjoying every minute of it, I am also completely and utterly exhausted. It makes me wonder. When Kristen and I were Tilda and Annie's age the year was 1982. My mom was a mere 23 years old. She took care of us, had an at-home day care business, and managed to look so stylish (in a throwback Jane Fonda/ Farrah Fawcett kind of way). Our team of caretakers varies from 2-7 people on any given day and I still need a nap to keep up with Annie. There are only two possibilities here. Either my mom has super powers, or we were incredibly angelic babies. I'll leave with with one final picture of make-up covered two-year-old Kristen to let you decide that one for yourselves.

Back in the Wop Wops

2009-06-26T12:46:00.003+12:00

Wop Wops (n.)- boonies, rural area, countryside

My brother-in-law is the greatest. He accumulated 18 hours in the car this week with two infants so that I could spend a few days visiting friends at Proctor. We are assimilating him to our relaxed Proctor-in-the summer ways. We are staying at Annie, Matt, Sasha, and Braeden's apartment which came pre-furnished with baby gear and toys. Today I got to see 7 out of the 9 babies that were born at Proctor this year while we were away and the parents that belong to them. Hanging out here on campus and seeing everyone made me realize just how much I miss living here. Today we also hung out with Sash and Brae (a.k.a "the big girls") and visited a friend's property that is also a potential wedding-site. We hiked up a big hill/ mountain to the outdoor chapel and played in the lake. Camp Dani has officially begun.

Goodbye Tea

2009-06-22T15:14:00.005+12:00

Tea (n.) - Dinner

I know this post is a bit out of order, but I just downloaded the pictures off of my camera and onto my computer and found shots from my last night in New Zealand. OK, well I guess its not really my last night since I'll be back in 11 weeks, but by then all of our friends from Solscape will be gone. Looking at these pictures makes me really miss everyone. We were so lucky to have such a great group of people to live with for the past few months. Can you be homesick when you live in a house truck?
I'd like to say that my transition back to the states is going smoothly, but honestly, its been a bit tougher than I thought it would be. I miss riding my bike to the organic grocers and working in the garden. I am overwhelmed by driving on the highway and walking through Target. And most of all I miss this face...

My Girls

2009-06-18T07:15:00.003+12:00

I left New Zealand at noon on June 16th. After 30-something hours of traveling I arrived safely in D.C. at 11pm June 16th. Time travel is exhausting. Well worth it though, today Annie woke me up. She couldn't quite figure out why I wasn't stuck inside the computer like normal. She kept alternating between saying "dee" (Dani) and giving me big hugs. Despite being a bit overwhelmed by the traffic and large amounts of fast food, its nice to be home.

We're Getting Married!

2009-06-12T11:15:00.004+12:00

Pushbikes for 10k over a gravel road,
Te Toto gorge is so beautiful it gave you vertigo.
Hike down the trail, breakers in front and far below.
The Tasman Sea to our right.
Windblown tree and that would be a good spot to camp.
“So do you think we should get married?”
“I mean, Dani, will you marry me?”
“Ask me again”
“Yes, yes, yes”
Lay back in the grass in your arms.
Two clouds in the sky, a double helix, no an ibex horn.
Three layers of clouds moving in opposite directions.
Can’t stop smiling.
We’re getting married!
“Sheep, you are all invited”

Permaculture Hui

2009-06-11T08:53:00.007+12:00

Hui: (n - Maori) meeting, gathering

Sorry for the lack in posts lately. This week has been pretty busy between moving out of Liz's house back into the house truck and getting ready for our big trips. I'll take a few minutes to update you about the Permaculture Hui last week.

Permaculture in New Zealand holds a national hui once a year. This year it was held on a marae (kind of a Maori church) in Te Toko. We had mixed expectations because a lot of NZ events seem to be organized very last minute, but since David Holmgren was going to be there we decided to head over. It was also a good chance for me to see the east coast and to meet some of the friends Nelson met when he first arrived in NZ. We drove across the center of the country with Phil, Sequoia, and Bern and another Raglan-ite Simon. Our route took us straight through Rotorua, very stinky town full of hot springs, and an even stinkier town full of paper mills.

When we arrived we found that the weekend was going to be run using open-space technology. Nelson and I are still unsure about why this technique is called a "technology", but the concept is interesting, if unorganized. There was a very loose schedule when we arrived, but a few hours later here is what the schedule looked like after everyone had put their two cents in.
We got to hear David Holmgren and Hakai Tane speak. And got to hang out with tons of friends. It seems like everyone we knew in NZ was there. Here is David doing a site survey and Nelson with Poihaere.

After the Hui we stayed in Whakatane for a few days with Peter and Louise, who have a gorgeous house, very sustainable house, and were also hosting our friends Tanja and Florian from Wanganui. Their kids kept us entertained.

Here are some pics of their house. They raise three kids using less than 1 kilowatt hour per day with an outdoor composting toilet and an outdoor bath. They are my idols.

All Thanks to Lord Morton

2009-06-04T13:08:00.003+12:00

Today is the third anniversary of our first kiss. Maybe someday if you're lucky, I'll retell the whole romantic story of the start of our relationship. Three years after that fateful day at the country club we find ourselves half a world away working for change. Let's hope the next thirty are as wonderful as the first three.

A few good ones

2009-05-29T14:12:00.007+12:00

Nelson and I are heading to Whakatane for a few days for the New Zealand Permaculture Hui. David Holmgren is going to be there, so we'll probably get to meet him. Should be rad. I'll fill you in on all the details when we come back. In the mean time here are a few random shots from all over. Gotta love the G10.

Free living

2009-05-27T11:27:00.006+12:00

Nelson and I have embarked on a bit of a challenge since we arrived in NZ. With inspiration from our friend Oscar we've trying to live for free, or as close to it as possible. Its not that we're cheap (although one of us does have a bit of a stingy side). By consuming less we are lessening our impact on the earth. When we do consume, by trading goods or services instead of money whenever possible we are deliberately stepping out of a global economy that expolits people and planet.

I know that sounds drastice, but it makes sense to me. If I need milk, and am lucky enough to live in a spot where there is a dairy farmer, I have two choices. I can buy milk from the store with money. My dollar goes to support the transportation, packaging, marketing of the product but also, the banking system and tax systems. I don't want to support all of these things, I just want some milk. Buying milk directly from the farmer solves the first lot of problems, but bartering goods or services in exchange for the milk solves them all.

Don't get me wrong we still both have credit cards, bank accounts, and bills. But, we've been eliminating them little by little.

Some things are hard. Waikato University and The School for Intern ational Training currently don't have a tuition exchange for vegetables. Although, its a good idea, and one I think you'll see more of in the future.

Some things are easy. We ride bikes or hitch whenever feasible. We grow our own veggies. We've opted out of cell phones.

Another thing that's been pretty easy is for us is housing. We haven't paid rent in a year through a combination of house sitting and working for accomodation. Our latest stint in in a beautiful house in town (don't worry we still have the house truck as a weekend getaway at the beach). We've been house sitting for about a month now and I realized that I never even mentioned it yet to you faithful blog readers. We signed up for a house sitting network a few months ago hoping to find something long term in Raglan. We've gotten tons of offers for other areas of NZ, but none for Raglan until now. Not really that surprising considering what a tourist town Raglan is during the summer.

Anyway, finally we got a contact for a house sit in Raglan. Liz is away for 6 weeks until June 7th. Perfect because Nelson and I both fly out on the 15th. She is super sweet and offered us any food in the cupboards and use of her car. Not to mention tha thte house is gorgeous. Free internet. TV for the first time in months. A cute cat. And the view! Living for free is fun.

Our bedroom.

Our living room.
Fagan the cat.

The view from our house.

Dining room/ Kitchen.

Read this today.

2009-05-24T09:41:00.001+12:00

Seriously?!?

Oh and then we heard about this on NPR.

Te Toto Gorge

2009-05-20T11:24:00.010+12:00

A month of rainy weather has made everyone at Solscape a bit stir crazy.

The ocean has been grumpy. The online surf reports that we check religiously have a maximum swell height of 20 ft. The waves here in Raglan have been off the charts all week. The thought of surfing a 20 ft + wave (or double and a half overheader) makes me crap my pants. But some people don't seem to be fazed (sp?). Three days ago a beginner surfer got swept out to open sea by the current. He started at the beach, and luckily the coast guard happened to spot him at the river mouth as they finished their patrols for the day.
Angry Ocean
The waves don't look so big from here.

Needless to say, we haven't been in the water much. There was however, a brief bit of sunshine yesterday that inspired Lenny and I to hop in his car and seek out some pictures. Just down the coast from us is an amazing little spot that I can't believe I never visited until now. I am reminded again of how amazing New Zealand is and how lucky we are to have found this place. Beautiful.
Lenny, excited about a few sun rays.

Dani gets some air.

Clouds roll in over Te Toto.

Lenny looks out over Te Toto.

I think I am addicted to taking photos of dead trees.

Windswept trees.

Dani, in hippy pants, looking thoughtful.

Silly place to store a boat.
Winter.

Feeling Crabby?

2009-05-15T13:00:00.003+12:00

Me too.

Dear New Zealand,

2009-05-12T13:14:00.002+12:00

Simply putting a picture of English policemen with funny hats on a bag of hamburger rolls does not make them English muffins. While those little guys are admittedly rather cute, I quote one Mr. Thomas when I request, nay, demand "nooks and crannies". Without a nook or a cranny to be seen, the product you have been promoting as "English Muffins" is no more than a bag of oddly shaped white bread dinner rolls. New Zealand bakers, you can do better.

Kind Regards,
Dani

[Editor's Note: Breaking news. According to our sources they apparently don't even have English muffins in the UK or Canadian bacon in Canada. What is the world coming to?]

Winter

2009-05-11T12:03:00.002+12:00

It has been rainy and cold for the past week. And by rainy, I don't just mean the occasional shower. I mean a constat light rain punctuated by heavy downpours that seem to occur just as I am stepping out of the house. The winter weather has me rethinking our car-free lifestyle. It is much less fun to hitch or bike when you spend the rest of the day shivering. Luckily, only 5 weeks until I venture to the northern heisphere. Just in time.

When thesis citations come true

2009-05-06T17:55:00.002+12:00

One day I was citing him in my thesis and the next day here he was, in Raglan of all places.
Bill McKibben watching Nelson's talk on Saturday night. Too freaking cool!

Age Defying Revitilization

2009-05-02T13:19:00.006+12:00

People try all sorts of things to reclaim their youth. Three rainy days indoors have found me reading too many ladies magazines and the ads for facelifts, age-defying creams, and body part firmers are no less offensive here than they are in the states. Men are no different than women in the search for eternal youth. Some men jump out of airplanes or buy a sports car on their fortieth and others date women 15 years their junior. Well, as Nelson already had the latter covered, rejuvination for his 41st came in the form of a caving trip to Waitomo.

We have both done a bit of caving before, and unlike many of the tourists who come to Waitomo we were not in search of an action-packed adrenaline boosting day of adventure (where you descend a well-lit ramp, follow a boardwalk guided tour through the caves, and participate in blackwater rafting with 50 of your not so dearest friends). We were looking for something a more initmate and mellow, and a bit less....um kitchy.

We came across Green Glow Eco Tours, a new company begun by Paul, a 25 year veteran caver tired of doing the touristy thing. He specializes in private tours that cater to the clients' individual needs in a private cave he leases. It was sweet.

We saw stalactites and mites, glow worms, wettas, and crystals. We did three rappels, the longest one about 100ft. Nelson graciously said "Dani, you can go first", which gave him a few minutes to collect himself for the descent.

It turns out Paul is not only an expert in spelunking, but knew tons about the natural history of the area. His endless knowledge of cave geology and biology kept Nelson enraptured, while his knowledge in cave photography helped produce these gorgeous gems. (He too fell in love with the G10).

All in all, it was an incredible day. Does Nelson feel that he has reclaimed some of his youth? "What are you talking about?" He replies. Youth is in the eye of the beholder and age is only a number. Like a stinky piece of cheese, he only seems to get better with age.

Our first rappell. 100 mts. If you look closely you can see Nelson in a red jacket about 1/3 of the way down.

Abseiling inside a cave.

Glow worm mucus. Yum.

At the mouth of the cave.

Tiny stalactites called "straws". So delicate, but each one takes about 100 years to grow an inch.

A tight spot. Not posed, we actually crawled through there.

Inside the cave under the glow worms.

Spoiled Rotten

2009-04-30T12:22:00.004+12:00

Two birthday parties? Lucky!
And a new wetsuit?

Since we were going down to Whanganui, we decided to celebrate in Raglan with friends before we left. I made pumpkin lasagna and apple feijoa crumble and we drank a few bottles of wine with friends. I think the best birthday surprise was that Lenny showed up again, completely unannounced. It was a happy reunion for sure. Music, running through a field of wild flowers, and Nelson and Lenny embracing.

It was also so good to see so many friends in Whanganui. After a raucous celebration in Raglan before our trip, we celebrated two nights in a row with the Brookes family and other friends. This is the cake Mandy and Toby made. Lucky for Nelson we were traveling, because I don't think I've ever made anything so beautiful. Then, thanks to Maia, Sophie, and Karuna, we had a scavenger hunt for Nelson's birthday present.
Where could that next clue be?
Oh there it is!
Under the covers?
A winter-weight wetsuit!

Forty-wonderful

2009-04-27T16:42:00.003+12:00

This time last year we were in New Hampshire. We knew we were about to begin a huge adventure, a new chapter in our lives, but didn't know exactly where we were headed. I sang a love song to my baby on his fortieth birthday (in front of 400 close friends).

One year later we are living in a beautiful place working towards making our dreams come true. I can't think of a better outcome to our adventures or a better person to be sharing them with. We are away this week celebrating Nelson's birthday with friends in Wanganui (Whanganui?), and then with a caving trip in Waitomo.

I am in love with SoSo Fancy Carrots more today than ever before. Happy birthday to the most wonderful man I know.

Happy Birthday Creeps

2009-04-16T09:08:00.006+12:00

My baby sister turns 20 today. Isn't she fabulous?

How about now?

And my older brother (in-law) will turn, oh I don't know let's just call it 40-ish on the 17th. He's quite fabulous too.(This image has been edited, as to be less offensive to our younger viewers.)

Happy birthday! Love you both.

Au Naturale

2009-04-14T13:11:00.004+12:00

Sequoia and I were inspired by a website that calimed it was "so easy" to dye eggs using natural dyes. It made sense to us. Why rely on Red #40 and Yellow #5 when we had marigolds, lilacs, and beetroots in bloom. We gathered almost all of our ingredients from our very own yard.

Then we boiled them down and added a teaspoon of vinegar to each cup.

Even the most principled seven year old gets impatient waiting for natural dyes to work. Can't we just add food coloring to help them?

The beetroot was the only one that didn't need assistance. Although, I think if I had added about 3x as mauch of each ingredient it would have helped. Chili powder worked well to make a nice orange color. Broccoli and swiss chard leaves made yellow. Lavender petals made lavender. And we heard blueberries will make blue, although they are definitely not local or in season here, so we went without blue.
Here are our results. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that most of the coloring came from the bottle. We'll try again next year.

Coolly Cooliscious?

2009-04-11T10:08:00.003+12:00

So here we were, relaxing in the little house that we are housesitting, watching Moko the cat go nuts over a piece of string, listening to NHPR (New Hampshire Public Radio) online. Similar scene to the rest of this week. And, just like the rest of the week, our ears were bombarded by Keith and Abby at the NHPR Pledge drive begging us for a donation. I hope that however low I get I never have to be the host of a pledge drive. So, after a few days of feeling guilty for our daily indulgence of NHPR without being members we gave in. We called in a hearty donation of $35, the minimum pledge. A pledge from New Zealand! "Isn't that coolly cooliscious".

Ummm Keith. We are embarrassed for you. And we rescind our pledge immmediately.

Here are some pictures of our ward: Moko (loco). He's a killer.

Also noteworthy today: Nelson and I had a most perfect evening last night. Note the show playing on the computer, and the "american" mustard, and the giant cheeseburgers, and the beers. Yeah yeah I hear you, don't worry they were local grass-fed (endangered maui dolphin) burgers.

What you might not have noticed in that first picture is the toasted buttered buns. Here's a close up. Yum. D-lish.

Profesora?

2009-04-05T14:42:00.002+12:00

Last week I taught a two classes at Waikato University. Nelson has taken on two sections of Intro to Environmental Education, a course required for all first year teachers (how cool is that?). I am wondering how Nelson transitioned into the role of university professor so smoothly. Just being a guest lecturer made me feel about 20 years older and caused me to have a night of binge drinking to reclaim my youth (It didn't work, by the way).

It feels like just the other day when I was the one not paying attention in class, and here I was getting annoyed by the girl who was obviously IM-ing through my very carefully thought out lecture. (When asked, she said she was emailing an assignment to her work partner. Um, hello... Do I look like I'm in the market for BS? I was born after 1970... I know that 95 keystrokes per minute consistently for an hour is either a fantastic game of naughty tetris or an IM. Go sell that story to your other teacher.) Perhaps Nelson's had a few more years than me to practice being mature.

Overall the classes went really well. Nelson brought me in to teach the class on "Intercultural Perspectives on the Envrionment". I took my favorite teaching position, sitting on a desk at the front of the room facing the class. I did some great interactive activities, had the students discuss the reading, and spent a lot of time talking about intercultural sensitivity. All was fine until the end of the second lecture. Two very nice girls approached me and said "We think what you had to say was great, but you should know that sitting on a table is very taboo in the Maori culture". UGH!

OK, so sitting on a table is taboo. This has to do with Maori people feeling very strongly that your poo end should not be anywhere near food. Fair enough. My bad. But eating in a classroom is also taboo. So, shouldn't sitting on a classroom table be only half -offensive at most? I'll tell myself yes to make me feel better.

Finally

2009-03-31T13:08:00.004+13:00

For Kristen- (my lawyer-mom of 2-incredibly crafty sister)
She made me this quilt for my birthday in January. I am just now posting the pictures I promised her. She is amazing. I bow down to her skills.

Earth Hour

2009-03-29T11:09:00.005+13:00

Here are pictures from our Earth Hour no lights music jam night. It was the perfect opportunity to test out my new Canon G10 in low-light conditions. Yes, you heard me. G10. A step up from the G9 that was lost in the infamous grinching of '08. I have to work my way through the manual since Canon seemed to change a few critical elements, but so far I am in love. It is incredible. I love it more than cheese.

Its first task was low-light, high action fire twirling. Here is Erwin:
I am a bit annoyed that I didn't get a chance to look through the manual before Earth Hour, because I think if I had fiddled a bit more I would have been able to get a shot where his face was clear. But they came out nice anyway.

Here are some music playing hippies enjoying a candle-lit evening.

G10, you are a rock star. Hope everyone enjoyed their Earth Hour as much as we did. Nevermind that it is an act of symbolism whose good effects are probably outweighed by the amount of petroleum that goes into the making of a candle. Think warm, happy, let's-save-the-planet thoughts. At least for an hour.

It's a house. No, It's a truck. It's a...

2009-03-24T20:21:00.010+13:00

OK, I've tidied up a bit and I feel like I can now unveil our new house, er truck, er housetruck. We moved in about a week ago, leaving behind our tiny little train car. Although my mother doubts it, they do actually have normal houses in New Zealand, we just have yet to find ourselves in one. I still have a bit of cleaning to do, as it was a bachelor pad belonging to an unkempt gypsy. But, once I remove a bit more clutter (yes, there was more) we will be snug as bugs in, well, a housetruck.

Speaking of bugs. Thankfully we don't have a lot of mice here in NZ, but there are heaps of spiders to remove from our new abode. I've been feeling quite brave lately. It's easier when you know none of them can actually kill you.

This is our home from the outside. Sorry for the dream-time shimmer effect in the pictures; we're getting a new camera this week. Yes, you can drive our house. Convenient in case of the aforementioned tsunami. Just wait, it looks even more like a hippie van on the inside (if possible).

This is our kitchen. We have running water from a rainwater storage tank on the roof that goes to a sink and a shower (that we dont use). We also have a wood stove for heating and cooking, a gas stovetop, and an oven. I can make bread and quiche again! We also have a fridge and lights, and plugs to charge our computers. Luxury.

This is our lounge and up above is our bed. There is a skylight so we can look at the stars as we fall asleep. There is another bed that we are using for storage above the driver's cabin. So, now there's no excuse for not visiting (except of course for the $1,000 airfare).

This is the ladder going up to our bed. Dangerous? Yes. More dangerous in the morning? Yes. Even more dangerous when you need to get up in the middle of the night for a midnight pee? Yes. But also very cool looking.

This is the view out our window.

This is nearly our whole home. Like I said, more tidying to be done. I'll post more pictures with the final outcome.

I love our house. It was hand built by our friend Mike and was truly crafted. There is all sorts of detailed woodworking and bits that make it really special. I love that we have an oven. I love that we have a table where we can sit and do school work or have a quiet meal together. I'm learning to love the treacherous climb up and down from bed. It's cute, and cozy, and all ours.

Don't they have sirens for this sort of thing?

2009-03-22T22:53:00.002+13:00

So apparently yesterday we were briefly under a tsunami watch.

Of course we didn't find out until it was over, and no tsunami actually struck. Come to think of it, Nelson was out surfing during said "watch", but that is not the point. We live in New Zealand, a highly developed nation, not some tiny island of 50 inhabitants. We are advised of every rugby league and cricket score from around the world and often given play by play accounts. Shouldn't they have some way of letting us coast-dwellers know that a ginormous wave could come smashing down on us at any moment?

Granted the quake that could have spawned the psuedo-tsunami (not often that you can use 2 non-phonetic "s" sounds in the same sentence) happened in Tonga, which is 1,000 km away. And granted the tsunami warning was only 1 hour long. But still... I would like to know.

Luckily we live at the top of a large cliff. I think we'd be ok.

Haircut, no shave

2009-03-21T12:33:00.002+13:00

I have dived into the Euro-punk New Zealand fashion trends with a new haircut. Thoughts?

Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits

2009-03-17T15:53:00.007+13:00

Let me put my two bits in, and say "Thank Goodness Nelson has finally cut his hair!"

The last few months have been an experiment in an escalating hair tragedy. Nelson has gorgeous hair; thick, dark, and wavy. But, every good thing has its limit. Some of our kiwi friends call it the "Greek God" look. I blame them for the length of the experiment. I'm just excited to have my boy back. Don't get me wrong, I think he's handsome no matter what, but doesn't he look great now?

Before:

After:

Position Available: Apprentice

2009-03-11T12:51:00.008+13:00

The problem with living in a hostel is that inevitably your friends are going to leave. Yesterday our longest-term friend left. We miss him already, although we did manage to hide some lost and found undies in his car before he left. So, sometime in the near future he will find a little present to remember us by.
Lenny is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. He is incredibly open to learning new things, and spent many hours in the garden with us here at Solscape and at Kai Whenua. He also laughs at all the same things I do. I haven't giggled nearly as much since he left. Grasshopper, little brother, the soul of solscape, we'll see you sometime soon, I'm sure.

In the meantime though, we are searching for a new apprentice. This is Sequoia. And these are her strawberries. She is high on enthusiasm and energy, but low on hard skills.
Nelson, didn't you read the sign?

This is Phil, the owner of Solscape, in the garden we've expanded. High on skills and enthusiasm. Low on time.

This is Charles, Ernesto, and Pablo (not pictured). On their first day wwoofing we tackled the compost pile turned hornets nest. Notice how Ernesto is wearing shorts while battling hornets? Meanwhile Charles and I were wearing at least 3 layers of rain gear. I was still afraid I would get stung and end up looking like Sloth from the Goonies. I think theses guys have potential.

Oh, by the way. I love where we live.

PDC - Post #3 Fairies and Mustaches (Perma-tainment)

2009-03-03T12:43:00.005+13:00

Pearl (9 yrs old): Wow mom they look like fairies!
Dani: Tinkerbell wouldn't sing this song.

Yes... those lyrics were "I don't need irrigation help, when I want to grow stuff I mulch myself". Did you catch the line about N,K, and P (Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus)? Reediculous.

Who is that 70's porn star reciting Nelson's poetry?

PDC - Post #2: Green Buildings

2009-02-25T12:10:00.006+13:00

Most people argue that going green only works if you are willing to spend more money that conventional products and/or are willing to lower your standards. This argument is used most often in building design and construction. One of hte best parts of going to Rainbow Valley Farm for the PDC was seeing working beautiful examples of green buildings.

Chook houses and worm bins made out of reclaimed materials:

The willow circle is an outside classroom and fire circle. The walls are made of willow which can be coppiced for animal feed, firewood, or mulch:

It takes 6-20 liters of water to flush a toilet. Each flush means combining good drinking water with good fertilizer to make a waste product that we spend millions cleaning and sending out to sea. Composting Toilets make much more sense:
During the course we got the chance to take a one day earth building course with Graeme North, a leading earth builder. His house is another great example of green design:
Here we are mixing mud, straw, and gravel to make earth bricks and morter:
Graeme talks about creating indoor/outdoor flow. His house is a series of rooms all under a giant greenhouse roof. The top floor is a year-round garden:He also has garden beds inside his living room that continue outside:
The walls and cielings are made of a mix of natural and recycled materials:

We also got a chance to visit Otomatea eco village and saw Wolfgang and Sabine's house. Yes, this is an eco house. Among other things, they use a cool cupboard system that uses the thermal mass of their house and air currents to keep their food cool and don't need a fridge.
Along the way we got to stop at our friend Billy's house. They are using straw bale construction that will eventually be sealed with eath and plaster:
Nelson and Bo were exhausted from all the learning:

PDC - Post #1- Rainbow Valley heaven

2009-02-22T15:06:00.008+13:00

We are in Hamilton for a few days doing some much needed catch-up on school work. The nice quick internet connection at Waikato University will also allow me to post lots (oops I mean heaps) of fabulous pictures from the Permaculture Design Course I just finished. (It is by far the quickest internet I've found in New Zealand).

Permaculture is a tricky thing to define because it encompasses so many things. But the general idea is that by looking at the world holistically, as a series of systems, we can design ways to live sustainably. Nelson has been practicing permaculture for years, and now so have I, first on our farm in New Hampshire, and then here in New Zealand. But, even though we've been doing designs, teaching classes, and growing veggies for a few years I've never taken a PDC. I figured it was about time.

My PDC was at Rainbow Valley Farm in Matakana. It is one of the most amazing places I have ever been, and is an example of a thriving permaculture farm. Trish Allen developed the farm over the past 20 years with her husband Joe Polascher, who died suddenly last February. RVF produces honey, fruit, and vegetable for sale and runs educational courses. They raise enough milk, beef, eggs, chicken, and rice to provide for the 6 people who live on the farm. And, its gorgeous. Here is Trish, and below the house she built with Joe (it has earth walls, a living roof, and a pergola with grapes they use for wine):

The next 2 pictures show what a huge impact they have had on the land by practicing permaculture. These pictures show the boundary between RVF and their neighbors, who raise beef cattle:
While I took the course Nelson played carpenter and was busy with all sorts of projects. Joe's tool shed made him homesick for his own tool collection. Here he is building a bench on a shavehorse. He clearly has not shaved his own face or had a haircut for a while (long hair is not a permaculture principle, but it could be).
While we were at Rainbow Valley our home was a little building they call "the capsule". It is a model for quick durable housing that can be made from local materials after a natural disaster. We shared it with a few mosquitos and secadas who were hiding out from the daily torrential downpours.
Our teacher, Darren, who liked to be called Dr. Doherty or Professore, had so much information that I'm still trying to digest it all. His background is in large-scale farming, a different perspective from the human-scale production I'm used to. Here he is teaching a lesson on patterns in nature in the willow circle classroom:

I feel really strongly that permaculture is the best form of sustainable development out there. Helping people to understand natural systems and design with them, as opposed to against them, will allow them to become more self-sufficient. I came out of the course feeling energized and inspired by the material and all of the wonderful people. I'm ready to go to Nicaragua right this minute! (But there are a few essays I need to write first). I have a lot more to say about the PDC, but I'll leave you with one last photo of a bench from the farm:

PDC

2009-02-10T19:11:00.002+13:00

We are up at Rainbow Valley Farm in Matakana for a Permaculture Design Course. I'm loving it! Here are some photos our friend Paul snapped. I'll post more when my brain isn't imploding from too much info.

Milestone

2009-02-01T16:32:00.003+13:00

Nelson and I began surfing 2 months ago. While we are certainly not expert, or even intermediate surfers, today we moved beyond grommet status.

Raglan is known for three world-famous breaks (See Bruce Brown's 1964 surf classic Endless Summer): Manu Bay, Whale Bay, and Indicators. Supposedly Raglan has the longest left-hand break in the world. By the way, according to Lonely Planet NZ, due to all of the surfers "Raglan may also be NZ's best-looking town". But I digress.

Although we live in this town of beauties and renowned surf spots our surf career thus far has been limited to the lesser-known Wainui Beach. Rather than being the site of an infamous surf movie, this beach is the site of dozens of surf lessons a day teaching pasty white kooks how to ride soft-topped foam 10-foot boards. The surf is dumpy, you can't help but get slammed by the waves while paddling out, and strong rips might pull you either towards the rocks or out into the harbor. It isn't ideal, but there are lifeguards, generally small waves, and after a few days it isn't too hard to be one of the better surfers in the water.

We have avoided the famous spots because of what I suppose you could call a surfer inferiority complex. What if we get in someone's way? What if we can't get out past the breakers? What if some big tough local guy bullies us?

Well, no longer can say I've lived in raglan and never surfed the big breaks. After some coaxing from equally beginner surfer friends Nelson and I surfed Manu for the first time today. It did happen to be a particularly small day, but it was a milestone. I equate it to my niece Matilda sitting up for the first time (minus the crying and drooling).

What we do when the surf is flat

2009-01-27T21:49:00.004+13:00

Martin, who also owns a Canon G9, reminded me how much I miss my camera. The insurance report is being filed, so maybe some time this year we will be able to afford to replace it. Unfortunately the G9 is no longer produced, meaning that the insurance company will need to give us enough money to by the new G10? Let's hope so. Until then, here are some shots of the evening from martin's camera.
Slacklining is an international sport. See their website if you don't believe me. There is even a slackline wizard. Do you think there's a slackline warlock? Maybe I can put that down as occupation when I apply to extend my visa in June. It's harder than it looks. The turn-around took me a week to master (although for two of those days I was couch-ridden due to illness). I'm still working on the sit-down and the jump-on. I live a very difficult life.

Sun sick?

2009-01-25T18:20:00.002+13:00

Despite my red hair, freckels, and gleaming white skin I am a sun-lover (sun-ophile?). Part of the allure of coming to New Zealand was that I would get four summers in a row due to my niece Tilda's birth and my upcoming graduation from SIT. My tatoo is of a sun and I even briefly thought of changing my name to Sunny (OK, that was a lie). But this weekend I found my limit.

Yesterday our friend Paul brought us to the Tainui Tribal Pride Festival, a Maori music festival. Yes, I was by far the whitest person there. He was hired as a consultant to help them organize their recycling system. He needed on-the-ground help, and offered us free admission to the festival if we helped keep the recycling system up and running all day. If I am a sun-ophile Nelson is surely a recycle-ophile and the offer of spending a day sorting recyclables was too good to pass up.

It turned out to be quite a long hot day of reaching into rubbish bins and recycling bins to pull out rogue items. People were generally pretty good about sorting, but one item kept throwing them off. I must have pulled at least a hundred watermelon rinds out of the recylcing bins. They were being sold cut in half with vanilla ice cream in them. Delicious? yes, recyclable? are you kidding me?

We saw some of our favorite New Zealand bands, learned some new Maori words, helped save the world and got home around midnight. A pretty good day. But, today that viscious orb of death in the sky is wreaking havoc on my internal organs. I suppose, even though I drank gallons of water and put on heaps of sunscreen, I got some kind of sun poisoning. I've been throwing up and fevery all day. Nelson has been a dream, cleaning puke buckets, dragging me into cold showers. Ugh. Finally around 7pm I'm feeling barely alright. Yuck.

Aw Nau Brew

2009-01-17T21:26:00.002+13:00

This is how kiwis talk. Seriously. It's hilariously true.

Parihaka (AKA Dani's Birthday Festival)

2009-01-13T14:10:00.004+13:00

I love that we live in a place where hitch hiking can be our main mode of transportation. Yesterday we traveled 350 kilometers hitching and didn't wait longer than two minutes for a ride. True, we do live in Raglan, a hippie surf town. And true, we were traveling from the Parihaka Peace Festival. I suppose you'd have to be of extraordinarily questionable character to not catch a ride from the peace festival to the hippie surf town. We apparently looked reputable enough to get picked up at the gates of Parihaka by a van full of kind anarchists who deposited us only 40k from home.

Hitching home was the end of a great birthday weekend at Parihaka. Nelson arranged some free tickets for us in exchange for volunteering at the Permaculture New Zealand tent. Work for two hours a day giving presentations and helping in various ways, in exchange for spending the rest of our days, as my little brother would say, chillaxing amongst the music, food, and good vibes of the festival. Definitely a good way to transition from my mid-twenties to my late twenties... Ugh.

Getting immersed in the Aotearoa (New Zealand) music scene was good. We saw our local band, Native Sons, perform on the mainstage. They were great. Like always.

I found more fresh-fruit yogurt. It was great, like always.

And I had my first hangi, a traditional Maori roast cooked underground on hot rocks. It was pretty good.

I think, though the highlight of the weekend was Olmecha Supreme. Here's how they are described on their myspace page:
"olmecha supreme is afro futuristic roots music. painting sky pictures through light speed sonic fiction... it has been described as an intense surreal sound scape complete with giant robots powered on pure spiritual energy in combat for the future of our planet and life as we know it throughout the galaxy"

Um, how could they not be totally rediculously awesome. I danced my bum off. Hooray for being 27.

Inspired

2009-01-05T18:23:00.002+13:00

Times have changed. I have found some ispiration to jump start my blogging again. Must be something good, right?

Today I went to Roll-up, a kabob and fresh ice cream stand in town. I actually don't know how I could have lived in raglan for nearly 2 months and never have frequented this fine dining establishment before.

I skipped out on the kabob (I'll save that for another post), and got a large fresh-fruit frozen yogurt. What is a fresh fruit ice cream? Well, you take plain vanilla ice cream (or yougurt), throw it in a funnel, throw some fruit on top (I chose boysenberry and banana), and then use a giant drill to blend it together and shoot it into a waffle cone. Genius.

I wish I had a photo of the ice cream blender/ potential torture device. Picture a giant plastic drill. You know in the original Sonic the hedgehog game how Dr. Evil rode on this floating drill and sonic had to bounce up and hit him without getting spiked? That's pretty much what they use.

The results are amazing. You should all come to Raglan to get a taste of it.

Back In Action

2009-01-04T19:52:00.002+13:00

Since our camera got stolen I haven't been in much of a mood to post. Sorry. I'm still not. I will say that we had an amazing New Year's Eve which involved a parade, a circus, and live music. Nope, don't have pictures of any of it.

We are going to Hamilton later this week to our storage unit where my little old trusty Nikon point and shoot is waiting to rescue me from my camera-less life. Until then I will try to entertain you with witty prose.

Stay tuned.

Grinched

2008-12-27T21:46:00.005+13:00

Somewhere in New Zealand someone is enjoying a slightly used Canon G9 Powershot camera, an Ibook G4, and the various other electronic bits and pieces that were with them. That someone is certainly enjoying looking at all of the pictures of Nelson and I from the last month that were not backed up. They're probably enjoying reading the last two weeks of Nelson's doctoral research (also not backed up). They're probably skyping with their friends on their new webcam as we speak.

Grrrrr....

We locked our electronics in the office at Solscape to protect them from the damp unlockable tipis. Irony is a slap in the face, isn't it? On Christmas eve someone broke into the office and stole the cash register and our electronics. Somehow Phil's nicer laptop was left untouched, sitting on top of the desk. Luckily our external hardrive was left as well, saving our backed up harddrives.

It was a crappy way to start our festivities. But, we pressed on. We had 27 (and growing) mouths to feed for Christmas dinner. So, down for a quick surf in the morning, then in the kitchen with the girls all afternoon. Here are the results of our hard work.

Then we held a Yankee Swap. I'm sure there are other names for the present stealing secret santa type game that my family plays, but since we are from New Hampshire, Yankee Swap seems appropriate.

Here is Nelson stealing Go's cinnamon soap.

And Go's expression when he figured out what was in the next present he opened.

And Go and Jake proudly displaying their Mother's Milk surf wax. A popular item in our exchange.

Well, here's to a good Christmas despite our losses (we keep trying to remind ourselves that they are just things after all). Hope everyone's Christmas was as nice as ours. And here's to hoping that someone's heart will grow three sizes in the next few days and we will get our pictures and research back.

Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

2008-12-23T12:46:00.005+13:00

This is my first Christmas in the southern hemisphere, and maybe its just me, but it seems as though here in NZ they celebrate a bit differently. Here in Raglan the local bar, the YOT Club, held a super hero Christmas party. Here are the folks we live with at Solscape (Me, catwoman, the joker, Kill Bill, and Lara Croft). We arrived at the party in the back of Danny (the Joker)'s house truck. I can't imagine what any random tourist walking down the street must have thought when six or seven of us rolled up. You can't tell here, but my costume was simple... a cape from the op shop, black leggings, and undies on the outside.

We also recently moved out of our caboose home. We really liked our little dorm-sized room, but since we are in high-season and living at a hostel, I suppose we need to take what we can get. Our new room is about a five minute walk from the center of Solscape at the tipi retreat center. Yep, tipi. Here is our home for the next few weeks:

The downside of living in a tipi is that it can be quite damp. They were built for the great plains after all, and not for the tropics. But, it is actually gorgeous and tranquil up there and we have an outdoor kitchen and bathroom. We are going to cook Christmas dinner up there using the earth oven with all the long-termers here. No super hero costumes this time.I'm not sure if its the superheroes, tipis, or summer weather, but it definitely doesn't feel like Christmas. None of mom's cookies, no 7 fish dinner, and no time with the fam. All I want for Christmas is New Jersey!

Seeing Stars

2008-12-16T20:56:00.003+13:00

I saw stars today. No, not the romantic, "Oh, Nelson, I see stars in your eyes" kind of stars. Think less 40's love ballad and more road-runner v. coyote, yellow and red flashing stars. I've never actually seen stars before, and I've done some pretty dumb stuff. What could've caused this kind of pain?

Was it when at about 3am Nelson sleep-punched me in the side of the head? (He had a dream that he was in a fight with his childhood best friend, Za). No, turns out sleep-punches are only bout 1/10 as strong as real punches. A couple of moans and some belly laughs and we were both asleep again.

Was it when I got skegged today in the groin? You got it. Somehow I, and my board both got turned around in a wave so that I was laying on the wrong side of the board. Bad News. The next wave came and I caught a non-flexi surf fin to, what my older sister (a lawyer with two kids) calls, the Va-Jay-Jay. Man, pubic bones are sensitive. I thought I might pass out it hurt so much.

Sleep punching and a powerful skegging... Sorry Nelson, no loving for the foreseeable future.

PhD

2008-12-11T08:39:00.007+13:00

December 1st was the start date for my PhD research at the University of Waikato. I got my student ID card. I met with my supervisor. I got government subsidized health insurance.

I've been thinking about my research question. Thinking is nice because you can do it anywhere.

PhD: Proximal hamilton Domicile: We are living about 60 kilometers away from Hamilton in Raglan, world famous for its left-hand surf break.

PhD: Potentially habit-forming Diversion: As a study-break from thinking, I thought I might experience the local culture.

PhD: Pretty happy Dude: This is fun!

PhD: Potentially harmful Dump: This clearly needs more research!

Proof

2008-12-07T20:09:00.005+13:00

Oops... here are the pictures I thought I had tagged onto the end of the last post. Pictures of Nelson on a board coming soon. It seems we both have caught the bug. He was a quick study.

Wainui Road

2008-12-03T15:41:00.003+13:00

Wai: (n.- Maori) Water

Nui: (n.- Maori) Big

It is starting to feel like summertime here in Raglan. Our (its mine since I have now officially lived here for two weeks) normally quiet beach was swarmed with people this weekend. It is a huge change from mid-week when there are four of us out at the beach at any given time. Me, Nelson, and the cuddlefish.

Solscape is located on Wainui Road, which leads to the famous Manu and Whale Bay surf spots. Surfers come here from all over to ride the longest left-hand break in the world. At some point I will graduate to these legendary surf spots, but for now I am content at surfing the waves at what locals call "the beach" (our beach).

On this particular day, although we are looking very hardcore (Nelson in his sneakers and me in my rented wetsuit), the Wai was not very Nui. Which is fine for me. While I am way above the bunny-hill, I'm not quite ready for any blue square surfing. I am a happy green circle betty. So here I am, on some of the flattest sea we've experienced looking like a champ. I don't want to brag, but I stood up on the second wave I caught. I think this could become an addiction.

Thankful

2008-11-30T08:48:00.005+13:00

There is so much to be thankful for this year. Besides my wonderful family and boyfriend, my education and being able to travel. I can now add to the list that I am thankful for the fact that I live here:

I was feeling a bit homesick on Thursday. Growing up Thanksgiving in our house was almost bigger than Christmas. We would gather with a throng of extended family, always including the Cincinatti fourth cousins. The Macy's parade in the morning, cooking all day, and playing football. Remember when Zach ran into the palm tree during the fake Florida thanksgiving, and when we ate turkey dinner in Cinderella's castle? Well this Thanksgiving looked like it was going to be turkey, parade, and football free (they call it gridiron here). To top it off, Nelson was in Hamilton because he did a presentation Wednesday night. Yeah, so Thursday morning was a bit of a sad time.

But, at the risk of sounding like a peanuts holiday special, Thanksgiving night was magical. We have been hanging out with a couple from California who are bike-touring through NZ. Jen and I decided that we would go all out and show the multinational crew of wwoofers what thanksgiving was all about. It wasn't hard to convince everyone that a holiday centered on eating was a good idea. By the way, the irony of Eurpoeans celebrating a day of peace with the Native Americans translates well across language barriers.

After our 2 hours of wwoof work Jen, Dan, and I headed down to our local grocery store, which is the equivalent of the American chain 7-11. We didn't have high hopes for putting together an authentic T-day meal. But, thanks to a super helpful French-canadian store clerk we found nearly everything we needed (chicken on the barbey is almost the same as turkey anyway). Yep, that's right. In New Zealand in the beginning of summer we found yams, stuffing, and get this... cranberry sauce.

Just like home, once we started cooking, the kitchen became the most popular place to be. Our list of 8 feasters quickly turned into 15. We were starting to worry about our food supply. But, in true Charlie Brown fashion, (or maybe I'm thinking of the fishes and loaves parable from the Bible), the food was more than enough. The final (and best) magic happened right as we finished eating. While our feasters were in full clean-up mode and we were rocking out to some tune in walks the cutest hitch-hiker I've ever seen, just in time for some warm leftovers.

Happy Thanksgiving Cincinatti, New Jersey, and even Missouri.

Cook Crew:

Just like Gev and Courtney, Laurence seems to be delivering the message to Dan:

The feast: