Always take the weather with you.

Yay, we had rain yesterday and it is only just stopping now after a very light drizzle this morning. I cannot believe I am happy with rain - in winter. According to the Brs (otherwise known as the weather oracles LOL) we had about 7mls yesterday - haven't caught up with the final amount fallen. All good gentle rain so the wheat and grass paddocks will be lapping it up.

The only teensie, minor problem was that when the precipitation began falling yesterday, we were in Gton attempting to watch soccer. Of course we had just lugged the chilly bin, water chilly bin thing, box of bread and container of fruit from the bus to the grounds and sat down on the blanket on the grass when the rain began!!!!!! So, back on the bus and after a quick stop to pick up stuff from two student's homes, we headed to Sunset IGA - a complex that also has a chemist shop, bakery, cafe, and gift shop open on a SUNDAY. Good carpark to park the bus and perfect for a quick stop up. I had decided to make my sister's, mother-in-law's Hot Fruit Stew for the Tuesday dinner and without the recipie - from memory (a dodgy thing these days) flew down the dried fruit aisle grabbing various packets of fruit, found the pearl barley, and gamboled on ginger ale being the secret ingredient (green stones ginger wine being the best secret ingredient, but they do not sell alcohol over here in the supermarkets!!!!!!), plus a packet of pork crackling and cafe tim-tams for good measure and I was on my way. I did hesitate at the gift shop which had the magic words SALE everywhere, with chooks abounding, with a $5 table of interesting things and a $1 table ... and I RESISTED!!!!. (almost needed 2 panadol and a lie down to cope with the shock LOL) Desperately needing the recipie for the fruit stew in case I had missed anything vital so I could beg, borrow, steal or travel for 3/4hr there and back to Morewa, I texted Mum (the only family ph number in the school mobile LOL) to contact Kay (my phone battery expired as I went to contacts!!) to email me asap with the recipie. Got an OK from Mum, and leap for joy, the email was there this morning (mid day/late afternoon your time in NZ). Gotta love the miracles of modern science.

It was still raining so sat about in the bus back at soccer taking it in turns with the workmate to supervise those who wanted to be wet through and cold, (and catching up with the boys) watching soccer. Managed to keep reasonably dry by sitting under a porch - all part of the rich tapestry of life at Tardun LOL.

Had a bit of excitement on the way in seeing 'our' eagle fly right in front of the bus - it has a wing span of roughly 1 1/2 m,and is black with tan markings on the body. This was followed not long after by having two young kangaroos leap across the road in front of us (the third was taken out by a staff member the other week) and then in a NZ moment LOL - two sheep in the middle of the road.

The seniors got a treat on Saturday night when the workmate took them to the movies to see the latest Narnia movie - reports back are that it was great. Juniors very septic about not going but goodness me, behaviour has improved markedly since - I am working on the 'Pavlov's dog theory - good behaviour gets treats - the seniors have been quicker to learn this trick - based on my own child rearing theory - If I was happy, everyone was happy, If I was unhappy - everyone else's life was a misery (my boys will vouch with this, nodding their heads and will be able to give many and varied examples of their misery LOL)

The bell has just gone for morning piece (am tea) and there is a birthday cake involved so will sign off and indulge before heading home. Catch you later.