Friends ...

We all remember our first childhood friend. The one we woke up excited to see inside the school gates. Play dates filled with adventure, confidences and laughter. 

Even now, as adults, our friends remain a hugely important part of our lives, from sharing problems, asking for advice, uncontrollable laughter and good times, sharing our life events and proudest moments, our friends help each of us define who we are.

Friends are better for us than all the self help books and protein shakes we could consume

If we want a rich, healthy, nourishing life ...

We need to go out of our way to be with our friends

That's it

That's where life happens

We've been having a lot of talks in our house recently with our children about friends and about values. 

Values and skills like respect, caring, kindness and justice. 

Recently whilst searching for something totally unrelated I came across this blog post On Friendship which was written about me ... I was humbled to read how Deb saw me as a friend and re assured as I navigate my way through parenting my children and the importance of their friendships and how to manage conflict within their friendships I was hopefully teaching through example ...

A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be xxx

Happy Anniversary

Today I've been married to Mark for 18 years. 

It's not the marriage I like to celebrate but the togetherness we have had in those 18 years. It's the growth we have done and continue to do as a couple. 

Marriage is merely a relationship which comes with a piece of paper that says .... Married

It doesn't change anything about us, it changes nothing about our relationship, and it changes nothing about our love or the way we treat each other. 

Marriage or not he is and will always be my friend, my lover, my sanity, my not so sane sanity, and the best father to our miracle children ... 

It seems crazy to me knowing, not everyone can marry the person/people they love - crazy - 

However, I am happy I get to spend the next 40+++ years being in a relationship with this man, loving him, annoying him, finishing his sentences and knowing things about him before he knows them ... 

Happy Anniversary Mark (I'm sad we aren't together today) - I love you to infinity and beyond xxx 

Thank you for loving and accepting me just as I am xxx

What I'm Learning

It has been an awfully long time since I have written ... And I've missed it.  Here, this space, has always been where I've shared my creativity, feelings and thoughts. 

Life is one big learning adventure and sometimes we have to do things over and over again

before we learn the lesson, I often say I like to learn my lessons practically ...

Currently I'm learning that as much as I want to learn/know/do all the things ...

sometimes I have to ask for and/or accept help.

This is one of the hardest ridiculously difficult things for me to do ... to actually say, 'I need you to help me because I can't do this/don't know how to do this' ...

Since the flooding and Mr B going to America for work ... I have phoned a man to come clean out our gutterings *tick job done* cleaned out one of the drains that was blocked before during and after the flooding *tick job done* dealt with the insurance company *tick job done* taken lawnmower to repair shop *tick job done* asked for and received help with checking my bike after it took a tumble off my car *tick job done* 

Rightly or Wrongly I was brought up in a world where clearly defined life skills/jobs were gender based and I believed I couldn't do things because either my father or my husband would do them ... Over the past years my beliefs/upbringing/societies norm have been challenged by myself, life and my frustration with whats currently happening in the world around me and how that could affect those I love ... 

All my *tick job done* jobs were achieved whilst wearing a little black dress, heels, and red lipstick - ye gods that motor mower was heavy to lift in and out of my car tho

... and this amongst other things I'm learning, is why this year I chose to further my studies and do more womens studies papers through university - I think I am the eternal learner/student/academic - 

Tuesday March 14th

Cancelled training sessions at the gym allowing time for outdoor biking adventures with a friend 

New finds in the city I have lived the majority of my life in 

A fall of my bike and bike rack off my car and minimal damage to both and my Mr B in America leaving me with no other option but to reach out to others and ask for help to check and repair if needed before my race next Sunday

Conversations over coffee in a cafe - always soothes my soul

Finding a new to me quilt shop whilst out and about exploring a suburb not far from home

Books for my studies arriving in my PO Box 

I have concluded I am / will be the eternal academic student 

My love for learning and knowledge wins every time

Last minute plans for dinner and a show 

Well that was three (3) hours of my life I'll never get back

Confused as to wether I enjoyed [recycled] or wether that was pure torture

Enjoying a night out all the same 

Monday March 13th

Today I am grateful for fruit trees full of seasonal fruit to make my breakfast

Apples and Figs both homegrown

And a new smoothie recipe book to experiment with  

and for perfect timing ... we were literally able to throw things ruined from the floods into the jumbo bin/skip which was already on our driveway
So very grateful the driver of the truck (maybe it was his first day) didn't take out the peach tree as he removed the skip off our driveway 

For sun, I am so grateful to the sun shining days which have followed and allowed us to dry furniture sodden to the bone 

And definitely grateful for pretties hanging on my clothes line 

The flash flooding that hit New Lynn, Auckland ... these streets and shops are a 10 minute walk from my home ... the path the flood took started at the bottom of our street 

Sunday March 12th

Today I am grateful for ...

Coffee at a local cafe after almost dying from the humidty at the gym 

A child free weekend with my Mr B before he heads to the USA on work and whilst my FIL has the children for a week on the Gold Coast 

Plastic storage boxes to slightly protect our belongings from the rising flood waters

Insurance to cover what couldn't be saved 

Timing of the flood ... 2 days later my Mr B wouldn't have been here to pump out water from the basement, to dump water from the bulging swimming pool, to clear blocked guttering 

Neighbours who were all out in force helping one another

Children who delighted in the downpour boogy boarding down the street 

A gap in the rain to quickly dash outside and photograph a finished quilt hug for the birthday girl

Finishing a quilt hug with two hours to spare before the birthday dinner 

Whilst we were flooded and our suburb was hit hard, in comparison to two of our friends and neighbours we got off lightly - no sewerage in our water !