Living Like a Small Green Hairy Fruit

A New Way of Life

This is Andrew.  This is what he used to spend most of his waking life doing:

This is Michaela. This is what she used to spend most of her waking life doing:

Now they are much more active, they eat healthier food, not junk food or fast food or heaps of sugery snacks and crisps.  Michaela is a lot more laid back about fashion and shoes and those absolutely must have items every 12 year old would simply die without in the UK.  Andrew just wants to fit in with his mates which so far seems to involve getting as much mud to cling to him as possible, wearing his hair long and floppy (as opposed to its previous pristine gel globuled style).

They've both always helped out around the house but they seem more keen to try new things here and are more willing to help with the cooking, cleaning, decorating, laundry etc. 

Michaela, of her own accord, made me a beautiful birthday cake.  It was really yummy, but she did insist on it cramming on as many candles as she could in an attempt to get 39 on!  Bless. It was ablaze with light.

This last few days has been a real father and son affair.  Mark and Andrew have been down in the garage and workshop creating.  So far this weekend a 8'x8' store has been made and lined in the garage in which to keep stuff so it doesn't get covered in sawdust.

And then they made a whole heap of sawdust.  And noise.  And more sawdust.

The was a purpose though.  They have crafted a 4 shelf propogator and seed trays - that was Friday night. Today (Saturday) they made a 4' long coffee table which is just beautiful; really chunky wood. Tomorrow's agenda? A bookcase. Oh, and more sawdust of course.

Michaela with 3 of her friends has made cakes and biscuits for a week long cake sale at school.  An idea they came up with to raise money for Ugandan orphans.  Andrew has learnt to use a screwdriver, hammed and saw - something the kids here seem to do in Kindy! - but not something Andrew would have bothered with before.

As mentioned elsewhere in the blog, we've tried fishing. We're crap at it and have caught naff all.  But again it isn't something we'd have bothered with before.  It's great just being able to drive onto the beach, cast your line and sit and admire the sheer beauty of the natural environment all around without having to stress about being somewhere or not getting jobs done at home or having to be back for a fav tv programme.

We've spent weekends wandering through the sand dunes and pine forests, playing on rope swings and gathering pine cones for fire lighters.

The kids have been to Science Alive and Laser Quest.  They go skiing for the first time ever next week and there is a 3 day school camp coming up in a few weeks.

We've been 4x4ing all over the place and enjoyed the freedom of being able to do this. Even when we got stuck it was fun.

There are no more expensive snacks in our pantry.  Nearly everything we eat now is homemade.  It's all fresh meat and vegetables and fruit.  No ready meals or packet stuff.  Snacks for packed lunches are all homebaked cakes and biscuits.  I even started baking bread.  We have a veggie patch with potatoes, onions, cabbages and cauliflower.  Carrots are currently coming on in the propogator.  Now all we need is the cow for our milk, hens for our eggs and bees for our honey!

The kids and I have found a great church we go to every Sunday, Rangiora Baptist Church.  It's awesome. Packed every week with young and old in real fellowship and yet at the same time you can have a real personal time with God.  It's good food for the soul and really lifts your spirits.  Mark doesn't come - his skin would blister (his words!! LOL)

One of the first things we bought was a compost maker.  All fruit and veg peelings, teabags, sawdust etc goes in there.  All cardboard, cans, plastic bottles, milk containers, juice containers, junk mail, carrier bags etc go in the recycle bin - so much more than we were allowed to recycle in Telford.  Compared to the 2 grey wheelie bins and 1 green wheelie bin we used to put out, we are only putting 1 bin liner for landfill each week, so we really feel we're doing something to help the environment here as well.

Shopping is like is was when I was little.  You go to the farm store for fruit and veg. The butcher for meat, the supermarket for other stuff, the Bin Inn for all your home baking stuff in bulk and the liquor store for your tipple.  Even that's better!  They have rows of taps on the wall, one for whisky, one for vodka, one for gin, etc.  You just take your jug, bottle or bucket in and fill up! Same with beers!  You can buy it in the usual bottles/brands as well.

You can fill your gas bottles at the petrol station, or your car should it run off gas.

Oh, and shop assistants actually assist you; imagine that eh! You walk in and they are really pleased to help you, not act like you've just interrupted their time or gossip with their companion (non) assistant.

Next weekend we're planning on heading out to the West Coast and the rain forest and next month we're hoping to get to Hanmer Springs and the thermal spas.  And one day soon we may even catch a fish...