Strawberry

I made this today.  It has taken about 4 hours from start to finish.  Lucky I have plenty to do while the 4 layers of jelly set.  Interesting how often magazine recipes are not as rigorously represented as cook books.  See the size of this?  Looks like a loaf tin sized dessert. Times that by 3 and you have the actual size.  Imagine the cost of ingredients...don't got there.  Anyway, if anyone is passing in the next day or so, there will be a giant amount of strawberry and mascapone terrine sitting in the fridge.  Pop in and enjoy some, I think it is going to taste heavenly

Chilaxing with my conies

While we were out and about on our bikes today we came across a very enjoyable art exhibit under a tree in the gardens by the museum.  Christchurch people will enjoy these photos.

Ducks chasing bread

Splat

3 second rule

Gnome cone

Cone fish

Mt Cone

Cone o graph

shoe

Nativity

Adornment

Chilaxin with my conies

Flight of the butterflies

Manicone

My lovely boys taking a break at Bean Scene

Sup?

As my son would say?  What the?  Anyway, weeks have passed and no posts.  Just can't be bothered and can't find the words but today I am going to put in some effort.  I am guessing my friends who read this may have given up on visiting Sallyscape regularly as so often it is a disappointment upon opening.

So, what has been happening?  Lots and lots of stuff which all interweaves to make up our lives.  We have private things that don't get put in the blogesphere for privacy reasons and those things have really impacted on our life and my ability to put finger to keyboard.  The impact of such things is far reaching and has closed down so much of the frivolous mind that is the interesting and inquiring part of my brain. 

However, there have been trips and fun nights out, family gatherings, adventure days, shopping, movies and books, beach visits, warm days, new musical journeys, garden triumphs and delicious meals. Friendships have blossomed, intensified and started.  The best thing out the fucking earthquake is friendships.  Sustaining and so important.    Some relationships are strained and tense and perhaps worth walking away from or not trying so hard.  Work is tough but fulfilling.  Money is tight, there are no trips planned, no new house, lots of extra costs brought on by the earthquake impacts, no frivolous purchases.  Although, never hugely flush, we have had freedoms, now we don't.  However, some people live like this all the time and I fully respect how hard and tiring this is and take this life lesson on the chin.  It is hard not to worry about the future when you have no control and can't make things go your way.  This is also the situation for many thousands of people in our country so again, I just respect those people and their ability to just keep going and make their contribution.  We are not alone. 

We won the Rugby World Cup.  What a relief and a nice way to get through a few months, triumphs to tragedy and everything in between.  It was great to be an observer of all of that and for it not to be about us here in EQ Christchurch....so much better than navel gazing.  Loved it.  Thanks rugby.  BTW - Zac Guilford...you are an alcoholic, sad but true, get the help you need, it is not the end of the world and there is a big community of support out there.

Spring spring spring

It was sooo cold today but we were determined to get out and get some exercise and see what was happening in the big wide world.  So we jumped on our bikes and scooted around Hagley Park, the new centre of Christchurch.  Here is what we saw

The world cup replica

 Nic riding through the empty fanzone.  Definitely a place we want to revisit during a game on a warmer day.

 This was fun.  Shame I couldn't line Jonty as well as I did Nic

Gorgeous spring images from the gardens and my new spring shoes.

 Look who we ran into as we were looking at the Eco Photos on Park Tce.  Lovely friends.

Back at BLAX.....yay.

.

RWC

I know I have said in the past how much I cannot commit myself to the All Blacks in RWC as they are heartbreaking and it hurts to much to see them lose.  I had transferred this to the whole tournament but now that it has started I am loving it.  The rugby is awesome, the party if such fun.  Even though Christchurch is a rugby wasteland, we are getting right into the fun and action as best we can.  Lots of people are traveling all over for games and having such a ball. 

Last night was a great game against France and watching on HD big screen just infused the love of rugby right back into my heart.  Great night in with the Mounseys, nice food and lots of laughs.  Such lovely people.

Those mighty All Blacks are amazing athletes and such tenacity and focus.  So, now I have given my heart back to the ABs and am totally embracing my rugby self. 

All photos courtesy of the Stuff website.  www.stuff.co.nz

Dear Nic

As a parent you want your child to be many things, happy, clever, respectful, kind etc...however, you don't alwasy see the traits in your child that you dream for them.  But when this comes home in a card from a class mate you feel like there are things about your child you might never know....


Dear Nic - you have been my best friend ever since I was in room seven you always make me laugh and make me forget about being sad because when I am sad you make me feel happy.  From your best friend Catie.

Who knew?   And, it also says something about the sweet girl who took hours to make a card and put her feelings down on paper...children are so sweet.

Random Travel Post #2

Years ago Karen, Ruth and I wandered along the Rakaia Gorge walkway thinking that we were on a light walk.  Getting to the end of it with one orange and a drink between us, we realised how ill prepared we were.  It is one of those trips that ends up being the trip we talk about when reminiscing.  I was keen to get Nic out there to enjoy the track and in the endless search of getting the hell out of here, we went up there one cold June morning.  It was fantastic, and we didn't even get to the end of the track.  Gorgeous and we took more food this time.

 Looking east

 Looking west

 This very friendly horse drove us back over the fence to enjoy our pizza with a view.  How cool it was to find a picnic table and chairs in the middle of nowhere.

Piwakawaka

Random Travel Post #1 - In no particular order

Even through the bleakness, we have had some really good trips away this year.  In fact the bleakness is what propels us to go out in search of gentle travel adventures.

Queenstown - June 2011
Who could resist a $1 car rental and $27 airfares?  Not us!!  After spending a great night in Timaru with friend Marie-Anne eating yummy food and talking a lot we set our sites on Q'town.  It was cold but not snowy.  Days before the Winter Festival started with no snow makes for a quiet town but we still loved it.    And this is what we did.

 Walked around Queenstown on a very cold day...Remarkable view

Found a big red sofa

Ate at the legendary 'The Cow'.  Best pizza in the world, really.  And the venue for many a good evening in past lives.

Discovered the Chinese Village in Arrowtown - what a great find and a fantastic history lesson for all of us.  What amazing resilient and tenacious people those men were.  And how lonely they must have been living in the cold and tiny houses they made for themselves, so far from home.

We didn't even mind being delayed by a few hours as spending time on the sofa at Q'town airport reading and gazing out over the mountains is just not that hard.

Spring

Every year I like to do a little 'spring' post with a picture of lovely blossom and other spring like things and this year is no exception.  I spotted this stunning magnolia at Cathedral Grammar school as we were heading back to our car after attending a really fun music event at the Christchurch Arts Festival.   The stunningly creative and fun Linsey Pollak entertained and thrilled us with his home made wind musical instruments.  Delightful.

Having done that with the lovely Couper family and then running into another friend, I was feeling pretty happy and then I saw this and things just got a little better