No 1 Son

Mike was born 19 August 1981 ... we were living in Auckland, Pete was doing his Masters Degree at Auckland University. We lived in Mt Eden in a small 1 bedroom apartment on Grange Road. Mike was born in the early evening ... about 5.30pm at North Shore Hospital. I remember going into labour in the morning ... John & Suzie Dallas came to visit us during the day and John drove us over to North Shore hospital in his VW ... it was the most uncomfortable ride of my life ... trying to get comfortable while I was having full-on contractions.

My labour and delivery with Mike was uneventful ... I laboured for about 12 hours ... when I arrived at the hospital they could see his head. I remember the nurses telling me not to push ... I have never figured out how to not push a baby out when your whole body is telling you to push. Mike came out normally, head first and there he was looking around the room ... wanting to know what was going on. He's been fiercely independent from a very early age.

Nothing had prepared me for the moment when I held Mike for the first time ... it was amazing ... I was in love! I thought I knew what love was ... I loved Pete ... but that moment when the nurse put Mike in my arms I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest! Our lives were changed forever. He was perfect ... he was beautiful ... suddenly my life made sense ... he was why I was here and all I wanted was for Pete & I to be perfect for him. I remember lying on my hospital bed with Mike lying on my chest thinking that I was going to die ... my feelings were so intense.

When we lived in Auckland I biked everywhere ... we found a bike seat for Mike, we bought it of an American couple ... it was yellow ... I thought it was the coolest thing ever and loved it. Mike loved it too. We rode everywhere on that bike. He loved riding down hills and as he got older he would slap my bottom and say 'faster Mummy, faster'. He was a thrill seeker from an early age.

Mike has a piercing intellect ... he was always too bright for us. I think if Mike was born now he would be labelled a gifted child. Mike has always had lots of energy ... he loves to do physical things. He went on his first tramp when he was about 8 years old, Carly, Mike and I did the St James ... 5 days ... he carried his own pack that was almost as tall as him, he did not complain once. I think that was the beginning of his love of the outdoors. As a little boy Mike regularly did tougher tramps than most adults. Mike is very hard working. We had a policy in our family that if our children wanted something they had to come up with half the money and we would pay the other half. That is how Mike got his first bike ... he worked so hard ... stacking wood, cleaning windows, doing a milk run! He was 12/13 ... he was exhausted when he reached his half of the bike money. Taking Mike on tramps or having him do some form of hard physical work was a way of focussing his energy and he would be settled for a while after that.

We took Mike to see Star Wars when he was about lar's age ... he sat through the movie absolutely riveted. He has had a love of fantasy stories, science fiction and space since then. When Pete went to the States in 1986 he came back with an Imperial Cruiser from the Star Wars movie for Mike ... he loved it. On one occasion Mike broke something on his body ... that happened a few times ... and Pete sat with him in hospital and read Lord of the Rings to him ... he was about 10 ... again Mike was riveted. He still loves fantasy and science fiction fantasy books now. We read some of the Shannara Series to our children when they were young and Mike loved them and we would sit for hours reading and Mike would be totally engrossed. He still loves being read too. He loved playing Dungeons and Dragons, an extension of his love of fantasy, with Pita and his friends and would play after school with them.

Mike is a romantic ... he used to write poetry when he was in his teens. I loved dancing with Mike round the lounge to some of my favourite bands ... Neil Young ... Bruce Springsteen, etc. Our house was always full of Mike's friends when he was at high school. He used to ride a mountain bike like he had a date with death. He was super fast and really skilled on downhill sections. Anything is possible with Mike. There was a skate board stage for a while and he had a really nasty fall of one and had to go to hospital for concussion ... he broke his wrist riding a mountain bike down some steps, he got hit in the nose with a cricket bat at school, he broke his arm when he fell down the stairs at 29a ... there is some confusion around that though, Mike says Rosie pushed him ... Rosie said he fell. Perhaps all these injuries is why he hates needles.

Mike is a true renaissance man. He is highly intelligent. He always did well at school and has a first class honours degree in philosophy and religious studies and a graduate diploma in business (in which he got straight As). He still loves to learn, he is planning on doing his PhD and loves the stimulation of a good debate. He gets really excited over a good action movie, particularly when there are lots of special effects. He is great at business. He is a brilliant salesman and was one of the top Canon salespeople in New Zealand. He is also really practical. He loves his big Ford tiptruck and he can fix heating and hot water systems and handle all sorts of building projects. He's our very own can-do man ... we are not sure where that comes from, but we are amazed at his skills in this area. Mike just does it ...

Mike is very generous with others, nothing is a problem, he reminds us of Rob Cammock in so many ways. He is always there to help us with our computer blunders. He is a terrific Dad. He is kind and patient and really enjoys hanging out with lars and Roxcy ...  we love the way his whole face lights up when he sees them. He gets excited about lots of things and comes up with ideas that most of us wouldn't think of. The tandem and the WeeHoo Trailer is one of them. lars and Roxcy love riding behind Mike and Chris in the WeeHoo.

Mike loves Chris ... they really enjoy hanging out together and watching TV series. Mike is a sensitive man ... he feels things deeply. Mike cries. He is not afraid to take risks and brings energy and enthusiasm wherever he is. Mike is a lovely man ... he is friendly, engaging and tries really, really hard to be the best he can be for Chris, lars and Roxcy. He gives them the very best of himself! We love the way that Mike keeps in touch with us ... he skypes us often with lars and Roxcy present so that we can stay in touch with them and not be strangers in their lives.

Today Mike is 33 ... we hope you have a wonderful birthday Mike ... we love you and are very proud of you!

Bed Time

A Family Outing

Sleep ... Eat ... Beach ... Repeat

We arrived in Bulgaria at 1pm on Sunday. Steve, Tanya and Tanya's daughter Rosi were waiting to greet us at the airport. Steve and Tanya are friends from Christchurch. Steve is a NZer and Tanya is Bulgarian ... they visit Bulgaria every year in the Bulgarian summer and they have been inviting us to come and visit them here for a while. We knew little about Bulgaria and have never been here before, I am not sure that we would have even thought to visit if not for Steve and Tanya.They have planned a wonderful holiday experience for us and Tanya is very proud to show of her homeland and some of their favourite spots ... we are very grateful to be here with them.

We left for Albena and the Black Sea that night on an overnight bus ... very comfortable and arrived at our beach resort about 6am Monday morning. We had not slept since Friday night in the US so we were feeling pretty tired ... you know that feeling ... foggy head ... irritable ... not really able to make any clear or sound decisions due to lack of sleep. We slept really well Monday night! I left my gymstick on the bus ... Tanya was determined to find it and she did ... I would have given up but Tanya persevered and we found it on the same bus the day we left ... in the place I had put it. I can see Mike with a smirk on his face ... shaking his head and saying 'I don't know why she is taking that thing anyway ... I knew she would lose it!' My gymstick is an attempt to keep up some form of exercise while we are away ... yes I know, it is very OCD of me ... I see it as prevention rather than having to find a cure on our return to NZ.

Having Tanya as our guide is wonderful. As some of you have experienced you see a different side to a country when you have someone who speaks the language and everything feels a lot easier. We get the best of both worlds with Steve and Tanya ... we have Tanya who is Bulgarian and Steve who is Kiwi ... he fills the gaps for us.

Bulgaria is a travellers dream ... everything is so cheap in NZ$s eg our 4 nights accommodation ... with all you can eat and drink at the beach resort for 2 of us was about $NZ400 and is a 10 minute walk to the beach. Our taxi fare to the bus stop was about $NZ7.50 ... ice creams ... soft serve NZ75c approx and they are big. If you are travelling on a shoe string there are great beaches ... hot weather at this time of year ... the food is fantastic lots of yummy tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh goat feta, much like Turkey I imagine and cheap accommodation. Why not make Bulgaria a must see ... Lonely Planet loves it.

It has been sooooo hot here, we have sunned ourselves on the beach everyday. The Black Sea is so warm and no waves to speak of. We arrive at our seat and umbrella on the beach about 9am in the morning ... back for lunch at 12 ... too hot to sit in the sun ... back in the afternoon about 4pm and then back to our room to get ready for dinner about 6 ... a walk round the resort and back to bed to get ready for a repeat the next day. Pete has said several times he cannot remember a time he has had a holiday like this ... doing nothing but sitting on the beach reading and dipping into the ocean every so often. We have found it so relaxing and we have not had to think about a thing.

I have not seen so many bikinis on one beach ... nearly every woman wears a bikini and size does not matter ... they are beautifully tanned and look really good. Quite a change from NZ ... we would probably never have as many people on any of our beaches as there are here and they would not be so tanned ... some women would be wearing bikinis but lots would not. You can correct me if I am wrong. We have had a great time here on the beach ... the beginning of the next leg of our travels. Pete and I are both looking a lot browner and feeling relaxed.

Photos ...

Sleep

Eat

Beach ... Repeat

Seating at the Beach ... Rows of Chairs and Umbrellas ... per Hotel...Middle of the Day

Love this Idea ...

Nobody Laugh ...

I am thinking Persauasion

Cutting for Stone

I thought that I review books that I read while I we are travelling ... I am not a fast reader, but I love a good novel. I am not trying to be pretentious ... it is all part of our experience of being away for a year. It has been so long since I have read a book for pleasure ... most of my reading of late has been around professional development ... so the idea of picking up a book and not having to take in as much information as I can feels fantastic! Reading a book ... not an eBook, but a book, holding the pages, feeling the weight in my hand ... remembering a quote or a part I want to remember by the position on the page ... last paragraph on the right hand page, feels so satisfying and enriching. Coming to the end of what has been such a moving, educational and enjoyable experience. So I thought I would share my books with who ever is interested.

Today I finished 'Cutting for Stone' ... while sunning on the Black Sea. Chris recommended it to me while we were staying with them in VT. I love this book. My disclaimer is, I am not as educated when it comes to reading as some of our family ... Rosie and Viv come to mind, but I know the difference between a good read and good literature and this book is good literature. I felt a real loss as I came to the end of the book and I tried to drag it out as long as I could. I am missing the characters that I grew to know and love, like Hema ... a strong woman with a passionate heart.

The author is Abraham Verghese ... he writes beautifully! There is a real intensity in his writing and the relationships in the story are intense! There is a strong spiritual theme ... love and  forgiveness, vocation vs duty, coincidence vs destiny. The story is set in Africa and there is such a richness and passion in the description of the countryside, the people and the relationships ... Hema and Ghosh, Marion and Shiva, Matron, Thomas Stone and Sister Mary Joseph Praise.

There are some beautiful moments e.g. ...
'"No, Marion," she said, her gaze soft, reaching for me, her gnarled hands rough on my cheeks. "No, not Bach's 'Gloria.' Yours! Your 'Gloria' lives within you. The greatest sin is not finding it, ignoring what God made possible in you."

Another ... 'If "ecstasy" meant the sudden intrusion of the sacred into the ordinary, then it had just happened to me.'

I found a wonderful definition of faith, but now I cannot find it ... a good idea to mark when reading I think. It goes something like ... faith is the willingness to suspend disbelief.

I really recommend 'Cutting for Stone' ... it is not a quick read and is quite dense, but a very satisfying and moving read. I am not good at censoring the books I read, so I cannot guarantee that you will not come across some bad language or even sex ... you will definitely come across female circumcision. My next read is a book that Leilani recommended ... unfortunately I left it in Sofia so will have to start when we get back there ... alas.

Ite Delaibatiki Cammock ...

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY ITE

Today is Ite's birthday ... I am hoping the time difference between Bulgaria and NZ does not make me late. We think Ite is beautiful! I always knew that Mack would marry a gorgeous woman and he has. 

In September 2010 ... it was the weekend of September 4 EQ, Pete and I were staying at the Matthews ... Mack called to tell us he was going to marry Ite. We had only met her once before when Mack brought Ite and her cousin up to ChCh and they stayed with us at 371 River Road ... they were not dating at all then. We had no idea that Mack was even dating Ite so we were very surprised when he called us with his news. We drove down to Dunedin to meet Ite ... I was so nervous! What would she think of us ... would she like us ... what is she like? So many questions going through my mind. That was the beginning of our relationship.

Ite has a beautiful smile ... she has amazing hair ... a wonderfully infectious laugh. She loves and I mean loves netball and will watch it 24/7 if it is on TV ... she loves rugby and since she comes from Hamilton she is very loyal to her local team the Chiefs. She comes from a large family ... 11 children and she is one of the younger ones. She has a wonderful family and her parents are very proud of their children. She is a wonderful Mother to Elizabeth, she is patient, playful, kind and she adores Elizabeth. She is very friendly and welcomes many people into their home for meals or to stay, she is LDS and not shy around her beliefs. She is proud to be Fijian! She is a good friend. She is in the final stages of her PhD. She is independent, strong willed, non judgemental, she has a great sense of humour and she loves Mack. 

We love having Ite as part of our family ... we love her energy and she is easy to have around. We love her Melanesian culture that she has introduced into our family. We love the celebrations that we have been part of ... Elizabeths 1st birthday ... Mack & Ite's wedding ... that have been brought alive by the richness of Ite's family and culture. We love you Ite. We hope that you have an amazing day and that Mack and Elizabeth pour lots of love and gifts to you on your special day.

Ite in Traditional Fijian Dress

  

Leaving ...

We have arrived in Franfurt ... waiting to catch our connecting flight to Bulgaria where we are spending 3 weeks with Steve & Tanya Bailey. We flew Air Lufthansa ... a big plane, very comfortable and on time ... almost to the minute, the cabin crew were very friendly, with a stopover in Frankfurt on the way. I think you can tell a lot about a country by their international airports. Frankfurt's airport is very industrial looking to me ... lots of grey and low ceilings. Exposed pipes and corrugated iron. Very orderly and very clear instructions to navigate your way to your departure gate, we still got lost though.

We flew through Frankfurt on our way to and from Barcelona a couple of years ago.  Barcelona's international airport is amazing ... high stud ... lots of natural light, lots of white and a feeling of lots of space. I thought it was very vibrant and alive. I remember the contrast between Frankfurt and Barcelona airports as being quite dramatic.

We had a really nice drive to Boston with Mike, Chris, lars and Roxcy. Mike took us to lunch at a cafe that sells real pies ... owned by Australians ... the pies and sausage rolls tasted like home, along with  Crunchier Bars. Then we drove to Logan International Airport and said our goodbyes! We both felt very sad saying goodbye ... especially to lars and Roxcy. Lars said a couple of times that he would miss Pete and me a little bit ... so cute!

When we were young parents and busy parenting children I never really thought about the future, or when our children would be all grown up and gone. Our lives seemed so full and busy ... I felt like it would last forever, there was always someone at any given time that needed something, extra time or attention,  a sport of some sort, some kind of activity, trying to keep a track of who was doing what, when, where, how and with who. I/we really wanted to create a life of memories and family rituals for our children, something that gave their life meaning and a sense of belonging. Today we said goodbye to Mike and his family and I am still trying to figure out how we got here ...I look at lars and Roxcy and think where did that time go ... did we miss something ... if only I had known, 'I wish I/we had .......'. I remember Marg and Great Grandma saying from time to time, 'enjoy them, it doesn't last'. I thought we were ... I get it now! There are some gaps/holes that are not easily filled ... leaving or saying goodbye to our children is one of those gaps ... it is always there and we learn to live our life's with it.

Having said all of that we are on our way ... Chris and Mike shared their travels with us round Turkey and we are excited. I am looking forward to a balloon ride. Lonely Planet says Bulgaria is one of the top 10 destinations on the planet. Lots to look forward to. But before we move on I really wanted to capture our last hours on our blog ... we are excited and nervous. There is much to look forward to and adventures to be had that we cannot even begin to imagine. There will be moments ... good ones and bad ones. A lot of letting go! I am wondering what will fill this empty space that we have created both in us and around us.

We are down to 3 outfits each or there abouts, 2 pair of shoes ... walking shoes and sandals, I have a 38L pack and Pete has a 40L pack and that is it. We have sent a rather large box of clothing and things back to NZ that are surplus to our requirements. We are going light! No fancy shampoos, skin care, aftershave, makeup ... all things that have been part of mine or Pete's daily ritual of getting ready for a day. No wearing something and throwing it out to be washed that night and then returned washed and folded in 2 days time ... instead we will be wearing it over and over and over again. Pete is going to write more on our minimalistic adventure, so I will leave that space for him. I have found that there is something freeing in letting go of all the stuff I thought I could not do without!

Any way, enough of my blabbing ... photos!

Lunch

Missing these guys ...

Goodbye ...

Food ... Food ... Food

Who does not like food ... I have become a food snob over the years. I have my favourite places I go for food ... The Cheese Monger comes to mind ... they have the best cheese sandwiches ever and you get to hand pick your own cheese. Cheese, lettuce, a little relish on yummy fresh bread made on their premises ... I go out of my way for one of these. Yoghurt ... Bliss or Collective ... my favourites, raisins from Piko ... so sweet and delicious in porridge, with frozen berries, almonds or walnuts and yummy yoghurt with a pouring of soy milk. Hot Chocolates ... I have yet to have a hot chocolate here in the US that satisfies my yearnings ... my favourite is She ... their spicy mix. Wandering round Riccarton Market on a Saturday morning and sampling all the yummy treats to be had there ... buying Salmon ... delicious, the assortment of summer fruits ...  artisan relish's, cakes, meats, pies breads, so yummy. I feel really spoilt that we have been able to buy organic veggies from the Mallards, we have been buying from for over 20 years. They grow the most delicious veggies ... yes there really is a difference in taste. Tony & Lynette Mallard are some of the best people I know!

Food holds such a potent significance in our lives ... I think of going to my Grandparents as a little girl for our Sunday Roast ... Grandma Worsfold did the best Sunday Roast and I loved her chocolate self saucing pudding, which I still make today, a family favourite now. Grandma Worsfold also made a delicious Christmas Pudding ... with coins in it. My brother and I would have competitions over who could get the most money, which meant we had to eat heaps. I make Christmas Pudding every year ... with no coins in it ... most of our family don't eat it and ask the same question every year ... 'why do you make that, no one eats it',  I do ...  I make it around November and leave it in the fridge waiting to be boiled up on Christmas Day, it has become a yearly ritual for me. I am sure that each of you have a story or a memory around food that holds a powerful cultural and personal story.

Food is linked to so many events in our lives ... weddings, funerals, births, birthdays ... I know for us food is the centre piece of any get together that we have in our family ... whether it be a celebration moment or come over for a meal and I love to go all out! I love having people over for meals and cooking something really yummy for them. I love to set our table and have it looking amazing ... there have been times when there has been so much food on our table and not much room for people to sit. My main worry when cooking for people is 'will there be enough'? and there always is. When we had lots of family living in Christchurch I would have them over for a Sunday meal and it was not uncommon to have around 20 people sometimes ... they were fun days.

There have been days when I have really missed some good old Kiwi food, at least some of my favourite food, but I have had some yummy food here. The best lasagne I have ever eaten was cooked by Cheryl Larson, Chris' Mum ... I have tried and tried to replicate her magic, to no avail. She makes awesome cookies too. Cookies in the US are softer than NZ cookies or biscuits as we call them. Cheryl also makes the most delicious cinnamon roles ... we ate a batch in half an hour I think.

I have taken photos of some of my favourites while here ...

MacNamara Chocolate Milk ... it is the Best. We would drive over the river and buy it from the farm.

I do not understand anyone who does not like Resse's Peanut Butter Cups ... Yummy

A very desirable alternative to Reese's and ordinary Peanut Butter.

A very yummy smoothie ...

Chris and I would live on this ... such a yummy combination of cheese and relish on cracker!

Berries grow like weeds here and they are good ...

The best cherries I have every tasted ... blue berries we buy and eat as a snack ... peach was delicious!

Food tastes the best when it is shared with people you love!

I plan to take more photos of food as we travel and share my loves ...

Last Days

We leave for Bulgaria on Saturday ... our time here in Windsor VT is coming to an end. I am conflicted about leaving, we are looking forward to spending time with Steve and Tanya, but a big piece of my/our heart remains in Windsor. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to Mike, Chris, lars and Roxcy, I get teary just thinking about it, separation anxiety. Pete is much better at saying goodbyes than me ... the only time I have seen him visibly upset was when he said goodbye to Rob after spending the summer of  2010/2011, Rob's last summer! Don't get me wrong ... he really misses our children and does not like being so far away from them. When I say goodbye to our children or family I no longer wonder when will I see you again, I now wonder will I see you again? A hang over from the Feb 22, 2011 EQ.

We have had a wonderful time here in Windsor VT with our family and Chris' extended family. As I have mentioned ... Windsor has become a second home for us. I/we never thought that our children would marry and live offshore. We both had the fantasy that our children would marry ... live close by ... Sunday dinners ... baby sitting ... family christmas' and celebrations ... well that hasn't happened. We have no children living in Christchurch and 2 children living offshore  ... could end up being 3. The upside of this is that we get to travel to Melbourne to see lucy and the States ... a lot ... to see Mike, Chris, Lars & Roxcy. We have become very attached to our US side of our extended family, The Larson's and look forward to our visits with them. We are very grateful that we have been able to visit so frequently.

This time our trip is different ... we are continuing to travel for another 9 months. After the Feb 22 EQ life was hell ... as it has been for a lot of people in Christchurch. One day while flying into Christchurch a thought came into my mind ... 'you need to get away from here for a while'. I went home to Pete and shared my thoughts and things grew from there. I could feel us being ground down by everything and I remember thinking one day 'I don't know how much longer I can do this!' So here we are ... taking a break for a year, rediscovering ourselves and the excitement, beauty and pleasure of life again.

There is excitement and fear, anticipation and anxiety as we branch out onto the next leg of our travels. Windsor has been the perfect start as we get used to being together 24/7 and get used to hot and muggy weather. We are going to a lot of hot countries. We arrived here at the end of spring and it is now coming to the end of summer. I have been thinking about the highlights of our trip so far and  here are some ...

 These look like Ballet Dancers

The Color Combinations here are Stunning

I love the peace of Lake Runnemede and we will miss our walks ...

I am so grateful we made our trip to see Ben in NYC ...

Most dramatic bridge walk ever ... with some of the best people ...

Meeting up with Old Friends ... Wonderful Time ... I am sorry Larry was not with us.

Old Friends ...

These Guys ... Cousin Time

These Guys and taking them on rides in the WeeHoo

Family ... Family ... Family