Tora Walk

Several weekends back I went away with my girlfriends to the Wairarapa to do the Tora Coastal Walk. We left on a Friday afternoon to arrive in time for dinner which was lovely. We drank wine, ate a fabulous meal, laughed and just enjoyed the fact that we were getting away for a weekend. 

Saturday morning we were up bright and early to begin our first, and longest, day of walking. We did about 16 kilometers up hill and down dale, but the views were stunning and it wasn't too taxing. Dugald says we were on a "glamp" rather than a "tramp" (the term the Kiwi's use for a hike) because we had our luggage moved for us and meals provided as well as indoor accommodation - no tenting. 

We arrived at our next location mid-afternoon and after very refreshing, and needed, showers we settled in to read magazines, drink wine, play cards and just hang out until dinner magically appeared on the table.

The next day's walk was lovely and easy - right along the beachfront.

For that night's accommodation we stayed in a former shearing cottage with these two lovelies right outside.

We amused ourselves by trying to teach Anne-Marie and Rose how to shuffle cards.

Our last morning came quickly - I could get used to the delicious meals and having all the food laid out for me every day!

The New Zealand landscape never ceases to impress and it was so much fun hanging out with these fun women - here's to next year's girls trip!!

Meggie Singing

Marsden hosted a music concert for the families and friends of girls taking private lessons from the itinerant music teachers. This year Meggie has started private voice lessons with Annabelle Cheatham, an excellent teacher and long-time friend of the family. Meggie did an outstanding job - enjoy!!

With her very good friend Claudia before the concert.

My Grandmother

Mattie Lou Oliver

December 1st, 1922 - April 4, 2012

One of my favorite pictures of Grandmother - love that she's laughing.

My sweet Grandmother went to be with the Lord today. She died peacefully with family at her side and knowing that she was loved. I will miss her and I was sad to not be with her in the end, but I'm so grateful for all the good memories I have of her, and I'm so glad that my husband and my children got to know her too. The girls are old enough that they will remember their G.G. (for Great-Grandmother) and that makes me happy.

 It's hard to feel too sad when I know that Grandmother is going to have her best Easter ever in the arms of her Savior, but I can't help but mourn the loss of both her presence in my life and her prayers for me and my family. I know she prayed for me every day - she told me, but I could also feel it and it gave me comfort to always know that whatever was happening in my life, whatever challenge I was facing, Grandmother was praying about it.

Grandmother loved people and she loved to always know what was going on with everyone. I would guess in her day she would have known all the gossip that there was to know - but she was never malicious and she truly cared about others. Growing up in a family of four girls there was probably never a lack of things to chat about and she just kept right on chatting til the end. 

Grandmother was definitely a southern belle - she grew up in Alabama and I always loved her southern cooking. She was the queen of boiled peanuts, banana cream pie, fried ocra and collard greens to name some of my favorites. She didn't leave the house without her hair done and her makeup on, even if it took half the day to get that way in her later years, and one of my favorite childhood memories is watching the Miss America pageant with her every year. She also taught me all sorts of card games like gin rummy and I can still impress my Kiwi friends with how I shuffle cards and she taught me that too.

Grandmother we love you and we will miss you but we're so glad that your journey here on earth ended well.

"A human life is a story told by God."

Hans Christian Andersen