Pukerua Bay boy

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Nov 19, 2024: I couldn’t be at the hikoi in person but I am there in spirit. Even got the T-shirt. A person (me) is sitting in the Kenepuru Medical Day Ward …

Nov 19, 2024: Hīkoi getting underway It looks like a huge crowd of people heading into Wellington to join the hīkoi. Lots of people from Pukerua Bay who were also involved in Sunday’s …

Nov 18, 2024: If David Seymour actually has a secret plot to help create a movement that supports the Treaty of Waitangi as the foundation of our nation and …

Nov 18, 2024: Just watched the shuttle bus that runs between Kenepuru and Wellington hospitals pull up at Kenepuru park. Not a single person wearing a mask!

Nov 18, 2024: I’m in the waiting room for the Kenepuru day ward and blood collection clinic. I think we are best described by an old expression of my father’s, ‘The …

Nov 18, 2024: Pukerua Bay still high after yesterday's action supporting Te Tititi hīkoi Everyone in Pukerua Bay who turned out to support the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti yesterday is still on a buzz this morning. The next move is to get organised …

Nov 17, 2024: Pukerua Bay supports Hīkoi Mō Te Tiriti

We got a very good turnout in Pukerua Bay in support of the hikoi supporting the Treaty of Waitangi.

Nov 15, 2024: Fourteen free community newspapers being shut down

It’s very disappointing to read that the media company NZME is closing its 14 local newspapers in the North Island, with a loss of around 30 …

Nov 13, 2024: Thousands turn out to support Hīkoi mō te Tiriti (March for the Treaty of Waitangi)

Thousands of people have turned up to join the nationwide Toitū Te Tiriti hikoi (March) in Auckland.

Nov 11, 2024: Government bars journalist from abuse apology at Parliament This is a disgraceful attempt by the Government to prevent an experienced journalist, Aaron Smale, who has led much of the reporting on the Abuse in …

Oct 28, 2024: Our dog tried to squeeze through the fence to visit the neighbours. Sadly for her, she has a fat tummy and got only part of the way through! A dog is …

Oct 28, 2024: Solar power savings We just got our first full month’s power bill using a combination of solar and grid power. It is only 42 per cent of the same month’s bill …

Oct 27, 2024: Perfect timing by Kate. She arrived home barely minutes before a heavy shower of rain.

Oct 27, 2024: Endorsing parties in a general election

It’s interesting to watch from the other side of the world the meltdown in US progressive circles about the Washington Post’s decision not …

Oct 26, 2024: Nashville Babylon on RNZ National is rocking tonight. It’s always a good listen, and there’s a lot of blues and RnB on the programme tonight.

Oct 26, 2024: Getting great help from health providers

CW: Medical discussion, pain, drugs

We had a visit from the Mary Potter Occupational Therapist on Thursday, which was very successful. I had a very …

Oct 26, 2024: Make the most of the blue skies

As I look out the window to a very average, gloomy, ‘rain in the forecast’ day, while reading posts from Fediverse friends who have …

Oct 24, 2024: Aotearoa songbook I’ve been rediscovering the delights of Concert FM. This afternoon, Bryan Crump’s interview was about the Aotearoa Songbook volume 1. Twenty two …

Oct 22, 2024: Morena. Another beautiful day in Porirua. Let’s make the most of it.

Oct 21, 2024: Kate baked a lemon loaf to feed the hordes at an event yesterday. Sadly, it’s bit dry, so we’ve some left. We can’t let it go off …

Oct 15, 2024: Student nurses

CW: Medical treatment

I’m up at Kenepuru Medical day ward getting a blood top up. I’ve a student nurse helping today. A young Pasifika woman doing the …

Oct 12, 2024: Being busy

I’ve spent the last few days feeling busy and useful. This isn’t always the case. It depends on me having the energy to do it! However, it …

Oct 6, 2024: Our son crashed at our place last night after being at a friend’s birthday party in the village. Ten years ago they would have all gone into town and …

Oct 6, 2024: Holy crap. That was a decent shake. Felt it in Porirua. Everyone woke up, but the only casualty was one wine glass. #eqnz Earthquake map shows …

Oct 5, 2024: Fatigue has got the better of me today. I’ve been completely wiped out and have achieved very little. I’ve spent most of the day horizontal. Fatigue …

Oct 5, 2024: Dai Henwood's TV show on his cancer well worth a look

CW: Cancer, death

I agree with this review of Dai Henwood’s TV programme on coping with his stage 4 cancer.

Oct 4, 2024: Hope the dentist has fixed this problem!

CW: Health talk, dentist, myeloma

Oct 3, 2024: Me and my beloved older sister, Neroli. Our birthdays are only three weeks apart in May/June, so my niece got us a joint birthday cake. Remarkably, …

Oct 3, 2024: Damn it; I think I’ve just broken a tooth. All I was doing was eating a chocolate chip biscuit. Fortunately, the dentist can look at it tomorrow. 💰

Oct 3, 2024: Stop the world's first octopus farm

A Spanish company, Nueva Pescanove, wants to establish the world’s first commercial octopus farm.

Oct 2, 2024: I can thoroughly recommend The Custard Pie in Paraparaumu, on the corner of Mazengarb Road and Realm Drive. As the name suggests, there is a good …

Oct 2, 2024: This Thursday! Happiness: Find the Joy Within public talk

Join internationally-renowned teacher and Buddhist monk, Gen Kelsang Rabten for a life-changing talk on happiness.

Oct 2, 2024: 4am Wednesday: I wake up to find everyone else in the bed pressed up against me, and me perched precariously on the edge of the bed. I can’t recall …

Oct 2, 2024: Calm and peaceful mind

I don’t know how common this is, but whenever I sit down to do any of our Buddhist prayers—no matter what the day had been like; quiet or full of …

Oct 1, 2024: Wendell Berry on community “A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit …

Oct 1, 2024: Sigh. I’ve just spent ages messing around trying to get my formatting and syntax correct in a post on micro.blog using BBCode before I …

Oct 1, 2024: Australia's rooftop solar success Amid Australia’s chaotic climate politics, the rooftop solar boom is an unlikely triumph. It’s difficult to overstate how rapidly Australians have …

Oct 1, 2024: Access to Botanical Gardens lost to many visitors

I have to say I definitely agree with this letter. I’m keen on Wellington City Council building more cycle lanes; they are ultimately the way of the …

Oct 1, 2024: Taxi coincidences I had to get a taxi up to Kenepuru Community Hospital today for a blood transfusion. The taxi arrived at home for the pick-up spot on the time I …

Oct 1, 2024: A new bullet journal

CW: Medical and cancer treatment, death

I have started a new bullet journal from this week.

Oct 1, 2024: Just been outside chatting to one of our neighbours. A 10-year girl who has had two spells in hospital in the past week with some mysterious virus. …

Oct 1, 2024: Live and let Dai

CW: discussion of cancer, medical procedures

We watched the first episode of Live and let Dai on TV last night.

Sep 30, 2024: Phone apps for Friendica I swore I wouldn’t do this, but I have; I bought a fediverse app I didn’t need and doesn’t seem to be better than any I already had. …

Sep 30, 2024: Updating OpenStreetMap

I feel somewhat pleased with myself, even though it’s for a small thing I have done in the past.

Sep 29, 2024: Morena world. It’s dawned bright and clear again in Aotearoa today. Blue skies, no clouds and hardly any wind. And we haven’t been caught out by the …

Sep 28, 2024: We’ve just been talking about how much exercise any of us do. Our daughter, who works in a department store, did over 15,000 steps today. I’ve done …

Sep 28, 2024: Solar savings Now that I have added the power company tarrifs into our solar power web system, I am even more obsessed with tracking how much electricity we are …

Sep 28, 2024: First time for foods

I’ve been reminiscing lately about the first time I had a particular food.

Sep 28, 2024: Good morning, world. It looks like another beautiful day In Aotearoa. Let’s see what we can do to make the best of it. 💚💚

Sep 27, 2024: Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching Straight off the plates at Bandcamp; the latest from the Ezra Collective. Dance, No One’s Watching. A lively jazz band - the Ezra Collective - …

Sep 27, 2024: I hope the folks in the States can batten down the hatches to ride out this awful storm heading their way. It looks massive in the satellite photos …

Sep 27, 2024: Peanut butter fan

My wife and I were talking at lunchtime about how much we like our favourite peanut butter; the crunchy Pic’s butter.

Sep 27, 2024: Well, I’m glad I’m feeling much better today than yesterday. More energy, less pain. We had some dear friends visit for dinner last night, and I …

Sep 26, 2024: Another government attack on Māori culture and training

Te Pāti Māori warns Govt of ‘million Māori’ wrath over $30m cut to Te Ahu o te Reo Māori programme

Sep 26, 2024: More reductions in health spending - new Dunedin hospital faces downgrade

Adding more fuel to the fire on the health funding issues, the government announced today the new Dunedin hospital is under threat of being built in …

Sep 26, 2024: Public meeting on future of Kenepuru A&M service, 6 October Mungavin Hall

The future of the after-hours Accident and Medical Clinic at Kenepuru Community Hospital has been under threat for more than a year. When I worked at …

Sep 26, 2024: Ministers bullying on CGT doesn't get good outcome Given the way the government has put the boot into ANZ chief executive Antonia Watson, for having the temerity to say, “…the time has …

Sep 26, 2024: It’s good to hear Corin Dann asking hard questions of senior Ministers on Morning Report. Today’s interview with Nicola Willis on a capital gains tax …

Sep 25, 2024: My isolation room in Wellington Hospital

My abode for most of the four days I spent in Wellington Hospital this week.

Sep 25, 2024: Kāinga Ora giveth and taketh away How do these two announcements line up? Kāinga Ora set to cut about 300 jobs AND $48 million later, Kāinga Ora confirms it may stop Arlington …

Sep 25, 2024: Solar power exchange set up in system We’ve finally set up our solar power supply with the power company tariffs so we can track how much we are buying from and selling to Contact …

Sep 25, 2024: Costs of not WFH It’s good to see reporters looking at this. I’ve done some sums for me, and if I was still working at my previous pre-retirement job (Wellington …

Sep 25, 2024: Te Wao Nui

CW: Health talk.

Sep 24, 2024: Pauline Hanna wasn’t the one on trial, here’s the happier life I wish she’d had I’m sure a lot of people think like this after hearing Pauline Hanna’s life dissected the way it was during her husband’s trial. I …

Sep 24, 2024: Cards for Humanity fight back against Musk's SpaceX Good grief, this issue with the land that Cards for Humanity bought in Texas to save and Elon Musk’s SpaceX is now illegally building on it is …

Sep 24, 2024: Back home from hospital

CW: Health and cancer talk

Sep 23, 2024: I have way too many photos of our dog online. She can’t be the most interesting thing in my life. Surely? 🐕

Sep 23, 2024: Getting Libby to work

Earlier this year I signed up to the local branch of the Porirua public library and was excited to see they had a app (Libby) I could use to order …

Sep 20, 2024: Back in hospital

CW: health talk, hospital

Sep 18, 2024: The Civilian reports that the government directs Te Puni Kokiri to conduct Māori Language Week in English. Satire: Keeping in line with the government’s policy to favour English in official communications, Māori Language Week will be in English this year. …

Sep 18, 2024: Morena world. Despite the overnight weather forecast that wasn’t too good—although it’s a clear and sunny day now—our house is running at 85% …

Sep 17, 2024: RSS feeds vs daily emails I’ve gone back to the tried and true Akregator for aggregating RSS feeds of blogs and news sites I want to follow without having to look at them …

Sep 17, 2024: Carers NZ needs your help! Please sign this survey!

We all need to help Carers NZ understand the picture of what is happening around funding changes in health and disability. Things are changing for all …

Sep 17, 2024: How many bags? After teasing me for years about how many bags and satchels I own, my wife has decided my old black messenger bag is her new favourite. I agree it’s a …

Sep 17, 2024: I’ve only just realised the little emojis we use to filter images in the Discover section of micro.blog are from the emoji selection built into the …

Sep 17, 2024: I think she’s trying to convince us she comfortable there. I’m not buying it. 🐕 Caption: A man is lying on a couch with a small dog resting against …

Sep 17, 2024: New iPhone iOS installation I see a lot of people worried about updating their iPhones to the latest iOS version. Fortunately, my phone is an iPhone8+ and is up to date with …

Sep 17, 2024: Do I worry unnecessarily about catching bugs?

CW: Medical talk.

Sep 17, 2024: Together Tuesday drop in morning teas

I’ve just been down at the last Together Tuesday for the Pop-up Parlour at a local church hall. They’ve been a great opportunity to catch …

Sep 17, 2024: Locking more people in prison doesn’t make society safer

I’ve just been listening to the PM talking on Morning Report about putting more people in prison as though it’s the solution to crime and recidivism.

Sep 16, 2024: Who's responsible for solving the USA's toxic political culture and racism?

I’ve thought long and hard about posting this, and it will probably get me into trouble or come across as a ‘stop picking on us’ winge. Despite …

Sep 16, 2024: Getting paid for surplus solar power

An electrician has just been in to replace our standard power meter with an import/export one that records how much solar power we are sending out …

Sep 16, 2024: Good to have a local hospital

I’m currently sitting in the outpatient ward at Kenepuru Community Hospital—my common haunt—waiting for a blood test. The place is filling up quickly …

Sep 16, 2024: Morena world. Ours is cold rain today, so I hope yours is a more pleasant one.

Sep 15, 2024: Autogenerated image captions in micro.blog

A couple of weeks ago I posted about how micro.blog lets you use the FIGURE and FIGCAPTION tags as well as the IMG tags for images Figure and …

Sep 15, 2024: Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori avatar

If you’re wondering what my new avatar on social media is, it’s the one for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori or Māori Language Week.

Sep 15, 2024: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB)

🎵I’ve been listening to several Sensational Alex Harvey Band albums over the past few days and now I can truthfully say I understand what all …

Sep 15, 2024: Self-sufficient solar power production

It’s a very sunny day in Pukerua Bay and the solar panels are pumping out the power. Not quite full production but enough to power our whole house.

Sep 15, 2024: Things they don't tell about cancer

CW: Medical talk. One thing my doctors didn’t tell me when I was diagnosed with myeloma 13 years ago is that you can literally shink.

Sep 15, 2024: Encryption of micro.blog notes

I had a problem yesterday with the encryption of Notes between the micro.blog web interface and the Strata app, so I thought I would make a post to …

Sep 14, 2024: Good morning, world.

Sep 13, 2024: All politics about royalty and class aside, this looks like a genuine moment of human warmth. The world needs more of them. Black Ferns wing and King …

Sep 13, 2024: Kids on OE in the UK doing well Our son and daughter-in-law are now back in England after their month-long bus tour through the Continent and are settling into their new flat. The …

Sep 13, 2024: Private social media groups ideal for specialist interests

CW: Cancer talk.

I’m not a big fan of Facebook – in fact, you couldn’t even call me a small fan – but I am part of the private …

Sep 13, 2024: My poor wife has lost her voice. She’s had a cough for a couple of days — probably hay fever — as I haven’t caught anything from her. Last night she …

Sep 13, 2024: Yuk. The rain is coming in sideways at the moment. Definitely a day to stay home unless it’s an emergency.

Sep 12, 2024: Great service from Awanui

I have to give a shout-out to Awanui Laboratories collection staff in Porirua for their service today.

Sep 12, 2024: 🐕Somebody’s comfortable.

Sep 12, 2024: Māori queen Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki crowned in ‘new dawn’ for New Zealand This will be interesting. Her father had taken a more prominent role in politics since the election of a conservative government last year. She is …

Sep 12, 2024: One disadvantage of not being able to get around so easily these days is missing the ninth-anniversary drinks of the informal DIA Communication Team …

Sep 10, 2024: What is hip? 🎵What is hip? Tower of Power, that’s what. Tower Of Power - What Is Hip? (Chicago 1977)

Sep 10, 2024: Bookmarks - to use or not to use? I’m experimenting with the full bookmarks function in micro.blog. I haven’t spent enough time yet to know if I will use it enough to justify the extra …

Sep 10, 2024: No emergency alarms at medical ward today

CW: medical treatment.

Sep 8, 2024: Busy weekend - soccer club breakup and community 'placemaking' under threat in Porirua

⚽️It’s been a busy weekend. Yesterday, we had the local soccer club’s end-of-season breakup. For the first time in many years I …

Sep 6, 2024: As I’ve been fixing my breakfast I’ve been listening to the children next door practice their Kapa Haka skills. The 10-year old showed me her poi …

Sep 5, 2024: The family is all excited today. The father-in-law is getting his gong from the Governor General this afternoon. He (Anthony Dreaver) was made a …

Sep 3, 2024: Company on a wet day 🐕You’re never alone when you’ve got a dog ready to snuggle in. Winnie likes to get in close especially when there is a woollen rug to lie on.

Sep 3, 2024: Is it too soon to say we probably won’t have a spring drought? Rain, rain and more rain.

Sep 3, 2024: Great news from our children travelling in Europe. Our daughter-in-law (the journalist) has just picked up a 3-month contract at CNN, based in London. …

Sep 1, 2024: Happy birthday to our youngest child. He and his wife are currently on a bus tour through part of Europe with a bunch of Aussies. They seem to be …

Aug 31, 2024: Crash, bang, flash. The thunder and lightning has arrived.

Aug 31, 2024: A new pain?

I woke up early two days ago with a very sore shoulder. A newish pain. What could that be? (CW: medical talk)

Aug 30, 2024: Want to read: The Magician by Colm Toibin 📚 My mother-in-law lent this to me a few weeks ago, and it has joined a small pile of ‘one day …

Aug 29, 2024: My father’s bible given to him by the Kelso Presbyterian Church after he enlisted in the Army in World War 2, and went into basic training. The …

Aug 29, 2024: Regarding the news from Auckland today about the City Council considering when stores can sell alcohol. I reckon anyone who wants to buy alcohol at …

Aug 29, 2024: A new notebook I’ve just created a new section in my bullet journal for September. It’s the last one I have any room for in the notebook. Given my …

Aug 29, 2024: Community newsletter for Pukerua Bay If you’re interested in what we’re doing in our little community, check out our two-monthly community newsletter (edited by my clever …

Aug 29, 2024: Figure and figcaption element for images in micro.blog

I’ve been experimenting with the

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</figure>

element and attribute for images in …

Aug 29, 2024: Your immune system is not a muscle A fascinating description of the incredible complexity of our immune system. Not too technical for a non-clinical person to understand. Rachel Thomas, …

Aug 29, 2024: The weather’s really crapped out in the past half hour. Wind’s up, rain’s back. We’ll have to console ourselves with the memory of yesterday’s perfect …

Aug 28, 2024: Visit to Wellington Botanical Gardens It was such a beautiful day, that my wife, mother-in-law and I decided to go to the Wellington Botanical Gardens. It was the first time I had been …

Aug 28, 2024: Birds in the garden It’s nice going out into the garden in the morning to fetch the paper and hear the tūī going for it in the trees. We have a growing number of …

Aug 27, 2024: Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey 🎵This was the first Burning Spear album I bought. It’s also very devout and hard-core Rastafarian. Also very political, given it’s a …

Aug 27, 2024: Useful algorithms I don’t generally like online algorithms that decide for you what you want to see (Facebook and Twitter, I’m looking at you). But I find the radio one …

Aug 27, 2024: White English rock band hints at reformation; critics in a lather

🎵Or are they? The band, I mean, not the critics; they’re wetting themselves with excitement about the possibility.

Aug 27, 2024: Open letter to the oil industry Greenpeace has launched an open letter to the oil industry telling them they are not welcome in New Zealand. It’s pretty blunt and leaves them …

Aug 27, 2024: Too many SM accounts?

Questions I’ve been thinking about recently inspired by joining micro.blog.

Aug 27, 2024: Finding treasures when tidying We’ve been cleaning out a space upstairs in the next-door house, where our daughter lives. It was tidy at one time, but when we moved out we …

Aug 27, 2024: The rain is back! Just in time for Kate to go out to do some messages and go to the beauty parlour.

Aug 27, 2024: No scavengers in the house We do love our dog, but sometimes it is nice to not have her hanging around scavenging when you are eating lunch. She’s currently next door keeping …

Aug 27, 2024: Very sad and disappointing. Upper Hutt City Council cuts down a stand of beech trees to widen a road into a new housing development. Beech trees cut …

Aug 27, 2024: Another gloomy day here in Pukerua Bay, although the rain seems to have eased off. I think there is more forecast for later in the day. Remarkably, we …

Aug 27, 2024: More medical adventures (not me this time)

Our daughter had to spend last night in ED.

Aug 26, 2024: No solar power today As expected today, with heavy cloud cover and rain, our solar power production and self-sufficiency is a big fat zero!

Aug 26, 2024: Rain, rain and more rain We were talking to our dinner guest friends last night about how dry it has still been this winter. No longer. Rain started about 10pm last night and …

Aug 25, 2024: Accessibility on devices for poor eyesight

About 10 days ago I blogged on my new-found appreciation for the accessibility settings in various devices to help me read on screen when my eyesight …

Aug 25, 2024: Tory Whanau puts the PM straight Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has got stuck into the PM for his misguided speech to the Local Government Association this week. As well as justifyingly …

Aug 25, 2024: Kate has just come back from a swim at the beach with her friend. She reports that it was “terrible” and she got knocked over several times. It’s …

Aug 25, 2024: Daffodils looking lovely These lovely flowers are distributing a beautiful scent throughout the upstairs of our house. All from our own garden.

Aug 25, 2024: Interdenominational religion in action I think our little intersection corner of Pukerua Bay must be the most religious in town. By 10am our neighbour had gone off to the spiritualist …

Aug 25, 2024: Gratitude Lying in bed thinking of some of the things I can be grateful for: I have a wonderful wife who loves me and looks after me 💕💚 Old friends and family …

Aug 23, 2024: Yuk. A good night to stay home.

Aug 23, 2024: Thank heavens for morphine. (That’s all I have to say.)

Aug 23, 2024: What you need to know Am I the only person who is irritated by the statement “What you need to know” in online stories? Where has this phrase come from? Has it been …

Aug 23, 2024: Solar power obsession Trying — and failing — to not be obsessed about how much electricity we are producing off our roof solar panels, how self-sufficient we are, and how …

Aug 22, 2024: PM shows he doesn't understand local government

The PM Christopher Luxon got the reception he deserved when he spoke to the Local Government Association conference yesterday. He (or who ever wrote …

Aug 22, 2024: Kate’s off on her second run in as many days, after a very long time not doing much exercise. Very proud of her getting back into it. She enjoys it …

Aug 21, 2024: 🎵I’ve just been listening to a couple of old Jeff Beck albums, ‘Blow By Blow’ and ‘Wired’. I’d forgotten how jazz …

Aug 20, 2024: Max Romeo - War Ina Babylon

🎵What’s on the turntable at the moment? Max Romeo’s ‘War Ina Babylon’. It’s from 1976 when much of his music was still …

Aug 20, 2024: Another day in the hospital day ward

Another day in the Kenepuru day ward for a blood top up. Keeps me out of mischief, I suppose.

CW: Adverse reaction to medicine

Aug 20, 2024: Solar update with operational system - day 1 Solar update with operational system. Yesterday, we had clear, sunny skies with good solar production for a brief period. That is, until a hail storm …

Aug 19, 2024: So much for a bright sunny day producing all the power we need. Now we have a hail storm!

Aug 19, 2024: Solar power update Good news. The electrical inspector has just been around, tested the new solar system, turned it on and pronounced it safe to use. We are now running …

Aug 18, 2024: Linton Kwesi Johnson

🎵Dread Beat an’ Blood was one of the first reggae records I bought. I’m sure I bought it the year it came out (1978).

Aug 18, 2024: 🐕The dog has now returned from a walk with Kate and has assumed another of her favourite positions; tucked in behind my knees.

Aug 18, 2024: 🐕The dog emerged from her bed, barking at an unknown sound, only to quickly make herself comfortable in another of her favourite spots; my legs!

Aug 18, 2024: Today’s drugs

CW: cancer and drugs

Aug 18, 2024: A misty moisty morning. This is the view out our upstairs windows this morning. Somewhere out there is the Tasman Sea and Kāpiti Island.

Aug 18, 2024: I had my first experience of Southland cheese rolls with dinner last night. I can’t say I’m an instant fan. The tomato soup was on another level, …

Aug 17, 2024: Pop-up parlour in our village

What becomes possible when we open up a space for community, where locals can connect, collaborate, share and meet?

The Pop-up Parlour in Pukerua Bay …

Aug 16, 2024: Porn movie character name A former boss was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few months ago and had surgery early this year. On a couple of occasions he has mentioned that one …

Aug 15, 2024: Blurred vision giving me a new appreciation of web accessibility

One of the side effects of the rather large doses of steroids I’m on for my myeloma is that they can affect my vision. I often find my sight …

Aug 15, 2024: We’ve just heard from our power company that it will be another month before they can install a new import/export meter in our switchboard so we …

Aug 15, 2024: With the end of winter there is more activity in the garden. It’s starting to look much nicer with our magnolias coming into flower. There are still a …

Aug 14, 2024: Winnie in the garden 🐕Our dog on her early morning toilet visit to the garden. She loves to explore the space around the house. She is called ‘Winnie’ after my wife’s …

Aug 13, 2024: New cancer treatment underway already

CW: Cancer treatment.

Aug 12, 2024: The heavy rain we have been expecting has just arrived. Fortunately, the solar panel installers finished getting the final one up just in time!

Aug 12, 2024: Hope can be a dangerous thing when it comes to our health

When you’re face-to-face with serious illness or death, hope in an unattainable cure or treatment can be very emotionally damaging.

I mentioned …

Jul 30, 2024: Kids off to Singapore Travel update: son and daughter-in-law have left Noosa and are on the plane to Singapore, en route to UK. We are expecting to see lots of photos of …

Jul 29, 2024: Keeping the health system busy Our family is persisting in making sure the health system is keeping busy. I had to get one of my regular blood tests today, and when we got home, we …

Jul 28, 2024: Choosing who you want in your family

Kate and I had a pleasant time at our sister-in-law’s birthday last night. I met M in the 1970s when she was 15 at Massey University. She was …

Jul 25, 2024: Another night in hospital

It’s been an interesting and slightly disturbing couple of days. What started as a hospital appointment for a CT scan to plan some radiation on …

Jul 22, 2024: 🐕Making short work of the human’s porridge pot

Jul 22, 2024: Joe Biden stepping down from presidential race As an outside and largely indifferent observer of US politics, I believe that Biden’s decision not to stand in the election is wise. Given his …

Jul 21, 2024: Parliamentary select committee appearance on community adaptation to climate change

Early this week, Tuesday 20 July, my colleague, neighbour and friend Conor Twyford and I spoke to the New Zealand parliament Finance and Expenditure …

Jul 21, 2024: The big OE It’s the second-to-last day of our son and daughter-in-law’s stay at our place before they head off to the UK on Tuesday for their big OE. …

Jul 21, 2024: Faith in dealing with illness

When my haematologist told me in November last year that, after 13 years of treatment, they had run out of publicly-funded options for treating my …

Jul 19, 2024: IT outage Crikey. You go for morning tea at a friend’s new unit* and then a lunchtime concert, only to get home to discover there’s a worldwide IT …

Jul 19, 2024: Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard 🎵It’s been a long time since I listened to this, and like many of my old records, it’s hard to understand why I left it so long. …

Jul 19, 2024: Why do I love Pukerua Bay?

Reflections on my home town

It is just before Christmas 1988, and you are looking for a nest of your own. You look at townhouses in other parts of …

Jul 19, 2024: Danish choir Ungklang 🎵We spent a very pleasant hour in the middle of the day today at a concert by Ungklang, a Danish choir here for the World Choral Games. The group …

Jul 19, 2024: We're going solar on our house

When we moved into the new house we built three years ago, I was pretty keen on getting solar panels on the roof and using solar power as much as …