Exhibition openings ... what the ...

Veiled
(On display)


Today I am the very proud wife - Andrew's photography is now on display at Aratoi - our local art centre - gallery in Masterton. He has put himself out there - asked for the space - and a year later he is exhibiting his fine collection of landscapes - Outlook - Observations from within a 50m circle of our house.

The Hunt
(On display)

The work looks awesome - finally printed off the computer - large - matted and framed and on a wall ! It has been fun - stimulating - challenging to talk about his photographs over time - and to be part of the process of having an exhibition.

Being very ignorant about how these things work - we have taken a few stabs in the predawn light ??!! and are hoping it will have put us on the pathway to developing a career and a business opportunity.

Obscured by Clouds
(On display)

Andrew has worked incredibly hard at developing his art over the last year and a half, (and for a long while before that pre digital). He now has a huge collection which can be seen on his pbase web page. www.pbase.com/tikouka This is an overwhelming amount of photography but we hope we will in the near future put together a web page where a more select range can be viewed and ....... enjoyed and .... added to your own collections !


Epiphany
(On the web)


The opening itself was another totally new experience having never been to any others. Who do we invite ? How long do they go for ? What happens at them ? And with two small children in tow I had no idea what was in store.


However it was a lovely time - too short for me entirely - to talk to all of our fabulous friends who made the effort to come out - to talk proudly about Andrew's work - to take photos of the event - and to keep a track of our kiddliwinks.


Far from the Maddening Crowd
(On the web)

Big thanks to Shari, Ali, Hannah and Esther who did end up jiggling and entertaining the kids so I could have some good adults conversations.

Anika then headed away with 'best friend' Olivia for the night - she was in heaven. The rest of us headed down to the great atmosphere of the Carterton Lounge Bar for tapas, relaxation and quality chat. We managed to score the couches so Hazel was able to spend some of the evening sound asleep on a comfy couch next to her mum.

Anika
(on the web)

So yes .... we had a night out - and lovely food and a glass of wine and live music in the background and real adult conversations - we didn't get home til midnight ... oh my gosh ... it must be a first in many years.


Dandelion
(On the web)

Family holiday - visiting with friends and relies Pt 2

The day after the wedding - no sleep in - no mucking around we were off to Hi-5 !! For those uninitiated - this is a group of 5 Aussies who sing and dance - appearing on TV to educate our 3-7 year olds. Their music is very palateable for the older listener. Even Andrew came along with us .... him very much a discerning listener of music ... Pink Floyd etc. Very cool to go in Invercargill - 20 minute trip - no parking hassles - easy entry - staged at the mighty Stadium Southland home of the belated but very successful Southern Sting.



We had great seats and Anika was happy to sit and take in the atmosphere - she could have been up the front dancing her wee heart out - but our girl is an observer then a doer. We did get up and dance in the second half.



We got to see our Hazel developing into a wee being - loving the atmosphere and being nosy - watching the audience and their enthusiasm.



We missed seeing Charlie, Tim and Kathleen who now have all moved on from the original crew. It was an excellent show and well worth the outing. Anika, was oblivious to all of the merchandising but I have a feeling this will be the last time. She is turning into quite a wee consumer. Being on holiday and out and about lately - asking to go to cafes and have fluffies has become part of her every day vocab. What has happened to my rural child.



After Andrew had gone home, Dad, Mum, the girls and I drove up to Cromwell - stopping in Roxburgh for a playground visit and some Jimmy's pies - and their other great bakery food. It's a Southern tradition thing. The girls and I stayed with my mate Julie and her lovely poppets - Michael and Aimee. Anika and Michael play really well together.



We had a dinner out with all the family from the wedding - Pete and Lisa and his in laws and my lovely cousin Ben, whom I haven't seen for a few years. He has finally got a wee bit of hill country to farm - a goal of his of many years - fantastic - and we met his lovely girlfriend. Good work Ben !! Anika took this shot. Note Hazel bonding with Uncle Peter in the background.



Anika and Hazel were stars - they coped brilliantly with their big night out - but the evening was made really special with the birth of my first great grandnephew ... on my goodness - I have a 6 month old daughter and I'm a great Auntie !! My bro is a grandad - now that is wierd. Chase is the wee babes name - I think Kierran will make a great dad. I wish him all the best !




On the way back from Cromwell we stopped in at the bungy jumping. Anika really loved it and said she'd like a go one day. So I think she will be saving her pennies.



We managed to get to Riverton for a picnic - which is a bit of a tradition in the making - having a lunch around the rocks - paddling in the water - collecting rocks off the back beach for our doorstep - there are the most beautiful stones.

We also visited Raylene and Robert Guyton. It was inspiring to see their gardens - a real permaculture garden - fruit forest with herbs growing everywhere - Robert and his son are really in demand now for their skills and experience. Has sent me back home very keen to grow as many of our own vege as possible.

Classic digital camera failure - my batteries went and mum forgot to put her card back in - it sent us reverting back to dad's SLR. It meant I had to make sure that the shots I took were fab - no room for mistakes !! Nice to get the print today. But nothing to put on the blog !!

Great to be home for a while ..
Great to spend time with mum and dad ....
Great to see a few of my relies ....
Great to experience that Southern hospitality..... ( which I used to take for granted)
Great to be in the South Island.....

But good to be home in my lovely house .. in the Wairarapa ... and for us as a family all to be hanging out together again.

On holiday - of the family kind in more ways than one. Pt 1

It's been two months in the waiting - counting down - somewhat erratically with Anika - its a long time for a 3 and a half and for a 40 something mummy. But it finally happened - a trip down to the South to go to her cousins wedding and have a stay with Gran and Da for heaps of nights. Also it was Hazel's first flight.

A very bumpy ride into Dunners - they closed the airport after our flight or maybe the next one after us .... mmmmm. Anyway we went via Dunners to see Cousie Anna and meet her new son Toby - a lovely time hanging out for a few short hours. The big sisters Anika and Olivia with their new siblings - Hazel and Toby.

Then it was all go on my family front down in Winton - hanging out with relies and Anika loving all of the attention ! This is Anika doing her yay celebration dance.

Sonya - my niece from Melbourne - looked absolutely gorgeous on the day and it was a calm - well orchestrated occasion. Great to meet her Andrew. Very proud of her.

Finally the other star of the family - Hazel - enjoyed the wedding and fell asleep appropriately in the middle and enjoyed all the older relies making faces and jiggling her. Up late and then fast asleep for the night. All right.

PS Sally - pictured above, another awesome cousin, is not one of the afore mentioned older relies.