My Journal - week ending 8th November

Saturday

Today I did an hour in the morning volunteering, came home cleaned up house and then in the afternoon went back and did another hour :)

 Sunday

After church this morning I went and brought some new sneakers :)  

Monday

Did a big day of work both the holiday house and homecare 

Tuesday
a quiet day

Wednesday
attended the womans bible study at church

Thursday
Daniels birthday

so happy his big sisters parcel arrived first thing this morning 

As is the norm for my kids as they are growing up I allow them to have the day off school on their birthday.  While Billy was with his reader/writer studying Daniel and I went to Anderson Park so that Daniel could ride on his scooter that he got from me :)

he also practised using his new bat and ball from Billy - all while wearing his helmet from him too lol 

when he hits the ball he has a strong batting arm - this where the ball ended up (he wanted me to take this shot)

After lunch we went to the Sunken Gardens in town too :)  We  also went to Opossum World (only I didnt get any photos)

At 315 pm a friend came over for a couple of hours to play :)  We were going to all go to Skate zone however its been closed this week due to rain - well go next week instead 

Billy kindly let them watch a movie on his laptop

Friday 

worked home care

Keas this term so far

This term we are working towards the Caring Kea Badge

last week they planted  spinach/silverbeet cross seeds

Tonight we worked on the Animal component of our badge tonight
the keas brought in a photo to show me
they each had a turn talking about their pet and what it ate
they found out some more info about their particular type of pet 
we made a poster about all this  

they have homework - they have to record how they look after their pet for a month 

Kea Matariki Planetarium Trip

Tonight the Keas went to the Planetarium.  We chose to go now as it is Matariki (Maori New Year) time.  Once a year, in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades star cluster) can be seen.

We assembled in the foyer looking at the many different displays and trying to land rockets on the moon (on the computers). 

 

 Then we had a movie about living on a space shuttle.  We looked at the way the effects of zero gravity has on the people and objects.  Imagine being able to do press ups easily, so easily that you could even do one handed or foot press ups  for that fact!! I know one cub (who went to help as part of his community service) whose mind is boggled by that :)

 Lastly we went into the Zeiss planetarium projector room and looked at the 3000 or so stars on the domes interior along with the moon, the planets, the Milky way and other wonderous sights.  Our presenter showed us Matariki and explained why it is important

The star cluster known as Matariki (the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters) rises during the cold months of winter, usually between the end of May and the beginning of June. Its rising signals the beginning of the Māori New Year.  About 500 stars make up the cluster, but only seven can be seen clearly with the naked eye here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Matariki remains present right through to March, when it disappears from the sky for two months, during autumn, before rising once again in the dawn sky.  

Early Māori and Matariki The ancestors of Māori used Matariki (as well as other stars and natural signs) to navigate across the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa New Zealand.  Here on land, Matariki was strongly connected to the seasons for harvesting and planting. The couple of months just before its rising were the season when Māori would harvest and preserve birds and other food for sustenance over the winter months. Māori astronomers used Matariki to identify if the weather would be good or bad for the coming season.Around the end of April, they would await the first rising of Matariki. Stars shining brightly signalled that it would be a warm year and that crops would be abundant. Blurry or dim stars were a sign that the year would be cold and that crops would be scarce. This also determined when crops would be planted for the coming year.  The first sighting of Matariki was acknowledged and celebrated by a tohunga (priest) with karakia (incantations) to acknowledge the new year. Matariki was also a time when those who had passed away in the previous year were commemorated – a practice that continues today.  Some iwi would lay down a small hāngī to acknowledge the arrival of Matariki. They believed that, by checking how well-cooked the food in the hāngī was, they could foresee whether it would be a good or a bad year. (http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/SiteCollectionDocuments/Education/Matariki_education_resource.pdf)

Planting Trees and SPCA

School Trip

This morning I helped with a school trip.  The local council and Daniels school work together to plant trees at a local park :)  It was fun :)  The council provide the trees.  The middle and upper classes at Daniels school plant them with the councils help :)  

I was asked to lead the children down the road a little to where they would plant there  trees by one of the council workers :)   This is just Daniels class :) 

although its a little hard to see here is Daniel with his planted tree :)  

Keas Tonight
We  joined with another Kea group and went to the SPCA  
It was a neat night  
We learnt about what the SPCA do with Murray the SPCA officer 
We meet Star one of the adorable puppies there 
We went into the cat room. We donated many cans of pet food, blankets and old towels of which the SPCA were very grateful.  We were shown some tools Murray uses when dealing with animals.   Lastly we were given some activity sheets to take home  

Impact 2013

This is where I was this long weekend :)

I made new friends :)  I was more than well fed both spiritually and physically :)

There was great songs to sing I LOVE singing :)  Theres something special about singing with 600 others of like mind :)

There was great teaching :)  which I will now have process over the next few days.  Deciding what I will have to do with all the information.  There is little use listening without action :)

In the video at 1:21 is a photo of my pastor.  He is such a nice man as are his family.  They have done great things for our church.  A few years ago my church was dieing.  It had a congregation of mostly over 65-70 years olds.  It was old it was tired.  He and 40 others came from the church that holds Impact every year and they helped it be the growing church it is today :)  I am always so thankful for them :)  My pastor and his BIL run Impact :)  see 1:44

It was a blessing to be able to help with the dishes each lunch time.  I felt like it was a way I could say thank you :)

Id gone to bed and got up again one night when I could hear a (informal) jam session taking place. See 3:17
My new friend and 1 of  3 roommates decided to investigate.  It was a time I will remember with joy.  I LOVE singing and this was an experience I would have missed out had I not stayed on site.  I dont usually.

However last year I took a week to get over Impact.  I was leaving home at about 730am and not returning until 10ish each night.  It was a waste of petrol.  Made the days extra long and as I found out a time that could be used to fellowship instead of driving.  The bunk rooms are free :)  I got to make a new friend and enjoy times such as the jam session.

I attended the general sessions themed around The Purpose, Priorities and Practices of the Local Church.  I also attended 2 of the 3 sessions especially for women.  Missing one to go to one entitled "People Pleasing:How to avoid being an approval junkie" it sounded like me LOL.  The sessions are taped so I will be able to listen to it sometime.  As I said before now comes the time to put into action what I have learnt.  Some of this wont be easy however there is little point to listening without action.  Pray for me :)  :)

Going Away

Today after I drop Daniel at school and have done school patrols I am heading off for the weekend.

Usually I come home at night however as I found this tough going after long days at the conference last year.  This year I am going to sleep there.  I have also been blessed by some very kind person to have my breakfast paid for.  I was going to take my breakfast and lunch and only pay for my dinner.  I get lunch provided in return for volunteering for helping with the lunch dishes.  I never volunteered knowing that this would be a way of the church saying thanks.  This is just one of the many advantages I have found of putting yourself in volunteering capacities.  
It is a long weekend here so Ill be out there til Monday afternoon :)  I have been looking forward to this all weekend :)

MY Busy Friday

7am Leapt out of bed.  I dont always however on a Wednesday and Friday morning I do.  We have to be out of the house within about an hour

8 am school crossing patrol.  Daniel was really helpful setting out the cones when one of the children was late 

9 – 10 am collect items and go and volunteer for an hour for the Asthma society at Countdown Supermarket

10am go home and sort out catalogues we have new ones so have to take the old ones out of the plastic bags to give to my boss.  Also have to get new ones ready to deliver.   

worked out of the back of my car

1130 am go on Facebook and lost the plot entirely
I was a mess
when I read that one of my friends had suffered a nasty and dangerous ordeal far too close to her home 

have to have a coffee with 3 sugars in it
shes ok thank goodness

1230 pm Deliver one of the orders.  Take old catalogues to my boss' house, go to the supermarket to get medicine for my sick older son.  He has the flu.  Take them home

130 pmish work for Billy - hes too sick - however should he worthwhile.  Its in his best area of all his areas.  Then go and pick up some of the catalogues I couldnt get yesterday as people had forgotten to leave them out for me 

245 pm go to Daniels school.  To take his uniform home and have him change into some other clothes before he goes to his dads for the weekend.  

315 pm deliver rest of orders :)  

and have a chat to my daughter on my cell :)

345 pm go to a friends house to pick up some swimming noodles.  Then go to Billys reader/writers house to find where another house is on her computer.  Have a coffee - which gave me energy for the rest of the afternoon.  Pick up another noodle from a ladies house. The noodles will be used at Keas/Cubs in a game I saw that had been played in another group in the Sth Island.  You play tag and when you are touched with the noodle you are then stuck.  You have to stand with your feet apart until you are able to move again after someone crawls between your legs.  One of the great things is that I simply let it be known that I was after some on Facebook and I was given them :)  

5pm pick up the rest of my catalogues that  I couldnt get yesterday.  Rushing to beat running out of day light

545 pm home, cook dinner.  Eat and relax :)