Can we stop eating and drinking yet?

Well that's been a week. Started with Pete and me going to Wellington for Jethro Tull concert - I blew it, thought our flight was 8.30 but it wasn’t until 9.30 (could have been worse). Wellington was great, had time to catch up with a cousin and nice lunch and dinner.

view from hotel - clouds rolling down from hills into Wellington Harbour

Home Saturday morning for family wedding - Congratulations Sophie and Roger 
What a fantastic day - wishing you both a long and happy life together. 

Pete got to dress up in a monkey suit too.

Our annual Christmas Eve barbie was on the 23rd this year as Nesses disappeared on 24th. Our girls have grown so much, where have the years gone, we started this tradition as they use to be waiting for Santa and seemed like a good excuse. 

Christmas day was glorious, not many photos taken. We had superb weather for the day, quiet family Barbie for breakfast on deck and then off for lunch with Pete’s family. So pleased we do my side early. With family over for the wedding we carried on Christmas celebrations with another get together on Boxing day. They have now disappeared until New Year’s Eve. 

Clara and I took the dogs to Bethell's beach this morning (we are dog sitting Kelsey - Nesses Chocolate lab, as they have gone south).  Pete stayed home to mow the lawns. 

two happy girls

Well we hope you have enjoyed your family and friends over this festive season as much as we have. Enjoy what is left of the year and roll on 2015. Wishing all a very safe and happy new year.

JETHRO

Friday night at the St James in Wellington, Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull.

On they came with a little stage show and 3 tracks from Homo Erraticus, last year’s release. A lot of the crowd were unsure what they were hearing. A woman next to me and her husband, both in their mid 60s were ecstatic, it’s their new favourite. 

On we went, some older songs, a track from Passion Play, an album that Mr A admitted before playing was not his best work and finished with Aqualung and Locomotive breath.

A guy on stage to move gear and sing about 50% of vocals was new but at 67 Ian’s voice is not what it was, it may be the last time we see him, who knows. But it was a great show, well I would say that now wouldn’t I.

Traditions

MERRY CHRISTMAS



Christmas has arrived in New Zealand, unfortunately the weather has disappeared this week.

We had our Walker traditional christmas last Sunday (this family is growing all the time – we have had 3 babies born this year). Family traditions need tweeking all the time and we moved our traditional family Christmas Day forward after my parents passed 9 years ago. Part of joy of becoming senior members of the family is to ensure that traditions continue. It is wonderful just being together - we all eat too much and kids run wild. It only seems 5 minutes ago that we were the young parents and our children were the kids running wild.

Our Christmas present to ourselves is this Friday - Pete and I head to Wellington to see Jethro Tull at St James Theatre.



Watch this space for Pete's review. We fly to Wellington Friday morning for the day and concert that night, then home Saturday in time for a Sophie and Rogers wedding.

The silly season is definitely upon us.

Wishing all a safe Christmas.

An anniversary

Today is the 13^th  and Clara and I went to a memorial at the RSA for the 75^th anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate

For the history click link
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/battle-of-river-plate

HMS Archilles

Vicki’s great Uncle Valmond was on the Achilles, Chief Petty Officer Valmond Yearbury, a character until the day he died a few years ago. A tall man who carried a walking cane, not because he needed one, just that it was the longest thinnest hipflask you ever saw. Vicki got the task of the dispersal of his and wife Irene’s estate as they had no children and donated his memorabilia to Swanson RSA, there is a wall in the bar that remembers the Battle and Val’s picture is in that display. 

We Will Remember Them.

TAKE TWO

Okay totally managed to clear previous blog - eek !!!

As I said on the previous one, countdown has started - 122 days - now 121 days.

Peter and I have now completed our booking for our big adventure in 2015 to live upon MUSN Grumble - we plan on calling ourselves wakaroa2015 (we shall see who can figure out what that means). Please message me with what you think it means, not sure how I get messages either :)

I plan on blogging some of our adventures over the coming months and will be making the odd posting along the way. Hopefully this will mean I am not clearing blogs completely by the time we go away and at less ensuring I have backed them up.

Below is will be our accommodation for 6 months, photo are compliments of Sheffield Narrowboats who do long term bookings.

Pete and I will start our journey in Sheffield. - Even though my dad was a Yorkshire man (Woodlesford), my mothers family actually came from Sheffield, I am hunting out places I wish to visit in Sheffield now and shall be creating a separate blog with our genealogy journey.