Busy busy
One of my New Year’s resolutions was to try and get out more and to say yes more than no. I am not sure that was a good thing as I seem to have been non-stop since Christmas. This morning, for example, Stephen and I helped my son Michael out, clearing his house for his next set of visitors. He had become hemmed in at the concert he was at and knew he would only be able to move once the other five cars blocking him, left. And then there was three and a half hours driving on top of that. With the next guests arriving this afternoon, there wasn’t a lot of time to get everything done. Michael already had a cleaner to do most of the work, we just had to do the things he normally does, which was emptying rubbish bins, taking the used laundry, picking up extra supplies and other various jobs. Somehow, we agreed to spot clean the windows, which unfortunately, after the heavy rain of a few days ago, needed a pretty much full on clean. And there were zillions of them. That job took us over two hours. My hat goes off to the people who do cleaning full time. It is a difficult and under-appreciated occupation.
Yesterday required a trip to Kerikeri for a new shower hose and nozzle after the old faithful finally separated, leaving a disconnected blue hose in its wake. Whilst there, we decided to travel a further 30 minutes and visit Stephen’s brother in Kaikohe. The going there is great but the nearly two-hour ride home is difficult. It’s not the way one would normally spend New Year’s Day but I wasn’t going another night without a shower. I was amazed at the number of visitors at all the beaches on the way home. Each beach was packed, including a normally desolate one that we stopped off for a swim at on the way home.
On New Year’s Eve, two of my cousins arrived for lunch. Their grandfather and my grandmother were brother and sister. I don’t know them well, but we had an enjoyable afternoon together. After that we went into Taipa to visit the mother of one of Stephen’s friends, someone he remembered fondly from childhood and who was up our way for a couple of days.
The day before saw us in Ahipara having lunch with an old friend and before that we were busy with family. I have been asked to look after my four-year-old granddaughter next week for five days while her parents go away, so I expect at the end of that time I will be ready for a holiday myself.
But the other thing about all this is that I am able to do things now. I feel like I have been unwell for so long and I certainly couldn’t have done what I have just done in the last few days, last year. Any outing required a day at least to recuperate. I certainly couldn’t have done something every day like I have done this week. That’s where part of that resolution came from. I have had to say no so often in the past few years because I know I am not up to things. Though it still requires an effort, I am going to try and make myself say yes instead.
Watch this space.