Raspberries (my favourite) are now generally available, and are coming down in price. They’re large and in good condition.
It’s now Sunday November 26th, 2023. Kia ora!
This morning I went to church. The organist played the organ before, during and after the service – what a treat. The texts were Ezekiel 34:11-24 and Matthew 25:31-46, the sermon about the sheep and the goats. The Ezekiel text was about two kinds of sheep – the fat sheep and the lean sheep. I did not know this text, although I’ve read the rather mystifying book of the prophet Ezekiel several times. The minister preached a fine sermon, about Jesus’ instruction to be kind and help those in need of help, whether they are hungry, thirsty or naked. It’s a fine, sunny day, but still quite cold. Afterwards JD picked me up and we went shopping to – you’ve guessed it – New World in Thorndon. It was busy but not crazy busy. I couldn’t find loose cherries, or any summer fruit but nectarines, but I got most of what we wanted.
On Monday I went for a walk in the morning; it’s still not really summery here, with some quite cold winds about. You always need a cardigan, and often a jacket; it rains, seemingly spontaneously, too. I’m sure that previously at this time of year (late November), we’d be wearing summer clothes. While some brave folk are, I have done so twice.
It was our grandson’s 6th birthday, so we visited in the afternoon to give him his birthday present, (and a small present for his sister, of course), and eat birthday cake. So that was lovely. We gave him some lego, and he was amazingly smart at putting it together. Mind you, it’s a 3-in-1, so there are other options for it.
On Tuesday morning I went to bible study. It was Mark’s Gospel 13: 24-37, a text about the difficulties of the “end times” before Christ comes in glory. The main message is to be alert, because no one know the day or the hour but God the Father. But at almost the beginning of Advent, we celebrate Jesus’ birth. Someone, and the minister, linked these two comings; then on Wednesday morning we sang “Lo! He comes with clouds descending” to the beautiful Helmsley tune. Mark’s Gospel also reminds us that Jesus’ words remain, although there’ll be other great changes, and I remembered the first verse of John’s Gospel: in the beginning was the Word…” This first chapter goes on to say “And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us”. That is all rather wonderful, I think. And we told not to be afraid – many times.
On Wednesday morning we had hymn singing, and then I got a call to day my daughter has Covid – again! So we would have to defer our planned trip to Napier for her birthday. But that morning I was due to get a haircut. I caught a bus from Khandallah, and in theory I had 4 minutes to catch a train on the Kapiti line. Sadly, I just missed the train. I thought the next train would get me there just in time, but it did not. However I rang the salon and they agreed to take me, although I was pretty late.
Afterwards JD picked me up. Our granddaughter was due to come at 1 pm; I had thought we would get something from the lovely Nada bakery in Tawa, but as we drove very slowly through Tawa, I wondered about the wisdom of my decision. Then a new salesperson was serving us, who was incredibly slow. However we got home in time to have something to eat, and another cup of coffee.
JD and our granddaughter were due to put up and decorate the Christmas Tree. JD found our (artificial) tree, and the box of decorations, and even the Christmas lights, although some of the boxes were wet. How did that happen? I couldn’t find the Crib we’d been given, but nevertheless, everything still worked, including the electrics, and JD did not electrocute himself. So we all did a fine job of unpacking glitter, untangling gold and red streamers, and hanging decorations. Our granddaughter was a big help.
On Thursday I was to go to my main singing session at the Khandallah Town Hall. JD was getting the car brakes fixed, so he could not drive me there. I tried to call Uber, well before 10:25 am, but they couldn’t send a car until 11:05 am, and it would cost $30! Outrageous on both counts. I called a taxi from Wellington Combined Taxis, and it came almost right away. I booked using their automatic system, which failed to mention the “green card”, which entitles me to half-price taxis using certain companies. I stayed on the line to talk to a “real person”, but saying I had a “green card” meant nothing to them. Did I have a Total Mobility Card? I assume that I do. Then the taxi was there, and the driver duly photographed my green card. I arrived in Khandallah by 10:50 am, and it cost me $7.50! I even had time to buy my daughter-in-law’s birthday present.
Singing was lovely, of course, and there was a great turnout. I had lunch at a café there, a smoked salmon bagel, and then left to catch a #24 bus to Johnsonville. JD was off to a 2 pm appointment, but the #24 bus turned into the #19 shuttle bus, so that suited very well.
Now it’s Friday December 1st, December at last! Seeing we’ve postponed our trip to Napier, I now have a number of appointments I’d cancelled out of for the week. I am quite discombobulated by all these changes! Thankfully my daughter does not appear to be greatly suffering, and she’s on the anti-viral drug Paxlovid again, but her new acting house manager is quite sick. So there’ve been a number of texts to and fro.
Someone is supposed to come from Access today. My schedule said 10:30, and then 11:30; I checked it again, and it says 1:45 pm! So I didn’t need to get up so early after all.
Meanwhile our son and his wife are due to arrive from Canterbury, U.K., this afternoon, but their flight from Singapore has been delayed, and I doubt that they’ll make their expected connection. As it’s a Friday, they may have difficulty getting on a plane from Auckland to Wellington. Still, we don’t know yet when they’ll arrive.
In the US it was Thanksgiving last Thursday, so there weren’t many pf the usual podcasts. It seems strange coming just before Christmas, but I guess the decorations continue, if changed; Americans love decorations, anyway. And I guess the so-called Black Friday sales come in handy for Christmas.
It’s rather old news now but evidently President Biden continued negotiations during Thanksgiving weekend to ensure that the ceasefire in Israel and hostage release went ahead. Duly we all held our breath as hostages were released by Hamas in dribs and drabs and Palestinian prisoners were released by Israel in exchange. The pause was even extended for a couple of days, but the IDF are at it again now, i.e. the war continues. Netanyahu vows to kill every member of Hamas: so how will he know when he’s succeeded? Meanwhile many women (presumably innocent) and children continue to be slaughtered. Marches and pro-Palestinian sympathies continue, as does ani-Semitic activity and marches in sympathy with Israel. As usual, dark forces are perpetuating the devastation, while many innocent people and would-be peace makers don’t appear to make a difference. Some newspapers are calling the pause in fighting a “truce”, but I think not- a truce implies some kind of agreement between the warring parties. I don’t see this,
It also appears that Israel had warning of the Hamas attack, which seems to have been deliberately ignored. Netanyahu’s claim to ensure the safety of Israeli citizens is severely compromised as it’s evident that not only did he not keep them safe, he failed to come to their assistance for several hours after the brazen and barbaric attacks by Hamas.
Henry Kissinger has died, aged 100, and of course his legacy is being reviewed. While Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s Morning Joe seemed sympathetic to his legacy, David Ignatius reminded us all of just some of his misdeeds. Noone wants to speak ill of the dead, but Kissinger’s legacy is very disturbing, resulting, as it did, in so very many liberal governments toppled and deaths in Central and South America, in South-east Asia, and in India over the creation of Bangladesh.
Trump’s legal woes continue, without much seeming to change, although his rhetoric gets more and more alarming, as does his increasing support. Congressman Perry’s texts have been released, seemingly by accident, revealing that he played a bigger part than we formerly knew in helping Trump try to hang on to power. Liz Cheney has written a book which claims, amongst other interesting things, that “my” Kevin McCarthy went down to Mar-a-Lago to visit Trump and comfort him, such was his grief at losing the election. So, of course he knew that he’d lost it. Of course, Trump displayed no such loyalty to McCarthy when he was about to lose the Speakership of the House of Representatives. Apparently he was upset that McCarthy had failed to get his two impeachments cancelled. This was not possible, by the way.
There is a climate conference in I think Dubai, of all places; King Charles addressed the attendees, very effectively. Meanwhile Prime Minister Sunak refused to see the Greek Prime Minister about returning the Elgin Marbles, presently in the British Museum, to Greece. Some wag joked that if they were returned, it would be cheaper for people in places like Yorkshire to fly to Greece and see them rather than catching a train to London.
Our youngest son and his wife arrived on Friday evening. Their flight from Singapore to Auckland had been delayed, causing them to miss their connecting flight from Auckland to Wellington. Thankfully they were able to board a later flight, it being a busy Friday. We went to meet them – in fact JD was so anxious to get there that de decided we would have something to eat at the airport. I was sceptical, and rightly so, since all the food outlets that were still open were closing. We had very sticky (but quite tasty) chicken burgers with our oat milk lattés. There was a welcoming committee of ourselves, two of our other sons, and our daughter-in-law’s father. Our son’s bros were taking him to a concert, and she was to stay with her parents.
There is great upset and outrage over the new government’s intention to reverse the previous government’s smoke-free legislation. Much of the rest of the world wonders. New Zealanders are really upset, including some National Party voters who thought Chris Luxon cared about them. Well, no, I doubt it.
On Saturday morning our youngest son messaged us to suggest having breakfast together. Jet lag will do that to you, waking really early! The local café didn’t open until 9 am, but we walked there (it was a lovely fine day), and they were already really busy. In the afternoon my one of my brothers-in-law called with one of his daughters. I had thought he was still in Australia! Then on Saturday evening I was due to go to this year’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Michael Fowler Centre. This year it was to be sung by the Orpheus Choir, accompanied by Orchestra Wellington. The performance was very well reviewed, and there were lots of people there, but my friend and I, having changed our handbags, forgot to bring masks. We probably would have worn masks had we brought them. Afterwards her husband drove us home in his new electric car.
Once home, I ate a fruit mince pie, not having had an evening meal, and just crackers and cheese and a biscuit when our brother called. I was glad to have gone! It’s very familiar now.
That’s it for now. Slava Ukraini! Ngā mihi nui.
Classic Barbarian 