Today is Sunday December 27^th. Kia kaha! Joyeux Noel!

We are now back in Wellington. It is cold here  – 13C. about half what is was in Napier on Christmas Day. While we didn’t want it to be too hot in Hawkes Bay, we were unprepared for the sudden drop in temperature on Boxing Day, when it rained heavily in the evening.

But it had been fine and not too hot for much of the day. We had a kebab for lunch, and took our daughter to the big Antique shop in Tennyson Street, where she chose a pendant that was on special. What a treasure trove this shop is. I always try to have a look there when I’m in Napier. Many of the cafés and shops are closed, although there are quite a few people around. Some places we’ve been to don’t have QR codes on display, but I’ve learnt to do a manual entry in the Covid tracking ap if this is so. I do appreciate that people want to have time off with their friends and families, but it is annoying not to be able to eat at my favourite spots.

We had a nice walk along through the sunken gardens, and returned to the motel, where, joy of joys, the housekeeping had been done: the dishes were washed and put away; the bed made; and clean towels in the bathroom. We played games until it was time to go out for dinner. Coming back, we had ice cream at the motel and took our daughter home. There were large puddles at her house, and we had to go back to retrieve my cardigan, which I’d lent her.

We drove back on Sunday. It rained most of the way, after being quite cool in Napier in the morning. Back in Wellington, it seems very cold, and has rained heavily at night, with some thunder.  We stopped at Woodville for lunch, but many places were closed. We drove on to Masterton, realising that as it became later and later, the chances of finding somewhere open were diminishing. We did find a café in Masterton, part of the Regent Theatre. The café was quite good, and very busy; I did find the smell of popcorn quite off-putting. We then drove home over the Remutaka Hill (note the new correct spelling), and encountered remarkably little traffic.

One of the joys of Boxing Day here in New Zealand, is, like at Easter 2020, getting recordings of concerts and church services, so that Christmas keeps on going. I listened to, and was very moved by, the Queen’s message, and especially the beautiful singing of Joy to the World afterwards by an NHS choir in a church.  I also watched a concert in Nȏtre Dame, where again the singers were socially distanced from each other, yet sang beautifully. The French singers wore blue collar overalls and helmets.  It seems wonderful that in spite of the dreadful fire there, beautiful music can still be made. In all the recordings I saw, there were no complaints, although I’m sure there’ve been some; rather, the mood is one of joy and acceptance, in spite of the shock of the pandemic and the enduring sadness and sense of loss.

News comes from Russia of George Blake’s death, at 98. How ironic then that I have just finished reading the story of his betrayal, in Betrayal in Berlin, by Steve Vogel. Blake wasn’t a member of the Cambridge Five, but he probably did almost as much damage as Kim Philby. The British Secret Service certainly were taken in by intelligent, well-educated men who were also good linguists.

Meanwhile, a new more infectious strain of the coronavirus creeps ever closer, now spreading from the UK (where Sussex was the epi-centre and Kent was badly affected). Now people in several other countries have been diagnosed with this new variant. It seems to be even more infectious than other mutations, although not so deadly; perhaps time will tell on that score. It feels like it did a year ago, when we all became aware of the presence of an infectious virus causing breathing difficulties in a large city called Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province. Who among us had even heard of Wuhan? The virus spread, infecting each country. And many imposed some kind of lockdown and limited travel, as scenes of severe illness and deaths mounted. Italy, France and Spain, in Europe, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, were hit very hard, as was New York. Then much of the world imposed some kind of lock down, with varying degrees of support for local citizens. Cruise ships stopped cruising, aeroplanes stopped flying, much travel stopped as crew became infected as well as passengers. Travel was seen as one of the main vectors of infection, as well as care homes, prisons, educational institutions, meat processing plants – anywhere people are gathered together, sharing common spaces. People were asked to work from home, if they could. Zoom flourished. Employers treated their staff in various ways, some generous, and most really mean. Now the coronavirus has spread everywhere. These profound changes affected everyone in some way.

What has been interesting, despite its devastation, has been how different countries responded. As a Kiwi epidemiologist said recently, all governments got the same information. How they handled it differed greatly. Societies like the US valued business and money over everything; thankfully the NZ government valued human life, and prioritised the health and safety of its population. Consequently NZ has been lightly hit by the virus, although last March was a very scary time; we quickly saw the results of our severe lock down, and then things could reopen: schools, sports, concerts, churches, cinemas, cafés etc. Thankfully, Maori and Pasifika have not been disproportionately affected by this illness.

Thankfully, New Zealand has enjoyed one of the best responses. Fearing that the public health system would be overwhelmed if cases continued to rise (and yes, I remember how scary it was when we cracked 100, getting 102 new cases one day), the borders were closed, testing standardised and accumulated nationally, and we sat tight in a severe lock down until new cases diminished. New Zealand also arranged for kiwis to come home, ensuring they remained in managed quarantine facilities for 14 days on arrival. They were tested on day 3 and day 12, and any who tested positive were sent to another isolation facility. The government held daily press conferences at 1 pm, and these quickly became required viewing. Systems were tweaked until they became effective. Most kiwis played by the rules, and despite some frustration, accepted restrictions designed to protect us all.

There were some splutters, some escapes, but the Defence Force has been manning MIQ facilities with a considerable degree of success. A community outbreak in Auckland in August caused New Zealand to go back and impose localised restrictions: the Auckland area was to go to level 3, and the rest of New Zealand to level 2. A masking mandate was imposed for public transport for a time.

Once the local cluster had died down, things went back to the new normal. Thanks to the four-level system, we know where we stand and what to do. But we grieve for those overseas who are still struggling with fear, loneliness, and a complete change to their former lifestyles of travelling, eating out, and seeing others.

In Australia, a further community cluster has broken out in Sydney; this after a serious cluster occurred in Victoria, and was managed by severe lockdowns over several weeks. Sydney are now thinking of abandoning New Year’s Eve fireworks. Last year much of Australia (or so it seemed) was fighting severe bush fires. Now there is another crisis to manage.

I am reading A Gentleman in Moscow, a novel about a Russian aristocrat who returns to Russia and after the 1917 revolution is confined to house arrest at Moscow’s Metropole Hotel. What adventures he has! His prison is not really a prison, showing that limitations on one’s personal space need not be limiting.

In New Zealand, we are hoping for summer weather: fine and warm and dry, just not too hot. Meanwhile, we hang on for vaccines, and for seeing our loved ones again; perhaps of travelling again some day.  Ngā mini.

Link to Concert at Nȏtre Dame: https://youtu.be/rhPiJ2Fk5nk

Today is Christmas Day. It is 4:23 am. Kia kaha! Mere kirimete!

We are in Napier. It would be fair to say there have been various challenges.

We drove up from Wellington on Wednesday, leaving at 12:15 pm.  Traffic was fine, and we were happily speeding along the ever-advancing expressway, when we ran into a queue and stalled for what seemed like a long time. The traffic queue barely moved at all. Finally we reached Otaki at about 2:45 pm, and stopped there, although the traffic was still quite heavy. By now we worried that cafés would be closed as we slowly drove north, and I was hungry. We had a late lunch, and headed north again. Now the traffic was queued heading south. At this stage there were no reports of accidents, although later we heard there had been an accident around Otaki, and SH1 had been closed for a time. Reports of heavy traffic continued throughout the day, and I think we got off lightly, all things considered. The persistent rain was also a nuisance for much of our journey.

We got to Napier, where it was fine, but not too warm. We went shopping at New World in Greenmeadows, and had supper in our motel.

During the night I struggled with the computer. My mobile phone won’t connect to the internet, and this is extremely annoying. I decided to put off getting a new phone until after Christmas, seeing there is difficulty in having a package delivered at this time.  But although I can play podcasts on my laptop, there are various problems with doing so. I have to unlock it frequently; it’s not intuitive, like my phone was: I have to key in the exact address, and I can’t see the keyboard in the dark.  I could use JD’s mobile phone, in theory, but it’s difficult to regulate the sound and the brightness. It’s also very hard to use his phone if it’s not beside my bed!  I am used to having my phone close by, with headphones plugged in, and the brightness and sound already turned down. My phone also “knows” what newspaper and podcast sites I’m after.

It’s also annoying not to be able to look up opening hours for favourite cafés, road blockages, weather forecasts and so on.

On Christmas Eve we did last minute Christmas shopping, and had lunch at Cappadonna.  Then we picked Vicky up, and went to Taradale, where we looked at a rather nice Paper Plus store and bought our daughter an art magazine. Then we went to the Hohepa Shop, but alas that was closed.  We drove to Havelock North and visited Bellatino’s, but they had a very poor cheese selection, with no Hohepa Cheese; the store was much smaller than I remembered it, and quite crowded.  We looked at some stores, but the cafés were all closing, and we went back to the motel for afternoon tea.

On arriving back, we discovered that the housekeeping had not been done. The bed was still unmade, the used towels still on the bathroom floor, and a rather large amount of unwashed dishes in the sink. How very annoying!  One of the reasons we stay in a motel, rather than at a cheaper Airbnb, is that I don’t have to make the bed or do the dishes! Housekeeping had called while I was still in the bathroom; evidently JD communicated not to come back, rather than giving us 30 minutes, say. I made the bed; JD set about getting clean towels, and I left him to do the dishes (he didn’t do all of them). There is no housekeeping expected on Christmas Day, so this was extra annoying.

We had an early dinner at Café de Laos – what a lovely place to go. They were very welcoming there.  Afterwards we went shopping again, at Greenmeadows. Surprisingly, the music played was not Christmas Carols. Everyone was very friendly. How fortunate we are to be here, and I think most Kiwis realise this.

On the Christmas Eve we “watched” and listened to Nights on RNZ, and heard some inspiring stories of kiwis overseas, making the best of things. During the night there has been activity upstairs from our unit: someone using the bathroom; someone walking around; some strange noises. (We learnt the next day that a couple had left the spa bath tap running, and gone to sleep, resulting in an overflow and quite a a lot of damage, including to the downstairs unit next to us). For me, it has been a spectacularly bad night. I listened to two long podcasts decrying Trump’s lack of knowledge about foreign affairs, and the evident tie Putin has over him. Both were very depressing.

This morning we wrapped up remaining Christmas gifts. The temperature in Napier is 22 degrees Celsius, which is not too hot. It should be a lovely day.

Overseas, things are just not great. In the US, Trump now argues that the relief deal, negotiated between Republicans and Democrats, is now not generous enough. He hasn’t signed it; apparently he’s off to Mar a Lago. The US is in chaos, with huge concern being expressed about the relief package, which is urgently needed, the distribution of vaccines, Russia’s recent cyber attack, and the general chaos that prevails.

In the UK, things are very restricted, but Boris Johnson has negotiated a deal with the EU for Great Britain to leave the EU. Details of the arrangement are not forthcoming as yet.

We had a very nice Christmas lunch with our daughter, and reflected on how well we have survived this very strange year. We spoke to our loved ones in the US, and it is great to see them all looking well. The parcel we sent by mail has arrived, although it was posted a day late.

In the afternoon I continued reading A Gentleman in Moscow.  I am about half-way through this delightful book. It has just got on to the Holodomor, the dreadful famine in Ukraine in the 1930’s, a manmade disaster when Stalin ordered collectivisation of the kulaks, and sold the grain overseas. This terrible event was memorialised in the film Mr Jones, about a Welsh journalist, Gareth Jones, who exposed the truth about the famine, despite dire threats to his own and others’ lives. He was later killed in Mongolia, a day before he turned 30 years old. A recent podcast, part of the Skullduggery series, also talks about the film and those events, noting that the New York Times’ man in Moscow, Walter Duranty, not only denied that there was a famine, but received a Pulitzer prize, despite being of very doubtful moral character. Duranty’s Pulitzer has not been revoked, or his picture taken down, despite his covering up the truth about the famine.

Here in Aotearoa Christmas celebrations have been muted, yet joyful. I think the main emotion is one of gratitude. We feel desperately for those overseas, where Christmas has been in effect cancelled in many countries. It seems as though vaccines are to be this year’s Christmas present, but people will have to hang on to receive them. We hope and pray that our loved ones will indeed keep up their cautious recommended behaviours to stay safe, and soon get vaccinated and protected from Covid 19. In the meantime, the new extra-infectious variant is almost certain to come here at some stage. I should like to think we are prepared. Ngā mihi.

Today is Sunday December 20^th. Kia ora katoa.

What an odd time it is. Here in New Zealand, Christmas celebrations and decorations are very muted, with many people opting for miniature Christmas trees. It seems odder than ever to be celebrating Christmas in a traditional way in what we hope will be hot, summer weather.  The weather here is very changeable, being hot some days, and quite cold on others. The wind is still with us. The most irritating aspect has to be the badly sung Christmas carols you encounter in the supermarket. I prefer Christmas carols sung in traditional ways, by people who are indeed Christians. I don’t think anyone’s loved ones are flying home for Christmas, and we are certainly not joining them.

We will head north to spend Christmas with our daughter, and share this time with some of our Hohepa friends. We have given the grandchildren their presents. I bought myself a copy of Tableland; JD bought himself the latest Lee Child novel. We will probably buy some more stuff to give Vicky for Christmas.

Overseas, despite the promise of effective vaccines, Covid 19 edges ever closer to our loved ones.  In the US, the distribution of vaccines seems to have been messed up. Is this because of the severe snowstorm in the North-west of the US, or is it evidence of Trump messing things up even further?

In the UK, a new even more infectious strain of the coronavirus has emerged, and Christmas regulations, already quite draconian, are becoming even more so, with a Tier 4 introduced.  A cluster of infections has broken out in Sydney. The dream of a travel-bubble between New Zealand and Australia in the first quarter of 2021 remains just that, a dream.

The Book Depository has cancelled my order of John le Carré’s A Pigeon Tunnel; perhaps instead I shall order a copy of Betrayal in Berlin, by Steve Vogel. I read it in a rush and returned it, already overdue, to the library last Friday, but it was a good read, and I should like to have spent more time on it. I am now reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.  What an interesting novel it is! Very civilised. I am quite enjoying it.

Last week I met my cousin for lunch on Monday; Tuesday was a quiet day but on Wednesday I went to hymn singing (we sang O Holy Night), and then to a movie at the Khandallah Town Hall – Last Christmas. I had seen it before, but it bears seeing again. Afterwards we had a lovely Christmas lunch together.

On Thursday we had a last singing session for the year, and I met two friends in the afternoon. On Friday my cleaner came, and on Saturday I had my hair done. On Sunday I made another Christmas cake. What a lot of work, even though it was supposedly easy! I hope it tastes good. I overcooked it – really annoying, after all that hard work.

Overseas, in the US, it seems to be one step forward for Joe Biden and his team, followed by two steps backwards. Trump still has a month in power, and while he’s not doing his job as president, I am sure he’s conniving behind the scenes as to how he can further foul up the works, and ensure that he will not be forgotten. Many US citizens seem to believe, despite failed court cases, that the election was fraudulent, and that Biden is not legitimately the President-elect. There are all kinds of issues with delays to the transition, although Biden’s election has been confirmed by the Electoral College, William Barr has stepped down as Attorney-General, and Mitch McConnell has congratulated Biden on being President-elect in the Senate; he was surprisingly gracious and congratulated “our colleague” Senator Kamala Harris in being Vice-President elect.  The Congress and the Senate have still not quite managed to pass a relief bill.

Meanwhile, as if there weren’t enough to worry about in this dangerous interim period, the Russians have hacked the computer systems of several government departments. The damage caused by these hacks is extensive, and potentially long lasting, in that there are fears that code has been embedded to activate at some later date(s).  It does not seem that the extent of the damage is understood yet. Pompeo has admitted (although this was promptly denied by Trump) that the Russians were probably responsible. In a supreme irony, it was Microsoft that alerted the US government to this intrusion. This intrusion has been going on for nine months!

There seems to be an ever-growing gap between facts (reality) and falsehood. The kind of denial we have seen over the pervasiveness of the coronavirus, has spread into denying that Trump lost the election, and denying the effectiveness and probable safety of the vaccines. The growing number of deaths (now 315,000) seems not to deter these people. There are death threats against quite ordinary officials, as well as politicians such as Brian Kemp; these are truly alarming. And this from the pro-life party…One of the ten commandments says “Thou shalt not kill”.

Now it is Monday, December 21st. In the US, a relief package has been passed by the Senate. Let’s hope it is approved by Congress and by Trump: McConnell says this package has been agreed: what does that mean, exactly?  I’m sure the relief can’t come soon enough for many, but one wonders what corporate relief has been included?

In the UK, Boris Johnson has in effect cancelled Christmas. Bojo seems to be really “freaking out” about this virulent, new strain of the virus, although he’s been mocked by Trump, and no doubt many in the UK will be quite upset about the restrictions.  I just listened to an update stating that as suspected, Kent is in the new tier 4; that the new strain is extremely infectious (and we don’t know if vaccines are effective against this mutation); and people are advised to start unpacking, if they were packing to go away; gatherings are severely restricted. Several European countries have banned travellers from the UK.

I think of it as being like wartime: there are huge restrictions on travel, on communication, and on some kinds of foods. In some places there are curfews (not yet introduced, but masks are mandated in certain areas).  The Sydney cluster is growing (15 new cases today), and I feel there is bound to be another outbreak here in New Zealand. Although we’re pretty much acting as normal, we’ve been warned that over the festive season there could be another outbreak, and we’ve been advised to keep track of where we’ve been. I’m sure we could spring right back into higher levels, if needed. One hopes it won’t be needed. At least it’s summer here, and people can be outside. We don’t go crazy over Christmas here, thankfully. I think gratitude is the main emotion: being thankful that we are here, thankful that vaccines have been approved, and, for some of us, thankful for the birth of our Lod and Saviour, Jesus Christ – the reason for the season. Ngā mihi.

Today is Tuesday December 15^th. Kia ora katoa.

We learnt yesterday that John Le Carré has died, of pneumonia, aged 89. While by his own admission he was not a great husband or father, he did write some wonderful books, which have turned into some great films and television series. The books mostly bear re-reading. I realised after a while that the writing was formulaic in many respects; that made it easier to understand what was going on. I do admit that I didn’t really understand “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” when I first read it; the BBC made a marvellous seven-part television series of it in 1989, starring the wonderful Alec Guinness as George Smiley, and Ian Richardson as Bill Haydon, along with a host of other famous stars. I remember that local newspapers published guides to the series, so that we could all watch it and understand it. You can still watch it on Youtube. The music is directed by Geoffrey Burgon, and features a singing of the Nunc Dimittis at the end of each episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3suBkZ1aIg

Both the book and the series bear re-watching and re-reading. The 2011 film was very good, but not as good as the TV series, in my view.

Le Carré is also famous for an earlier novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold; this was turned into a black and white film starring Richard Burton. I did not enjoy this so much; the characters were too flawed and their lives too difficult for me.

I guess le Carré’s Cold War novels made the most impact on me, just as The Great Depression (aka “The Slump”) and the Second World War had enormously dominating effects on my parents’ lives, and those off most of their generation. I remember the Berlin Wall going up; JD and I went through Checkpoint Charlie, and saw at first hand the contrast between the bustling, colourful West Berlin with its feeling that all might die tomorrow, and the gray, drabness of both East Berlin and East Germany, through which we travelled by train. The people of West Berlin tried to avoid the railway, run as it was by East Germany. We also enjoyed Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies movie with Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, remembering the U2 flights and pilot Gary Powers, and the great fear of a nuclear conflict that would make the earth uninhabitable in most places. We also saw the Berlin Wall come down at the end of 1989, whereas for many years it looked as though this it was there for ever.

Le Carré is also famous for a series of novels featuring George Smiley (played by Alec Guinness):  The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley’s People, which was also made into a great TV series.  After the unmasking of the mole, it wasn’t really possible to clean up the mess, as demonstrated by these novels. In reality, there were several British spies working for the Russians as well as Philby and MacLean (the Cambridge Five, George Blake), and despite the charming Kim Philby’s treason, it took years to unmask the rest. I fear it will be so after Trump’s presidency, if the Americans ever get rid of him. Even if Joe Biden is sworn in as president, there are so many priorities for putting things back to some kind of order, and dealing with the pandemic and providing some economic relief must be high on the list of priorities, quite apart from putting guard-rails in place against the very extensive powers of the American president.

Le Carré also wrote A Perfect Spy, which is based on memories of his father, Ronnie; this was also made into a television series.  Le Carré packed a huge amount of detail into his novels.  He later turned his focus to the post-Cold War period, writing about a wide range of countries, characters, and issues. The Night Manager was made into a TV series; The Russia House into a film starring Sean Connery; A Most Wanted Man into a wonderful film, starring the late James Seymour Hoffman; Our Kind of Traitor into another film starring Damian Lewis. He also wrote a memoir, titled The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from my Life, which many of us scanned avidly for insights into the real Le Carré. One suspects he was only giving certain secrets away; that the habit of secrecy was engrained in him.

I am omitting to mention The Constant Gardener, which was made into a film starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz, and The Little Drummer Girl, recently made into a television series starring Florence Pugh and Alexander Sarsgaard.  This book I found very scary to read. It got right into the Middle East conflict, and the efforts by the Israelis to subvert Middle Eastern terrorism.

I still think my favourite has to be Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, both the novel and the TV series. What a profound effect he has had on the worlds of writing and filming, to say nothing of spying. I really don’t think anyone else can hold a candle to him, although perhaps others would disagree with me.

Le Carré was so prolific that for many years there was a new book every Christmas, tempting one to buy a copy for someone. All his books were well-researched, with a large amount of sometimes bewildering detail. For many years I thought how nice it would be to curl up with a book on Christmas Day, after doing my duty in terms of producing Christmas Dinner.  Now I can do this, although it doesn’t seem so much fun. One of my daughters-in-law has a nice Christmas tradition of reading a play by Shakespeare. I remember a spirited reading of Julius Caesar, a highlight one year.

I feel a whole lot of re-reading coming on, and the need to get my own copy of The Pigeon Tunnel. On our first skimmed reading, I realised it goes some way towards explaining my husband’s fractured relationship with his own parents.

Back in the real world, two of my sons have been active on messenger, and in the US, enough votes have been cast in the Electoral College to award Biden the Presidency. There is still a meeting of Congress to be held on January 6, but another big hurdle has been passed. Just stay well, Joe, and become inaugurated as US President!  We’re all rooting for you, in the so-called free world. Free for democracy! Meanwhile, another grim milestone has been passed. There have officially been 300,000 deaths in the US from the coronavirus.

There is more good news today. Apparently Bill Barr is stepping down as Attorney-General, “to spend more time with his family”. Haha! That old canard, again. Well, Bill, many didn’t really want a bar of you.

I will write about Tableland, but that will have too be another episode. Ngā mihi.

Today is Monday December 14^th. Kia ora katoa.

We are rushing – walking – striding- towards Christmas, whatever Christmas means to us all in this strange year. There’s no rush. Here in New Zealand, we are truly grateful to be able to “do stuff”. But hey, there’s not much rush to “do it”. I am thankful that this usually very commercial occasion seems to me a great deal more down-market and low-key this year. Many of us are thankful just to be alive, to have a kind and gracious government, re-elected, and not to have our loved ones die from Covid 19.

Last Monday we drove back from Napier, where my daughter had her 30^th birthday on the Sunday. Our brief trip to Napier was very enjoyable.  One of my sons and his family came too, and stayed not far from us. The weather was fine and warm, but not too hot. My daughter played games with her three-year old nephew. On Sunday, a group of 15 of us had lunch at a pub in Ahuriri. We had a separate room upstairs, it was decorated, and they looked after us really well. The birthday cake, a chocolate cake, was beautiful. That evening, we took our daughter to the Paradise Play at the Clive Hall, an annual event. This was very moving and enjoyable. It was nice to go again, although I missed the Christmas Market they usually have at this time of year.

On Tuesday I had an eye-brow shaping, on Wednesday I went to hymn singing (Joy to the World, In the Bleak Midwinter – it was wet and overcast, though not cold), and then went into the CBD and bought a copy of Tableland by Ray Salisbury from Unity Books. More on that in another blog.

On Thursday morning we had singing, and we sang outside the Khandallah Town Hall – not Christmas carols but songs like Hine e Hine, Chanson D’Amour, Moon River, and Waterloo. We had a lovely receptive audience who listened and clapped, including Fiona and Penny from the Community Centre Office.

On Friday we had our final art group meeting for the year. The day started out fine and warm, but it became very windy, so the plan to sketch outside was abandoned, and instead we watched  a very interesting DVD about Picasso, mainly about the influences on his work, and how some paintings built up. I especially liked a painting about bull-fighting. For many paintings my reaction was that he should have stopped, and stopped fiddling with them. Many of his figures started out as one form, and became something else altogether. This DVD featured pictures of him painting, so we could see how he built up a painting.

On Saturday I made a vegan, gluten-free Christmas cake.

One highlight of the week was attending a performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Michael Fowler Centre.  This was wonderful, and a crowded performance, with many wheelchairs and walkers there.  It was slightly spoiled for me by two things – a lot of coughing, and the woman behind us, who, during Part One, insisted on singing along to the Choruses, just slightly behind them.  I thought about crying babies on aeroplanes, and decided this was not that annoying, and I wouldn’t let it spoil things for me.

We had been given programmes, and the musical score for the Hallelujah Chorus, and we were invited not just to stand for this, but to sing along too. This was going to be my big moment, but for the lady behind us, it was hers. She sang very loudly, in a slightly out of tune alto. I had to leave it to her.

The soprano soloist’s singing of I Know that my Redeemer Liveth was truly wonderful. The whole performance was wonderful, quite intimate, and very enjoyable. The Tudor Consort made wonderful sounds. The wonderful Gemma New, the conductor, seemed to have boundless energy and draw the best out of everyone, be they singer or player in this great work.

On Sunday we went to see the Frances Hodgkins exhibition at Victoria University’s Adam Art Gallery.  There were lots of wonderful paintings, on three levels. There were wide staircases, but a handrail on only one side; and this on different sides of the two long staircases. There was a lift, but we weren’t encouraged to use it. The university, in its wisdom, has made this place really difficult to move around. This is just so frustrating. Anyone would be badly injured by falling down the stairs, and this is the university, for goodness’ sake! It was the last day for the exhibition, and despite the access issues, it was well worth seeing. I had not known it was on here, after we missed seeing it in Auckland last year.

After this we had a very enjoyable family afternoon tea and gave the children their Christmas presents.

This coming week are my last singing sessions for 2020, and then we drive to Napier to spend Christmas with my daughter. Meanwhile, I am trying to finish a library book, Betrayal in Berlin, by Steve Vogel, which is due back.

I did finish reading Marilynne Robinson’s Jack. What a frustrating love story! Jack, a ne’er-do-well, and Della, a beautiful and talented black woman fall in love. She is a schoolteacher, her father is a bishop, and her family strongly urge her to break off the relationship. It is against the law for them to marry. Della is at risk of losing her school-teaching job if she is associated with Jack. The book is written from Jack’s perspective, and seems very effective; it rings true, although I don’t know what a guy’s perspective would be. He has no prospects, no property, no regular job, not even a place to live. It’s suggested that he earlier got a girl (“white trash”) pregnant, and his family took over raising the child, who later got ill and died. Perhaps I have some of these details wrong. The book ends with Della pregnant, and Della and Jack together. They love each other, there is much grace in this relationship, and yet what prospects can they (and their child) have, but to be outcasts in that society in which they find themselves? There are no good answers here. Perhaps the US has come some way since those post-WW2 days.

Meanwhile, in the US, despite there being so many clever people, everything seems to be in tatters. The coronavirus has killed almost 300,000 people (today’s official figure is 299,000): they have the equivalent of a 9/11 some days in terms of deaths. Thus far, the Senate has failed to vote a relief package. People, desperately hungry, are stealing food to survive. There are long lines at food banks, although one wonders how people can afford gas to run their cars. Despite the desperate poverty of the Great Depression of the 1930’s (that Great Depression, not the GFC), people are not really geared up for this kind of crisis, in a country where footpaths are rare.

Trump is still fighting the results of the presidential election, although we heard on Friday with great relief that the US Supreme Court rejected a bid from the Texas Attorney-General to overturn the election. While this was, like previous legal cases, a desperately silly attempt to change the outcome, many Republican AGs and some senators signed on to it, signing their names, not just offering verbal support.  This has been truly scary, a terrifying effort to subvert democracy and disenfranchise certain voters.

The good news is that the FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine for use, but Trump’s White House turned down an offer for an option on extra doses. The upshot of this is that quite apart from the distribution issues, there won’t be enough of the vaccine to go around. The rest of the world just wonders, and continues to wonder. This wouldn’t matter quite so much if we didn’t have loved ones there, apart from the fact that the US has a great effect on the rest of the world. One would have thought that Biden winning the election would be enough. But, sadly, it’s not. The Electoral College is due to vote on the US president on December 14, i.e. today, when it comes around in the US. There is some complicated factor that there could be further shenanigans, but one hopes that Biden is elected by the Electoral College, and safely inaugurated as President on January 20. After that, it doesn’t matter nearly so much what happens.  At some point, we can cast a further sign of relief. Oh, and there are the Georgia run-off elections on January 5^th.

It has to be truly alarming that the government of one of the biggest countries in the world, that country having a large sense of entitlement, is in such disarray, with its democratic “norms” in tatters; and what about the Black Lives Matter protests and George Floyd’s death at the hands of police?  Did this count for anything?  Why did more people vote for Trump than in 2016? Why did Republicans politicians do so well? Why do so many care about the unborn, yet advocate death for their political opponents? After birth, human life seems to have little, if any, value there.

Since many are reflecting back on 2020, and all its challenges, that changed our lives everywhere, in ways we did not anticipate…my analogy is that it’s like being at war, with fear and restrictions. In our bubble her, thankfully, we have been kept safe.

While I realise it has been very hard for many folk, and continues to be really difficult in places like the UK and the US, it has been a circuit-breaker for me personally, and I still wonder at the turnaround for me that the Covid 19 restrictions have brought about.  I try to understand others’ frustration, and there have been some frustrations for me, but, by and large, I have been fine. I could be an invalid; could stay in bed without feeling guilty; the weather was kind; most of us were well; it was great to have some things not happen; despite dire stories in the news media, the local economy seems to be booming; after all, some businesses will go to the wall, if they weren’t meant to be; and it’s a big relief to have a huge reduction in overseas travel. The lessening of advertising for cruise trips, and stories about gut health, have been greatly welcome. We have enjoyed some wonderful music and books; we have also enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) wonderful concerts at greatly reduced ticket prices, with programmes being given to us for free. One can go to these live performances with no greater fear than normal, of catching something. I doubt that really ill people would go to concerts. While we wouldn’t want to go back to our strict lockdown, here, it was amazing in August how stores reacted by putting up QR codes, and taking remedial actions to keep everyone safe. The wearing of masks on public transport was mandated, and so everyone complied. When the mandate was lifted, the masks stayed off too. Most, if not all of us here have benefitted from slowing down.  Ngā mihi.

Today is Sunday November 29^th. Kia ora!

Today I am writing about a house that featured in some of my earliest memories. Two of my cousins have confirmed that it featured in theirs, too, so I know I am not making this up. This lovely place, where some of my family lived, has engendered true memories that live on today. I also remember the hymn singing making me cry (true), and the Queen’s visit in 1953-54, or perhaps I’ve conjured up memories of that. I recall queueing up in Tinakori Road for a long time, and having the royal car pointed out to me in the distance; we weren’t nearly close enough to see her, and I was disappointed to learn that she wasn’t wearing a crown – that  was just for ceremonial occasions, and she was just an ordinarily dressed, rather small woman. Nevertheless, New Zealanders, like Australians, turned out in droves to be part of the adoring crowd.

Much later I again saw her drive past, quite close, and was disappointed at how small, pale, and ordinary-looking she was. I was told that she was going to walk up the drive to the Mary Potter Hospice and perhaps speak to some of us, nevertheless, she wisely stayed in her car and drive past us.

But back to Tasman Street in Nelson, where my grandparents, Roger and Ethel Salisbury, lived for a time. Their daughter, my mother had grown up on a farm at Ngatimoti, or Pokororo. She used both names. After all their five children had grown up, my maternal grandparents left the farm and moved to Nelson, living I think in somewhere else before moving to Tasman Street.

My maternal grandfather (Papa) was Roger Lister Salisbury, the sixth child of John Park Salisbury (1833 – 1893). John Park Salisbury married Clara Agnes Deck in 1860, and they had eight children, including two daughters.

John Park Salisbury was born in Dudley, Worcestershire, England, and was educated as a lawyer. I thought the family lived in Lancaster for a time, but I can’t find a record of this. He came to Australia, then New Zealand, and prospected for gold, as well as being a missionary. He was a great walker, once walking from Motueka to Nelson.

One of his sons, Roger Lister, married my grandmother, Ethel Griffin, when he was forty and she twenty-five years old. They lived on a farm where they baked their own bread, churned their own butter, grew their own vegetables, and Papa killed a sheep when they needed meat. They had five children, but there were people to help, too. They were largely self-sufficient. My mother had two wishes: one, that I’d had brothers, and two, that I’d been raised on a farm. She was a country-girl at heart, and longed for peace, quiet, and deserted places where we would have picnics (often at stony beaches).

I remember visiting Nana and Papa at the house on Tasman Street, where they lived downstairs, and two aunts (who never married), lived upstairs.  By this time Papa was quite blind. He had glaucoma, which hadn’t been treated properly. He died in the early 1950’s, and I wasn’t allowed to go to his funeral. After his death, the house was sold, and my Nana moved to Wellington; the aunts bought another very nice house in Nelson, although not nearly as large and gracious as this one.

The house at Tasman Street was quite magical. I remember visiting there with my mother, after crossing Cook Strait on the old Tamahine. It was always called the old Tamahine, in those days when despite Nelson being so close, domestic flying was rare.  The house was large and gracious, although I remember it being quite dark inside. Upstairs was a large sitting room, and an organ, which I attempted to play, fiddling with the stops (I couldn’t reach the pedals). The grown-ups graciously allowed me to do this.

Outside, there was a large garden. I remember the hen house, and the stream running at the bottom of the garden.  The Queens Gardens is a lovely spot, still at the other end of Tasman Street; they are adjoined by the Suter Gallery, a lovely Gallery with a very nice café.

Wednesday December 2^nd.

Back to the here and now. In New Zealand we are celebrating family birthdays as we experience Advent and the lead up to Christmas. Thank goodness it is a bit more low-key this year. Here we can celebrate Christmas, but in much of the world it will be a muted affair. Later this week we go to Hawkes Bay for my daughter’s birthday. On Sunday evening they have the Paradise Play. One wonders how they will do it this year, given that overseas volunteers have not been able to come here in this pandemic year. I am quite happy for things to be low-key.

My Tai chi has finished for the year; other things are winding down. There is still heavy rain here sometimes: after severe flooding in Napier, there was severe rain and some flooding in Plimmerton, causing SH1 to be closed for a time, and some disruption to public transport.  The weather varies in extreme ways: most days it rains; sometimes it is very windy; sometimes the sun comes out and it’s really hot; sometimes we have it all in one day. The weather remains unpredictable, although a hot summer is predicted. I hope it doesn’t get too hot, we’re not cut out for it here; most houses don’t have air-conditioning, and it can be very hard to turn the oven on in the heat. My kitchen is not well-ventilated.

In Monday’s newspaper there was an apology, to Māori, for racism in reporting over the years.  I think this is quite remarkable. Full credit to Te Upoko-O-Te-Ika (The Dom Post) for this move.

Overseas, the Covid 19 crisis in the US just gets worse and worse. Hospitals are full; people are scared; meanwhile, Trump tries to hold on to the job of President, which he is patently not doing.  Biden and Harris now get the President’s Daily Brief (the PDB); how interesting it would be to be a fly on the wall for that!

This morning it was reported in the Guardian (and US papers) that Attorney General William Barr said there was no evidence of wide-spread fraud in the recent election. Earlier this week Scott Atlas resigned.  I feel as though the message, that Joe Biden is going to be president, is getting through. Trump’s denunciation of Brian Kemp and Doug Ducey (Republican State Governors of Georgia and Arizona, respectively), his former besties, has got to be a humiliating and crazy move, but hey, it has happened, later rather than sooner, after the governors actually stood up for democratic principles. The craziness and the conspiracies continue, but Biden continues too, with his ever-growing team of thoughtful, intelligent, well-educated people.

That’s it for now. Ngā mihi.

Today is Tuesday November 24^th. Kia ora katoa.

It is several days since I last blogged. It has been quite a busy time, but I have been feeling quite anxious, too, for various reasons.  I guess my main concerns have been the worsening coronavirus pandemic overseas (we continue to live here in what I hope is not a fool’s paradise!), and the stalemate over the US Presidential election. Apparently today it has been announced that Biden is the “apparent winner” of the election, and the transition is to begin formally (I would say “to formally begin”, but that would be a split infinitive: something I can’t bring myself to do!)

I have been to my usual activities: Tai Chi, hymn singing, and my regular Thursday morning singing. I have been to Queensgate Shopping Centre, and immediately wondered why – it’s noisy, busy and chaotic. The reason I go there is they have a rather nice H & M Store there. I was interested that all but one of the counters was cash-free; I wanted to pay by cash, so I had to wait for the one counter that would handle my purchase.

Last week got very busy. On Thursday, I enjoyed having lunch with some friends. On Thursday evening there was an impromptu meeting with some Hohepa folk.  This was welcome, but it was in Kilbirnie. Nevertheless, we went, and I enjoyed it. On Friday my cleaner came (necessitating a tidy-up first!), and two cousins came for afternoon tea (one of them was down from Auckland). On Saturday afternoon there was a birthday party out in Te Marua (an event which had its own challenges); on Sunday we went to see the film “Secret Impressionists”, and shared savoury and sweet pancakes afterwards.  The paintings were just wonderful. Some are privately owned, and I had seen none of them in real life. It struck me how Renoir painted beautiful and happy women; Monet didn’t paint any women; Berthe Morisot was a wonderful female artist; and I don’t know of any paintings by Picasso of happy women.

This morning we had to leave extra early. I was shocked to read a death notice in the newspaper of someone I used to know quite well. Evidently he died of cancer although I didn’t know he had been unwell.  I want to send flowers, but evidently the family home I last knew has been sold. I have to admit I feel quite unsettled by this. The funeral is to be on Thursday morning, so I will have to miss singing that day. I feel I should definitely go to the funeral. Perhaps I can leave a card with the Funeral Director tomorrow.

This morning I went to Tai Chi, my second-to-last class for the year. Four of us are to have lunch together next week, after the last class.  I will then look forward to Summer Tai Chi at the Aotea Lagoon, weather permitting.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to catching up with a friend. On Saturday one of my grandchildren has a birthday party.

Overseas, the Covid 19 statistics continue to be nightmarish.  The US is affected all over now; in the UK, a four-week lock down has been imposed, with a three-tier system to follow, which seems incomprehensible. The good news is that some vaccines (three, at this stage), look promising, heralding an escape from this potentially dangerous situation. While here in New Zealand we are able to go to cafes, churches, concerts, and cinemas; play sport, and live pretty much as normal, but without overseas travel, even to and from Australia.

It is now Friday. The weather is quite warm, although quite windy too. Yesterday we went to the funeral of an acquaintance of ours. Sadly, although there were wonderful tributes, there were no hymns or prayers.  It rained throughout.

In the US, the presidential transition is underway, with amazingly steady, thoughtful, intelligent, well-educated people being appointed. There has been little, if any, pushback to these appointments. America (well, some Americans, and the rest of the world) exhales a sigh of relief – there is something to be thankful for, this Thanksgiving. I feel we are edging towards Biden’s inauguration as President on January 20^th, but there are still several days to go till then, and there’s still some apprehension, despite the so-far laughable legal efforts to cast doubt on some votes.

What is it with Thanksgiving?  What a strange celebration, with dried up turkey, far too much sugar, and suggestions for starters, soups, and desserts. Then there are the queues at airports. Dr Fauci suggested skipping Thanksgiving this year: someone said, if you celebrate this year, you may be facing empty chairs next year.  They have the perfect excuse not to make a big deal out of this.

Then there’s all the money spent, on food, travel, followed by Black Friday sales and hard on its heels, Christmas.  There was lots of money given to various election campaigns. Yet millions are in poverty, there are long queues at foodbanks, the water and air quality is just awful, and public health is not great. How come there is lots of money for some things, and none for others? The other night I watched “Hillbilly Elegy” on Netflix. Apparently after JD’s grandmother died, they found 19 handguns at her home.  How come buying guns is even a priority? The film is hard to watch at times, but I had read the book and wanted to see what they did with it. I’d have to say that in my judgment, it’s a good film, enhanced by the amazing performances of Glenn Close and Amy Adams.

I am reading Jack, by Marilynne Robinson, and Kyle Harper’s The Fate of Rome.  That book has a lot of statistics!  But it’s interesting how it takes climate change and disease into account as being big culprits in the roman Empire’s downfall. That’s it for now. Ngā mihi.

Today is Sunday November 15^th. Kia ora katoa. Kia kaha!

My tears of joy, when I heard a week ago that Biden had won the presidential election in the US have turned to tears of frustration and despair.

Why am I upset again? Trump is refusing to concede to Joe Biden, and the coronavirus pandemic is worse than ever.  Trump does nothing about it, but meanwhile Biden has set up a coronavirus taskforce, named Ron Klain as his chief of staff, and has many fine people in mind to do the many jobs that he will appoint people to do. Biden has been gracious, and has spoken well. Every time I hear him, he goes up in my estimation. There is great relief that he has worked in the White House before; that he’s been a Senator; that he knows his way around, despite his age, and that unlike Trump, he is actually good at making deals. For a 78 year old, he seems to have plenty of energy.  I hear only good things about him. I sincerely hope that he stays well, and alive.

Many overseas leaders have congratulated him on winning the presidential election, and now being “president-elect”, but few republican politicians have. As Joe Biden said, memorably, it is an “embarrassment” that the US is in this situation, that the transition can’t forge ahead in the way it would like to.

Trump’s lawsuits are failing, and yet he has millions of supporters, who echo his claim that the election was somehow rigged, or stolen from him. Biden received many more votes. There are fears of a literal coup breaking out, while a metaphorical one is underway.  It occurs to me that if he (Trump) really loved his country so much, he would take steps to prevent so many of its people getting ill and dying.  It’s ironic that steps being taken now to manage it, such as mask mandates, shelter-in-place orders, and closing of certain facilities, seem to be much more readily accepted than previously. I am hearing no more silly talk of ones’ “freedoms”.

Back here, it has been quite a busy week again. It has been cold and windy, although it is very warm today.  My Tai chi class on Tuesday was very pleasant, although it was raining outside; I sang hymns on Wednesday morning, and confess I did not know any of the tunes! On Wednesday afternoon I got my hair cut, and on Thursday morning I had singing. On Friday we had our art session, and I painted people dancing in the streets, with the US Capitol in the background.  There was great rejoicing, but no MAGA caps, no American flags, and no guns: just pure joy, tempered by relief.  After painting we went to a café. Although I didn’t feel great beforehand, I enjoyed it once I was there.

Overshadowing all this has been severe flooding in Napier. We received messages from Hohepa and from our daughter’s house to say that they’re all right: this time, Clive has been spared the flooding that it sometimes gets. The Napier CBD was badly hit, and suburbs like Pirimai, Marewa, and Onekawa: the New World there (where I often shop) was badly flooded. So we feel for all the people there. Two Hohepa community houses had to be evacuated. Still, there is Hohepa land up in Poraiti, and households are easier to evacuate than Hohepa Clive.  I am reminded, again, that much of Napier is below sea-level. This problem is likely to get worse as sea-level is predicted to rise.

I have been doing some reading lately. I reserved several  books at the Library, and after waiting for several weeks, they have mostly come in at once, day after day. I have read Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile, and quite enjoyed reading it; I am now reading Marilynne Robinson’s Jack. I have read two reviews of Jack, and, while nothing much happens, it is a good read.  The library allowed me to renew it, and I am taking it slowly.

I also have on the go Dan Carlin’s The End is Always Near. I find his material on nuclear power frustrating, but his ancient history less so.  It’s interesting that this book was published in 2019 before coronavirus took hold of our lives: he says, that could never happen, thanks to modern medicine, but it just did. Although we are somewhat insulated here in New Zealand, it continues to affect our lives, and those of our loved ones.

I have Kyle Harper’s The Fate of Rome to read: I listened to a very interesting podcast featuring this author; I also have a Cold War spy story, Steve Vogel’s Betrayal in Berlin (not started yet, it just looked interesting at Unity Books).

Superseding all these, I am reading Anne Enright’s Actress, her book about her actress mother. I picked this up yesterday, and needless to say, I am engrossed in it. It’s always good to have several intriguing books on the go!

The Dom Post have put up their prices again. We’ve been through the “this is a luxury we can’t afford” argument, settling it with I really enjoy the puzzles, and I need to read the obituaries. It’s very important to know when friends and acquaintances pass away, as happens more and more frequently now.  It’s cheaper to get the Dom Post delivered, than to buy it at the shop. But the errors in journalism are so annoying – the headlines, to grab attention, the undue emphasis on individual emotional struggles – “heartbreak” is a much overused word.  At least they have stopped talking about “Covid refugees” (many of those returning – New Zealanders – have plenty of money and are buying houses sight unseen); there was talk about Napier houses being “inhabitable”, when clearly “uninhabitable” was meant. This has now been changed.  There has been some good investigative journalism, too. Well done, Dom Post. I suspect the new editor, Anna Fifield, is making a difference.The paper has shrunk, too, as many things have been let go: movie listings, TV film reviews, much of the previous stuff.  Nevertheless, I should like to give the new editor a go, and continue to support the newspaper.

It has been a concern last week (and continuing into this week) that the internet, and many of the applications I use, are running really slowly, if at all. Last Tuesday I could not send email messages to my daughter’s house in Napier. Calendar has been having issues; Stitcher which I use to listen to podcasts is not working properly. Everything takes ages to load. Chrome works sometimes better than others, sometimes not at all.  Some podcasts run for a while and then stop, and simply won’t go again. I liked using Stitcher, which shows how far into the podcast you are, but I don’t use it anymore.  This also causes frustration.

Meanwhile, the agony continues, as to when and how Trump will leave the White House, and when the transition will formally begin. Thank goodness there is lots of experience in Biden’s team as to how things should run, especially matters relating to national security. So much of the rest of the world’s security depends on this.

That’s it for now. Nga mihi.

Today is Sunday November 8^th. Kia ora katoa.

“Unto thee we give thanks, O God”, Ps 75.

Well, what a week it has been. The US presidential election was held last Wednesday (our time), but Tuesday November 3^rd in the US. I listened to endless podcasts. The polls were uniformly good for Joe Biden and the Democrats; they received huge money in donations, appearing to out-raise Republicans. Several states were thought to be competitive: Florida, Texas, North Carolina; Michigan and Wisconsin were predicted to go Democrat again; the Dems were poised to take control of the Senate: it was thought that some senators were so toxic – Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Ted Cruz, Linsey Graham and others – that they would be easily defeated by their democratic opponents. Obama campaigned for Biden, and what a joy it was to hear him speak again. There were photos of Biden’s socially responsible rallies, as opposed to Trump’s reckless rallies where few masks were seen, and lie after lie was told.

Some were fearful, seeing Trump out stoking fear of socialism (tell me, how is the US military funded? If that’s not socialistic, I don’t know what is), and demonising the Democrats, who would come for your guns, destroy God, destroy your “great” country. How can it be great when so many people are in poverty, and don’t have access to medical treatment, or even running water in some cases? Where there is deep, ingrained racialism; where there is far more concern for the unborn than for the living; I could go on and on.

Others were advising Democrats to relax and enjoy it, seeing they were going to romp to victory.  There were fears that Trump would not leave the White House, if/when defeated; there were big fears of violence, on the part of disappointed Democratic supporters, and vigilante-style Trump supporters, who were certain that Trump would win.  The huge lines of people waiting to do early voting were very inspiring. Although Trump tried to (and succeeded in) interfering with the US Postal Service, many people seemed to try very hard to cast a valid vote, and have it received and counted, although there were different rules in each state. There were many websites advising people what they should do.  It’s said there was a record turnout, but I have not been able to find out what percentage of eligible voters participated.

I had signed up with the UK’s Guardian to get alerts on my phone every time a result came through (i.e. a state was called for one of the contestants). The results started to come through on Wednesday. Trump took Texas and Florida early on, and few Senate seats were flipped; democrats lost some seats in the House of Representatives (Congress), although they maintained their majority. But it was evident that that supposed “blue wave” was a mirage, although Trump was evidently incensed when Fox News called Arizona for Biden.  I watched some news sites on Youtube, but the disappointment was only too real. I stuck with my Guardian reporting, which paralleled one of the two big US papers, I think the New York Times.  For days, they gave Biden 264 electoral college votes, as against Trump’s 214 (the target being 270).

For (what seemed) a long time – several days – we were in limbo, or purgatory, depending on which metaphor you prefer. In several swing states there was a fine margin between the two candidates: Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and North Colorado, as mail-in votes were counted. It became apparent that Biden was in the lead, and that his lead was increasing, although none of these states was called for what seemed like a long time.

Many of us were in a state of despair. I listened to people from the Lincoln Project talking about a car going very fast, and then braking suddenly; of feeling sick. For myself, I didn’t want to watch my favourite programmes or listen to my favourite podcasts; I couldn’t be distracted by any of my usually effective diversions. I felt totally discombobulated by this frustrating and unexpected result.  Biden’s success seemed so near, and yet so far. Mitch had not been ditched, or Trump dumped (yet). The major new networks were, rightly, wary of calling any results too soon.  Somehow news anchors kept their strength up, despite frustration, lack of sleep, and not knowing when announcements would be made.

I felt flummoxed, obsessed; I don’t live in the US, but Trump’s presidency has affected the whole world. Another four years of him as US President is unthinkable, but then it was unthinkable in 2016, too. Who would have thought he would withdraw the US from the Paris Climate Accord? Almost withdraw from NATO? Be so unkind, nasty, and generally useless at his job? Some of my and my friends’ loved ones live in the US.

Meanwhile, Trump made some really scary speeches, from the East Wing in the White House, and at a Press Conference he held there. It became apparent though, that people wanted every vote to be counted; and that this situation is totally unlike the Bush v. Gore one in the 2,000 election. Lawsuits are coming – raised by Giuliani, of all people, supported by Corey Lewandowsky. And where is Bill Barr, by the way? If Biden is president, he will be able to appoint the Attorney General.   With the predicted run-off election of the two Senate seats in Georgia, the Democrats have a chance to regain control of the Senate.

This morning the presidency was announced for Joe Biden. I woke early andgot an alert on my phone – the Guardian had  Biden at 276 electoral college votes, while Trump was still at 214. Apparently the news stations joined in announcing Joe Biden as President-elect. He won Nevada; the other results I could not find, although there is to be a recount in Georgia.

So, after all that, there is great joy in the US and in my house. Biden has been announced as elected president!

Some of the reactions so far have been as follows:

• Acknowledgement of Stacy Abrams’ role in getting out the vote in Georgia, despite being pipped at the post for Governor of the state.
• The gathering of people in Black Lives Matter Plaza outside the White House.
• Chris Wallace smiling as he announced the result.
• Van Jones’s tears of relief and joy on CNN.
• Cars honking, people dancing.
• Trump went to play golf. On his return, his motorcade was jeered, respectfully.
• News screens showed people rejoicing across America.
• Trump’s lawsuits are not thought to have much merit, or be likely to change the result; one wanted to “stop counting”, another to “Keep counting”. It was evident what the purpose was in either case.
• Trump’s makeup and hair look just awful.

Although it is shocking that there was so much support for Trump, it’s evident that Biden not only won the popular vote, but the majority of electoral college votes, too. Many of us still fear some dark derring-do on the part of – who, exactly? Trump has his enablers, but they seem to be peeling off.  The greatest reaction is one of relief, and joy. Relief is a very strong emotion. There will certainly be many challenges ahead for the Biden-Harris team, but at least they will be in charge. As AOC, said, if you protest, they won’t shoot you; they probably won’t even tear-gas you, either.

Now we can get back to worrying about real issues, like managing the coronavirus epidemic, so that many fewer people get ill and die; making changes to the way we live to preserve the planet, if possible; to rebuild some infrastructure; replacing water pipes; improving the air quality; the list goes on and on. One hopes there won’t be any grave threats soon, but at least, one hopes, many things will be “back to normal”.  The very real threat posed by climate change will be recognised. Posts will be staffed. There will be less corruption and scandal. One hopes the government and the police will be “kinder”, that there will be less overt racism, and less anger. No one is so naïve as to imagine that the problems will be solved overnight, but there will be hope again, and the hope of some justice. Perhaps even Preet Bharara will be employed again, as a US Attorney. There are certainly many intelligent and capable qualified people around to be given senior roles.

There have been so many disappointments, over the past four years: the efforts to get rid of the Affordable Care Act; the abandoning of resolutions that helped to ensure a cleaner environment and cleaner air. After all, we all breathe the same air, no matter how much money you have. Also upsetting has been Trump’s embrace and emboldening of cruel dictators, his insulting of US allies, and his intense cruelty to immigrants and refugees.  Perhaps his worst and most upsetting defect has been his complete inability to manage the coronavirus, in any sense. Over the past few days the US has continued to have record-breaking numbers of new infections. Over 238,000 people have died from it, and he says “It is what it is”. When he contracted it, there was blessed relief for a couple of days, but he bounced back, wilder than ever, having received a “cocktail” of drugs for it – drugs and treatment that are out of reach for most Americans. He fails to show any empathy for those who have lost loved ones, or even for sick friends, like Chris Christie.

That’s it for now. We hope for better things in future. Ngā mihi.

Today is Sunday November 1^st. Kia ora katoa. Kia kaha!

It has been an interesting week. One of my highlights was going to a Bach concert last night, given by members of the NZSO.

This was an interesting excursion. The concert was to be held at the Alan Gibbs Centre at Wellington College. I had rarely been to Wellington College, despite being an old girl of Wellington Girls’ College; I had been to its neighbour, Wellington East Girls’ College several times. We went early so as to get a carpark.  We were able to park quite near; many others had come early, too. It was extremely windy. While we were looking for a carpark I saw the Sir Ron Brierly Turf notice. I was surprised that this hadn’t been removed, given the serous allegations against him.

The performing arts hall was very nice, with plenty of seating laid out. We got a free programme, and sat quite near the front, in the middle: what would have been good seats at the MFC.  There were raised seats at the back, but these were a long way away from the stage and the performers: I expected the music (mostly chamber music) to be quite intimate. There was quite a long interval, but there seemed to be no refreshments.

As the Hall filled up, it was evident that many people knew each other. We knew no one! I had seen the concert advertised, and wanted to go. It was not widely advertised. I really like the music of J.S. Bach; Deidre Irons was due to play a concerto by C.P.E. Bach on the Fortepiano; and they were to play the Orchestral Suite No. 3 with its Air on the G String. Huge attractions!

In the event, there were announcements before most items. The music was beautiful, but there was something strange about the acoustics. The sound was odd, even strident at times, dare I say it. I will be interested to see if this concert is reviewed in Monday’s Dominion Post. I really enjoyed the French Horn player: I know those instruments are really difficult to play. He certainly succeeded, playing Bach’s The Art of Fugue. I enjoyed his comments beforehand, too.

The Orchestral Suite was beautiful, of course, but it was played very fast and loudly, much faster than any of my recordings. There was quite a jazzy effect. The balance of the sound did not seem quite right. As I say, I hesitate to quibble, but I can, so I shall!

Afterwards we came out where the wind had dropped a bit but it was very cold. We made our way back to the car, and slowly drove down the drive, now dual-carriage. Someone was coming up – perhaps an Uber driver.  I checked on my phone that New World in Thorndon was still open: it stays open till 11 pm.

When we got there, there were some staff larking around dressed up for Halloween. The store was strangely empty – perhaps because many people were watching the All Blacks play rugby against the Wallabies in Sydney.

Raspberries are back! We bought some raspberries, doughnuts, and fresh bread – basic essentials really; then went home and had coffee and doughnuts while I played Bach’s beautiful Violin Concerto in E Major before I went to bed.

It was to be an interesting week, with the US presidential election due on November 3^rd (Wednesday, our time).  I shall blog about that separately.

I enjoyed going to Tai Chi, meeting my cousin for lunch at a very nice café that I  hadn’t been to before; hymn singing on Wednesday morning; singing again on Thursday, meeting an old friend in the afternoon, having my cleaner come on Friday (spoiler alert: I do quite a bit of tidying up before he comes), and later that day visiting one of my sons and his delightful family.

On Saturday JD and I went to the film Rams, at Pauatahanui. It is an Australian film, starring our very own Sam Neill.  This movie was not on my list of special films to see, but we needed something to distract ourselves from the US election results.  It turned out to be quite a “good” movie. The farmer’s despair initially when they were forced to give up their sheep because of disease, and the lack of empathy from bureaucracy was well conveyed. 

I was especially moved by the severity of the bush fire, the way many came together to fight it, headed by a woman, and the sense of darkness and difficulty breathing that was so well conveyed. When there is an emergency, the basics are the most important – savings lives, whether they be human or animal. And yes, they did rake the leaves, and we saw a dead wallaby.

When we got home, Biden’s lead in the vote-counting had increased, but he had still not been announced President-elect.

That’s it for now. Ngā mihi.