Guy Fawkes

It all went bang, many times. This is a shot of the public display here in Wellington Harbour. There is a great view from the posh part of my street. Being a responsible cat owner I stayed home as Zebby-cat is scared by loud noises. Only when it all started Zeb was snuggled up beside me, sound asleep and snoring. He didn't even notice the enormous booms!

This Week's Important Events

A wee reminder to remember:

Tuesday the fourth - Australia comes to a standstill for THE MELBOURNE CUP.

Wednesday the fifth - UK and NZ go "Bang" for Guy Fawkes

Saturday the eighth - Dear Sylvie's Birthday. Our Sylv (http://sylvssilverspoon.blogspot.com/)
heads to London to celebrate in style.

Do have a wonderful time, Sylv, huggles from Mickle and Zebby-cat.

Oh - there are a couple of national elections happening too.

Voting Kiwi Style

Just watched the final of a Brit tv series I enjoyed, thinking "I wonder what we'll get next Saturday?"

Silly me, is only the general election results.

Now voting in NZ is very high tech. I'll line up at my nearest polling station (a local school) already for them to look up my name in electoral register. Once found they write my line reference onto my voting papers and note the ref in relation to the voting paper number, and draw a line through my name on the printed register.

Next I wander over to the voting booth - made of corrugated cardboard so can be flat packed between elections - and get to weild a bright ORANGE mini marker pen and make my two ORANGE ticks. Only ticks are acceptable.

Two votes - yes one for the my choice of electorate mp (out of 14 candidates) and the other for my party vote (from a choice of 19 parties).

The ORANGE mini marker is attached to the cardboard voting booth by a length of knotted string. String colour may vary.

The votes get placed in a cardboard box which has plastic tie thingies on the corners for security.

(The school is only a 5 minute walk from my home, and always has great artwork from the kids on display.)

Spring, election.. more soon....

I'm still here, just not a lot to report. and bugger all inspiration either.

Will do a proper post soon, including how ORANGE features in our voting here.

Back soon m'dears, huggles,

7 Hour Lamb

I like the idea of the slow food movement, and there is a lamb recipe I've wanted to try for a while. I suggested it to the dear parents for Christmas Day - they agreed it would be good.

So I will be making this version http://www.juliebiuso.com/recipes/recipe.php?rid=36.

There is no mucking about making gravy at the end, just strain the excess fat off the cooking liquid. Should be scrummy.

Only ...............

7 hours.............. er, yes,









I'll have to get up by 6.00am on the day.

Brilliant Idea Mickle!

Party Politics

Yes, here in New Zealand we have an election coming up too - a general election. So Party Political Broadcasts are interrupting our listening and viewing (radio and tv) pleasure.

Usually I change chanels, however 2 nights ago there was nothing much on so I just pressed the tv's mute button. Now this is how to view political broadcasts. It is hilarious to make up your own version of what they are saying. Especially as that night it was all the minor parties (i.e. not the 8 parties that curently have seats in Parliament).


There was ALCP - I have no idea what it stands for and don't really care.

The Family Party

The Workers' Party (The people's flag is deepest red....)

RAM - Residents Action Movement

The Democrats for Social Credit - they want a Republic, confused?

and ( I did turn on the sound for this one)...

New World Order - who will stop all wars and all poverty. 2 earnest looking young blokes in dark suits, they ended by asking for donations because they need $1,000.00 for their campaign!

Oh dearie, dearie me.............

Once upon a time, 10 years ago....

The Mickle went and had most of her large intestine removed, as you do (don't). Colon was severely diseased and barely functioning because of damage from Crohn's colitis. I don't have a stoma. The end of the small intestine was joined up to what is left (medico speak - an ileo-rectal anatomosis). N.B. bonus - they took the appendix out at the same time too.

Recommend having not only skilled, talented, experienced, wonderfully understanding, but also very good looking surgeon and a pleasant registrar.

That is where things were, recovering from the major surgery which included getting the "gut" to work again. The very dear family Friend who put up with me through my convelesance also got me onto our local tv Soap Opera "Shortland Street".

Thank you Judith, I'm watching it again. Watching out for "the look" at the end of each episode, and enjoying the acting of a bloke I knew back at university in 1984 (lovely Michael Galvin)

And especial thanks for Judith recognising and understanding my state of physical, and even more, mental health at the time (and beyond). Then there has been the gynae problems..... female body very badly designed with digestive innards included in the mix..

Oh - Judith loves cats too, yet was kind enough to shut her cats away in another part of her home when I was initially recovering.

And Dear Judith knows me so well - ever since I was a bump inside Mum. Now I will work out (or confuse myself on ) how to link this posting to an email to Judith. Useful advice welcomed.

Zeb gently snoring,

Mickle ......... kind of, ........but not yet getting there, uphill work with digestive system issues, especially with the exit/end, would like a redesign of the female plumbing, and my mental health is a struggle at the moment.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and purrumbling from my snory cat, (and thanks for being there, blogworld).
Mickle- human and Zebedee-feline.

p.s. it is spring out here, reached 18 degrees C today. Mickle better start putting on the high protection number sunscreen. Always something, m'dears. However Spring = asparagus= yummo until Xmas at least. Nighty-night, dear Folks