Hello, Hello .......

...... its good to be back, its good to be back,

Hello Hello Hello

It wasn't me - the modem was a dud!

I'm reconnected now for blogging but still have some work to do to get email functioning as it should. The old laptop has died but this newer one from Dad is great (except for its shiny screen which shows my reflection - not flattering).

Zebby continues as usual - eating, purring, sleeping, purring, whacking His human awake in the morning while purring .......

Laptop Unwell

Iwont be blogging for a wee while as this laptop is unwell.

I have a replacement already, just have to convince it to talk to the internet (the problem is with Mickle's brain, not the newer laptop).

We felt an earthquake here in Wellington about 25 minutes ago - nothing unusual or to be concerned about. As usual Zebby Cat slept through it all, he didn't even stop purring!

We pray, we hope... yet we know

Dear Christchurch*, city of my birth and home for the first 3 1/2 years of my life - that earthquake "whallop" was so harsh, fast, violent and brutal.

We stay hoping, hoping so very much for further rescues, while we so fearfully know the list of fatalities will grow.

We are enormously grateful for the speed with which they have got here - and for the work of all the overseas specialist Search and Rescue teams that have added to our own. NZ's Urban Search and Rescue squads were soon there- humans and their very special trained dogs. Next up our cousins, the Aussies had their teams in action here, soon followed by those from Singapore, Taiwan, Japan and California,USA. The highly skilled UK team landed in NZ on Thursday afternoon, with more incredible UK backup following .

The help, support and care is so incredible. I cannot come up with the right words to express my own thanks. I'm humbled by the international help that arrived and has been deployed so very swiftly. Help that is so gratefully and appreciatively accepted and received.

(*I may have been born in Christchurch and the Canterbury district, however I am strongly, staunchly and most stubbornly a Wellingtonian - Wellington has been my hometown and chosen place to live since my 4th birthday. 42 years on and I wouldn't change it - I'm so used to walking up and down steep hills that my legs would fail on an alluvial plain!!!

Sending so very much love, hopeful thoughts and special care to you dear birth-city Christchurch, from Wellingtonian Michelle)

Postscript : There is also a rescue team here from China.

And 326 Police Officers from Australia arrived after a request for help from the NZ Police Force Senior Bods. These Aussie Police Officers arrived at Chch airport to receive a spontaneous standing ovation from all the NZers present


Sadly the death toll is now at 145 and is expected to grow. We pray

Christchurch Earthquake - I'm okay

Wellington is on a different Island so Zebby and Mickle are fine.

11.14pm - have just learnt that my Uncle and Aunt down in Christchurch are okay - a huge relief!

23 Feb - for news coverage check out www.tvnz.co.nz and www.stuff.co.nz.
Thank you so very much for your care and concern.

Pickles by Mickle (about time!) ...

... with a ginger beer bug lurking on the right!




These pickles contain apple cucumber (home grown), onions, multi-coloured peppers (capsicums) fresh corn and chopped fresh chilli, and are delicious with cheese. I'm now on my 5th ginger beer bug/starter having consumed the results of the first 3. Batch 4 has been bottled and is maturing for a barbeque at a friend's home on Sunday.

Summer continues ...

.... and here it is currently 19C in temperature and 100% in humidity. No wonder Zebby and Mickle are wide awake at 4.20am.

Wellington doesn't do the super hot weather, but she is darned good at lowering the clouds down below the level of our wee home (about 600 feet above sea level), then leaving the clouds there for a day or two while they dispense drizzle and light, soggy rain.

Stop moaning Mickle - think of the incredible amounts of snow, and of the ice storms that have attacked much of the U.S., and that super-nasty tropical cyclone that has well and truely whalloped parts of Northern Queensland over in Aussie.

I will stop complaining about the weather here and try to convince Zebby to be understanding for my Aussie and Northern Hemisphere friends (wasted hope, Mickle - he's a Cat!)

Take care and stay safe, wherever you may be,

Mickle and Zebby

What's been happening?

Not a lot to report:

Another birthday has been and gone. My amazing parents gave me a new fridge. Liz and Pete (my sister and her partner) gave me this wonderful mug.



The garden continued with the beans and started producing cucumbers too. The green Lebanese cuke is utterly delicious so I will grow more of them next summer. The zukes have given up.



And we've had some beautiful sunsets: