Just celebrated a significant birthday with friends and family. It started on Friday night with 32 of us gathering out the back at Pipis then carried on at At E’s on Saturday night, where 17 friends (and Kate) joined me for dinner. Today was the actual birthday, so I have been able to be “queen [...]

We survived! The engineer and I took the three grandchildren camping over Labour weekend. It was the first camping experience for the five year old and he enjoyed almost every minute. His older sisters had camped with us before, at Taupo in January, so they knew what to expect. We had fun and the weather was [...]

During the week, a reader wrote into the HB Today complaining it was difficult to do research and get informed before voting for candidates.  This is my reply: “As a recent (and unsuccessful ) candidate in this month’s local body election, it is very difficult to get your message across. I have tried over the three years I [...]

This afternoon I spent, what seemed like hours, cleaning out my little house for my new tenant Raewyn, to move in. It was a hard thing to do, at times, as it meant an end to a former life! My little house was built after my first husband, Wayne, died in 2004 and I eventually [...]

I can’t help myself, but when I read a letter to the paper that I feel needs answering, I just have to email a prompt reply. I sent one such letter to the HB Today tonight, so I’m hoping it will be in tomorrow’s paper. Tonight I heard the new (been in HB since February) [...]