A bit of NZ info: Manawatu is the name of the district in which Feilding and Palmerston North are located. I was unable to find out the translation of the Maori word into English. It is a mixture of urban and rural areas. Palmerston North, the main city, is a university center and there is a great deal of cultural activity including the Manawatu Museum which was the brainchild of and nurtured to fruition by our friend the late Mina McKenzie. MIna was the only Maori Jewish person we knew. She was forward thinking and left a wonderful legacy to the area.

Monday, February 20: We spent the afternoon and evening with our friends Howard and Jackie Williamson at their home just ouitside Feilding. Howard is truly a renaissance man. He is a farmer, woodworker, tree and garden enthusiast and much more. Jackie is a well known painter of thoroughbred horses. Both are quick witted and engaging. Roger and doris Berry joined us for dinner, and it was an excellent day.

Tuesday, February 21: There is a lovely little cinema/cafe in Feilding, The Focal Point. We went there for lunch and to see the film Albert Nobbs. The theatre seats about sixteen in comfy sofa seating, if you want, you can bring your food and drink into the theatre. We ate in the cafe first. The film was very good...a sad story well presented.

Wednesday, February 22: Off we went to Palmerston North for a morning of antiques and second hand shops and then to lunch with Helen and Bob Chong. They have just come home from visiting their son on the island of Tortola where he is a lawyer. It was interesting to hear about their travels interspersed with discussing the local Jewish community, mutual friends, vintage beer (never heard of it before), the lack of decent summer weather, and their upcoming trip to the USA to visit their other son who teaches at Harvard. We look forward to returning their hospitality in late May. We visited late in the afternoon with Janet Ross, daughter of Phyllis and Darcy. Janet was one of our first babysitters when we moved to Feilding. She was only twelve, but the oldest of five...and her mom and dad were just down the street. Now, She is a lovely woman, a nurse in the gastroenterology department at the local hospital, with two grown daughters of her own. There is something special about seeing successful adults you knew as children.

Thursday, February 23: Happy Birthday,Robyn. We seem to always be away when it is Robyn's birthday, but she is always in our hearts. This year we celebrated with dinner out with Bruce McKenzie in a lovely bistro in Palmerston North. Bruce is an independent bookseller. His shop is one of the most inviting I have ever seen. We met him after closing, but we'll go back to do some shopping early next week.

Friday, February 24: Happy Birthday, Joe. My brother said he is turning forty which means I am only 44; so I am going with that story! Cathy, her friend Joy, and I went to Ashurst to the Herb Farm Cafe for lunch. There are fourteen different herb garden areas, a lovely cafe, and a shop selling products they make on the premises. The lunch was delightful, especially the water which was infused with French Marigold. The flowers,leaves, and stems had just been rinsed and placed into a pitcher of cold water. The flavor was wonderful, and it was beautiful to look at. There are so many possibilities other than a sprig of mint in your drinking water! A delicious dinner at Sage in Feilding made a lovely end to the day.

Saturday, February 25: We returned to Pahiatua today to go to the Fonterra Dairy Factoy open day to take the tour. Unfortunately we were wearing sandals, and closed shoes were required. We drove over to Palmerston North, stopped in Bruce McKenzie's book shop to make a few purchases, visited a moment with Bruce and his daughter Luisa, and returned to Feilding to have a picnic lunch by the Orua river at Menziies Ford..a spot we often chose for a picnic with the kids when we lived here. Back at home, I made a comfort food dinner: Mac and cheese with cornflake crumb topping and meatballs in gravy...and salad for health! Next week, a tour of Taranaki.