16 January: Monday. The day began beautifully. We drove through the Manawatu Gorge toward Pahiatua, then east on the Pongaroa Road to Akitio on the east coast to have a day at the beach. It was sunny, cool, and windy. We walked along the rocky water's edge, collected shells, and generally enjoyed the day. On the way home, we got a message that Max had had a serious skiing accident in Colorado. A flurry of phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages followed. He ha...

16 January: Monday. The day began beautifully. We drove through the Manawatu Gorge toward Pahiatua, then east on the Pongaroa Road to Akitio on the east coast to have a day at the beach. It was sunny, cool, and windy. We walked along the rocky water's edge, collected shells, and generally enjoyed the day. On the way home, we got a message that Max had had a serious skiing accident in Colorado. A flurry of phone calls, emails, and Facebook messages follo...

9 January: Monday. Another cool, blustery day, but the weather didn't bother us. We spent a delightful day with Howard and Jackie Williamson at their home. Morning tea morphed into lunch then afternoon tea. These friends, in their eighties, are full of vitality. The conversations ranged from family to politics to personal histories and then some. Jackie is still painting, and they have just published a book titled Hold Your Horses. It is a biography of Jackie's l...

9 January: Monday. Another cool, blustery day, but the weather didn't bother us. We spent a delightful day with Howard and Jackie Williamson at their home. Morning tea morphed into lunch then afternoon tea. These friends, in their eighties, are full of vitality. The conversations ranged from family to politics to personal histories and then some. Jackie is still painting, and they have just published a book titled Hold Your Horses. It is a biography of J...

2 January: Monday. We awoke to a howling gale this morning. The weatherman promises unsettled weather for the next few days. Lots of reading in our immediate future. 3 January: Tuesday: The wind has subsided into a steady rain and lots of clouds and fog. This morning I baked Anzac biscuits. Now I am reading The Adventure of Kavalier and Clay. Buzz is reading something by Bryce Courtnay. Incy is happily curled up in her corner. 4 January: Wednesday: The rain has...