How to speak like a Yorkshire Pudding.

If you want to speak Sheff, that unique brand of English, and I use the term loosely, you can go to this very special school I discovered in Queen Street, Auckland.  Why anyone would want to is beyond me, but there you have it.  

More pictures from the land of the Aucks

Spot the abseiling window washers above...

The Big Smoke..

... was actually not very smokey at all, but quite lovely.   I especially noticed the contrasts between the tall glass buildings and the old.   And I loved the reflections.

Talking of old,  In the car on the way I mentioned to my companion that I'd given her age of 78 out to the world, and she just smiled enigmatically.* 

We stayed right in the heart of the city, and from our balcony had a lovely view right down the main shopping road Queen Street and even a peek of the Sky Tower Casino.  

The orchestra was fabulous, the full moon had risen when we got back to the hotel and this morning I spent a blissful few hours in the art gallery.

* It turns out she is actually 85!

Awards

 

......................................... From Profoundly Inarticulate.

From Jay of The Depp Effect. From Yorkshire Pudding. From the World Blog Council

My NaBloPoMo monthly challenges.

Away

I'm off to Auckland for a couple of days.  The Auckland Philharmonia gave me two free seats to the 2009 season preview, so how could I resist?  The big city and I don't go too well together so I'm taking a sophisticated 78 year-old lady friend to guide me.  We'll probably do the art gallery too.  

So, until Wednesday (my Wednesday), cheerio everyone! (That's Kiwi for 'bye).  

PS. To all those people (about two each day) who visit because of my manuka honey post, I recently attended a talk by Prof. Peter Molan himself, so will write up a big post on the subject when I return.  (It was WONDERFUL, and I learnt so much that I'm busting to share.)

Sun-up on Sunday.

Here comes the sun, doodan doo-doo ...

Bounced out of bed yesterday, off to the park and stood on the top while the 'dawn inches up', looking at the broom-swept clouds and the promise of a lovely day.  Shelly got scared when I moo-ed at the cattle over the river and for a while she trotted nervously beside me with her tail down, sure that they were going to be after us.  But she soon regained her usual flag-flying exuberance and was off making a track ahead of me in the dewy grass.

Help, don't let them get me, mum!

Are you sure they can't swim?

Meme

To go with the blogger award the other day, here's a blogger Meme.  (Does one pronounce it 'me-me' as I think?  Or is it 'meem' as N thinks?  And does it really matter anyway?)  This one came from Florida.

There's no copyright on it, please feel free to use it.

Outside my window... are tree ferns, a vegetable garden, a bit of lawn and then the steep zig-zag path down to the river.

I am thinking... how much I am looking forward to my visit to Auckland next week to hear the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

I am thankful for... My home, my children, my health, many things.

From the kitchen... I can smell bread cooking.

I am wearing... jeans and an old shirt for painting.

I am creating... a copy of a renaissance painting.

I am hearing... the lovely sounds of the dawn chorus.

I am reading... Terry Pratchett's "The Night Watch" - for about the third time.

I am hoping... that the accommodation in Auckland on Tuesday night will be nice.  I got it off the back of a supermarket receipt, you see.  

Around the house... I want to lay a path. 

One of my favourite things... is marmalade on toast.

A few plans for the rest of the week... 1.  Finish this painting  2.  Phone my cousin and have a catch-up 3.  Plant the two japanese maples  4.  Clean the mould off the bathroom ceiling  5.  Go to the boat show on Sunday as part of the 'Night Owls' patrol.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

(You can click to see what Jim kollects)