Buried Treasures

I am, by nature, a hoarder of things that hold significant memories for me. Often they are small things that sit hidden away in a shoe box or similar, lying there for no other purpose than for me to discover them when I am looking for something else or, as happened most recently, when I am having a clean out. Each time I have a said clean out, the buried treasures are whittled down, yet there are some things that I simply cannot part with. Every time I see them they evoke such strong memories, and I like to revisit them.
One such treasure is a letter from Roald Dahl, the famous children's author who died in 1990. His book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was the first novel I ever read aloud to a class - my first class - Room 16/Standard 4, Otumoetai Primary, 1986. So began a love affair with his books for this class, which we all wrote to him about.
I remember feeling so special when we received a letter back from him! He had called me "Gorgeous Lynn", which certainly made the kids laugh. The mis-spelling of the school's name as "Otumaebi" has stuck in my vernacular, and from time to time I still refer to my first school as "Otumaebi".
But the poem itself gave me the biggest thrill, and while it is great to see it in print again, it's a poem I can recite at any time.

The letter is dated 3rd November 1986, and goes like this...


Hello gorgeous Lynn and all the clever children at Otumaebi Primary School. Thank you so much for sending me your lovely letters.

Dear children, far across the sea,

How good of you to write to me.

I love to read the things you say

When you are miles and miles away. 

Young people, and I think I'm right,

Are nicer when they're out of sight.

Well, didn't we all think we were just so special to receive a personalized poem from our favourite, famous author. It wasn't until some time later that another teacher friend told me her class had also written to Mr Dahl - and received the same poem back! My bubble was well and truly burst. Not sure if she was called gorgeous though...

Reminiscing...

Some things I love...
I love Tauranga.
I love sushi.
I love my friend Zara.

Zara introduced me to sushi several years back, around 2000, when a little sushi shop opened up in the main street or Tauranga. Zara had lived a year on Japan, and I was unfamiliar with this cuisine and how/what to order, so I made her pick pieces for me. From then I was hooked, and to this day sushi remains my take-out of choice, and whenever I return to Tauranga I try to stop at the same little sushi shop.
Today I had the pleasure of seeing Zara, albeit briefly. Had our plans been more in synch maybe we could have gone out for sushi lunch? However as it was, a shopping excursion to Tauranga with my niece saw lunchtime coincide with our arrival outside my sushi shop. Or so I thought. I commented when I entered that things looked different, but it was not until we sat down outside that I realised the 'my' sushi shop was about 3 doors up! Seems Tauranga has also developed quite an appetite for sushi if two can co-exist in such close proximity...
The sushi was yum anyway, but I did feel I had let my original little shop down. Still my fave...

Where's Home?

It's hard to answer this question for me.
I live in Auckland. I am 'home' as I type. My things are here, my dogs only know this place as home. When I head for this place, I say I am going home.
But I also say I am going home when I am headed here, to Mum and Dad's. Who knows for how much longer; it's an extensive  property and not matter how fit my parents are, it won't be a home destination forever. Just thinking about that makes me sad.
And then there's this place in the photos. Other than my family home above, it's really the only house that's felt like home to me. Whilst I don't think I will ever live in it again, it's hard to let go of. Hence, I still own it. And the city it's in feels so much like home that I take it personally when a bloody great ship grounds itself out from the coast, potentially sullying my 'home'.

A weekend of two halves

OK I am cheating a bit here. I wrote a post yesterday morning, to make sure I had something showing for Saturday, and now I am changing it completely!
My first overnight dog showing experience this weekend, back 'home' (see next post) to Tauranga.
I took with me my Stirling and another chap, Ritchie, both of who are pictured here.
Hugo and Reilly stayed with Aunty Mignon for the night.
Now there were actually 3 shows I could have entered, but it being the first day of the school holidays, I decided that an 8am departure was early enough, and only entered Saturday pm show and Sunday morning.
Who would have thought a pm show would not start till 3:30? Cavs did not get into the ring till 5:30! And then both my boys were placed 3/3... My friend then won an in group placing so we stayed for in show awards - of course didn't place - and we did not get home till almost 8pm.
So this morning (see, I am cheating, it's now Sunday) I was not feeling particularly confident that this would be my weekend. But, with numbers slightly depleted today, and Stirling bringing his 'A' game, we pulled of the DCC, and Runner Up Best of Breed, and then got to move for junior of group, but were beaten by a pug.
So all in all, it was a worthwhile trip. 2 CCs down, only 6 to go...