Pretty hard to miss - you'd think

I took my Big Swiss Ball to work today as it's flatness was making some of my exercises difficult, and we have a pump at school - and a teacher who is handy with the pump. So handy he emailed me this afternoon to say he'd taken the ball and pumped it up for me while I was in one of my many meetings today. Very grateful I was.
At the end of the day do you think I could find it? I mean where does a big ball like this hide? I had nearly given up hope when I took a last chance look in the Principal's office and found it there nestled beside her own. (Just deleted an inappropriate comment about the duo of large spheres)
I squeezed it into my car and unloaded it back home, where it sat on the couch (as in the photo) making it's presence known, reminding me of my Thursday Exercise Obligations.
Somehow though, my tired brain talked me out of doing my circuit after the dog walk, so my punishment is that I need to be up early to do it in the morning. Oh balls.

Gross Factor Alert #2

I am trying to stave off my fourth bout of Iritis, or Iridocyclitis, which can, and has twice for me, develop into Acute Anterior Uveitis. It's basically the inflammation of the eyeball. Can get very bad. Quite a sight for sore eyes (hehehe). And has previously appeared when I have felt stressed, which is why it's all a bit of a mystery as I am actually in quite a good state of mind!

Fortunately the last time I contracted it, the ophthalmologist had vision enough (badoom, CHING!) to give me a script for extra treatment, so I have been dropping the drops in - possibly over-zealously - and will hope for the best overnight.
Don't know what hurts more when it blows up, the eye or the specialist bills. Actually, maybe the treatment. The first time I had it, I had steroids deposited in my eye... via injection. Bleuck.
But staying in the positive frame of mind and telling myself I have caught it early... so it should be looking better in the morning (Oh STOP!)

Think Positive!

After staying up too late on a school night last night, my aging body was not in the mood for a training session tonight.
However I am trying to keep my mind in a pretty positive state this year, and so I decided before I got to Leanne's that it would be GOOD.
It wasn't.
It was GREAT.

The photo? I know I posted a similar one to FB in the weekend. It's a phone shot of the newly erected flag pole at Fothergills on Mimiha. Not particularly related to this post, but I like it! And I choose it. Like I chose my attitude tonight.
Because I can.

Ahhhh, Nostalgia...

So on the way back from The Family Celebration today, I took the opportunity to kill two more nostalgic birds with one stone, and stopped in Tauranga to visit my first place of full-time employ, Otumoetai Primary, where my sidekick of many years and super-duper friend Zara is now DP.
Now although we love each other dearly, Zara and I really are quite different, and we both find it amusing that some people find us so similar. We had one parent at our previous school who could never figure out which one of us was which ("Are you Ms McIndoe or Ms Fothergill?"). And she wasn't even blonde - I think it was just that we were!
We were doubly amused when Zara regaled a tale on Sherwood Street crossing last week - a parent stopped and told Zara she reminded her so much of a teacher she used to have years ago here at Otumoetai Primary. Yes you guessed it, it was me. (How to make one feel ancient...)
It was fun and strange at the same time walking around the school. I mean it was eons ago that I was there and so much has changed, but no matter how long you are away from a place of significance (I was there 8 years), it still conjures up all sorts if weird feelings and memories.


The Bay of Plenty as a whole does that to me. I can't fully explain the feeling I have when I am there. I can only describe it as knowing it truly is my Turangawaewae. My body tells me that is ultimately where I belong. Maybe it's because it is steeped in memory, whereas Auckland is still very much my present; the 'place' is not yet under my skin.

But you never know, given time the memories I am making here may become eternal tattoos at some stage as well. After all, what REALLY maketh the memories? ...

He aha te mea nui 

O tenei ao? 

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata 

What is the most important thing in this world? 

People, people, people.

Reflecting on a Great Day

Well at 8 am this morning it looked as though Mum and Dad's 50th anniversary celebration would be completely washed out. Heaviest rain I have seen in the longest time. Couldn't even see to the end of the once-was 'tennis court'. Mum even contemplated moving proceedings to the local hall.

But fortunately by late morning the skies had brightened and whilst the sun did not show itself, the rain stayed away and is only now reappearing as I write this. 

It was really good to see all of Mum and Dad's friends from the local area come along to celebrate with and support them, But best of all for me was seeing family that we don't often get to spend time with. Really there wasn't enough time today though. So we have made promises to maintain the contact, and to plan some get-togethers. I really hope we honour those commitments.

The above photo was actually taken by my uncle on my brother's camera so I cannot lay claim to it. I have made sure that I have 'stolen' all of his photos as well so I can have the full complement of memories to reflect on. 

This one is taken on the jetty of the lake at the bottom of the house. I think it's choice.

Bloody Bewdy Boy

Thought I'd better do my post now before I get caught up in the meet and greet of uncles and aunts long not seen etc etc...
Came down to Matata in the rain accompanied by my 9 year old niece Megan today. She informs me her school is doing a "...'s Got Talent" show and that she is going to do a comedy routine. She's got her introductory joke off pat, to be delivered in a Scottish accent, and is formulating what the rest of the content may comprise.
One idea we spoke about was incorporating the 'Fothergill Vernacular".  Megan nominates 'goob' as one of 'our' words.  It's a derivation of '''good' and is generally followed by 'boy' as in 'gooboy', and was probably created by my Dad. As was 'Bloody bewdy boy'.

I am sure there will be more laughs to be had as the weekend evolves. And maybe even some tears - of the 'goob' kind...

Fothergills, out .

Things we look forward to

I have been looking forward to this weekend for a while now - and this isn't the last time it'll be the subject of a blog post.
Big family shindig in my Turangawaewae, Matata, this weekend. Double celebration. Lots of friends and whanau we won't have seen for a while, and probably won't see again for another long while.
So I've wrapped the presents. For the recipients, I hope they are something to look forward to for you, too!