News from Nelson - April 2019

Hi everyone,

Fire danger is over, and people are now able to use farm machinery without restrictions again. Daylight saving has come off, and we have had a reasonable amount of rain. Our aquifers are still a bit low, but we have enough water, with more on the way, no doubt.

This month kicked off with my birthday, and with lots of birthday wishes: thank you so much for all of you who were kind enough to send me messages! Of course Jan had already gone back to the USA, but Justine was here and we organised to go and see Dawn.

Dawn with bantam friend (she has two pet bantam cocks who come inside at night to watch TV :-)

Dawn gave me an excellent birthday present: a lovely wooden platter (I have admired hers so many times she bought me one):

Justine and I had a great few days together, talking, shopping, lunching and playing ladies. Wonderful... though Justine was so close to the maximum allowable luggage weight when she flew back. She ended up wearing all her heaviest items. She took some of the clothes that I was going to donate, as well as an extra pair of shoes in her size that I bought for her online (she is my shoe-sister), and a pair of mine which didn't work for me (she is wearing them in the second picture below). She has a small but growing Fluevog collection of around nine or ten pairs. While she was here, she tried on all of mine, taking notes on fit so she knows what works in all the different shoe families. Then she can buy online with confidence. She is planning another foray to the Amsterdam store in May. The obsession is so contagious… 

Justine and I went to see the Kiwi movie, Daffodils. It was interesting. Justine had seen the stage show in both Edinburgh and in Salisbury, so knew a lot more about it than I did. The arrangement of the NZ music was often so different that it was only later that I realised what the songs actually were (Drive by Bec Runga took me quite a while to work out). Justine took the tour at the new Pic Picot's Peanut Butter plant:

I haven’t bought any more shoes, but earlier this year I had put a couple of pairs of spring season shoes on lay by. When I go to Toronto to meet Jan on his one week leave at the end of May, I will pick them up from the Queen Street West store. I finished paying for them in March, so I am feeling quite patient, all things considered. 

Finn managed to burst his stitches chasing a fantail on one of the days that Justine was here, while I was at work. The scars had been going to be minimal – the closures had been so neat they looked more like plastic surgery than normal surgery. Dammit. Never mind, I just had to keep him quiet for another ten days until he could get the second set of stitches out. That meant that I had to arrange a dog sitter once Justine went back to Wellington. Luckily John was still here, so he and Aniko kept an eye on Finn for a couple of days when I was lecturing, before Aniko left to return to Europe and the study break started for me. 

Erik came to stay for the Nelson dog shows, along with Barbara (who brought the loveliest flounder for dinner, AND cooked it!) and in the entourage had the first - for him - boxer with a tail. His name is Duncan, and he is very cute. Finn thought he was awesome. Duncan thought that Finn's home-made chew toy was awesome:

Since we moved in to Rose Road, we have had a bracket to put the dryer up on the wall. Still in its packet. On the top of the freezer, waiting to go on the wall. For nine years. So I hired one of the builders from in the valley and got him to come up and fit the bracket to the wall, then helped him lift the dryer up into place. While he was here I also got him to hang a picture that was too far for me to reach, and to screw the new legs for the spare room basin firmly into place. Three more jobs now complete. Only about five more inside jobs to finally complete our building task list!

Otto and Lara came to stay for a week, which was such a lot of fun! They helped me barrow 8.5 tonnes of gravel into the barbecue area, which doubles as the dog run, to cover up what remained of the old mussel shell that we put down about four years ago. It looks great! They both worked so hard. 

We went op shopping together, and I managed to buy a pair of almost brand new jeans and a belt ($9 and $3, respectively). I had been going to look for some new jeans when I went to Canada, and now I don’t have to. Op shop top, jeans, dress (and birthday present pants from my Mama) all shown below:

Lara and I went to visit Dawn, and Otto got a shooting lesson from Lexi and Hugh. They both spent time with Lexi, and there was also a street party at Lemonade Farm that they came to, and met all the young people in the valley. We all had lunch at the Moutere Inn with my mother, on a lovely warm afternoon, sitting outside (though the photo below shows lots of cloud, it seemed like a sunny day!). It was such a pleasure having them both here. I hope they want to keep coming down to visit.

This month I finally managed to replace my old pack, which I threw out a couple of months ago as the harness had crapped out. It was 30 years old, after all. I looked in the shops for a new pack, but they are all made of thin plastic, which will never last amongst matagouri or supplejack. I couldn't find a new canvas pack, so I went looking for a second-hand, canvas one. I found an old Kathmandu pack for sale on TradeMe, only to find that I was buying it off an old friend of mine, Tiffany! Keeping things in the family, so to speak. Tracey, Erica and Jenny did the Milford, with Tracey borrowing my ‘new’ pack. The pack went well, and Tracey, Jenny and I are talking about doing the Wangapeka together later in the year, or early next year. I just need a suitable dog-sitter :-) 

Jan C & Sarah came around for morning tea, and for a catch up, which was nice. They are all well. 

I caught up with Warren, Tracey and Erica as well, this month. Warren helped me get rid of Jan's old cathode ray TV, which was something like a 32 inch and as heavy as lead. At last I can now get in and out of the garage using the side door: nine years that TV has prevented us from using that door. We plugged it in for a weekend once when Camila was here, so she and Anna could binge-watch the Director's Cut of the Lord of the Rings (which reminds me: I promised to post the DVDs to Thomas!). 

After the weightlifting job of the TV removal, Erica, Warren and I had lunch at Tozzetti's (along with a rather startlingly purple berry smoothie for Erica).

I have been continuing to put things that are rarely used into the shed for Jan to decide what he wants to let go when he is back in NZ next (July), while continuing to sell, donate or otherwise get rid of double- and treble-ups on house stuff. I also went through our towels and figured that we probably don’t need twenty guest towels along with thirty of our own towels. We have now trimmed down to twenty overall, with the remainder being donated to our vets (who were most grateful). There are now spaces in the cupboards. 

Speaking of the vets, Boo has been back to the canine physio for treatment, and is learning lots of new tricks, such as walking backwards, and doing sit/stands on a block of wood. She is quite quick at picking up what is expected of her. Her condition didn’t really progress after the first session, so we got some different exercises. Hopefully the next time we go, there will be a greater improvement.

My work is going well, and my supervisees are on track. I had a couple who were struggling, and they have transferred to the full year programme, which will make all the difference for them having more time to get their heads around what they need to do. Work is more or less ticking over. I have done a Te Tiriti webinar over four weeks which was very interesting and insightful. There is going to be a follow-up, which I would be keen to attend. I also plan on restarting my PhD early next year, which will be good. I will need to have a good group of professionals whom I can call on for repairs etc at Rose Road though, because even a small thing like the gutter being blocked gobbles up both time and money. 

With all the visitors I was feeling a long way behind, but a few long days caught me up towards the end of the month. Enjoying the view helps too: 

It is well and truly autumn, as we have had a few foggy days: 

It seems to me that all Jan does in the US is work. He has hardly left the village he is staying in, although he does catch up on a Saturday night for a BBQ or pot luck dinner with work colleagues. He is working afternoon shift which often sees him starting at 9 and - of late - also finishing at midnight or later. He is working six days a week, sometimes seven (though he tends to do a part day on Sundays so he can get his washing done). I think he has had three or four Sundays off since he has been there - which is four months now. However, he has moved out of the hotel, and is staying in a little bach by a lake, sharing with one of his colleagues. He has taken some photos, starting with snow, and showing how quickly it was all gone: 

So to recap, at the end of May I will be going to Toronto to meet him as he transitions out of Grayling and down to South Carolina. He will take the car from MI across the Canadian border. We will spend a week together, then he will drive to South Carolina the next job. Next he is back in NZ for a three week break in July: with one week in Fiji with the Hutties. 

My conscious efforts to be less busy almost feel like they are paying off a little, as I am now finding time to do the things that Jan - or Jan and I - would have done. It does mean that I have to say no to a lot of invitations so that I can fit it all in. So, if I turn down your invitation, please invite me again: I just don't have time for everything! 

Back to you all next month. 


Sam (& Jan)

News from Nelson - April 2017

Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well, and that the year is treating you kindly.

We have had a big month again. I was just getting back into my PhD work during the study break, and following my illness last month, when my father took a turn for the worse. He went into the hospice before Easter for few days, as he was getting very breathless. They thought they would simply stabilise him, and he would go home again.

However, once he was in, they felt that he really needed to stay until after Easter because they were worried how my Mother would cope on her own with him. Then on Easter Saturday, they called me in the evening, and said that he was quite bad, and that I should come in. Jan & I drove in to the hospice, saw him, then called the family, and everyone came in. My sister was just back from the US, and she and Bella hopped in Bella's car and drove up from Christchurch. Tessa caught a flight down from Auckland. We spent the next five days camping out at the hospice, taking turns to sit with him, talk and share memories as he slowly slipped away.

Kim flew up from Dunedin to Christchurch, and drove from there with Aunty Diana. Aunty Jill came to visit. Graeme and Julie came to see him a few times. We have had lots of laughs, reflections, and shared stories. The family has probably spoken more about our impressions of past events in the past week than we ever have in the past. Various spectres have been laid to rest.

He died on 19 April, and, as he had chosen to donate his body to Otago Medical School for student learning, we had no funeral. Instead we held a memorial service at Club Waimea. Over eighty people attended. I MCed, and Barney Thomas arrived – serendipitously – and I asked him if he would do a karakea: which he did. It was just perfect. Mother spoke about father not giving in to his illness. I spoke about his desire for us all to learn. Barb spoke about lessons from hockey. Mike spoke about father calling him at aged 25 to ask if he had been 'playing' with his screwdrivers in the garden. Tessa did the housekeeping about the donations to the Hospice and St Johns, then told stories about how she would play Nana and Poppa off against each other, and how her son Izzy loved his Poppa. Diana told a story about her 'stink' money – she got 2-/6 per week for cleaning his sleepout. Kim talked about my father as being like a father to her. Various people spoke about his community work, his hockey and bowls dedication, his fundraising, and his work at MAF… it was really lovely.

Then Bonnie got diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer on her hind leg. We are simply going to leave it until the tumour gets too large, or she gets ill.

Jan went in for the first of his two hip replacements, and the surgery went very well. But it was still worrying. He is recovering very quickly, and is already in much less pain than he was in before the surgery. 

However, it is turning out to be a bit of a shitty year, to say the least.

I did get a bit of a birthday celebration, at The Grape Escape:

And I did buy myself a pair of shoes. Fluevogs, naturally:

More next month. Hopefully next month's news is a lot better.

Sam (& Jan)

News from Nelson - April 2016

Hi everyone,
John had suggested that we download a Canadian movie called "One Week", about a guy who finds out he has cancer. We did, and watched it. It was interesting, and I particularly liked that it was messy, and didn't have a neat ending.

On my birthday we went to dinner at ChokDee, where I had a lovely green curry, and then on to a musical at the Theatre Royal, called "Legally Blonde".

It turned out that one of my research students was the voice coach for the show, and he did a great job. However, we were sitting in the front row, and the noise was deafening. I felt almost assaulted by the decibel level. I started getting a really bad headache during the show. By the end of the show it was a killer.

Then on the night of April second, I got a migraine where my sight didn't come back afterwards. Jan took me into hospital on the Sunday, and they hospitalised me for a few days and ran tests. Of course, they couldn't find anything wrong, aside from the fact that my blood pressure was steaming high: with no idea whether this was a symptom or a cause.

Me either. 

My sight slowly resolved over the coming 21 days, which was a total pain in the butt, and as I have trouble focusing, I couldn't read or watch films (thank goodness for my iPod or I would have been SOOO bored). I would find that I got dizzy as the day progressed, and would have to have a nana nap. I was not allowed to drive until I got signed off by the ophthalmologist, which was done at the end of week three.

Crazy & a bit scary (though scarier for Jan). 

The result: not a stroke. No brain damage (ie, nothing showed up on the CAT scan that was any different to the scan I had done a few years ago). Everything seems to be functioning normally. My eyes went back to normal. My cholesterol is normal. My blood sugar is normal. 

As a fix - even though they have no idea what is wrong - they have put me on lots of blood pressure medication, and watched it like hawks to ensure was rock-solid normal for several weeks (I had to email in my daily BP).

However, I think now that the high blood pressure was a symptom. As my sight started to come back, I started reading lots about migraine and found this researcher in California who has developed her own migraine protocol. Dr Angela Stanton's hypothesis is that migraine sufferers have not evolved enough to cope with modern stimuli, and our brain goes into over-drive and overload at times of high stress. It does a "run away and hide" thing, which is now no longer an appropriate physiological response to our environment. I am officially a throw-back!

Thus the overload from the show, combined with my currently heavy workload, might well have triggered a massive migraine attack. 

To correct this, Dr Stanton goes right back to cell chemistry and works on balancing inputs: getting the right amounts of salt, potassium, calcium and magnesium for correct cell hydration, so that our cellular pumps work properly. If the ratio of these chemicals is unbalanced, then we become dehydrated, and she thinks this is the basis of how migraine attacks occur. She also thinks we are habitually dehydrated, because we probably still don't drink enough water.

In addition, she thinks that migraine sufferers have an intolerance for glucose, so need to eat a low carbohydrate, low salt, low fruit diet. Her research has indicated that we need a HIGHER salt diet than most other people: that migraine sufferers need about 1.5 times the 'normal' daily salt intake recommended by the FDA.

Of course, I have eaten a low salt diet since I was about 11-12... funnily enough, right when my migraines started. The 'correct' ratio for migraine sufferers should be 4700 Potassium; 3600 Sodium; 700-ish Calcium; and 237 Magnesium per day.

So it has been a very interesting month. Not good, but interesting. Also interesting was that I lost my taste for coffee. VERY surprising.

At least it has taken my mind of my PhD derailing!

I had a week off work, then was able to teach (Jan dropped me off at work). But I couldn't mark or read much. So basically I had to postpone all my marking for a fortnight until I recovered. Students & staff were pretty cool about it. 

Jan has been my seeing-eye husband for several days, taking me out for a walk and guiding me. It took him quite a while to get used to being a guide, and to calling out the obstacles appropriately early enough (no falls, luckily, as a result of poor instructions :-D).

In amongst all this, Jan and I went into Nelson to pick up Katrin's goddaughter (Toni) and her friend (Leah) from the intercity bus. 

Toni and Leah are both very nice - seeming to enjoy the Turkish kebab shop (Akbabas) that we took them to. It was so funny - our old neighbour from Montrose Drive shouted hello to us Turkish coffee and rose Turkish delight. She gave me a big hug. 

The girls, who are both pre-uni age, are on a gap year of sorts. they have been to Bali, and Australia, now New Zealand before going to Fiji and the US. 

We dropped them at Kaiteriteri for a day cruise into the Abel Tasman. I would have liked to have sent them overnight into the park, however the bunks at Anchorage were sold out before we had a chance to book them. 

I bought some new running shoes which are so colourful they nearly make your eyes hurt. Feels just right for this month! Jan & I have been doing a walk near Motueka called the Inlet loop walk which is really nice:

We took Toni and Lea into the Nelson market and up the centre of New Zealand hill, to the Motueka market in Decks Reserve and to Takaka and Golden Bay. 

We visited Anatoki salmon, the cafe at Puponga, Collingwood, PuPu springs, Takaka, and enjoyed the view from the top of the Takaka hill. 

We stopped at Rosy Glow in Collingwood, and bough enough Rosy Glow to last the winter. They are back in full production: how awesome. 

While Toni and Leah were with us, we had a barbecue John and his mum, Lilla, who is here from the UK for a few weeks. We later farewelled Lilla with fish & chips on the Mapua wharf, with Chris Ratt, Scott, and Chris's Mum - who turned out to be Ginina - Aunty Jill's friend (small world). I had a really interesting conversation with Ginina about the Misses Dodson who owned the old pale metallic blue Chrysler that their father had bought for them to learn to drive in. It turned out that they had lived down the driveway from Ginina and her husband in Rainbow Drive. See? A very small world.

We caught up with Erik and Anne at the Nelson Ladies Kennel Association show in Nelson. Erik was showing a gorgeous red baby puppy. Yes, I can feel a new puppy coming on...

I hope you are all well!


Sam (& Jan)


Anyone wanting to read some of Dr Stanton's work can go to: Stanton, A. A. (2015). Migraine Cause and Treatment. Available at SSRN 2690927. Retrieved 17 April 2016 from http://www.mhfmjournal.com/mental-health/migraine-cause-and-treatment.php?aid=7552

This is your life...

I have been putting together a photobook for my Father's 80th birthday last year, as a present for this year's birthday. Take a look: http://www.momento.co.nz/index/preview/id/2187122/auth/55419555dabf09.44898167?iframe=true&width=1200&height=800 Sam

One of Jeremy's acting jobs (Letter for Hope) wins mention at Sunset film festival

Film and Stage Producer/Director Craig Hutchison, will be representing New Zealand at the Sunset Film Festival in Los Angeles, on 11 May, to pick up an HONOURABLE MENTION Award for the 18 minute short film “Letter for Hope” (www.letterforhope.com).


The Kiwi production stood alongside US and Russian films for awards in the Short film category. ‘Letter for Hope’ is a contemporary and inspirational drama featuring actors Don Langridge, April Phillips, Lorae Parry and Jeremy Nelson. The themes of loss and reflection resolve in a motivational conclusion. Written by April Phillips with cinematography by Matt Sharp (Eternity, When Night Falls), production by Craig Hutchison and direction by Raquel Roderick.

“We’ve proved again we do it better against higher budget productions and that New Zealanders punch above our weight. This is a proud moment and I am honoured to go and accept this award" said Craig.

The Roxy Cinema in Wellington was the venue for the red carpet event preview screening the film which was professionally produced with a budget of $50,000 funded by CAS’n’OVA Productions. 



Letter For Hope film trailer from GODIVA Productions on Vimeo.

References: 

• Hutchison, Craig (22 April 2014). NZ film wins mention at Sunset film festival. NZ: Scoop. Retreived 23 April 2014 from http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1404/S00320/nz-film-wins-mention-at-sunset-film-festival.htm
• https://sites.google.com/site/sunsetfilmfestivallosangeles/2014 

Sam

News from Nelson - April 2013

Hi all,

So, that was Easter, disappearing in the rearview mirror of life!

We are still having lovely weather, and the Easter break was pretty good. We had a nice time doing lots of relaxing, socialising and even prepping our accounts ready for the tax man (hey, I wonder why tax collection is still a gender-oriented profession?!).

On Saturday night, Jan & I went to Krauts German restaurant for my birthday, ably assisted in celebration by my folks, Uncle Norman, Kathleen, Frits, Amy, Dawn, Janet (who had come down from Auckland for Easter) and Julie & Murray. Several foolish souls ordered schweinshax’n (pork shanks) and took home doggie bags for the next day :-O

 

Jeanette & Jake vdB were at Krauts while we were there too, and say hello to Magda, Gea & Tjibbe. All is going well with them.

Murray, Julie & Janet came out for a BBQ on Sunday, with Murray’s very grown up daughter Amy & her boyfriend. After lunch, Janet, Julie & I tackled Christian’s hill with Coco & Bonnie in some very light mist (only day without lots of sunshine all Easter), leaving Flissy behind dozing on the couch with Murray & Jan! 

 

With regard to our next trip away - the Rotary exchange student NI Tour - Jan hopes to catch up with Beth D on the 23rd of April when he is in Waitomo in sole-charge of 11 teenagers (as I will be in Auckland presenting at the International Leadership Conference). I catch up with Jan again in Rotovegas on the night of the 24th. Then we hope to see DJ & Dilani on our way through Tauranga on our way around the Coromandel. If anyone else is around and would like to catch up, please get in touch!

I will be in Auckland on Monday 22 to the afternoon of Weds 24, staying at the Stamford. Days I will be at Auckland Uni’s business school (http://nzli.co.nz/64/conference).

On the 16th we had the first concert of the NSO 2013 Concert season, with a tribute to the Steinway. It was a very professionally delivered concert, and the audience seemed to really enjoy it. I loved Rhapsody in Blue – that is such a lovely piece. The applause went on for some time. The NSO had its AGM last week, and Jan found – somewhat to his surprise – that he is now Chair of the NSO committee. He will do a fine job. I guess that also means that I will carry on doing the PR for the orchestra as well :-)

The weekend before Easter we went out to a friend’s orchard & traded some ‘grape juice’ for fifty plus kilos of royal gala apples. We juiced the apples, loaded the juice into jars, sealed and ran them through the Agee preserver, and now have 40 lovely litres of apple juice in the cellar alongside with our tomatoes, apple purée, pear halves, rhubarb and plums. It is a lovely feeling, making and storing food. Mark C from NMIT came out & he & Jan chainsawed wood. We still have a trailer full in the shed that we don’t know where to store it! Kathleen, Frits & Amy have been out to visit too – and we have given Amy the guided tour so she knows where everything is for when she is here and we are away.

Tonight Jan is going to permanently wire in our pump, so we can push a button in the laundry to fill the tank up the hill. All these little jobs are slowly getting done. It takes time, but we get there in the end. It will also make Amy’s life easier!

 

Since Janet left, Jan has been practicing pool diligently, as Janet nearly beat him twice and he is feeling his manhood has been challenged ;-)

Thanks for all the kind birthday wishes via email, Skype, text, phone and Facebook. We had a great chat to the Martins in Brazil and John in the UK. Very kind of everyone! On Monday we went in to see Murray B about the North Island tour. We are now pretty much all sorted for the trip, and leave on the 20th of April. Amy H is going to house & dog sit for us.

We leave Nelson for Welly on Saturday 20th, Auckland on Monday 22; Waitomo on 23, Rotovegas on 24-25; Tauranga Coromandel on the 26th; Whangarei on the 27th; Paihia on the 29th; Kauri coast on the 1st; Orewa on the 2nd; home on the 3rd. 

This Weds nite we are going for dinner at NMIT’s Rata Room (the chef training school) with Sandra & Kevin which will be fun. This coming weekend we have nothing booked at all, which will be just lovely.

I have my next CDANZ meeting in Welly on May 12-13; then June 30-July 1; Sept 9-10. Jan is in Auckland on Sept 10-12.

We will both be in Chch in October – myself for a CDANZ Career Symposium and AGM, and Jan on an NZIM residential course. We were both going to stay the weekend afterwards to hopefully catch up with everyone (Oct 19 & 20). Will confirm dates etc later. Then the last trip away for this year should be November to Queenstown.

Jan’s Oma Lieselotte is not expected to last much longer. Over Easter she has become bed-bound. She is now not eating, and is unable to drink without choking. Aunt Uta is looking after her, with Thomas, Bettina and Simone there to help and Uta’s home physio/nurse friend. Hopefully Omi will have a peaceful end to what has been a full and busy life. It is a rare privilege these days to be able to die quietly - with dignity - at home, amongst people who care for you. Our thoughts are with you all in Neu-Ulm and please tell Omi we love her.

Tanja – I hope your knee comes right. Take lots of sunshine, rest, good company and recreation to help it along :-)

I am sure that I have forgotten heaps, but that will do for now.


Jan & Sam