News from Nelson - October 2019

Hi everyone,
Another month has rolled around already - and suddenly the end of the year is rushing toward us.

This month has been relatively quiet for me. We had two weeks of study break so I was mainly playing catch-ups on administration, marking and planning for next year. I have planned a new Leadership course for Semester 2 of 2020, and set up a new Moodle site for some students who need to complete the old version - which is now retired - over summer school. The break arrived just at the right time to do that work.

Jenny and Tracey came out to Rose Road for a night of debauchery, celebrating Tracey's and Jennie's birthdays. There were nearly hangovers in the morning, but we did do a lot of talking, a lot of laughing and even managed to avoid too much smartphone time while we were together!

Jan's work in the US has appeared to become pretty much routine, and - being without a car - he pretty much only went to work and back to the accommodation for the month. However, he had taken a couple of photos:

Jan was back in Kiwiland briefly in the last week of October, mainly to attend Hartmut's 80th birthday. To get as many of the jobs that had piled up at Rose Road done as we could, we flew up to Wellington and back on the one day. Tina had booked the Tugboat Restaurant by the Freyberg Pool on Oriental Parade and everyone had a lovely time. There were no gifts to be given, so people made things: cards were made using old photographs; Lara played guitar and sang one of her own songs; Otto played violin; and we made marzipan and almond chocolates. Tina had a slideshow of many of the old family photos. Joerg made a very moving speech about the gifts that Hartmut had given him. Jan spoke about bringing the family on an adventure to New Zealand which gave the entire family opportunities that may well have been closed to them if they had stayed in Germany. A very nice afternoon, ended by kaffee und kuchen.

I was surprised on our way back to Nelson from Hartmut's birthday party to see that Wellington airport had only been established in 1959. Perhaps it had been named something else, or been an aeroclub ground before that.

The travel agents who are organising the Danube Cruise tour group from NZ got the group together for another event, luckily held while Jan was home. Everyone except our friends Sharon & Ian were able to attend. We got our packs of materials, and now know what is going to be available each day. We will start planning what exactly we want to do and see closer to time, next month.

Jan has dropped some more trees so that we have a few down and drying ready to saw up into rounds over summer, when I hope he will be home for a couple of months (though this time off has not yet been confirmed - sigh). With spring being well advanced, the weather was good enough to get out and have coffee at a couple of local cafes, even with the dogs.

Thanks to Warren, and with Jan being home, the tunnel house is almost complete. The gravel base was laid, the frame has been secured to tar-painted railway sleepers, and those have been fixed to the ground using reinforcing steel rods.

I say almost because unfortunately the glass louvres for the window at the back arrived broken. The company is re-sending them, and they should be here this week coming. At least I will be able to fit these on my own!

My old office desk has been re-purposed as a planting table, but I need to find some old plastic drums or mussel buoys which we can (a) have off the ground to avoid too much bending, and (b) fill with compost and use for planters. But I need to have the irrigation system worked out before we start that, and, realistically - as we are going to be in Europe for a month - all that is best to wait until we get back at Christmas.

While Jan was here he put up a fence around the vege garden which is HOPEFULLY dog proof. I have planted out Lebanese cucumbers, courgette, Rapunzel, spinach and tomatoes. The silver beet has bolted already, so I am busy converting that into dog veges and freezing it for our house-sitter to feed the dogs while we are away.

It was great to have Jan home, but also horrible to have him go again so quickly. It seemed like five minutes before I was saying goodbye to him at the airport again.

As usual, the weather and the views have been lovely:

Our Europe trip is now organised, and we both arrive into Munchen on 23 November, then catch the train to Ulm, arriving late afternoon. We leave Ulm for Budapest on the evening of 26 November, then - after much Christmas Market river cruising - we end the organised part of our tour in Prague on the morning of 10 December when we meet Justine. We have a few days in Prague seeing the sights, then head off to Stuttgart where Jan has a training course on the 13th.  We leave from Munchen to return to New Zealand on the 21st.

As we will not have a car, we hope to see as many of you who can get to Ulm or Stuttgart to see us. Please get in touch if you can make time to come to us: we would love to see you.

Back to you all with the next update in another month.


Sam (& Jan who is back in the US)

News from Nelson - September 2013

Hi everyone,

Oh, no! It's too late! We let him in... Jan is now officially a Kiwi. We had the citizenship ceremony at the Tasman District Council buildings on 5 September, the day before Jan's birthday.

What was really cute was that Ian Morris from down the road was also doing his ceremony, as was another friend of ours, Mike Greenawalt. Very relaxed and friendly ceremony. I must admit that I would have preferred the Nelson version which is held on Wakatu Marae, but this was fine. Jan is going to apply for a Kiwi passport - then he can choose the shortest queue at whichever immigration line he is at (providing he remembers to leave and return to NZ on the same passport, that is).

We have been flat out here for the last wee while: blowed if I know what we have been doing, but we have been busy doing it. Planted some new fruit trees, transplanted some eucalypts, cut and moved some gorse, visited people, shared food and conversation (the best bits).

Jan is rehearsing for the Solo Spotlight concert at present: I have done the PR for it. Should be all good - though I still have to compile the programme.

Jan went out to Krauts for his birthday dinner, which was once again a great night. I had a child's portion which worked out to be just a perfect amount. Jan had Schweins Hax'n. He took half home for lunch the next day, and that worked out just perfectly too :-D

We have caught up with Jan & Renate Cools, Gary & Nicki, Suzie, Jo & Keiran in the last few weeks, and will catch up with Max & Karen this weekend coming for their birthday. Gary & Nicki have now moved into their new house in Marahau (Check out http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/8866551/Marahau-bach-wins-design-award). Jan helped them get the internet & PCs sorted this weekend just past. They sold their Nelson house through Susa on the first open home and had a two week settlement date, so it was a bit of a scramble for them. Of course, Nick was completely & utterly organised, but it was still pretty stressful for them, I think.

Jan & I are both well. I think that everyone else here is as well as can be expected.

Donna & Mike are deep in wedding plans for Raro next April. Jan & I have booked our tickets and I suppose I will have to buy new togs. I had some, but haven't seen them for ages. In fact, they may have got lost in our move, that is how long it has been since I wore them last!

Coco & Bonnie are well, though Coco managed to spike herself on some grass or something when she went running around the orchard with Bon dog a week ago when Jan planted some new fruit trees. She came up in a lump which has had to be treated with antibiotics, but it is resolving nicely.

Jan & I are going to be in Chch on 17, 18, 19 & going home on the 20th of October. I have a symposium to go to at UC on Thursday, and a CDANZ thing at CPIT on Friday. Jan will be free to meet anyone during those days, or to potter around as he sees fit. We have Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday breakfast time free to meet up, see houses, go and visit etc. So please let us know if you are available and when, because we would love to catch up with everyone.

Jan will be in Welly the next weekend for the Naenae reunion. I am not going, but will stay home & look after the dogs so we don't have to have a house-sitter two weekends in a row.

Then Jan is off to the US and Germany on 5 November, and returns on 24 November. 

Right, that is all I can think of for now, so I will leave it at that. Take care everyone, and Jan will be in touch with the German contingent to let you know when & where he will be in Germany. He keeps saying that he is going to get in touch, but it hasn't translated from talking about it to doing it yet!


Jan & Sam

News from Nelson - June 2013

Hi Everyone,
I can't believe another month has ticked by. I have no idea where the time has melted away to!

Jan & I have both been flat out - Nelson Symphony Orchestra, dogs, study and work. Bonnie has been to the vet several times with a few fairly minor ailments. Fliss is getting so wobbly now she is tripping over her own feet. We have got little boots for her now so she gets good purchase on the floor - and I wouldn't have persisted had she still not been so bright, so keen for her dinner and a cuddle. But we know it won't be long. As soon as she stops enjoying telling us off because we haven't lit the fire quickly enough, or she goes off her food...

The cycle of all things, eh. And I wouldn't miss a minute of it. At least our families are currently fairly well, though I know Tanja is having trouble with her knee following surgery.

Temperatures are dropping, and we have had quite a bit of rain lately. No problems with having enough water. There is a shed full of wood to stoke the fire, and it is very cosy here - sometimes too cosy! I constantly find myself throwing the covers in the night because I have got too hot (and no, it's not the menopause!).

My father had a birthday BBQ at our place on May 26th. Uncle Norman, Mike & Donna came out too, as did lots of my folks' friends - Ralph is an RSA member (Vietnam) and borrowed the RSA van to bring a swag of them out, which was great. We had Ana from Brazil staying that weekend as well. Twenty for lunch worked out just fine. I made black forest gateaux - though only one got eaten. In fact, there was so much food that we made doggie bags up for everyone to take some bits home, because we would never have fitted it all the leftovers in the fridge!

We went to a Chamber of Commerce function at the Suter Art Gallery, about the new development project there. 

Last weekend we went to the basketball (Nelson Giants vs the Bay Hawks) with Sharon & Ian, which was great, preceeded by dinner at Krauts. Herman and Agnes Seifried were there as well, and Jan said to me, "That guy looks familiar - who is he?"!

We caught up with Frits, Kathleen & Amy on Saturday night, which was great. Amy did the dinner (mushroom risotto), Kathleen did the dessert (a light chocolate mousse), and it was just lovely. 

Yesterday I finished my assignment marking, to have a colleague contact me in a bit of a state. Lots of things have gone really badly pear-shaped in their lives, so I am now marking their assignment work this week. What can you do? As I explained to Jan, if I was at the end of my string so much that I asked someone for help, the last thing I would want them to do is say "sorry, mate; I have just finished and don't fancy doing any more"! Nothing wrong with a bit of 'cast your bread upon the waters', I reckon.

I have been to dinner with the Sport & Rec team at NMIT: Jan has caught up with work colleagues. He is also going to the US in November for a week-long industry tour and conference, and to Rotovegas in September to present at a conference.

Jan has been practicing for the next NSO concert (29 June), which should be really fun. It's programme you can really imagine being performed at a grand event, with a little light entertainment - Tea for Two - thrown in:

On the Sunday of that weekend, I am off to Wellington for another CDANZ meeting - the Sunday and Monday, then back home. I hope to catch up with Tina & Jeremy then too. Tina is so busy at work I don't know how she does it, and Jeremy's clown doctoring is going well (see the story below this one for the latest thing in the paper). My next CDANZ meeting will be October for the Career Symposium & AGM in Chch, I think. Then I think I have a conference in Queenstown to go to in November - but I am reconsidering whether I should attend that one as Jan will be in the US then. Julie from CNZ was down in Nelson last week for a meeting, and we caught up for coffee. It is great how you start to roll your contacts out around the country with involvements like this.

We are off to a quiz night this coming Friday night with Robbie & Janet, which should also be fun. We have also been trying to catch up with Glenys & Kevin, but just have not got there yet!

And some other sad news - while we were in the North Island, our neighbour, Kath, died. As many of you know, she had a brain tumour diagnosed when she was pregnant with Harrison. "They" said she would have three to five years after the treatment - she had three before it came back, and then the end came quite quickly. It is very sad, though Ian seems pretty stoic about it. Hopefully Harrison will remember his mum.

Sunrise from Roses Road last week:

Hoepfully we will all stay healthy, eh. And be kind to each other, and remember that we are a long time gone, so make the most of it while we are here. And remember we don't get points for it.

Right - that's all I have time for. Just a quick update :-)

Jan & 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

News from Nelson - February 2 2013

Hi all,
Just a quick update again as we are both pretty busy! Surprise, surprise!

Happy birthday to Jan's Oma Friedel who has just turned 99, here with Katrin & Monika: 

I went up to Tauranga for a couple of AUT training days, and caught up with DJ & Dilani, who are both in great form. Hopefully we will catch up with them both again when we take the Rotary exchange students around the far north this April too.

Kathleen & Frits came to stay for a weekend and we shamelessly put them to work. First we cleared some of the rubbish piles from when we had our trees felled about six years ago:

Then, where Jimmy had felled some trees which were threatening our powerlines, Jan & Frits cut them up.

And Coco and Bonnie helped.

And, what a delight for the eyes. Bonnie, sound asleep with eyes slightly open, dreaming and snoring with her tongue out. Bless.

Flissy is getting pretty frail: her back end is getting pretty wobbly due to the Ankylosing Spondylitis. We had them all at the vet the other day for check ups, and basically there is nothing else we can do for her now except control her pain (and she seems relatively pain-free, so that's good). Old dogs :-(

This week Jan has been in Auckland at a work conference/seminar and I have been in Welly for another CDANZ meeting. My next 'meeting' will be via video link from the BNZ Centres all around the country. It will be interesting to see how that works! But if it does work well, it will mean that we can save some $ for our members and have some 'minor' meetings during the year. I don't think the technology is good enough to replace collegiality yet, but it may come.

I teach students in Marlborough via video link, so does work OK: but it is not a replacement for being there.

We have rented our house again, as aside from one offer which fell through, there was nothing happening on the sales front.

Jan is playing in the next NSO concert - a salute to the Steinway - and I am trying to get my NMIT courses sorted so I can get back to my own study. I have some interesting students in my classes though. All those good things that make it enjoyable!

Our neighbour, Kath, is not good again, which is a real shame. But at least Harrison is three now, so will have memories of his Mum.

Our next trip will be the Rotary Youth Exchange one in April/May.  Hope to see some of you then.

Jan & Sam