Day 11, L3 (Friday 8th May): Tahiti, Travel, Tupperware, Births and the Flower Moon
Another cracker of a day up at Omaha. Yes I'm still here, will likely return to Auckland next week.
But meanwhile making the most of a prolonged time of quiet productivity without distraction or interruption, and in a most beautiful and peaceful environment. I am looking forward to social interaction again, but meanwhile using this opportunity wisely.
So after a leisurely start, and the obligatory coffee, I cracked into things.
You can now get a safely-distanced coffee from the Omaha Cafe - but I can barista my own at home and this has become my first-thing daily ritual. However, I may indulge in one of the cafe's pastries or scones or whatnot tomorrow ... they do some nice treats. They are also offering ready-made meals.
Once I got going on my computer, I kept going all day. I didn't venture to the beach, no matter how tempting. I was on a roll ... and kept at it.
So today's beach photo was taken in Tahiti in 2011. It's Brett's mum Muriel.
Brett's sister Vicki and I took Muriel on a week's cruise in Tahiti - she was 92 at the time. What an adventure we had. Muriel had dreamt of going on a cruise for a long time and I'm so glad we were able to make this happen. We had an absolute ball, so many stories to tell.
This trip sowed the seed of my desire to develop a travel business to help make travel dreams come true for older travellers.
It's taken a while (as all good things do!) - but I'm nearly there! Read on ...
in the knowledge that, as mentioned in yesterday's post, no decision made in haste is ever the best one!
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| Muriel - in tropical paradise, age 92 |
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| On board our small and wonderful cruise ship |
Bit by bit over these weeks I've been working on re-framing my Beyond travel offering and how it will look in the shorter term. This is by necessity, given the uncertainty of things, as my original service doesn't quite fit the current world of travel.
Understandably, most older people and those who need support (the bulk of my clients) are going to think thrice about travelling into the future.
However, I want to get things happening and encourage them to travel - in a safe, purposeful and rewarding way. This is the service I offer!
So I'm putting together several itineraries to showcase special parts of NZ. Focussing on domestic is the only way to go for the time being.
I'm hoping that, in the strangest of ways, Covid-19 will play into my favour and make my offering even more expansive and special.
So after lots of thought and planning and research around all this, I'm finalising a very special 7-night/8-day trip in the Matakana/Omaha/Leigh area.
It will be a high-end, small-group, all-inclusive, fully-escorted tour on a single-price basis (discount for room-share) - aimed at seniors, with a gentle slow-paced focus.
I'm also putting together a more "active" tour aimed at 45-65 year olds (the middle-agers!) - similar, but with a bit more pace and physical activity.
Waihi and Taranaki are other destinations I'm working on.
Also a short getaway to Auckland's West Coast beaches. And more ...
Hopefully things will spread from there and my PTC team and I will be able to help people enjoy the wonders of travel again. Right here on our doorstep, for starters.
I'm really hoping Air Chathams survives and the Aussie bubble becomes reality, so I can pick up and run with the Norfolk Island tour I'd put together before lockdown, when travel there becomes possible again.
And then ... at some point hopefully, in the not too distant future, destinations further afield will be reality ...
Today I set up a new Beyond Personal Travel Service Facebook page. I'm not a big personal Facebook user but it will be a good way to spread the word professionally ... It's bare bones at the moment, but I'll post trips and info when Level 2 comes and things take more shape and certainty.
BRUNCH: Cream cheese on muffins.
AFTERNOON SNACK: Popcorn!
DINNER: The leftover roast pork and veges from last night - jolly good it was too! And a mini-panforte for pud, from a Christmas hamper I suspect! Oh ok, and some Caramilk!
After dinner I partook in an online Tupperware Party via Zoom. I've been wanting an Extra Chef for some time - saw it in action tonight and decided it's a must-have for my kitchen. Thing is I have two kitchens ...! The good thing is that it's very portable. (A little too pricey to indulge in two ...)
Amanda gave lots of tips in her demo as she made chocolate brownies and demonstrated the secrets of various Tupperware items. I've had Tupperware in the cupboards for years, including some real old-school items from early days (especially at Omaha!) Use them all the time.
But ... it's time for a new useful and essential piece, methinks - the Extra Chef!
Oh and I must report that good friend Cec is a grandmother again - her daughter Sarah gave birth, in Sweden, to a baby girl. Brother for Lou. Very speedy by all accounts. Cec was supposed to be over there in Sweden for the birth - but of course sadly Covid put paid to that. Congrats to all! I look forward to seeing photos and finding out the name!
A speedy birth is good - but sometimes not ... as I found out ... read on ...
My birth with Sam was pretty text-book - around 7 hours from first contraction - no, actually, it was from waters breaking. Ping. Floods. I'd just left the restaurant round the corner! It was due date! You may ask why I was eating out at such a time - well, why not!? But thank god I got home in time!
Brett and I watched Wimbledon in the middle of the night while I persevered through contractions and he noted the times. Pretty soon they were coming thick and fast - off to hospital we go in the dark of night! Sam was born with a mop of snowy white hair at 5.40am. A little gas and a lot of pushing got him safely out. Good grief, how does that actually happen!?!? It's a true miracle.
A week later I was at the PowerStation watching a concert of one of my favourite singers - Lucinda Williams. Sam was a model baby, Mum was happy to babysit, so off we went - it was just around the corner (we were living in Freemans Bay at the time). I'd left work a week prior to the birth - and lo and behold I bump into a guy from work who goes "What the hell, Sally, you just left work to go have a baby ..." I know, mission accomplished and now I'm here enjoying Lucinda. I'll never forget all the many looks on his face as he processed this!
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| Little Sam |
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| Big Sam |
With Michael it was less than three hours from first contraction. I was a week overdue and I'd heard that chili is good to get things going. Ponsonby Pies did a great chili pie so Mum and I went there. The girl in the shop asked when I was due. "Last week," I said, "but he's coming out today on account of your chili pie!" Got home, ate the pie and ... sure enough, a couple of hours later, around 4.30pm, along come those familiar twinges. OMG those twinges got very bad very quick. Chili does work! Crisis call to Brett to get home now.
It was Friday afternoon. The drive to hospital in Friday rush hour, even back in 1996, was arduous. We didn't have that far to go but it was slow and hideous and I was doubled up in agony. Straight into the birth suite - and suddenly Michael was born, not long after 7pm. It was all so swift I hardly had time to register what I was doing. There was no time for pain relief or even thinking about it, boom, here was our baby.
But then things went horribly wrong. Michael was fine but I was bleeding heavily. I was faint and in bad shape. To cut a long story short, after a terrible few hours, I had surgery for retained placenta. That perfect birth turned into a nightmare and I was in hospital for a while. In the olden days, I would have died.
But my boys still have their mum - for better or worse! I know I push the boundaries a bit (even more than kids do sometimes!), but at least I'm no dull drooping potted houseplant!
And it's Mother's Day coming up here on Sunday ...!!!
I'll remember my Mum. You know, I only ever had one major argument with my mother. A few to-dos and cross words about this and that, but only one proper full-on argument. Mum was a gentle soul and we "got" each other. We really didn't have a need for arguing and we just didn't go there. I'm proud to say this.
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Tonight the almost-Full Moon loomed large into the inky sky, tinged orange, in Supermoon style.
Last night - the real Full Moon date - there was a bit too much cloud low on the horizon and, most annoyingly, it hid moonrise. Spectacular and bright all the rest of night, but alas it wasn't the best moonrise in the full moon business.
Wow the moon sure made up for it tonight. I got the telescope out and zeroed in - amazing. Luminescent in colour and amazing in form. No wind, clear and calm and glorious. This was a Supermoon.
The May Full Moon is known as the Flower Moon - on account of Spring blooming in the northern hemisphere.
Given the weather we've been having, one would be forgiven for thinking it's Spring right here in NZ - during Autumn!!!
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| Blurry but gives a vague hint at the fabulous orange colour as the almost Full Moon rose tonight. Hmm, I wish Full Moons weren't so hard to capture on a phone! If you look closely, you can see it's not completely full, even just one day later - a sliver has been removed! |
And here is a photo my friend Lyn sent me of the Full Moon rising in Dorset on her 70th birthday! You see, I really do engage in global Full Moon research!
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| Full Moon in Dorset 7th May 2020 |
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