Interstellar overdrive (Pink Floyd)

Wie geht's?

Holidays are great times for projects. One of mine was to finish off my quasi zen garden outside Abbey Road Four (ARF).

Easy as: remove old clothesline; relay black plastic and stones; erect a couple of shade sails on posts; relocate a gate; put up some trellis; add seating courtesy of S Moore and my relocated Buddha; relocate raised beds and soil from a paddock; wack up some extra fencing; buy some shrubs and voila! as Dan the weather man would say!

Love and peace - Wozza

Pretty lights on the tree (Christmas) I'm watching them shine (Darlene Love)

Wie geht's?

Asher's first Christmas was special and I really appreciate being part of that. Thank you Jade and William for allowing us that honour.

The whole opening Christmas present ritual is different for each family.

Ross and I would wake early (probably about 5 o'clock), creep out to the glass dividing doors separating the lounge from the dining room and gaze at the tree and all our presents underneath it...and wait.

Nothing happened until mum and dad arrived.

Jacky and I replicated this with our children. Nothing happened until we were all present (Jacky was always the last to arrive btw).

The wonder and joy and expectation is all part of the experience.

Now we are looking forward to sharing as much of the Christmas experience as we are able to in the years to come: Jade's reading of The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve and the morning ritual of presents.

Love and peace and Merry Christmas listeners everywhere - WNP

Christmas, baby please come home (Darlene Love)

Wie geht's?

Jacky has never been one for having family photos in the house. Never.

So, to say I was perplexed when she bought one of those multi display frames in England during our recent stay, would be very low down in the proclamation stakes (erm, yes - an understatement).

Anyway, she did. I raised an eyebrow, but the deed was done.

For the last 8 months the display board has been hanging in the kitchen diner, in its original factory fresh state. 

Many times during those 8 months I inquired as to the purpose of said board. Jacky's repeated reply? She was going to download some recent pictures of the Purdettes from her phone.

This never happened. 

So - taking the bull by the horns (and btw - by using that expression I am IN NO WAY implying that the love of my life (LOML) should be considered either a bull or someone with bullish tendencies, intractable, feisty when riled or any of that sort of thing): I decided to test the waters and put some old(er) pictures of the family in the board and see what happened, in a light-the-touchpaper-and-stand-well-back kind of way.

My first cut was met with some grudging approval but LOML's complaint was that I'd included pictures of the Purdettes and herself but left me out.

So, here's the second cut: Keegan appears twice; Adam twice; Samantha twice; Jade three times; me, Asher and LOML once each.

No pictures were harmed in the construction (as per LOML conditions) and I think the whole thing looks super cool!

And it's only taken 35 years to get family pictures on display!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Love and peace - Wozza

Santa Claus is coming to town (James Taylor)

Santa replaced! Asher takes over!

Wie geht's?

Asher's first Christmas visit to Santa (and Santa's cave as pictured above) went well. No tears, no screams, no demands for presents!

No need, because he'll rightfully be the centre of attention on Christmas day from now on.

Santa did his bit - held Asher and smiled (only officially sanctioned pictures please, so they'll have to wait until another post).

It was great and Christmas was the winner on the day!

Love and peace - G'dad

P.S. Christmas bonus? You're welcome!

What I say is, a town isn't a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it's got a bookstore it knows it's not fooling a soul (Neil Gaiman)

Next few weeks (reading) matter from Little Red Book Shop and Whitcoulls

Wie geht's?

Bookshops. I'm a big fan. From long ago and far away, I've always loved bookshops. And libraries.

I can very distinctly remember visiting the Onehunga library when I was a wee nipper.

But especially really good bookshops (which means my local PaperPlus and Whitcoulls in Hawke's Bay no longer qualify). With that said, pleasingly, I picked up Patti Smith's Year Of The Monkey from the Palmerston North version of Whitcoulls.

And I especially love second hand bookshops, like my latest squeeze - the Little Red Book Shop in Hastings.

The lucky dip aspect appeals to me greatly. I can waltz in with nothing in mind and waltz out with a book or three very easily. As I did today.

I do miss trawling around The Piggery in Whangarei, but LRBS does me nicely, thank you very much.

Love and peace - Wozza

Fun fun fun 'til her daddy takes the T-bird away (The Beach Boys)

Wie geht's?

The second and final draft post that was found quietly residing in my blog's musty attic. Mysteriously, this flashback to 2011 was never posted!

Very strange, because, as you can tell from the post, I loved working with these people and John's farewell was a terrific get together.

Return with me, then to yesteryear:

This week has been about farewells. The Qatari leadership group, that I've been helping to present to, finishes on Thursday. So it's goodbye to them. 

It's also goodbye from him (my colleague John Lambert). Super Johnny (aka Sterling Moss for his driving ability) has been brill and I'll miss him heaps. He's funny, wise, got great stories, knows everything you need to know about Doha, and has forgotten more about leadership strategies than you've had hot dinners, if you know worrimean).

Without fear, he also belts out a mean version of Release Me to crowded rooms of Qataris!!

We had a farewell dinner for him at his favourite watering hole and recreational centre - the Doha golf club. Here we are in all our glory telling tall tales and true.

Yes that's the Woz on the left - Colin (Al Zaeem) - John (Sterling) - Karin (aka Barbie) - Lawrence (Larry). We're in the no smoking corner. Ha ha!

Love and peace - Wozza

46 steps

Wie geht's?

Recently, I somehow clicked onto a section of the blog and found a few really old drafts of posts that I had never finished!

Here's the first one: a poem of all things. Wohsers!!

Written about leaving Patrick Cameron and Randy Buckley's house in north London a few years ago. Enjoy.

The Shire

And then we finally left,

taking the 46 downward steps,

and leaving Ferntower north,

the house and it's occupants,in peace.

The shire settled back down,to its routines and obligations.

Mr Patel sold one less Guardian a day,

the Paradise fish bar sighed,

The Acoustic, the two hour dry cleaner, and the Tesco Express:

all waved adieu,

as the number 73 heaved itself towards King's Cross 

and the Piccadilly line
and the journey towards Heathrow.

Love and peace - Wozza

Birthday - I would like you to dance (The Fabs)

Wie geht's?

Yes, you're right - two Wozza's Place posts in a row. That's because Jade is 28! Today!!!

So happy birthday to the youngest of the Purdy kids! It's been a big year. A massive year. One we won't forget in a hurry. Jade has taken everything in her stride and continued on her mature and self-assured way.

Love and peace - Dad

Look who's coming round the bend (from About A Boy)

Adam's first - Mt Eden, Auckland 1986

Wie geht's?

Short post this time out - I am attending a meeting of other OneSchool Global Principals in Auckland and it was an early start!

So, this random walk down memory lane to get us in the festive mood will have to suffice. It's that time of the year when kids reveal their secrets to Santa right!

Rituals are good! Looking forward to Asher's first!

Jade's first: Nelson 1991

Love and peace - WNP

Something tells me you're here with me (Train)

Wie geht's?

Have to report a tearful moment in the Purdmobile on my daily commute recently.

Been thinking about my mum and dad a lot of late (see the next post on Goo Goo G'Joob) and a live version of Train's When I Look To The Sky came on Radio Wozza. 

'Cause when I look to the sky something tells me you're here with me
And you make everything alright
And when I feel like I'm lost something tells me you're here with meAnd I can always find my way when you are here

Never fails to get me.

Then I read this poem today and it happened again.

Briefly Here and there some scrap of beauty gets snatched from this or that: One child’s voice rising above the children’s choir. A few wild notes of laughter passing through the open window of a passing car. That pink handkerchief waved at the parade. The tiny Nile-blue tile broken at the edge of the mosaic —all shining accident and awe. And this last second or two of dreaming in which your face returns to me completely. Not even needing to be, being so alive again to me. Laura Kasischke (2011) Beautiful Laura. Thanks. Love and peace - your eldest.

Let them eat cake (Marie-Antoinette)

Jade, Gavin, G Brian, Mabelle, Jacky, me and William at Salt, NP, for Brain's 80th.

- Wie geht's?

Home again, safe and sound from G Brian's big do.

- Say what? Weren't you in Nu Plimf for an 80th recently?

Ha! Yep - that was the mother-in-law. This one is for the Minister of Defence - the father-in-law: G Brian Smith (Smithy).

- I see, all went well with the outlaws?

Sure did. Asher had a baby sitter and was a perfect grandson. Rest of the crew on deck were well behaved too.

- Got in a visit to Vinyl Countdown, I hope.

Alas, no. Pity, but was good catching up with family and I did buy Springsteen's new album from The Warehouse when Jacky needed to buy a dog coat for Rey.

-Don't say: How is the Ceviche tonight?

Do Say: These pretzels are making me thirsty!

Love and peace - Wozza

I should be on that train and gone, I should be ridin' on that train to San Antone (The Monkees)

Wie geht's?

Box of fluffies - thanks for asking!

This one's about Radio Wozza Wozza Wozza.

It plays on my ipod during the daily commute along Highway 50 to Hastings and the OneSchool Global site. Remember?

Recently I ditched all the music on it from the UK and started again. Aim: all killer, no filler.

So I concentrated on loading all my Greatest Hits albums and then my favourite albums of all time.

Woh Nelly!!! It. Is. Awesome.

But anyway, as I pootled along today a Monkees song came on as I charged downward towards Maraekakaho.

Specifically, What Am I Doing Hangin' 'round, sung brilliantly by Mike Nesmith.




Instantly, and for an fleeting instant, I was back in the Auckland Town Hall earlier this year, sitting with my mates Gregarious and the Kevinator, watching Mike and Mikey.

Sheer bliss; big grin on my face. Did I sing along? Oh boy oh boy, did I!!

Love and peace - Wozza

Ooooh, here comes the sun king (The Beatles)

Wie geht's?

This is the one about Sun Rooms.

We have one. It's right by the front door.

The picture doesn't lie. The room to the left is our bedroom and the floor is the front porch/veranda. Somewhere, sometime, someone has decided to close this area in and make a sun room*.

*Sun + glass + smallish space = hot hot heat

Oh yes me hearty - it's HOOOTTTTTTT!!!!

We've decorated with a fake ceiling (a shade sail doubled over), a swing chair Jacky got via Trademe, a shabby chic table we did a few years ago and a Persian rug we bought in the middle east and has been in storage.

Jacky, being a beautiful hot house flower in a previous incarnation, loves it!

Love and peace - Wozza

They call me Doctor Love (Kiss)

Wie geht's?

Busy couple of weeks at Maple Grove. Mainly revolver-ing (geddit?) around establishing the fab music lounge inside (last two snaps below) and Abbey Road Four outside in the annexed bit (above and the next two snaps).

Very exciting having two places I can spin black circles!

Love and peace - Dr Love Rock

I'd have to be a warrior, a slave I couldn't be, a soldier and a conqueror, fighting to be free (Wishbone Ash)

Wie geht's?

You find me holed up in the Emerald Hotel in Gisborne - working on things I want to say tomorrow morning at assembly and watching the Australian Ninja Warrior TV show on Channel 3 while eating chips and drinking coke.

True decadence!

Love and peace - Woz

Someday, everything is gonna be smooth like a rhapsody, when I paint my masterpiece (Bob Dylan)

Photo by David Pisnoy on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Aches and pains. That's what.

I guess it's a sign of my advancing years, but I notice that various small aches can develop overnight or from repetitive actions like using a chainsaw. And be harder to shake these days. Go figure!

Activities contributing to this around Maple Grove of late have been prepping and painting the first coat in the spare room. That was going to be Asher's room but is now slotted down to be my music lounge. The existing music lounge will swap and become Asher's bedroom.

This all makes sense (as well as swapping our bedroom with the guest bedroom): 

• The (new) music lounge has dual aspect windows that don't accommodate a double bed but is perfect as a lounge
• Jade/William's room will now be darker, and opposite Asher's room
• Jacky has been frustrated that we weren't in the lighter/sunnier front bedroom since we moved in
• The new master bedroom has the blue couch for reading each night
• The huge mirror from the (new) music lounge works better in the main lounge
• Plus - it got us motivated to redecorate the one room that hasn't been touched in what, judging by the old wallpaper patterns, looks like twenty years. A few bits of old wallpaper had been removed by the previous owner so it really needed remedial action!

So my painting muscles and calves have had a work out with all the ladder manoeuvrings. 

This long weekend will complete the changeover (Friday is Hawke's Bay Anniversary and Monday is Labour Day). That's exciting.

When improvements and changes happen, it's a great feeling!

However, I need to keep my aim in mind - to pace myself a bit more and build in recovery times!

Love and peace - Wozza

Hearken! and observe how healthily - how calmly I can tell you the whole story (Edgar Allen Poe)

Wie geht's?

A few weeks ago, Jade, William and Asher gave me a lovely birthday gift: David Miller's That Glimpse Of The Truth - a collection of the 100 best short stories. Ever.

Okay, yes. In the past, I've largely struggled with the short story format. Writing one is tough as. Reading them can also be tricky.

Doesn't help that I mainly associate short stories with English lessons I've taught over the years.

In her wisdom, Jade gave me the option of swapping it for something else but I decided to stick with it after Jacky said she'd love me to read her the stories.

So, in true Arabian Nights tradition,  I've taken on the role of Scheherazade (yes, I know she's a she), and read from the stories each night.

The anthology is set out in chronological order according to the writer's birth-date! 

Weirdest story so far goes to Cervantes (born 1547) - the creator of Don Quixote and his story - about a deceitful marriage. But Gogol's surreal story, The Nose, is also looney tunes.

All up, it's giving us a lot of fun and creating some interesting conversations about what on earth is going on in the writers' heads!

Good choice Jade.

Love and peace - Dad

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone (Kansas)

Wie geht's?

The holidays are done and dusted. 

My holiday tasks are pretty much ticked off:

• Build a deck for Jade/William/Asher and Tango (all pictured above - two of those pictured help build said deck!)
• Cut the trees in the south paddock at Maple Grove
• Empty out all the broken branches from the pine trees on the western side of Maple Grove (thanks to Jade/William for their help)
• Put a gate between the house and Abbey Road Four to stop Rey from escaping

All done.

Big ticket items remaining for summer are fixing Asher's room at Maple Grove, cutting out the last tree lucerne and the three dead trees on the north boundary, and remove the old dog kennels and fix the broken deer fencing.

Yes, we won't be running out of jobs soon!

Love and peace - Wozza

You don't know what it's like to listen to your fears (The Beatles)

Turns out Megan Fox and I have something in common

Wie geht's?

Facing fears was a post by the great Seth Godin recently. Here it is in toto:

Facing our fears

That’s unlikely.

If I’m lucky, I can glance at them.

But just for a second or two.

Our fears burn so bright that if we truly face them, we think we might be blinded.

Of course, we may think we’re looking at our fears, dead on, but it’s more likely we’re just seeing a distraction, a shadow of what’s actually holding us back.

Because once we’re truly clear about the fear, it fades. It might even disappear.

My fear centres around flying.

I'm not alone: Aretha Franklin; Renee Clothier; Megan Fox; Ben Affleck and others. We all share the phobia.

I'm with Seth, up to the end bit.

How do I get 'truly clear' about the fear?

Love and peace - Wozza

“And what is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures or conversations?” (Alice in Wonderland)

Bookshelves in the background at 18 Korma Ave.

Wie geht's?

While reading this pretty cool article about why some people read, and others don't, I quickly flashed back to our house in Korma Avenue, Auckland in the 1960's.

Not for the first time, and it certainly won't be for the last time, I thanked God for allowing me to born into a home run by Dulcie and Graham Purdy.

There are many, many reasons why, but check this bit from the article:

Why some people grow up to derive great pleasure from reading, while others don’t. That why is consequential—leisure reading has been linked to a range of good academic and professional outcomes—as well as difficult to fully explain. But a chief factor seems to be the household one is born into, and the culture of reading that parents create within it.

Number 18 Korma Ave contained some impressive built in book shelves. I love that idea - that permanence of a place to put the books.

Many times I would gaze through the shelves, looking at the spines of the Doctor At Large, Hammond Innes, Alistair MacLean books, and many others while growing up. 

The culture of reading was important in our house - as I know it will be for Asher at Jade/William's place.

During the weekend, I collected all the books for children I have in my collection (some are mine, some are mum's, others I've accumulated) and put them in Asher's room at Maple Grove. 

Ready for him. 

Love and peace - Wozza (far left in the picture taken by dad, with my brother and the Adsetts - Lucy, Jack and Dulcie)

People try to put us d-down (talkin' 'bout my generation) just because we g-g-get around (The Who)

Wie geht's?

Recently, I helped my mother-in-law celebrate her 80th birthday.

Thanks to Pat (Great GM), Brian (Great GD), Jacky (their eldest), Jade (her youngest) and Asher (her son), the event was memorable for bringing together four generations of the Smith branch. Photo evidence above is Exhibit A.

Generational connections are special. I treasure a photo I have of four generations of my father's line - with my Great Grandfather, Grandfather, father and me.

I'm sure Asher will come to look back at the photo above and wonder about who we all were (really), what we were doing, where we were.

Lovely to think of those connections stretching back - not a long way, in the grand scheme of things, but far enough. 

There may or may not be any Great Great GM/GF photos so this is as good as it gets for a while.

Love and peace - WNP