Zoom, just one look and then my heart went boom (Fat Larry's Band)

Adam and Ashleigh, me and Jacky, Samantha and Jesse, Asher William and Jade, and Keegan on the birthday call.

Wie geht's?

Recently, Asher's first birthday was a big day of celebration for the Purdy whanau, pictured above on Zoom.

The Level 3 Lockdown didn't help, but given the five zoom participants are in four different countries, this was always going to be our best bet to party down with Lord Asher. 

Apart from the superb massed choir singing happy birthday, highlights included the two cakes Asher had to blow out (from Fanfa and Jade) and Asher's keyboard skills, which are progressing super well!

Love and peace - Gdad

Baby, you're a star (Prince)

Wie geht's?

This post unashamedly spotlights the stars of the show - William and Jade.

Here is a selection featuring my favourite shots of the bride and groom heading off on their own mystery ride.

Love and peace - Father of the bride

Warm moonlight over my horizon, she's a slice of heaven (Dave Dobbyn)

Wie geht's?

Inspired by John and Yoko*, I thought I'd include a slice of Jade and William's wedding cake for this post.

Details: yes, Jade/William's cake is pictured on a dinner plate - it was a BIG one - a three layer lemon cake and the icing was delish.

Enjoy!

Love and peace - father-of-the-bride

* In 1969 John and Yoko released their Wedding Album record - the one with John and Yoko saying each other's names back and forth over one side and various bed-in press interview soundbites on t'other. In the lavish package they included a picture of their wedding cake which I've pictured above (sadly there were no details released surrounding the cake's constitution).

So bring your good times, bring your laughter too - we're gonna help you celebrate this party with you (Dragon)

Wie geht's?

We have had an awesome week with Jade and William's wedding and the combined big band on show at Maple Grove (as above).

Very emotional having everyone together in one spot for once. We think the last time was Adam and Ashleigh's wedding.

After everyone left our thoughts turned to planning the next one - Jacky has a significant birthday coming up in a couple of years.  

Because we're all dispersed around the world, that's going to be how we all regroup again - via significant birthdays, maybe Kerry and Shamara's wedding.

That's by the by, the wedding photos from last week should be released soon - I'm very excited to see how they turned out and to share them on the blog.

Love and peace - W

Gee, I really love you and we're gonna get married - goin' to the chapel of love (The Dixie Cups)

Whanau at Fanfa's wedding: Adam; me; Jacky;Fanfa;Jesse;Jade;Ashleigh; Keegan

Wie geht's?

Big week for the whanau this week as we head towards Jade's wedding on Friday.

As Father-of-the-Bride, I've been working on my speech and thinking about what I should say to celebrate the day.

Need to hit the right notes.

Also been thinking about other family weddings: Samantha and Jesse (the above photo); Adam and Ashleigh (below); Warren and Jacky - almost 36 years ago that one; and the big one without which etc - Graham and Dulcie Purdy.

Whanau at Adam's wedding: Fanfa; Jesse; Ashleigh; Jacky: Adam;me;Keegan; Jade

Me; Jacky; Graham Purdy

Graham and Dulcie

In a crazy co-incidence William's parents were married on the same day as us! April 21, 1984. That's a good omen!

Love and peace - father of the bride

All complete in the sight of seeds of life with you (Yes)

Wie geht's? 

Okay, so finally, after months of waiting and a first week of the holidays dedicated to work around the house, Jacky and I have our UK possessions stowed away and Maple Grove (our house in Takapau, Nu Zild) is fully ship shape!

East side

West side

Front facing north

Inside Maple Grove is also now much more us.

I can now luxuriate in not one, but TWO music rooms (no - I don't play anything - I appreciate and relax instead). One is even, shock horror/am I reading this right?, INSIDE THE HOUSE!!!!!

Entrance to A.R.F.

Inside treasures

Inside music lounge

Yes: Abbey Road Four (ARF), a.k.a. the vault, is in an out building next to the laundry and Jacky's tack room/workshop but 'The music lounge' is inside - in the fourth bedroom with my UK stereo gear and some framed Beatle pictures. 

Jacky's saddle collection in her tack room

We are slowly ticking off jobs, some big, some small and Maple Grove is by degrees removing the previous owners idiosyncratic touches and becoming more ours.

Chicken coop by Wozza, Jade and William

One big job was rebuilding the chicken house. Thanks to Jade and William we managed to get this done AND buy three chickens in two days of concentrated effort. Names? Well we always have to have a Sticky; joining her is Olive and Pickles.

Love and peace - Wozza

It's a family affair (Sly and the Family Stone)

Wie geht's?

I'm sure Asher will love these pictures in the years to come!

Love and peace - WNP

Start by discarding (Marie Kondo)

Desert Road in autumn, NZ

Iiiiiiiiiit's holiday time! 

The Light Of My Life and I have just returned from Hawke's Bay (delivering horses and horse float to LOML's step mum - Grace and Beetlebaum are wintering in Waipukurau). Plus, I squeezed in a trip to Havelock North for a coffee with my buddy, Toni. 

From there we travelled south along the yellow brick road to Palmerston North (A.K.A. Palmy) to help Jade and William with some house renos (A.K.A. renovations).

Some random notes for y'all: 

Great wedding anniversary day on the 21st - dinner (Italian fare at Pompeii) and a show with the kids (Black Panther)...excellent coffee with Toni at Bay Espresso (complete with Woodford parents!), even though the Espresso crew had changed...Havelock North resplendent in autumn colours...Thor Ragnarok on Jade/William's fancy TV was awesome...lunch in Taihape...put up guttering for Jade/William - first time ever, attached boards and door handles, trimmed the hedge as well...enjoyed watching William play football, even though the team lost 4-1...Jerry travelled so well - long drive with horses - about 10 hours via Napier Taupo highway and then a 9 hour trip home via Hunterville/Taihape. As soon as we arrived home he immediately wanted to play ball - which we did for 20 minutes!...beautiful farmers wives' gardens around Hunterville, spreading trees over driveways in elaborate designs...helicopters whisking owners to flash homes around Cambridge...great brooding autumn scenes along the Desert Road with Ruapehu and Mordor, erm, Ngarahoehoe as a backdrop...finished a book - One More Day (Mitch Albom) and discarded it on Jade/William's bookshelf, and started on Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying...I could go on but I best get to it - starting with my clothes!

Love and peace - Wozza

I have no patience for lactose, and I won't stand for it (Jerry Seinfeld)

Bottle (the male - shaped like a..well, bottle) and Mo

Two new Purdy family members to introduce during this post - Mo (really Maureen but shortened to Mo - like the first Mrs Ringo Starr - Maureen Starkey) and Bottle.

These beautiful Lorikeets decided to adopt us (we checked everywhere - nobody reported them lost) by accepting SWMBO's hospitality (cheap dates - it only took a bit of chat - they repeat phrases they've heard, and some apple).

We grabbed an aviary off TradeMe and hey bingo - Mo and Bottles are happily eating their daily fruit and thanking their lucky stars!

Projects are usually a big part of my school holidays and these ones conformed to the pattern.

Weather and various interruptions (our over-night trips to Russell and Auckland) meant that the horse yards are an on-going proposal. 

The digger guy didn't get to our place until the end of the first week - then that process took three days - digging out the top soil, putting loads of lime stone down as a base and then loads of quarry dust on top.

After that I got onto concreting in the posts with the help of the family heirloom. It looks a tad weird because, in a cunning plan - put a tail on it/ call it a weasel, the posts supporting the roof are sloping down to join the garage roof's gutter system (that in turn feeds the water tank). Cunning, right?

Next steps involve the framing for the roof, putting up the iron, and rails for the two yards. For that I'll need some fine weather and some time!

While waiting for the digger guy, we decided to get stuck into the kitchen redecoration - the before and after shots indicate the replacement of all the Formica surfaces and eradication of all the varnished wood.

Before - dark, heavy varnish...

After

Apart from all that we managed to catch up with old friends and three of the brood during the break: Adam and Ashleigh (we hadn't seen them for two years), Keegan, Jade and William. We saw Fanfa last Christmas, so we feel reasonably caught up!

And, now - so are you!!

Love and peace - Wozza

My mind holds this world in its hands (The Staple Singers)

Guest blogger Jade Purdy continues her trip through Peru:

We went to the Santa Catalina Monastery yesterday which was beautiful. It sits on approx 50 acres with 80 'cells' (units) where nuns used to and still do live. A lot of the information around was about a nun called Ana de los Angeles Monteagudo. According to the information there she performed many miracles, had many visions and even fought the devil who presented himself to her. 

We went into her 'cell' which had a lot of her belongings within it including a whip that had approximately 6 barbed plates and this weird barbed wire mat thing. William and I were speechless. We'd earlier read that she would "mortify her body" I hadn't really understood what that meant until seeing those objects. I really don't understand the chastising or mortifying ones body in the name of religion. I wouldn't be cut out for the 1600s sisterhood.

We then went and sat in the Plaza which again is stunning surrounded by cathedrals and cobbled roads. There were a lot of pigeons there which was a welcome treat. You can buy seed (tupence a bag) which a little kid had done. How kind you'd think. A boy of about 9 buying seed to feed the birds...bless. No. He was luring the pigeons in and then trying to stomp on them. He managed to lure one bird in who he pounced on and started pulling its wings. I couldn't help myself and I rushed over and told him off. The father said "he's just feeding" to which I angrily told him no he's hurting him. This luckily shocked the kid enough to stop stomping and pulling and the dad kept a closer eye. Stupid kid.

Love and peace - Jade's dad

If she winks an eye, the bread slice turn to toast (Little Richard)

Jade and William in Peru - latest adventures

Puno

Iros Island

We've just returned from our home stay on Amantani island on lake Titicaca. We arrived to Puno via a 6.5 hour bus drive. The whole journey was a complete eye opener at how fragile out little world is. We drove through cities with no paved roads, Shanti buildings and sectioned off areas of weeds painted as grass. Too often I think we travel and see only the beauty. Through ignorance or denial we ignore areas where mother earth is bleeding and humans are pushing their luck. 

Puno is settled at 3800m above sea level with a population of about 40,000 not including dogs. It was raining when we arrived. We were trying to hunt down a taxi when HUGE clap of thunder hit directly above us. We thought it was a bomb or some sort of explosion. Not exactly the welcome you want.
Puno is cold.

The first island we visited was Uros island. Google it. It's incredible what they can do with a basic reed.

We had an amazing time with our host family on Amantani island. However, our guide was a tad odd. He was very spiritual and instead of telling us the history of the island and the culture of the people he informed us of his near Buddha status, the female and male energies of the earth, his proof that aliens were the creators of underground buildings and his proof of the great flood... I could give a whole book of examples. Trust my luck he didn't take a shining to william oh no he spoke about it to me every little chance he got. It was exhausting.

Our host family took us to a Fiesta where we danced a lot. They dressed us in traditional clothes and we had a lot of fun. Many pictures and even a video or two to show. 

Our last island to visit was Taquile. Gorgeous! Places like that take all the rough edges of my soul and smooth them out beautifully. It was beautiful with a gentle lake breeze and a touch of sunshine. I burnt the shiz out of my face. It was honestly a touch of sunshine but gosh my poor nose!

Today we travel to Arequipa via bus again. Wish us luck!

Love and peace - Wozza 

A fantabulist night to make romance (Van Morrison)

More from DLG in Peru:

We survived the trek. I'm continually amazed at how far the human body can be pushed. For example day 2 we scaled up to 4200m and day 3 we descended 1000m. It was the hardest I've ever pushed my body and the whole experience was amazing. 

14 hours sleep later and I feel like I'm starting to recover from the trek. It's not just the walking or the rain or the food, language and altitude. I think it's the constant amazement we are continually finding ourselves in. Climbing up to 4200m surrounded my mountains and clouds. The views were incredible. I'm sure we must have at least 300 photos of just views. To add to that you'd turn a corner and an Incan ruin would slam you in the face. 

William and I were 2 of 8. Our group again was a huge highlight. Made up of 2 Scottish, 2 American, 1 English and 1 German. Our guide Yenrri (Henry) was out of this world. His nickname (given to him when he was 14 in the jungle army) Rambo fitted him perfectly. Such a nice guy but I'm 99% sure he could kill me with his bare hands. On the first day he was playing with a rope making Knots. He asked the group if we could do a knot he'd just completed to which I responded you mean a noose. He then proceeded to teach the whole group how to make said noose. A lot of laughter the whole trip. 

Our group stuck together unlike other groups who broke off into pairs and we managed to arrive first at every camp and check point. 

Our last group dinner was out of tour time and we shared a guinea pig... which tastes like KFC chicken.... and many a Pisco sour. The whole trip was incredible. 

Our horse trek was beautiful too. The horses were very much loved. They were in excellent condition. My horse was head shy and obviously used to leading. Their bridles were halters with reins and saddles were some sort of western try hard. We, yes William too, galloped through the Peruvian country side and stopped at ruins along the way. William has bilateral bruises on the inside of his knees.... he tells me he had never concentrated so hard in his life but loved it all the same. 

I'm reading a book at the moment that stated only 7% of the world's communication is language the rest is non verbal. I could not agree more. I'm getting pretty good at miming.

 Love and peace - WNP

It's a marvelous night for a moondance (Van Morrison)

Welcome to Jade's travel diary via emails to her SWMBO and moi Part Two:

I was so naive about altitude sickness. Stupidly naive. Headache, nausea and fatigue coming at me from all directions. William seems to be having the occasional headache and fatigue but all and all fine....typical.

Coca tea (which everyone says doesn't work...hipsters most probably) seems to help, especially nausea. It tastes just like green tea.

I did my research on Diamox and realised the stupid travel lady steered me in the wrong direction. I'm now taking Medsafe's recommended dose and feeling better for it. I've also never consumed so much water in my life. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be acclimatized and can walk up the hill to Santa Teresa.

Our hotel is lovely and our bed complete with no less than 5 blankets. The staff know rehearsed English but anything more I get a blank look. I asked for milk and ended up mooing. On the plus side we found a supermarket which means MILO glorious milo! It's all I've wanted since I've been in Peru. They don't have English breakfast here and I was starting to miss my hot drinks.

We visited Qoriqancha today. It was the temple of the sun god in Inca times but most of it was demolished in the 1500's and Santo Domingo was built on top. They still have original Inca parts and the building is HUGE. A lot of the time I feel mad that once colonised the Incan temples and religions were demolished. Then again the Inca's did it to the Hauri and so on. Humans can be cruel.

We also walked around the square where I stupidly asked how much a scarf was. Rookie error.

Oh one more thing! Last night we found ourselves amongst a protest. Trumpets, drums, fire and a lot of yelling and singing. I'll attach a picture or two. I asked the receptionist what was going on and she replied "election". I wish I knew Spanish.

Jade and William are off exploring the route to Machu Picchu right now. More bulletins when I get em.

Love and peace - Abu Keegan