Goodbye Dear Old Lady

This Dear Old Lady is a wonderful Edwardian theatre that has been a part of my life for the last sixteen years: The Mercury. Home to my church family since I was a twenty-something single girl.

Tonight was our last service in her, because we are moving onwards and upwards into the much larger Town Hall for our Sunday Services. Everyone is pumped.
I have mixed emotions. Sniff sniff.

I was there back in the days when our church dreamed of (and prayed for) a building of our own. I was part of it when we bought and moved into this amazing old listed building in 1994.

There when they discovered the architectural treasures hidden beneath 1970's boxing and saw her come out from under dull grey paint, to vibrant gold-tipped gorgeousness.

I've stood on her stage and preached. I've played a Victorian Missionary wife in a dramatic production on her stage, dressed up as Abba for a youth concert, put together shows and run countless events in this fabulous place.
The backstage smell still brings butterflies.

I graduated from Leadership College here. I was ordained as a Pastor here.

The resource room is where my office once stood. In that very room I blurted out my idea for a youth education programme to reach school dropouts. That idea became a project which changed my life as well as hundreds of others. CLS is still running and has grown exponentially from its once humble beginnings in 1997. My precious little "delinquents" came here to learn, to tag our walls, to annoy our neighbours and to secretly sniff glue in the toilets until we caught them. Ahhh if these walls could speak. (I'm kinda glad they can't, who knows what else they got up to that I never knew about??)

I met my husband within these old walls. He sauntered into my life and we co-existed peacefully, barely taking notice of each other... until... well until we noticed each other.

I lectured at the Leadership College, which ran in The Mercury. He was a student. What an annoying student he was too! Hardly paying attention to my lectures and giving me a rotten review. I would never have imagined that this painful person would become my dearly beloved. The Mercury holds so many memories of our beginnings... early conversations, early realisations... It was after a gig at The Mercury that Mr G offered me a ride home which detoured into coffee and talking til the cafe closed and he asked me to watch him play football the next day...

Our wedding was held in this wonderful old building. I walked up the aisle to him, on my daddy's arm.

We stood at the front surrounded by family and friends, who cheered and clapped and laughed when he kissed the bride and the deal was done.

Our children were brought here from their earliest days, cuddled sleeping in our arms, nursed in the parents room. We stood at the front and presented each one to God, dedicating ourselves to bring them up in His ways. On the same spot where we had made our vows to each other. They are making friends for life here too. But it will be in a different place from now on.

So many memories crowd in. Memories of sitting in the empty darkened theatre, praying, crying, connecting with God. Memories of wonderful music, celebrations, events, concerts, weddings, even funerals. For almost half my life this beautiful Old Lady has played a central role.

This for the girl who moved house nearly every year, and attended ten different schools. Having a place like this where memories have been made over so many years is priceless.

I have been part of this church family for twenty years this year. I've made friends for life here, and I'll take those with me. After all, a Church is not a building.
It's people. It's family. It's connection.
I know this. I know!

But still, a part of me is a little sad, a little nostalgic for all the memories that have been made in the wonderful old Mercury Theatre.

Thankyou for the good times, Mercury. I'll take the memories with me but I will still miss you.

xxx

Hat Trick

Do you know what a hat-trick is?? It has absolutely nothing to do with hats. It's three of something. Three wickets. Three medals. Three goals.

Guess who got a hat trick of goals last week?? (If you guessed Dash, you'd be right)

And guess who finally got awarded Player of the Day? (Again, the correct answer is Dash)

It was a ripper of a game (that means really really good). We remain undefeated and unscored-against; the score this week, 4-0 to us. Three of those goals were my son's. Three spectacular, splendiforous goals.

Tomorrow's game is in doubt. It's been raining here since last night without let-up. Rain on the roof while lying cosy in bed is one of my favourite things in life. Rain down the back of my neck and wet feet from running chores is not. Lucky I have a lovely neighbour to take my kids to school on wet days. Gotta love good neighbours!

So as I was saying, tomorrow's game is in doubt. Rain, wet grounds, fields closed... blah blah blah. Who'd have ever believed that I'd feel disappointed at missing out on getting up early to watch football (a.k.a. soccer) on a Saturday morning? Anyone who knew me in my pre-Mr G days would fall off their chairs laughing at that one.

I was completely ignorant of everything relating to football when I started dating sporty Mr G (eeeeh, just look at his floppy blond hair). I remember watching him play for the first time, admiring his muscley legs and tight buns in those little shorts...

His team did badly. They lost 8-0, with me watching. Mr G was ropable, embarrassed, mortified that I had witnessed their awful defeat when he wanted to impress me. I honestly didn't care, I just thought he was lovely.

But I was confused when he asked me to collect the strips for washing... strips?? I imagined bits of cloth that people tied on their wrists for bandages... or to show team colours... but I couldn't see any of those. Duh! It's the t-shirts silly! Football uniforms are called strips!

Oh, er, right.

After that I could talk about "nice strips" with the best of them.

I stopped watching Mr G's football games early in our marriage, after I got hit in the face with a stray ball while cheering on the sideline. Oh, the pain of having my sunglasses smashed into my face. The embarrassment of crying in front of his teammates. The inconvenience of a fat lip...

I managed to steer clear of football until... until I gave birth to a football-mad kid.

When Dash started showing sporty qualities like his dadda, I inwardly grimaced at the idea of spending my Saturday mornings standing on the sidelines in all weathers. I told myself, that'll be daddy's job to take the boy to his football matches.

I hadn't reckoned on how absolutely thrilling it is to watch your kid do what they were born to do. Watching him fly up the sideline, dodging opposition players, booting the ball sweetly into the net... what else would I rather do on a Saturday than watch that?

See what motherhood does to us? It turns us into unlikely football fans with an unasked-for knowledge of the English Premier League Club standings, endless player names and likely teams for relegation or promotion.

I still have no idea how the offside rule works. But I can shout at the Ref with the best of them. Go the Magpies!

PS: Check out Mr G, circa 1983. Look like anyone we know??!

KidsClick - Kids Photo Competition

Here it is. The linky meme I promised to get your kids out there taking photos.

Miss Fab: "Something Alive"

How it will work:

1. Get your kid(s) to take a photo on the theme of the week.
2. Post it on your blog (just one photo each) with the rules and this link.
3. Link up here (link to the post not just your blog so we can find it easily)
4. The winner will get to choose the next theme and pick the next winner.

This weeks theme is "I LOVE...."

A few little rules:

Dash: "Something Beautiful"

• Photos can be cropped but not edited in other ways.
• "Kids" must be aged younger than 15 years old.
• Please indicate your child's age along with their photo, e.g. "Taken by Bobby, age 6" etc
• If more than one of your kids wants to join in, that's great. Just make sure you label your photos so we know whose is who!

Anyone can join so spread the word. (Right-click the button to save it, then use it on your post)


My kids will pick the first winner, which will be posted next Monday.
(Dash's "Something Beautiful" came 1st equal with Miss Fab's "Something Alive" in our test run.)

Have fun and get your kids clicking!

Link up here...

Life in New Zealand

I live in Auckland, New Zealand. For those who don't know much about our little land, we are not the eastern island of Australia. Neither are we somewhere near Iowa. We are our own fiercely independant free-thinking sovereign state, way down yonder in the South Pacific.

We call ourselves "Kiwis" - not the fruit (we call that "kiwifruit") or the flightless bird. We're a pretty relaxed bunch - our national motto is, "She'll be right, mate!"

Kiwis have a D.I.Y. mentality, we don't like fakes, posers or people who look down on others. We love nothing better than an honest try-er. We cheer for the underdog. Kiwis have a can-do attitude. We like to take what we have and make the best of it. "There's not much that can't be fixed with a piece of No.8 wire" has long been a Kiwi motto. We like to think of ourselves as "clean and green". We love the Great Outdoors.

There are only 4 million of us sharing this beautiful country. One million of them live in my city, Auckland. There are two main islands (North and South).

The further north you are, the warmer it is. Auckland is fairly northern. We never get snow (although the South Island and central North Island do). We are a multi-cultural bunch. As well as our native Maori people, Polynesians from all over the Pacific have settled here in large numbers, and their easygoing family-centred cultures are a big part of our national psyche. 

We're blessed to live here in this beautiful natural paradise. NZ is known for a rolling green hills, our lush native bush, our uncrowded beaches and outdoor lifestyle. There's a fair bit of rain - hence the green. The climate is mild. Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter.

Our seasons are opposite to the Northern Hemisphere: Our summer is your winter. We have Christmas in sunshine. Not a hint of snow and yet we still slather everything with pictures of Santa and sing "Jingle Bells". Crazy huh?

The whole country goes on holiday in January, which is a great start to the year. We go camping, spend all day at the beach, go swimming. Our kids run barefoot. Not because we can't afford shoes, but because to us being barefoot means freedom.

There's nothing a Kiwi likes better than showing off our beautiful country to visitors from Abroad. So come on over...!

The Best Little Country in the World is My Home
Summer by the Lakes (Rotorua-Taupo)
Just Down the Road (Pt Chevalier Beach, Auckland)
What I Love About Where I Live (Auckland)
Away We Went (Taupo-Mt Ruapehu)
Recipe for a Family Adventure (Northland)
Classic Kiwi - Sandy Bay
Kidfree Weekend in Paradise (Queenstown)
Five Go Adventuring Again (Rotorua, the Luge)
Wild West (Piha Beach, West Auckland)
Clown Camping (Martins Bay, Warkworth)
ANZAC Biscuits (New Zealand in WWI)
Last Days of Summer (Coromandel)
Bye Bye Comfort Zone (Lake Taupo)

• Ads/adverts: TV commercials, advertisements
• Bach: Small holiday home, pronounced "batch" (called a "Crib" by South Islanders)
• Barbie/BBQ: Barbeque; Sausages and steak cooked on an outside grill (which kiwis eat all summer long)
• Bloke: A man, often used when referring to a stranger. Eg: Who was that bloke?”
• Bonnet: Car hood
• Boot: Car Trunk
• Brekkie: Short for Breakfast
• Bikkie: Short for Biscuit
• Biscuit: Cookie
• Bro: Short for "brother", a friendly term for a male friend
• Cheerio: A form of Goodbye; also little red cocktail sausages
• Chips: Fries (also the same word is used for crisps)
• Chemist: Pharmacy
• Cheers: Thank you
• Chilly bin: Insulated box, used to keep beer & food cold (what Aussies call an "Esky")
• Cornflour: Cornstarch
• Cuppa: Short for Cup of tea or coffee eg. “Do you want a cuppa?”
• Cuz/Cuzzie/Cuzzie bro: Short for "cousin". Another friendly term for a friend or relative
• Dairy: Convenience or corner store selling milk, bread, papers, convenience foods and dairy produce
• Dole: The Unemployment Benefit.
• Dunny: Toilet, bathroom
• Eh/Aye: Pronounced as you would the letter "A" (ay) and often used by Kiwis at the end of sentences
• Flannel: Wash cloth
• Footpath: Sidewalk
• Good on ya: Congratulations, well done
• Gumboots/Gummies: Wellington boots, galoshes, rubber boots (a cornerstone Kiwi fashion item
• Hokey Pokey: A type of caramel or candy used in NZ's famous hokey pokey ice cream.
• Hoons: Thugs. Usually associated with young men, fast cars, loud stereos and alcohol
• Hori: Someone who is pretty rough around the edges, a bit fresh. Be careful who you say this to
• Jandals: Flip Flops (aussies sometimes call them "thongs"; I know, weird huh?)
• enough
• Jersey: Sweater – used when its just cold 
• Jumper: Woollen sweater – used when it is pretty cold; used interchangeably with Jersey
• Knickers: Underwear (also called undies)
• Kumara: Sweet Potato native to New Zealand
• Lift: Elevator
• Lollies: Candy, sweets
• Loo: Toilet; "I'm going to the loo" = "I am going to the bathroom"
• Motorway: Freeway
• Mate: "Friend"; as in, Thanks Mate! Could also be "Thanks bro!" or "Thanks Cuz!"
• Milo: A chocolatey hot drink we all love to guzzle when we're cold (think, hot chocolate but creamier)
• Nappy: Diaper
• Netball: A game that is similar to basketball and predominately a womens sport
• Pakeha: Maori for "White person"
• Petrol: Gasoline
• Pony Tail: Hair tied at the back
• Pram: Baby’s stroller or pushchair
• Rubbish: Garbage
• Stoked: Pleased, thrilled, happy
• Tea: Means tea as in the drink tea, but it is also used as dinner/supper (the evening meal)
• Tea Towel: Dish cloth
• Torch: Flashlight
• Tin or Tinned: Can or Canned food, eg. Tin of baked beans.
• Whinge: Complain

All About Me

I updated my "about me" page... in case you missed it here's All About Me...

Hi and Welcome to my little corner of the World. I'm so very glad you dropped by.
I thought I should introduce myself properly...


My Name: Simone
It's pronounced Simonne  as in "on", not Simoane as in "moan". You can call me Simoney (like they do in Scotland, which is my blog name), or Monnie (as some of my friends do). My husband calls me Babe.

Where I'm From: Auckland, New Zealand

For those of you geographically challenged types, that's down near Australia in the South Pacific. My home town is Auckland, a city of a million people - quarter of New Zealand's entire population!

We live in the leafy suburb of Mt Albert in a 1920's bungalow which I love. You can read more about my lovely slice of paradise here...

Being from Downunder, I might use some different words for things. If you're confused about some of my Kiwi-isms, then click my Guide to Kiwi Speak for a Kiwi-ese dictionary. (Kiwi's are how we New Zealanders refer to ourselves; just in case you thought I was meaning the fuzzy brown Fruit. Or the flightless Bird.)

My Family: Mr G (hubby), Dash (7), Miss Fab (5) and Scrag (2)

This crazy bunch of party-mad lunatics are quite often the focus of my writing. They are a bunch of energetic extroverts, never short on an opinion or two, all with minds of their own, which makes for plenty of fun'n'games, if you know what I mean?? There are no nerd-librarian-types in our family (apart from me). I am alone in my nerdy-ness. Although I am working on cultivating a love of books and art into at least a couple of my outgoing offspring. To read more about that lot click Meet the Family.

Note: "Dash", "Miss Fab" and "Scrag" are not their real names. But they are called those nicknames from time to time. Real Names have been changed to protect the guilty!


My Interests:

READING: I can chew through a thick novel in two days... or if it's a really good one I'll sometimes pull an all-nighter (but not very often these days).

WRITING: A re-discovered child-hood passion. I'm working on co-writing a book with a friend of mine.

BLOGGING: I think I may be a blog addict. I'm thinking of starting up a 12-Step Programme online called Bloggers Anonymous. (Nah, not really).

PLANNING KIDS PARTIES: My husband thinks I'm out of control. I think I'm creating great memories and using my creativity...

PHOTO-SHOPPING: I love messing around in Photoshop. I have no qualifications, I'm totally self-taught. I designed a bunch of kids birthday party invitations and stuck them on this website so people can print them off and use them for free. I'm nice like that.

PHOTO-TAKING: Different from Photography, in that I lack skill and a fancy camera... but I photograph anything and everything. My family call me a snap-happy tourist (actually they call me a Japanese tourist but I thought that was a bit un-PC).

COFFEE: One of my favourite things is going to a cafe with a good friend or two. Always gives me a boost. Especially if it also involves Cake.

TRAVEL: Nothing better than getting stamps in your passport, even with kids in tow. Places visited so far: Australia, Canada, USA (California), England, Scotland, France, Italy, Malaysia, Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga & Mauritius...

THE GYM (not!): I joined the gym recently and I am attempting to go regularly in the faint hope of holding back the tides of time. I turned 40 in November 2009 (gasp) and as a naturally lazy couch-potato I figured if I didn't do something pretty soon they might eventually need a crane to hoist me out of the house. But seriously, with my energetic bunch, if I don't get fit I'll be left behind!
I can't say I enjoy exercise (yet). Or that I do enough. Or that I am seeing any amazing results. I think I like food too much. Sigh.

Pet Peeves:

Housework... oh the pointlessness of it all.
Housework... I am not a housewife! I am a full-time mother. There's a difference! Really!
Housework... seriously, the sooner they invent robot cleaners the better!

What I blog about:
Honest to goodness real-life.
The joys and pitfalls of mothering. Things that make me laugh, or that make me cry. I share creative ideas I think will help make others' lives easier or more fun. I share my thoughts on soul stuff. I sometimes share about Living with Depression. If you really want to understand me, read My Journey.

What I don't blog about:

This is not a product review blog. I do not receive payment for recommending stuff. If I recommend something to you, it's because I like it and think you might too. I also don't do very many giveaways. If I do, it's because I want to bless you. I blog because I love to write, and share ideas, and connect with others. That's it. :)


My Beliefs:

I'm a Christian. An often-struggling one, but very definitely a committed one. Basically I am thankful to God for never giving up on me through my long and winding road; thankful for the blessings he has brought into my life, and aware that were it not for him, I would not be here.
 
I don't use my blog as a soap box or pulpit. I won't hard-core preach to you. But if things move me, or I have an insight or thought that I think would encourage you, I will share it here. My relationship to God is what you might call, "defining". It's the most important thing in my life.
 
Contact: greatfun4kids@live.com

I love to "meet" my readers and get feedback from you. Like every other blogger, comments make my day. And I always try to reply or visit you back. So leave me a comment OK? It's not hard. You don't even have to have a blog, just leave your name (and email if you want a reply!)
 
Or you can email me. Especially if something I've shared here touches you, or relates to your situation.
I've made many dear friends that way. Some I've even got to meet in real life. But I won't know you've been if you don't say hi... so drop me a line.
 
I look forward to meeting you!