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Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Family Matters

This is my family... minus Mac the cat... but you met him in the previous entry. We had our family portrait taken professionally just before Christmas. Other than the fact that I've put on a few extra kilos (which makes me look like a real matronly mother)... I think the portrait has turned out great.

I haven't shared this with many people because I didn't want to cause any worry... but I had a scare just before Christmas. They've found a dermoid tumour on my left ovary (the only one I've got left) and until just a few weeks ago, they didn't know if it was cancerous or not. The blood tests reveal that it's not. But it appears to be the same type of tumour that I had as a child... which means that there is a certain amount of urgency to have it removed before it becomes malignant or ruptures. Dermoid tumours contain hair and teeth and other bizarre things.

I have had a lot of time to wrap my head around it now and I have come to a pretty big decision. After much reflection and research and speaking to my doctors here and in Toronto - I have concluded that it is in my best interest to have a complete hysterectomy. It wasn't an easy decision but you know what? Having the girls in my life has really "completed me". I don't feel that losing my chances of having children naturally is the worst possible thing. I have my family now. I don't want a baby at this stage in my life. I have two beautiful girls and I don't want anything else. Thank God for them - as they have come to me at such a critical stage in my life. The decision would be gut wrenching if I was childless.

So on the 15th of February I will meet with my specialist here to hopefully get a surgical date. The healthcare system in New Zealand is similar to our healthcare in Canada. It can be very slow - unless you pay privately.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Big Mac the Black Cat


There's a new member to the Pepper-Nicoll household. He's another big black cat who we've named Mac. He is a spitting image of our dear departed Bubba.

We got Mac unexpectedly. I was buying fish at our favourite fish shop and chatting with Nicki the shop owner. I told her about Bubba and she asked me if I wanted another cat. I said no... but she insisted that this was a VERY special cat. He belonged to her parents but they've recently moved into an apartment that doesn't allow pets - so the cat had to live at the fish market. I thought it sounded like a good life for a cat... but she insisted that he was a people cat and didn't get enough attention at the fish market. They were looking for a good home for him. When she told me he was an all black cat, I was intrigued.

I was still grieving when I spoke to her, so two weeks later I sent her a text to see if the cat still needed a home - he did - so we arranged to meet the cat. The moment I saw Mac I started to cry - and laugh - I was amazed. He looked so much like Bubba! They both have bright eyes!! The only difference between them is that Mac has a shorter tail and a slightly squarer jaw. Personality wise, they are very similar - very friendly, playful, talkative and cuddly. Mac is 4 years old so of course he is much more active than old Bubs. Brian was also amazed. We knew that this cat belonged with us.

We brought Mac home but for the first two weeks we didn't know what to call him. You see - his previous owners named him Niggles. The name just didn't really fit us - and we were debating whether we should call him Bubba 2 or Buddha or Buddy. Whenever we called him Niggles, we would end up shortening it and calling him Niggy or Nigs or accidentally Nigger. It was a very politically incorrect name so it had to go. The decision to call him Mac came from the cat himself actually. He has this funny little meow which at times sounds like he's saying "Mac Mac". One day I asked him what his name was and he said "Mac"... the girls roared with laughter... so it stuck. He is our Big Mac. When we play with him, we've had a "Mac Attack". It's perfect. He comes when we call him so he already knows his new name.

Mac has fit in perfectly. We absolutely adore him. He couldn't possibly replace Bubba but he has certainly filled the void that Bubba left when he died. Bubba was MY cat. Mac is the family cat. Everyone is amazed that we found a cat so much like Bubba. Miracles happen - even in the form of a cute black cat that has filled the saddened hearts of a family who lost a special old black cat. We are thrilled to have found our black cat named Mac.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Happy 95th Birthday Mrs P!

Yesterday Mrs. P celebrated her 95th birthday. Imagine living for 95 years... all the wisdom you'd achieve and all of the changes you'd see happen in the world.

The day before her birthday I decided to take Mrs. P out for a special girls afternoon. We went to Fashion Island and had a stop at "The Warehouse" to pick up some wine glasses for the party. For those of you who don't know, the Warehouse is like Wal-mart. Mrs. P had never been to a store like that before and she was amazed that you could get everything you'd possibly need in one place! She enjoyed looking through the aisles at all of the stuff. Her biggest complaint was the fact that there were no suitable places for an elderly person to sit and rest. She was forced to sit on a fiberglass toadstool in the garden department for a while and then a hard wooden bench in the shoe department.

The foodcourt outside was no better - only hard plastic chairs. Her poor bottom! I went into a restaurant to ask if they would mind if I had lunch there and if Mrs. P could bring something in from somewhere else (there was nothing on the menu she could eat). They were very obliging and their seats were very comfortable! We had a nice rest.

We stopped in at Rob and Sharyn's on our way past. Rob's mum Rebecca was visiting from the far north. She is 89 and a true old fashioned Maori lady. She was absolutely lovely and full of warmth. Rob's sister and nieces were also there - it was a housefull. The guys were out collecting mussels for dinner down at the beach. The moment we arrived they all stopped what they were doing (including the children) to greet us. They all gave us a hug and a kiss on the cheek in true Maori fashion. Rebecca gave Mrs. P an extra long hug out of respect. (Mrs. P said afterward that she felt so honoured and welcome into their home). We had a nice visit and the household just hummed with activity. Rob's sister made Maori fried bread in the kitchen, the girls sat quietly and listened to the old ladies talk, the kids quietly played outside. You could tell that everyone in that family was brought up right. Rebecca had 9 children of her own and adopted one more (Rob) - she has over 80 great-grandchildren and I can't remember how many great-great grandchildren! Mrs. P was delighted that she'd met her match.

The two of them sat and chatted together like young women. It was touching to watch. Both Sharyn and I felt so honoured to share in such a special moment.

Mrs. P was worn out by the time I got her home that afternoon. She will talk about that visit forever.

The following day (yesterday) was her birthday. In the morning she had a visit from Tracy 2 and Jeanette - her two other carers who relieve me. It was nice for all of us to sit and chat and share Mrs. P's birthday with her. We all make such a big fuss over her and I know that makes her feel very special. I'm really lucky to have Tracy 2 and Jeanette to share the load. Each of us serves a different purpose in the job - Jeanette provides a lot of conversation & stimulation, Tracy 2 enjoys cooking and helps me tremendously by making a lot of heat'n serve meals, and I do the majority of the housework and household shopping as well as making sure that medical appointments are up to date and that Mrs. P's well looked after. Things are running smoother now that the three of us are on board as a team.

The family was coming to share the evening with her. Out of 7 children, 23 grand children and 24 great grand children I would imagine there'd be quite a crowd! It is my weekend off so I wasn't there but I'm sure she had a wonderful time!

Happy Birthday Mrs. P! You are an amazing woman - so kind and generous, so giving to everyone and so understanding of what makes the world work. You inspire me everyday.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

East Cape Camping




After the chaos of Christmas and everything that has happened this past month, Brian and I decided to escape on a 6 day camping trip around the East Cape. I had never been up to the East Cape before and was looking forward to getting away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists at Mount Maunganui. The Cape is probably one of the most uninhabited areas in the country - certainly in the North Island. It is mainly Maori populated and the terrain is very rugged and wild. This first photo is from a place called Tolaga Bay. Brian farmed near there for 3 years. This is Tolaga Wharf - the longest wharf in the country? the world? I forget which. It's amazing how long it actually is. We walked out to the end and it was very windy but the water was SO blue! Lots of people fish off of this wharf. It is no longer used for shipping.

Some parts of the East Cape reminded me of home - the bushland of Northern Ontario. The houses were mainly run down shacks but you could see the remains of what once was - when the wool industry thrived and the little communities boomed. The first campsite we stayed at was in Anaura Bay (the photo to the left). It was absolutely stunning - but the campsite was horrible! It was my first Kiwi camping experience and I almost got scared off because of this campsite. It was a field and people pitched tents beside one another... like sardines. You could hardly walk between the tents. You could hear people breathing! There was absolutely no privacy. I couldn't wait to leave.

The next day we headed up toward the top of the Cape to a place that offers some of the best diving and fishing in the country - Lottin Point. We stopped at a few of the small coastal towns along the way, the first being Tokomaru Bay which had another long wharf which was used during the big wool exporting days. Tokomaru was clearly once inhabited by wealthy wool merchants, which was obvious by the impressive buildings and homes in the small town. Unfortunately now they are run down shells but the grandieur is still evident. It felt sad. I found my dream house there - unfortunately there's nothing there to sustain oneself. We stopped for lunch in Ruatoria. I was expecting to feel a bit intimidated and a little scared... there have been a string of murders and gang related killings in Ruatoria over the past few years. It's a rough Maori town... where people still ride horses instead of cars. I was disappointed. It seemed perfectly fine and I wasn't the least bit scared. I really enjoyed seeing the horses parked on the road though... and the "boy racers" created havoc on horseback.

Next we headed off the beaten path to see the East Cape Lighthouse - 21km toward the sea on a gravel road. Once we got there, we climbed the steep path up to look at the magnificent views. We were officially on the most eastern point of New Zealand... the place that first sees the sun in all of the world. Our next destination before arriving at our camp for the night was a place called Te Araroa - the home of the largest Pohutukawa tree in the world. It was big alright! Man, it would make such a great tree house. Unfortunately you can't see just how big it is in the photo - because the tree spreads quite a bit.



When we arrived at Lottin Point we didn't realize that there wasn't an actual camping site. The only place to pitch our tent was in a private paddock owned by a M. Smith. We drove up the pothole laden drive and Brian went to enquire about accomodation. They offered camping on their property and access to the beach/rocks for diving and fishing - for a koha (a donation). We gave them $20 and they told us we could stay for 4 days! We didn't have any water so they let us fill our empty bottles and Brian caught them a crayfish as thanks. It was camping at its finest - we were in the middle of a field on top of a cliff overlooking the sea. We had no running water and the toilet was a long drop (outhouse) teetering on the edge of the cliff! It was a stunning view from the toilet - overlooking the sea out into the Pohutukawa trees and the rock pools below. This was camping! Unfortunately, the mosquitos (mozzies) were the size of small birds! I got eaten alive and I'm STILL scratching.

We set up camp and Brian was off diving and fishing for the rest of the afternoon. I was happy to laze around reading a book I've been trying to read for a year. A few people came and went but it felt like we were on the edge of the world. Brian made friends with a young German surgeon who was taking time from his locum in New Plymouth Hospital to do some diving. His name was Ole (pronounced Ol-er) and we invited him to join us. The three of us spent two days diving, fishing and relaxing together. Unfortunately the fish were scarce but there were plenty of Paua and Brian knows how to cook seafood! I think Ole was happy to meet up with us. Brian taught him a lot about New Zealand fishing and they talked for hours about all kinds of stuff - fishing, diving, cultural differences, etc. We hope he'll come to see us out at Mount Maunganui when he gets time off.

It was sad leaving Lottin Point but we were only half way around the Cape with only two days to go. We drove through Waihau Bay - which I just about fell in love with. I could see myself buying a piece of land there. There's nothing much there - but it feels peaceful and would be a nice place to have a cottage. That's probably the spot I felt at home - like being in the Muskokas. We set up camp at Te Kaha in a really nice, BIG campsite with all of the ammenities - showers, kitchen, washing machines. Very different from Lottin Point - the showers were awesome! It was peaceful and I felt pretty antisocial - I stayed in the tent reading a lot while Brian went off surf casting (fishing from the beach for you city folk!). Unfortunately he had terrible luck and the only thing he caught was a huge eel - but he enjoyed himself nonetheless. I was really shocked to find out that Brian had never been camping before! He's been hunting but he's never been proper camping!!! He was in his element. I've never seen Brian so happy or so relaxed. He was a great camper. He cooked all the meals, he washed all the dishes, he kept the tent tidy. He did everything! He just wanted me to relax! It was fantastic! But Brian likes to keep busy so he was happy. It wasn't like there was much to do. I went down to the beach with him fishing a couple of times. It was relaxing. The beach was so quiet - we were the only two people on it. I love that about New Zealand. Brian stripped down to his undies and got burnt! What a wally. He was in pain for days. I kept covered - I burnt the left side of my face, neck and lips while we were at Lottin Point - so I was being careful . I can't believe Brian was foolish enough to let it happen to him! We treated ourselves to fish and chips from the local takeaway shop on our last night - we had no choice actually...

We were gone for 6 days but it felt like a month. It was a very restful trip and I'm glad we did it. We'll definitely go camping again - with the girls. I grew up camping and it's such a great thing to do with kids - they get to meet other kids and run around the campsite until dark. Sleeping in a tent is just as good as building a fort in your room and sleeping in it - maybe better! There's just nothing else like it.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Happy Kiwi Christmas!

I've had a few worried messages left for me on my voicemail and email. Rest assured, I am still alive and well. As you can see, I have lots of love and I am well looked after. I was just off camping around the East Cape for a week. I will write more about that in the next blog entry. First I'd better keep you all up to date on what happened here for our Kiwi Christmas and New Year.
Christmas was wonderful! It was the best Christmas ever!! Brian's Aunt Christine and Uncle Roger were here with their kids Jodie, Dion and Nikki. Brian and Roger went out fishing in the boat every chance they got. I enjoyed having a full house and I think Mrs. Peacocke enjoyed all of the company as well. There was never a dull moment.
The kids were throughly spoiled this Christmas. I over-endulged but it was worth it. The look on their faces when they saw the amount of presents under the tree was priceless! They've never EVER had a Christmas like this in their lives. Christine and I had a great time playing Santa. We made sleigh tracks and footprints out of icing sugar. We even left Santa's bum print on our bench where he stopped to drink his cold beer that the girls left for him. The reindeer left poos on our grass and the girls were horrified when I went out to examine them and popped one in my mouth! They were chocolate covered raisins!









Chris and I watched my old Martha Stewart Holidays video and made the best Christmas dinner. I even made my famous Pumpkin pie, but it didn't go down as well here as it would have at home. Kiwis aren't accustomed to pumpkin in pies. We all ate too much and packed on a few pounds.

It was great having a houseful this Christmas. It was truly a Christmas with meaning - surrounded by family who mean the most. Usually I'm a bit lost at Christmas time. I'm always the "odd one out". I never feel like there's the right place for me to go. It's always a bit awkward. Not this year, I was right where I was supposed to be.
Bubba loves Christmas and I am so glad that he was here to share one last Christmas with us this year. Sadly, I had to say good-bye to my friend on December 27th. He developed bowel cancer and deteroriated rapidly. The decision to let him go was the hardest one I've ever had to make. His eyes were still so bright and he was still so handsome. Brian's cousin Jodie came with me to the vet - she was wonderful. I was a mess. The grief was unbearable at times and it is just now starting to ease. The house seems so quiet and my life feels a little emptier. Bubba has been such a major part of my life for 16 years and I will miss him deeply. I lived my life for that cat - and made decisions based on his needs. It's going to be strange going through life without him. He was my bestest friend.
I'm glad the house was full - it was a good distraction. I'm grateful they didn't mind when I started crying. My tears flowed uncontrollably for days. I still have a hard time going out into the courtyard - because that was Bubba's favourite spot. Night time is especially hard for me because that's when he'd cuddle up with me to watch T.V. I always brought him to bed and he slept on my pillow. I loved the smell of his fur.

New Year's Eve was a wild night at the Mount. The crowds were phenominal! There were stages set up down on the main beach and bands played all afternoon and into the evening. We stayed home most of the night. Brian's Gran flew over from Gisborne and our friends Rob and Sharyn came over with their daughter Sophie. The girls were looking forward to staying up until midnight to see the fireworks - so we made sure they had a nap in the afternoon. The weather wasn't go great and it rained right up until about 11:30pm. We threw on our raincoats and went down just before the clock struck twelve. It was a cool way to ring in the New Year - with my family. It was a very busy week! I was absolutely exhausted by January 1st. It's probably the best thing we decided to postpone the wedding - it rained that day anyway. The family started to pack up and the reality of a quiet home started to creep in. The girls were going to spend 3-4 weeks visiting their mum's relatives so we had to get them ready for that. Brian and I decided to go away together on a camping trip around the East Cape for a week. I needed the break and I've never been to that part of the country before.

So hopefully now I can get caught up to date on everything happening over here. I can't wait to write about the camping trip. We had a blast!!!