Christchurch Botanic - 2

Christchurch Botanic - 2
Originally uploaded by lemoncat1

This isn't The Botanic Gardens, but the entrance to the Museum, just outside the Botanic Gardens. Not damaged in the earthquakes, owing to 13 million dollars of strengthening, which everyone thought was a waste of money 3 years ago, but now....

Oh no, not again!

This was the headline on Monday's paper after a swarm of aftershocks hit the city on Boxing Day. I had my Mum staying over for Christmas and we were both awakened by the first shock at about 12.00 on Christmas Night. (I'd just put some of the heavy objects back up on my picture rail, just before Christmas, so it was probably my fault). A rocky day followed, with shocks all through Boxing Day, one large one at 10.30am that proved to be epicentred just up the road from my house. The Botanic Gardens recorded the greatest amount of ground acceleration of the series, at 48% of gravity. Whatever that means. Sadly, most of the quakes were under the CBD so doing more damage to buildings, largely superficial but upsetting none the less. No one was injured, thank goodness. (Isn't that a lovely phrase - "thank goodness". The Cathedral was slightly damaged; the Dean was in the middle of a sermon preaching about the stoning of St Stephen when pieces of plaster began to fall down. Powerful preaching indeed. The Anglican convent was also damaged. There was a photograph of the nuns outside, all grinning and taking photos, so I guess they don't think this is the work of a malevolent God. Or at least not their own God.
News in the paper that some of the earthquake damage assessors have been fired due to lack of sensitivity to earthquake victims. Apparently some of the assessors have been taking a hard line and trying to make claimants back off with their claims, by being insulting and aggressive. Some of these people are Australians.
Back at work today. I should go out and have a look around the Gardens, perhaps I'll do it after work. I really need some exercise after all the food at Christmas. Feeling a bit liverish, what the French term "une crise de foie", so salads, fruit and water are the order of the day. Ciao, amici.

Mary Christmas

So this will probably be the last post for this year. I've just been to the Xmas breakup lunch, very blokey, lots of pizza and beer. Didn't know many (any) of the people there so I sat quietly in a corner and consumed the food. It was a relief to get back to the office, I'm not really outgoing, especially with a load of large blokes in steel capped boots. Lots of wind today, blowing old birdnests out of the trees and snapping some of the branches off. The trees are quite brittle as we have had very little rain, so they break easily in a high wind.
So in a few hours I'll be picking up my Mum and heading home for Christmas. Looking forward to eating my head off the for the next few days, and having lots of afternoon naps. Feel very tired and had-it, the last six months have been a bit... earthquake, new job, aftershock, etc. Went to the supermarket last night to do some last minute stuff, everybody looks exhausted. We're over Christmas, even though it hasn't really started. I thought "I'm sick of buying stuff", proof that wanton expenditure doesn't necessarily make one happy.
(Oh, dear, I've just done another thing wrong, not priced some items when I put out new stock. Oh God, you'd think it was the end of the universe as we know it. What a tamasha about niente).
Anyway I hope you all have a very Mary Christmas and a Harry New Year.

Malls

I hate malls. I know that probably sounds elitist, but I hate malls, they are the opiate of the people, the poppy-gum of the plebs. My idea of Hell is to be sentenced to spend all Eternity in a mall at Christmas. Just imagine listening to "Jingle bell Rock' for literally the billionth time. Everytime I hear "Jingle bell rock" I hear the dirty lyrics that are not infrequently sung (what rhymes with rock, gentle readers?). Malls are a denial of humanity, temples of ugliness, big machines for wringing spare cash out of the poor. It's no coincidence that Santa is an anagram of Satan. Sit on his lap, the old pervert? No thanks, look what Santa's got in his trousers for you little girl, eeew. And don't forget to go completely manic trying to have the perfect Xmas. You've heard of Bridezillas, what about Christmaszillas, rushing and pushing, scouring the city for the perfect present, the perfect foods, the perfect decorations and the perfect table settings, women (it's nearly always women) with drawn tense faces, desperate to show to the world that they can cope, that they are In Control, that the Perfect Christmas is only a little more effort, a little more expenditure away.
Here endeth today's rant.

Tooth! and the truth about ducks.

I'm a poor sad hurty girl today. I had a tooth extracted on Tuesday and it still hurts. I feel like I'm clenching my jaw all the time, and the pain radiates up into my ear. I'm getting diarrhoea from all the soft food and medication I'm taking and I'd rather not be at work at all today. Last night took 4 paracetamol, 2 glasses of wine, a wheat bag and a whole lot of mantra'ing.(I use Ave Maria, it's very calming and comforting).
Nearly ran over a line of ducks this morning as I came into work. I was looking away in the distance to where I would park my car, then became brakingly aware of a line of numpties crossing my path. Bird brains. They have no traffic sense at all. Ducks are rather unpleasant to tell the truth -they peck each other to death, engage in gang rape, and are not the world's best mothers. They are feckless; it they were people they'd be the type who shuffle between the pub and the betting agency all day. The gardeners dislike them because they root up the new plantings looking for worms. The native ducks, the scaup and Paradise ducks are OK, but the mallards are both aggressive and stupid, avian bovver boys and girls. As I type I can see them from the window, deceptively sleeping, waiting for the chance to......Aaargh! invasion of the killer zombie alien ducks! No, no.....

Anachronisms

I"ve just stopped reading a book called The Outer Banks House because of the persistent anachronistic language. I can think of any examples to give you, but would racism have been a common term in 1865? Would people have been seen as bad for being racist or good? Would someone have been referred to as a benevolent nature goddess, in the sense of being a greenie? I don't know, but I just think it jars. It's as if Elizabeth Bennett were to say "Whatever" or Darcy talk about her "awesome" eyes.
I've got a pile of books, and go through them reading the first couple of chapters. If I don't get involved in the writing by then, I ditch the book, putting it on the "return unread" pile to go back to the library. Not just bad writing but gloomy subjects or utter silliness end up on the rejects pile. So many books, so little time and this is my way of dealing with them.

Holidays

Just been away from work on a holiday. It's been very relaxing, I didn't go away, but stayed around town and did some things I haven't done for a long time. Walked along part of the Crater Rim track, it was very hot and I got very tired. Had a swim at Corsair Bay on Show weekend Saturday, it was very hot and the water was not really as cold as I thought. I love watching people at beaches. Have you ever noticed that adults coming out of the water always towel their faces dry first before any other part of the body? People of Polynesian descent often rush headlong into the water, and get in straight away. People of European, especially English descent, get in slowly and gradually, making lots of moans and groans as they do so. Polynesian people expect that the water will be warm; European people expect that the water will be cold.
Guy Fawkes is long over but there's still daft morts letting off fireworks at night. Don't know why it should annoy me so much but it does.
Some of the earthquake damaged buildings around the city are being demolished. It's sad to see some of them go; others, you think "Well, it should have gone years ago". Hopefully something creative will replace the buildings, not just more car-parks, but I reckon cars will infiltrate silently and stealthily.

Post-Labour day blues

Well, as I said, Labour Day did prove to be physically draining. I did a little concreting job that I've been "getting round to" for eight years, ever since I moved in to my house. Boy, concrete is hard, heavy stuff, especially when wet. So now I've gone and torn something inside, my stomach aches and I feel totally knackered. Something in my pelvic floor has gone blah. I love that phrase "pelvic floor". It conjures up visions of heart kauri planking, or rimu tongue-in- groove, but my pelvic floor seems to be made of rotting particle board. Wish I was home in bed, snoozing, snoozing.

Labour Weekend

New Zealand celebrates Labour Weekend this Monday. The day marks the introduction of the 40-hour working week, which was agitated for by a man named Samuel Parnell. For gardeners, its major importance is that Labour Weekend is the time to get your tomato plants in the garden, plus whatever other warm-climate plants you have, peppers, eggplants, lettuce. Its a big gardening and do-it-yourself weekend, with good deals at the hardware outlets and D.I.Y stuff, so by the time we get back to work on Tuesday, the workers of NZ are totally stuffed (as we say in the quaint vernacular). We'll have sprained backs, blistered hands and chronic hay-fever from the compost bin moulds we've breathed in. We take our leisure seriously here, and the day that Mr Parnell wanted to have for us to rest and relax is anything but.
I have heard a rumour that some people stay in bed and read all day, but I couldn't possibly comment on this.

IMG_2750

IMG_2750
Originally uploaded by amy a-broad

It was a full moon yesterday, so here's Noel in his guise as "de Moon". Not sure why he's squashed, though.

Magnolia liliflora Susan

Magnolia liliflora Susan
Originally uploaded by Lynners59

This is from my garden, quite nice,eh?

Big concert

We're having a big concert today in the Park, just over from where I work. Its a free concert for the people of Christchurch, to cheer us up after the 'quake. Mostly rock, roots, hip-hop and rap, not really my kind of music, but quite a few "old" performers too, whom I remember from my non-misspent youth.
One of my regrets is that I was a model teenager/young adult and didn't cause any trouble (although my mother would probably dispute this). Teenagers today have so much more money - they can buy large amounts of booze, drugs and fast cars. When I was young we only had beer and motorbikes, none of this new-fangled crystal meth and top-shelf spirits. We did have sex though, but it was heavily laced with guilt from schools and parents, so it wasn't really much fun at all. Now the youngsters go to it like rabbits, with as much emotional affect as one puts into having a bowel motion. (Mind you, I have had some emotionally involving bowel motions) (OMG, too much information) (Whatever)
But then on second thoughts, maybe the guilt made it more fun because it was wickeder. The sweetness of a quick warm fumble in the sanddunes, fully clothed, because Someone Might Come Along, although this could be taken too far... a male of my intimate acquaintance became addicted to outdoor sex and couldn't perform well in a private setting.
I hope you've all enjoyed this post, I've covered a lot really. The concert hasn't started yet, but we expect a crash and a bang any time now. Apparently its being streamed world-wide, so if you want to see the cream of NZ music, tune in somewhere.

Here we go again

Another big shake. Had the pleasure of being outside in the garden for this one, and seeing my dear little house shake like a decrepit old hut. No one told us about the aftershocks - now there have been about 2000 of them! Bloody hell, enough is enough. The Mayor of the city has instructed all of us loyal Christchurchians to inform the rest of the world that we're still here, and still open for business. It's true, there is still life as normal to be had here, most parts of the city don't look any different. You can still hear the bellbirds sing, and get the best coffee in the world outside Italy, to say nothing of the friendly people here. So you're all to visit, y'hear?
Went to the church fair, bought more books, more plants, as if I need any, and a really great 70's bead curtain for keeping the blowflies out of the kitchen. So many vibes in my house - retro 30's, 40's 50's 60's 70's, also an Indian theme, an English country theme, an Italian theme, Bali, Pasifika, Maori, its very eclectic and not at all boring.
Interesting to see from my stats that the most viewed pic on this blog is Noel's shoes!

Eddie

IMG_0128
Originally uploaded by Lynners59

Here's my big boy. Isn't he lovely?

Emma

IMG_0001
Originally uploaded by Lynners59

Nice and warm in the conservatory

Noel Fielding's shoes

Noel Fielding's shoes
Originally uploaded by bonniegrrl

Celebrate the return of visuals with Noel's shoes!

Visuals! Yay!

As you can see, I've managed to access Flickr again, managed to remember my password. Today the weather is very spring, alternating showers of hail with bright sunshine, but very cold. Now I'm at the library, where I can play on the computers for free and get some great reading.
Emphasis on things botanical at the moment. "The Victorian gardener" by Anne Wilkinson, "Plants from the edge of the world" by Mark Flanagan and Tony Kirkham, "Plant names" by Roger Spencer, Rob Cross and Peter Lumley, and "A botanist's notebook" by Eric Godley. All partly for work, but also to extend my knowledge as well. It's great to know stuff.
R., my friendly colleague at the library, has just helped me to get my pictures on Flickr, so hopefully I can post some of the garden soon. Warning: you may get sick of my garden, I photograph it the way some people photograph their children. I also seem to have a lot of photos of cats sleeping...

golden daffodil afternoon

golden daffodil afternoon
Originally uploaded by angeloNZ

This is a great shot of the daffodil lawn at Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Spring in the "City that rocks" has been beautiful, some compenstion for the angst and trauma of the earthquake.

Spring fairs

This is one of the best times of the year for me. We have a plethora of spring fairs - churches, schools, scouts, bowls clubs, etc - all make a large portion of their fund raising with fairs and giant garage sales. My favourite is the local church fair. The church is only a little way away from me, so I usually go back and forth several times carrying my treasures. Lots of useful stuff that other people think is junk, often thrown out just because thay can't be bothered cleaning things. I bought some lovely cut-glass port glasses, overlooked by everyone else because they were dusty. (Unfortunately, the earthquake got two of these). Most of the ornaments and pictures in my house come from fairs. My best score was a seventies macrame lightshade in beige, it was just the thing for my pale green bedroom. I also bought another lightshade, a sort of tiffany style made of shells, from Redcliffs School fair. It was hiding under a trestle. When I hung it up in my hallway it looked as if it had always been there. I could go on and on about my second-hand treasures, I should make a list sometime. I've just been to the Friends of the Botanic Gardens plant sale and bought a Chatham Island forget-me-not, a florence fennel, and a corydalis. Next week is St Marks Church fair, looking forward to it.

Sunday in the park

Today is a beautiful day in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Lots of people enjoying the laid-back environment and chilling out after our night of 5 large aftershocks. Slept in my clothes again last night, too wary (or weary)to get into my jammies. Had a few glasses of wine too, which helped with getting me to sleep. It was a horrible chardonnay, I hate chardonnay, it makes me feel sick at full strength, but watered down with a little fruit juice is quite good. I bought it thinking it was sav.blanc - how many times have I bought something I don't like at the supermarket because I didn't read the label?
Daylight saving started today, so more time in the garden in the evenings. Its looking quaite naice at the moment. Wish I could show you the pictures I took, but I haven't quite worked out how to do this yet. I've also lost my Flickr connection so this post comes to you without pictures, which I know is boring. Sorry. Can you tell I'm just a bit tetchy this morning? The psychology of extreme events must be an interesting thing to study, we've had floods of psychologists and counsellors descend on us for the talking cure, but all we really need is to petition the earthquake god to STOP! Yours, Aftershocked.

After the big one

Well, here I am at last, after the earthquake. Because I have no web access at home, I rely on the library's free internet to post, and what with one thing and another I haven't been able to get to my blog.
The earthquake was very frightening. As a permanent resident of The Shaky Isles I have experienced a few earthquakes, but nothing like this. At half past four 2 weeks ago, I was awakened by what I thought was my cats having a fight on my bed. Then it occured to me that this was not so, as one of them was outside. The shaking got stronger; it was like being inside a cardboard box with some malevolent person kicking and punching the outside of it. A windchime that I hang inside over the winter was clanging and donging as things fell around me. I sheltered in the doorway, as per instructions, and felt the doorway itself tilting backwards and forwards, like an unanchored parallelogram. So I moved under the table and said several "hail Mary's", the phrase "now and at the hour of our deaths" gaining a new vividness and immediacy. I did truly think that I was going to die, as the shaking just went on and on.
But it did stop. I found the whisky bottle, and glory be, there were still a couple of drops left. (Let me here recommend a mouthful of whisky for the purposes of pulling oneself together). I went outside; it was a glorious night, the stars full on, I could even see the little fuzzy patch of the Pleiades. "Do they know what's happened down here?" I thought. Irrational thoughts for irrational times.
To cut a long story short, I and my house and cats and mother are fine. No one died, that is the miracle. If you're going to have an earthquake, go for 4.30 on a Saturday morning. Parts of Christchurch have been badly affected. A friend in Kaiapoi has been made homeless by the 'quake, the area was devastated.
But do not listen to those media (particularly American) who claim that the whole city has been levelled, that mass looting took place, violence, civil disobedience, etc, etc. All absolute crap. Of 2000 buildings in the CBD, only 80 are too dangerous to enter. The CBD was cordoned off for public safety, not to prevent looters. Much of the city is still as it was.
What amazed me was the number of men in flourescent vests who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, men who knew how and could do, blokes with hard hats and tool-belts, taking down dangerous chimneys and shoring up walls, balancing on dangerous roofs and parapets. Great God of Testoterone, they've come to save the city!
I think I'll stop now.

Unconference

I've just been to my first unconference. This is a debriefing of what happened at the computer course I attended a few months ago. Lots of talk about what will be happening to libraries in the future, as long as peak oil and peak Internet don't get us first. Lots of "blue-sky thinking", (eww, I hate Americanisms) about how libraries would be if we had unlimited time and money. As usual, more questions than answers, but this is a good thing. The thought crossed my mind of what a clever lot of people librarians are; we're not silly, we are all quite deep thinkers.
Not much of note to report. I'm going to go home now and mow the lawn before it rains again. Picked lots of flowers last evening, jonquils, camellias, daphne. I love daphne - it always makes me think of a Noel Coward-type couple making ecstatic love - "Oh Roland, kiss me, my darling! Oh, Daphne! Oh yes, rather!"

Noel Fielding at Cargo 24.6.08

Noel Fielding at Cargo 24.6.08
Originally uploaded by danmedhurst.com

The lovely Noel.

Magnolia Soulangeana San Jose

Magnolia Soulangeana San Jose
Originally uploaded by Geraldine1953

It's really Tuesday, not Monday.

Just tried to post a you-Tube clip of Noel Fielding - it didn't work. Probably just as well, saved me exposing myself to the world as a sad old cougar with a dodgy taste for androgynous blokes. Well, I did grow up during the '70's - boys with big hair and spandex jumpsuits, Bowie at his most extraordinary, etc. Really not concentrating at work today. I've got a new job so I feel like I've already left, psychologically speaking. Can't talk about my new job, it might put the mockers on things, as my mother says. Also feeling a bit edgy, change does that to me. Will it be good? Or have I just made one of the biggest mistakes of my life? Only time will tell.
On a cheerier note, I'm toying with the idea of going to Italy in May, hopefully to do a villas and gardens tour. It's very much on the drawing board at the moment but great to have something to look forward to.
Spring continues apace here, my magnolia ("San Jose") is coming out of its furry buds, and the tulip bulbs are growing, growing. I've forgotten what colour they are, so that's going to be a surprise too. Ciao, mio amici. (ooo, get 'er!)

Narcís de muntanya, Narcissus pseudonarcissus

Narcís de muntanya, Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Originally uploaded by fer55 ( de vacances...)

A host of golden daffodils.

Wordsworth's daffs.

In one of those synchronistic moments, I came across an article by Carol Klein about species daffodils in the March 2009 edition of Gardens illustrated magazine (lovely magazine, well worth hunting out). The kind of daffodil Wordsworth was describing is thought to be Narcissus pseudonarcissus, commonly called the Lent lily, as I guess it flowers during Lent in the Northern Hemisphere.

Camellia Barbara Clark in my Garden!

Camellia Barbara Clark in my Garden!
Originally uploaded by secret-garden-klunkerfrosch

See what I mean about triple Barbie-pink? Subtle she ain't.

Spring breaks

Yes, spring is here. Saw the first "real" daffodil today (as opposed to other composite narcissi - Sol d'Or, Earlicheer, jonquils). It's very cold and we here in Christchurch haven't seen the sun for days. Yesterday I put on my thickest thermals and finished pruning my Red Delicious apple. The magnolia buds are getting fatter and fatter and are so furry - it was worth buying the plant for the furry buds alone. Camellia "Barbara Clark" is out, such a bright pink, sort of a triple Barbie pink. Lots of violets, a few jonquils and snowdrops. And those big overstuffed hybrid primulas - they do look a bit much, but any colour is welcome at the moment. Hope we have some sun soon.

Y DAFFODIL CYNTAF

Y DAFFODIL CYNTAF
Originally uploaded by brynmeillion - JAN

Here's an interesting thought. Whenever someone recites the poem of Wordsworth's about the golden daffodils, I always see in my mind's eye a big clump of "KIng Alfred"'s in all their gaudy splendour. But I don't think "King Alfred" had been hybridized back in 1802, so what Wordsworth saw would probably be a wild native daffodil. I'll do a bit more research on this and find out.

Locked out

Just as well I acquired those plants when I did. Today a nice chain-link fence has gone up, and bulldozers and earth-strippers have gone in. Damn them, damn them. Plant murderers.

Blogger stats

Blogger have just added some new features. One is Blogger stats, which is great - they show you a map of where in the world you've been viewed. Where in the world is Lynwaho? The US, China, Indonesia and Poland. World domination at a glance.
What is Lynwaho? Its a mashup of my name and the Maori name for where I live, Opawaho. A pa is a fortified village and waho means means outlying or far-out, or far-off. So Lynwaho is Lyn far-out. Far out!
Getting some really mean spring weather now. Warm one minute, bitterly cold the next. The daffodils are pushing up and out though. I've just staged another raid/intervention on the development site, but I've ricked the muscles in my shoulders carrying shopping bags full of bulbs and earth. Being on someone's else's property made me feel deliciously wicked, just that wee kick of adrenaline, sure that some awful man will arrive in a dirty truck and ask me what I think I'm doing with his bulbs.

Secrets of the grown-up brain

This is the title of a wonderful book that I have been reading lately and recommending to all my older friends and colleagues. Written by Barbara Strauch, the sub-title is "the surprising talents of the middle-aged mind" and what a comfort it is. Yes, you may forget the name of your best friend's daughter or walk into the kitchen without remembering why you went there, but your middle-aged mind is actually functioning at the top of its life-time game. Strauch details new research that reveals that the middle-aged brain is about solutions rather than facts, and is synergistic rather than analytic, giving the lie to the widely held belief that a brain during midlife is simply a young brain closing down. The middle-aged brain is slower but better, able to make decisions based on complex variables rather than black-and-white factoids. Strauch reveals that mid-life crisis and empty nest syndrome are bunkum and that the brain can grow new cells. So there, all you young whippersnappers! I get so annoyed at those books labelled "for the over-fifties" as if the day after your fiftieth birthday, you suddenly turn into a brainless zombie with a head full of custard, incapable of functioning in your world and good only for drooling by the fire.

Still blogging

Yes, I'm still at it. Blogging has proved totally addictive, and somehow I always endup on my own blogpages. Looked back at the work I did on RSS feeds and copied some of the URLs to my blogpage. NZ life and leisure is a magazine that has lots of positive and interesting stuff about people doing things Here in NZ. I started reading a copy as I waited for my car's Warrant of Fitness (yay! passed) and was really impressed by the article on Aaron Kereopa, an artist who carves surfboards. His life story is a real inspiration, and his creations are so beautiful and original they just wow me. "The shifted librarian" (yes, thats shIfted, not shafted or shit-fed, although sometimes we might feel a little that way) was from an RSS feed, maybe other libo's out there might find interesting. Some of it is way subversive, which is great, because librarians are subversive people. Free information for everyone - in light of some of the world's regimes, this is subversive stuff.
I'm at the end of my five book challenge now, but I've given the fairies and elves the shove and have opted for cyberpunk instead. I'm really enjoying Cory Doctorow's "Makers" which has a sort of Bladerunner feel about it, but a lot less grim. Read it and see what can be done with RFID's, and how to convert Disney's Fantasyland into a Goth homepark.

1500

The library I work for (Christchurch City Libraries, Christchurch , New Zealand has just celebrated its 1500th blog posting.
You should look at it. Its a great website.
I've just been looking at screensavers, and read that free screensavers are the most frequent source of virii and "malware". I love this word malware - malevolent software coming at you like a great white shark, to the place where you surf and blog. Urgh.

Silvereye

Silvereye
Originally uploaded by noodle_snacks

Snowdrops

Snowdrops
Originally uploaded by Madam Mim

Today

Today we are going through the last phase of out CCLearn course, assessment and reflection. I have found the course very good, it has introduced me to a lot of aspects of cyberspace that I had little or no understanding of. It was good to get some time to play, rather than squeezed in between doing other things. I am not a good multi-tasker, and learn best when focused on one thing at a time. Remember the days when multi-tasking was all? Thankfully the tide is turning, and now management and human resources people are realizing that expecting staff to do four things at once is a recipe for having four things done poorly, instead of one thing done really well. It is not possible to pursue excellence and multi-tasking at the same time. Did Einstein multi-task? Did Galileo? The hell they did.
Yesterday I carried out my part of the Landcare Garden Bird Survey, which involved standing in the garden for an hour, counting birds. It was a sunny day, though not warm, so I fortified myself with several Irish coffees. (well, Scots coffee really, because the whisky was Glenfiddich). Counted lots of blackbirds, silvereyes and sparrows, which was what I expected. Found the first snowdrops in the garden, the first celandines and hellebores.

Hellébore livide

Hellébore livide
Originally uploaded by francois et fier de l'Être

Helleborus corsicus - another great winter flower

Gadgets and widgets

Last assignment - to try adding a gadget or widget to the blog. Found this a little difficult, the first couple of tries didn't work. After copying and pasting the required code from Google Gadgets, I was given 1,641 choices of gadget. I wanted the Christchurch weather, but it seems that the codes are not specific to one gadget, but to a field of gadgets, and then you must scroll through to find the one you want. Perhaps it's just me. I managed to put Sally the sheep on my blog, but I don't know if I will keep her there. I don't like the way the gadget comes with an advert for Google attached - it ruins the look of my blog. So farewell Sally. Google gadgets seem to be a lot of rubbish. No, I don't want porno pikkies of Miley Cyrus on my blog, thankyou, call me an old prude if you want, but naked people do lower the tone of one's blog. I prefer the gadgets that come with Blogger - it is more straightforward to work within what is offered with the Blogger territory.
Carrying on with the five-book challenge, but it really so far hasn't changed my opinion of sci-fi/fantasy. I'm trying to read one about the world of Faerie (damned if I can remember what it's called), but it's just so far-fetched, I can't be bothered. I must look around for some nice blogs/sites to add. Found one from a librarian in Melbourne "Living in the kingdom of too much", which I like, probably because she is about my age. There seem to be lots of librarian-bloggers. OK, said enough today. Bye-bye.

Macon Farm rescue 2009

Macon Farm rescue 2009
Originally uploaded by cdurrill

This is like some of my "liberated" daffodils

Cold

Yes, it's cold and I have one. Haven't done much today except work. Thought for the day: must try and inject some Kiwiana into my house. Soon I'll get to take my harakeke basket back home. I made it for the library, but they don't seem to like it or want it or know what to do with it, so its my baby and it can live happily in my conservatory.
Speaking of my conservatory, I spent some of Saturday cleaning mould off the floor and windows. We have had no sunny days lately so my house is becoming Mildew Manor. Blech.
The daffodils I appropriated from the old house site over the road are coming up, so I feel vindicated in taking them. The site is about to be "developed". So far this has involved cutting down all of the large trees, one was a beautiful linden tree about 80 years old. The next step will be to strip the topsoil and sell it, so my bulbs will be as "brands snatched from the burning". Perhaps by the time they flower I will have a digital camera so can post some pictures.

Mucking around

Toaday has been a bit of a mucking about day (just mucking about in cyberspace). LAMS was not functioning so I was not able to get to the "Widgets and gadgets" part of the course. Instead, I added some bits to my blog profile and had a look at LibraryThing. LibraryThing looks like a really big site, encyclopedic really. The only thing librarians like as much as reading is writing about reading. That would be quite a good header for a site "Writing about reading" but I'll bet that someone has already used it. That's one of the humbling things about the Internet, not only has someone else said it before they've said it better as well. We'd all like to think that our thoughts are brilliant and original, but the Internet proves that usually we are just plogging along in the same old thought-groove plogged by thousands before us. (Plog - to write a tiresomely pedestrian blog - you read it here first?)
This is the penultimate week of the CCLLearn course, it's been fun. I don't know if I will continue this blog yet, I'll have to think about it.
P.S just Googled "plog" - it has been used already. Argh.

Wiki wacky

Today I looked at the Wiki part of CCLLearn. It is quite interesting, and I completed most of the activities. I particularly liked the article "Creating online communities with Wiki" written by a librarian. I am attracted to the idea of community forums (should that be fora, forii) for people to contribute to, for example, local history nets that allow the community to log information and comments.
Today also the Skype session. Cushie set it up as a conference call, so their were five people talking. At first I could hear people but not speak to them, until Jenny pointed out that I only had my earphones plugged in and not my microphone. Doh! I found it disconcerting not to see people, and realized how much body language plays a part in group interaction. One-to-one is not so bad, its just like a phone call. I'll bet people had this problem with the first telephones, until a sort of protocol became accepted for phone use -you'll talk then I'll talk, etc.

Chimonanthus praecox

Chimonanthus praecox
Originally uploaded by steffi's

Another winter bloom, not visually spectacular, but has a glorious fragrance. One of my neighbours has one, I can't see it but enjoy the scent as I give the roses their winter pruning.

Iris unguicularis

Iris unguicularis
Originally uploaded by steffi's

This used to be called Iris stylosa, and flower in winter. They have a lovely delicate frangrance. English gardening writer Beverley Nicholls In his book "Merry Hall" talks about picking them out of a snowdrift in the middle of January.

Wow!

I've done a lot to my blog today. I've added two YouTube clips, bookmarked the Christchurch Readers and Writers Festival, added a sitemeter (to count all you eager readers) and read some hints about how to publicize my blog. I still haven't worked out how to add a gadget though, or uploaded an image from a digital camera. I'd like to photograph our waikawa basket and put it on my blog, but I think that may have to wait for another day. (I wish that I had taken photos of it as it dries out, as the colours are changing so beautifully over time, as if it was still a living thing).
I really have become obsessed by blogging, but I think it may turn out to be a useful obsession. There's no easier way to learn than to want to learn, and I think writing/designing a blog is good for me because the results are 1) visual and 2) instant. Bloggers help pages are quite good, and if you search by subject you can get to forums from other users.
I need to go and have a tea break now.

The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2010

The Press Christchurch Writers Festival 2010

Here's another clip. Noel, my one true love.

Librarians do gaga

Lovely librarians - making "catalogue" an erotic codeword?

the forests of Mount Bradley

the forests of Mount Bradley
Originally uploaded by Mollivan Jon

Ko Te Ahu Patiki toku maunga

Alandale Panorama

Alandale Panorama
Originally uploaded by Simon Waterhouse

Ko Whangaraupo toku moana

Templates

I like playing around with templates, so I've just changed from Minima to Watermark. A bit nonplussed when I logged on today to be told that I had to rejoin Google as the old Blogger log-in did not work anymore. I thought I already had a Google log-in but I think now it was for Googlefriend instead. Looks like I also have to re-sign with Flickr as well.
What is it with Google? Do they want to be Big Brother? It does make me feel a little uneasy.
Have a Skype session on Friday, something I know nothing about at all. It could be interesting or very annoying - the potential for technological balls-ups seems quite strong. Just think, one day telemarketers will be able to interrupt your Skype sessions - you'll be able to abuse that bozo from Slingshot face to face.
Want some fun? Look up You-tube and get sexy librarians singing new words to Lady Gaga's Pokerface. Thank God they are all wearing their workclothes though.

The five-book challenge

Yes, it's another post, I just can't seem to stop today.
I've taken on the five-book challenge that we have going at Christchurch City Libraries. This involves an undertaking to read five books in a genre that the reader rarely or never reads. My bete-noire is Science fiction/fantasy. I am allergic to anything about mages, swords, sorcerers, ringworlds, dragons etc. However, I have read the Narnia books, Lord of the Rings, and a list of other fantasy and science fiction and really enjoyed them. Perhaps it's the quality of the writing that puts me off. So like a good little librarian I've asked colleagues for recommendations, surveyed the Internet and our own website, and done a little bit of reading about the genre. I might even be converted.
That is the doom I deem.

Work, work.

Have completed some more of the units in CCLLearn, the photos and images one was fantastic, really enjoyed this. Made a wordle out of my blog, and looked at Matapihi and Web 2.0. Obviously Matapihi could be improved by Web 2.0; it is a wonderful resource but the user comes up against the stony wall of copyright as regards using the images. Matapihi could do with a Flickr-type application, which has some images in the public domain able to be uploaded. It would also benefit from being far more interactive, with a public forum for adding information. This would have to be moderated, of course, to avoid facetious and obscene comments, but much could be gained from public contributions.

Motukiekie Rocks near Greymouth

Motukiekie Rocks near Greymouth
Originally uploaded by Dan and Kats Travels

Here is one of my favourite places in all the world. I used to stay in a house owned by my landlady on the top of the cliffs on the left. Now she has died and the house is sold, so I feel like Eve shut out of Eden. I once wrote a poem here:
Kiekie islands make me smile,
Stay here for a little while,
You'll see bush and you'll see sun,
You will have a lot of fun.
Walk upon the beach at dawn,
Forget about your bloody lawn!
Eat, and laugh, and drink some wine.
You'll go back home feeling fine.

Daffodils in winter

I've just seen daffodils on sale at the supermarket, blooming and lovely and yellow, but it's early June, just the beginning of winter here in the southern hemisphere. While I love spring flowers, I don't want to see them at other times. It seems that not only do we have the technology to produce out-of-sesason vegetables, but also cut-flower crops and bulbs. These daffodils will have been kept in a dark place and force-fed nutrients and chemicals, their natural flowering cycle altered to fit the time that they will make most money for the grower, like a vegetable Strasbourg goose.
Surely part of the joy of spring is the long wait we have for it, and the sense of emerging from a dark tunnel into a world of colour, scent and warmth. Is this why so many people in our Western world suffer from depression? Our joy is dulled by our ability to have whatever we want when we want it, there is no thrill of anticipation any more. I think the writer Wilkie Collins was once asked for the secret of writing. "Make'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait". Hope deferred may maketh the heart sick, but a little waiting is good for the soul. Wait for your daffodils; they will seem all the sweeter.

Lovely in Lilac

Lovely in Lilac
Originally uploaded by Mary Faith.

And here is one of my favourite flowers. I have one flowering now in the garden. It is very tall and flowers just as we turn from deep autumn to winter. Sometimes it gets knocked over by high winds but that hasn't happened this year.

Soldier's goodbye & Bobbie the cat, ca. 1939-ca. 1945 / by Sam Hood

Soldier's goodbye & Bobbie the cat, ca. 1939-ca. 1945 / by Sam Hood
Originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection

Is the cat looking up the woman's dress?

Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere
Originally uploaded by j_hasara

This is one of my favourite pictures. It is a fresco on the wall of the monastery of San Marco, one of several painted in the monks dormitory. I like it partly because it depicts Christ as a gardener (yes, that seems to be a mattock he is holding), also for the beautiful colours of the fresco and the expressive pose and gestures of the two figures.

On and on

Today I had a closer look at customizing my layout, as I feel my layout is a little boring. The information seems a little contradictory. I will crack it sometime, but now I just want to add a few more pictures. Enjoy.

Noel Fielding, Mighty Boosh

Noel Fielding, Mighty Boosh
Originally uploaded by www.andyfallon.co.uk

Here's the man I love.

Let's play!

Having a bit of fun with the Customize button on my blog. I changed the background to pale green (my favourite colour) Love the way I can change the look to anything. Trouble is, I'm enjoying this way too much and am conscious that this is not really "work". "If you're not having fun, you must be at work", saith the prophet Lynners. Have successfully joined Ning (will they call it Nong when it goes pay-for?) and Facebook. I wanted to upload a video from You-tube to my blog, (Noel Fielding doing his take on Blue song, search for Mint royale promo and you'll get it - he's my current crush) but have to get a Windows ID first seems. So I'll do this some other time.

Social networking, photos and images

Today I started the social networking module, but doubt if I will finish it. Some of the things, like Ning, I've never ever heard of. Ning is also about to cease being free so probably there is no point in joining it. I seemed to spend a lot of time signing into accounts in order to use the social networks, and tried to remove my email address from Facebook unsuccessfully. I'm just a bit confused, but I'm not really interested in social networking anyway. People know me or they don't, and I'm not interested in exposing myself worldwide to "friends".

I love Flikr though, and had no trouble posting a couple of photos to my blog. Interesting that you have to sign up with Yahoo first, even though Flikr supports Blogspot. What a maze it all is, sign up with Google, sign up with Yahoo, sign up for Bloglines etc, etc. I used The commons and Creative commons so that I didn't have the problem of adding another step and editing copyrighted material. I would like to go into the customize option for my blog, but feel I have spent enough time on it today. I think setting up a blog gives you quite a lot of learning opportunities, and you certainly feel more motivated to learn something when you are interested in the subject.

Now I'll go and have some afternoon tea.

The light dawns (partially)

I find it really valuable to have a tutor available for these sessions. It's so easy for me to get lost in cyberia. Today Alice talked me through the podcast bit of the RSS/podcasts module which I was having trouble with. The thing is to read through the screen - usually what you need is there on some tab or clicky-point. Added a podcast for Harry Potter fans (not that I am one, just used it as an example) and guess what? advertisements on the podcast. I guess it was inevitable that this would happen, it's like the aural version of those irritating flashing adverts telling you that yes! you have won a prize! So - lesson 1 - take time to read the screen.
I feel I am learning things, but worry that The Knowledge will not stay with me.
Interesting group discussion about social networking, that anyone can say what they like about you on their own website. This is a little worrying, thinking about people who hate me that could add untruths and half-truths to the story of my life. It's like the social control function of village gossip, but now the village is the whole world.

The computer still says no.

Well, it's not really been a good day for me. I've obviously got a burble in my brain, because today everything seems as clear as mud. I tried to add RSS feeds to my Blogread (or whatever) account once I had set it up, but couldn't work out how to access them again. Didn't get very far with the whole exercise, didn't get onto podcasts etc. The whole thing seems so bloody complex, so many sites to subscribe to, so many ways of subscribing. If I had world enough and time....I think one of the curses of the modern world is too much choice. One of my colleagues is contemplating buying a vacuum cleaner, but which one? There are about 30 models on the market, from $199.00 for a a really not very sucky one that will last a few years, to a vacuum that costs $1,999.00 and will last a few years. Another colleague remarked that for that price you could fly to somewhere nice and forget about vacuuming for a week or so. Again, another choice - between pleasure and duty. Should you emulate the cricket and sing merrily a day before hurtling into oblivion, or should you be an industrious and dutiful ant, and work work work for the good of the colony before hurtling into oblivion? You choose,dude. Ciao.

The computer says no.

Had to give up on my Friday session, as I don't know how to cut and paste the URL into a browser. I have identified this as one of the main trends of my ignorance of computers - I often do not know how to do very simple things that it is assumed by tutorials that I know. as I don't use a computer at home, some of the really basic stuff is unknown to me. It's like being expected to climb Mount Everest when I still don't know how to put one foot in front of the other. Hopefully, I can get some help during the week. My tutor is away today but I hope she will be here on Wednesday when I get my two hours off desk to do my essential tasks.

The blogging is going fine though, partly because I love writing anyway, partly because the blogger site is really easy to use. The whole blogging phenomenon has given everyone permission to put themselves out in public. It is quite egocentric, really; we all feel we have something unique to say that others will want to read. How misguided we are.

Books are now published not because of sending a manuscript to a publisher, but because they have been initiated as a successful blog. "Julie and Julia" is one, another is a book I am reading at the moment "Living Oprah" about a woman who tries to live according to the dictates of Oprah Winfrey. (Perhaps a thousand years from now there will be a Gospel according to St Oprah. It will be on the virtual bookshelf with the Gospel of St Elvis Presley, and the writings of the United Church of The Lady of Gaga.)

At the marae

Yesterday I did something for the first time. I was part of a group from Christchurch City Libraries to visit Rehua Marae, here in Christchurch/Otautahi. We had several sessions of instruction from Ben and Nicole on marae protocol before we went so hopefully we would not embarrass ourselves in front of the tangata whenua. One of the most important things was to learn our individual pepeha, which is a kind of formal introduction from the individual to the group, explaining where you come from, your tribe, your parents and your waka.

I was quite apprehensive about this, but managed it, even though my voice threatened to disappear, and I croaked my way through my pepeha. After the formal part, we had fun with stick dances and poi. I cannot do poi, and based on my truly inept performance, no one is going to be inviting me to a kapa haka group anytime soon. At least the ancestors will have had a good laugh.

At the end of the visit we had a group photo taken outside the wharenui, and a very charming ginger cat arrived and accompanied us out to the gate. Many thanks to Ben, Nicole, Haneta, and the people of Rehua Marae, and also to our rangatira for the day, Kelly, who coped brilliantly with the realization that he now had thirteen "wives" to protect and represent.

It's me again.

I've just finished (I think) my week one of the programme. It has been quite straightforward, with no technical hitches to confuse me. What I am a little confused about is the time commitment parameters on the inside cover of the booklet. Is this for each week, or over the whole course? Is the personal time component paid or unpaid? (You can see what a mercenary little cow I am).

I think the important thing for me, and I have it written down as one of my goals, is to get a sort of mind-map the digital world. I need to know what things are and what they do and how they can be used to advantage. Having written this is looks like a tall order! However, I am sure that at the end of this course, I will know more than I know now, which is pretty infinitesimal really.

My situation now is comparable to people who didn't have TV in the 1960's. It is becoming more socially exclusive not to know anything about technology - you just don't know what people are talking about, so cannot join or initiate conversation. People's conversation sounds like "I've just bought a Wongly-doohicky with a whacking great mibbly-poop, but I find the thring-thring isn't quite ooha with the nubblebum". Hopefully, things may become clearer for me after this course.

PS. First day again.

It's me again. tes! I've managed to get back into my blog and add this PS. The blog can only be edited via LAMS it seems, as the blogspot.com only seems to be read only.

First day

So many choices! What sort of blog-format, what blog-name, what colour blog-background? Are these set in stone forever? Will I be cursed forever with my poor choices made today, as an absoulute rookie with no knowledge whatsoever? Is this an emblem of life itself, make a poor choice now and be doomed for all eternity? Oh dear, such serious thoughts so early in the day. If only I can find a way to approach this as a child does, with a sense of playfulness and "let's see what will happen-ness". Happen-ness= happiness. There is a tab at the top saying "Monetize". Does this mean that if I press this tab wads of cash will fall from a trap-door in the ceiling?

It's autumn here in the city, and the city looks great. I love autumn, great piles of leaves to crunch through, that sweet clear smell of frosty mornings. Yesterday I went to an exhibition of Ngai Tahu art at the old art gallery, one of my favourite buildings, and one that has been closed now for some time, so it was pure pleasure to revisit it. The weaving on display was wonderful, one waist-mat so fine it was hard to believe it had been woven by a human woman. As I was looking at the wall of portraits of Ngai Tahu people, a young woman came in and asked me if I was related to any of the people depicted. No, I said, unfortunately not. "Well, I'm related to most of them', she replied, "and now I'm off to the library to do some more research about them." So who said no one uses libraries?