Happy Christmas from Jo and Sarah at:4 Ayrburn Ridge, Millbrook, Queenstown, RD1, Otago 9371 New Zealand

What a strange year.

COVID 19 has affected everyone. Government has restricted civil liberty for the common good in unprecedented ways. Staying home all day is not something anyone is used to, but many of us have learned to enjoy.

Luckily for us, when the music stopped we were in New Zealand. NZ promptly slammed shut its borders, closed all shops except for supermarkets and prohibited everyone from straying far from home. And not many people arrive here untracked/ illegally by sea. (Although some German yachties did emerge on the shore post sailing holiday and post lockdown and were promptly arrested and deported, and their vessel impounded.) We therefore only had to endure a couple of months of lockdown. We have been free, since mid- May, to go where we want, with whom we want, when we want (as long as it is within NZ). Freedoms we have previously taken for granted. Now at Christmas, with parts of the rest of the world getting hit with 2nd or 3rd waves of the COVID virus, people dying and/or getting sick, we consider ourselves lucky and privileged. But the economic consequences are being felt here as international tourism is a massive contributor to NZ’s GDP and export earnings.

This year has been sad for many other reasons too. Simon Pearson (Sarah’s’ older brother) died suddenly in Thailand on 1 August (after 1 week in hospital); two of our friends in Arrowtown and a friend from Jo’s Warwick MBA days died from cancer. Jo’s Mum, Barbara, had a stroke during the first UK lockdown in April. Being admitted to hospital and remaining there without visitors must have been a terrible experience. Thankfully she was released after only 2 weeks and her speech has recovered somewhat but not fully, and as a result Barbara is very frustrated. We are delighted we can chat to Jo’s parents by Facetime every week.

Memories of 2020 are marked by lockdown (pre, during and post). Our calendars are a scrawl of events crossed through and a pile of credit notes sit in the drawer.

Before lockdown in mid March, we cycled the Alps to Ocean route between Mt Cook and Oamaru on the East coast; played in the NZ masters golf in Taupo and Masters golf in Dunedin. We moved house one week before lockdown selling up in Queenstown (including our Air BnB business) and moving to Millbrook (20 km down the road). We miss the view of Lake Wakatipu, but we are happy we made the move.

We used the lockdown time to unpack, chuck out rubbish, plan renovations, dig up all our red tussocks and explore our new surrounds. We found out that we can get up a mountain and still be within 5km of home. We cycled to Gibbston Valley (full of vineyards and a scenic gorge) on the tracks and came back along the main road and saw no cars. We got our road bikes out too as it was safe enough to take to the roads. We chatted to everyone, and they chatted to us - when we were in the garden working every day. We enjoyed meeting our new neighbours at a socially distanced street party (BYO everything). Jo started cooking every recipe from ‘Lose Weight for Good” by Tom Kerridge with the aim of completing it by 31 Dec (almost done – and now down to the less popular recipes, like cabbage tart, sweet potato and black bean burritos) and shared some of the results with neighbours and friends. It was an interesting exercise as apart from no weight loss being noticed some of the meals were outstanding and they would never have been attempted had we selectively picked at the recipes. We are wondering whether to do this with our other recipe books – or else a new year’s resolution could be only to cook something that has not been cooked before. 

Jo also took up bridge and has taken some fabulous photos. Click on the link below to view a selection.

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOROhG1ztz7WG45gq7ZOFOIqJjapAVyqOGgC8yfVqAEHXRq72TAdAV9n9DAnvok1w?key=YThLYmFwd2NEVWhHQUpmSE44eEJMV2laSkN6Y3ln

Sarah took up singing with Opera North and piano playing and has been attending on-line art lectures. Jo has insisted on the use of headphones when the piano practice starts. 

On-line shopping and the post became far more important – in fact, coincidentally Sarah has just received a book that Michael sent from the UK on 8 August and 6 biro refills have just arrived (from Hong Kong) in a large box measuring 28cm x 28 x 8. They would have fitted in an envelope.

We have to admit that we actually enjoyed the lockdown period as the area was so peaceful and calm, and we were forced to do things we do not normally do. We realise however that it was and continues to be, tough for many.

Post lockdown has been a blur of activity.

First priority was to build the wine cellar in the garage. We also designed and built a schist shack (workshop) extension on the house for Sarah’s woodwork and candle making equipment (and various other toys), boarded a loft, moved the sink in the kitchen, started afresh on the garden, treated the floors, upgraded the windows, replaced the carpets and “feature” painted some walls – to make the house less white.

A garden party was planned for someone’s 60th (at the end of October) but this proved too ambitious as the house and garden looked like a bomb site at that time so the party was postponed to January 2021. Coming of age was nevertheless celebrated in style with friends, good food and wine, and cards, letters and e-mails from all corners of the globe.

Even the cultural calendar has been better than usual – with a visit to a little hall in Arrowtown by Simon O’Neill who should have been in Berlin singing Tristan on the night we heard him, and a mind blowing array of online offerings from opera houses, concert halls and theatres around the world. 

Sarah has won most improved golfer of the year at Arrowtown; Jo has been drugged up on painkillers and anti inflamms with a tennis elbow and disc problem but still hit her first sub par round a few weeks ago. We both won comps in The Bay of Islands in October and at Millbrook - so the winnings tally is looking very healthy. Not enough unfortunately for either of us to renounce amateur status.

Sarah has been forced to take up bridge, and is quite enjoying it – especially if weeding duty is thereby avoided.

We have done lots of cycling and walking - cycled the Clutha Gold Trail, Gutbuster and Remutaka trails. Walked the Tora Walk, Humpridge, Dart River, Caples and Greenstone, Queen Charlotte Tracks, Catlins, Welcome Track on the west coast (which leads to natural hot pools).

The possum catch on Queenstown Hill continues to go well.

Our Christmas week is more of the same:

Golf, bridge, singing, piano practice, cycling, gardening, drinks and dinner with friends. Weather permitting we plan to do a big walk on Christmas Day and return home in the evening to a slow cooked dinner.

Who knows what 2021 will bring. No one forecast the annus horribilis that 2020 turned out to be. We dare not even whisper where we hope to visit next year – after the postponement of Glyndebourne, the Brisbane Ring, Puccini festival in Tuscany, Rossini festival in Le Marche, Morocco walking tour, golf in Spain and Portugal, visits to friends and family overseas etc etc. 

Let’s hope the vaccine proves to be the cure that we are all hoping it will be, and that we will all have learned something from the pandemic.

Wishing you a very happy Christmas and good health and happiness for 2021.

Love 

Jo and Sarah

xx

2019 Christmas reflections

Sometimes reflecting on a past year is the ultimate reminder that life is never as long as we'd like it to be.

As we write this, horrendous bush fires are raging over 2 million hectares of Australia, some very close to where we used to live in Sydney and the Blue Mountains in NSW. Our thoughts go out to all those affected in whatever way and especially to those battling the fires and struggling to save lives, homes, flora and fauna.

The summer has not yet reached us in Queenstown as strange weather hits the Southern hemisphere. Torrential rain, gales and snow melt means Lake Wakatipu has been close to record highs. Sand bags have been out, the cycle tracks flooded and jetties underwater. All this rain here, when in Australia, there are many places on compulsory water rationing. Such extreme weather patterns are disturbing; are we ruining our world for the generations to follow? We travelled north to Auckland last week to witness the fabulous pohutakawa tree of NZ.

2019 has been another action packed and fun-filled year for us. We finally made it to the homes of a number of friends, and thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality.

There have been too many great days/evenings to list all of them or everyone.  Here are a few favourites:

Hikes/Tramping
The impressive ridge on the Kepler track;.

the muddy but incredibly varied Humpridge track in the south west corner of the S. Island of NZ.

The National Parks of SW USA (Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce, Zion, Mesa Verde) which were superb and fascinating in their rock formations

Adventurous sports
Jet boating with Kjersti;

white water rafting with Tom Ryan.
Hobbit, bravely attempting a paddle boarding lesson with Sarah in 10C Lake Wakatipu (until she fell in); packrafting and camping trips for Sarah.

Cycling
The West Coast Wilderness cycle way with Marti and Robbie at the end of February.

Sarah finally bought an e bike after getting fed up being left for dust by me. Now guess who is at the front, leading the charge down the cycle trails?

Art
‘Big Mama’ - she had a long voyage to get to NZ and we are both sure she lost weight (and height) en route!

and ‘Sarah Jane goes shopping’  (13kg hand luggage from Vancouver to London)

Two new arrivals in our sculpture collection.

The Chuhily exhibition at Kew Gardens with Jude

Culture
Opera picnic in a local private garden with Diane, Krysia and Hil and Dave.

New York and London for cultural immersion (our record is 6 operas and 4 plays in 9 days including a Wagner Ring Cycle) Catching up with Kin Lam

and our regular visit to Glyndebourne, Macerata (with Monique and Robert) and Pesaro Opera festivals

Golf
Sarah won her first golf competition in Wanaka in March (along with Jo, Kath and Jill) and is still challenged by the game. Pre golf warm up...

We are fortunate to have played some awesome courses. Our favourites are Grey Wolf and Copper Ridge in BC Canada (beware the bears)

and Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay NZ (windy, slopey, tricky chasms and cliffs) with Linda and Cam.


Both on Par NZ tours.









Always love Jacks Point closer to home.

Quirky and memorable places we have stayed in
La Torre in Porto Novo (a Napoleonic tower on the beach in Le Marche) with Marti and Robbie

with sunset dinner on the beach at Il Clandestino (Michelin starred chef at v reasonable price) and Il Molo.
A rooftop apartment in Florence overlooking Ponte Vecchio with Jude

Celebrations
New Years Eve with fireworks and champagne on the balcony with Mum and Dad in Queenstown.

After years of telling us that New Zealand was only for young people, they finally visited. They are still young at heart.

Black tie picnic and opera at Glyndebourne with Arild and Dorette (a belated wedding celebration)

Carolyn and Mark’s 60th party in Sydney - every year we are amazed at how quickly we are all aging!

New stuff
Despite Sarah’s NY resolution not to take up anything else, we both joined the local residents group to help out with trapping on Queenstown Hill. Sarah screamed like a baby the first time she had to touch a dead possum, so Jo chucked the first few.

Now, Sarah is an expert at servicing the traps.
Jo is learning bridge and has joined the local club and is always coming bottom or close to it.

Health stuff
So far so good. Lots of check-ups and scans. More of the same to come.
Jo is still in remission from myeloma. Sarah is fit as ever; still an exuberant, bouncy, competitive, (i.e. irritating) exercise bunny.

House stuff
A year review is never complete without a comment about our latest house renovation project.
We finally finished our Cowgill Grange house renovation and launched the property for rental.
https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/Lake-District-Cumbria-The-Lake-District-Cowgill/Cowgill-Grange-961447.html

We are both proud of how it’s scrubbed up.

Thanks to Michael and Eric for their support, encouragement, dinners and for all the plants donated to what we now call The “Austwick Hall”  bank.

What next?
Well, we like shaking things up.
We have just sold our home at 38 Edinburgh Drive in Queenstown and will move out by 17 March.

Lots of reasons why, but we are both happy with our choice. We will miss the views and the garden.

We are still figuring out where next/our options; we will probably try to stay in the Queenstown area. Q1 2020 is going to be busy, exciting and probably a tad bit stressful.
One thing’s for sure; there is never a dull moment!

Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has made an effort to catch up with us in 2019. We love sharing great food and wine with interesting people and doing some activity. Long may it last.

Whatever you are doing, wherever you are, we hope you have a wonderful festive holiday.

Hope to see you in 2020, somewhere in the world.

Lots of love
Jo and Sarah
xxx

Happy Christmas 2018 and New Year 2019

2018 has been a very enjoyable year for us, and things are looking up again. We have had some fun times. Here are a selection of our 2018 best moments in photos...Click on the following link to view:

https://1drv.ms/a/s!AryAPWiR6imyjm9veKMnPDQErdJJ

Jo has recovered her strength, her hair and re-connected with her favourite pastimes (still wine and golf). Without the drugs, wine tastes much better and we have a target to drink as much of the cellar as possible before her taste buds are killed again. Without steroids, the golf has been less exciting; drives are a bit shorter, but she still manages to feature in the prize giving (with monotonous regularity) even off 7 handicap. Her latest trophy was 10 kg of champagne ham.

Sarah has expanded her set of craft and outdoor hobbies and the list now includes pottery, candle making, woodwork, stand up paddle boarding, swimming, kayaking, golf, cycling and pack rafting. She is not much good at any of them – but enjoys them all immensely. Certainly, the pottery has proved much source for mirth. If only there were 48 hours in a day she might be able to fit in everything and master something!

Cancer has changed our view on life. Age has also had an influence! Life is the sum of what we choose to think, eat, feel, act and react, move and rest. We try to be positive and to influence as much as we can to stay healthy. We have changed our diet, adding turmeric and magnesium, reducing the amount of sugar and increasing fruit and vegetables. Stretch, yoga classes, and massage have been introduced as we try to be calmer and more focused on fixing the aching body. There is no point in getting frustrated with anything anymore; we just have to know our limits, get on with life and enjoy as much as possible for as long as possible.  But no, we have not yet given up alcohol, cycling, chocolate or coffee. There are limits!

We have always crammed in multiple activities, combining this with travel; now we focus on bucket list items. Here are a few we managed to tick off in 2018.

Jan 2018: The seemingly never-ending renovations of our house in Queenstown finally finished.

Feb 2018: Around the Mountain (175km) bike tour in 2 days - Jo on an ebike carrying all the bags; Sarah doing it the hard way but luggage-free and in Jo’s slipstream! We ended up at a large sheep station where we were able to have a shower (in the staff quarters; we must have looked a sight so they took pity on us) a fabulous dinner and catch a steam ferry home.

April 2018: Made it to the capital of NZ (Wellington) to meet Robbie and Marti and staying with Phil and Paul. Sampled theatre, museums, galleries and island trips.
We finally made it for a long weekend at Easter to Stewart Island, staying in a friend’s Bach (like a beach house but better equipped). Great bush and cliff walks, fresh air and seafood. Decided that Muttonbird would be a once in a lifetime dish. This is a bird that is very very fatty and tastes strongly of fish. A Maori delicacy.
We also enjoyed visits from the Humble-Ryan Clan as well as Jessica (celebrating her ^%th birthday).

End of May 2018: Back to Europe. As Jo was given the all clear to travel for 4 months, we decided to empty and clean our beautiful cottage, Graces Barn, in Arrina, Wester Ross, Scotland. We were due to complete on the sale soon after, but ran into some Crofting Commission and Scottish Land Court issues. After agreeing a sale, it took us 14 months to sort out the legal side. As we write we are hoping to put the whole saga behind us and complete on the sale. Anyone who tells you the Scottish system of buying and selling houses is so straightforward and simple - is a liar. It would be hard to design a more archaic, byzantine, tortured system of commerce. But moving on.. We squeezed in a visit to Scone Palace on the way and caught up with Wee Devi, John and Betty Yarr for afternoon tea and scones (the must do thing at Scone)

June 2018: We started our new renovation project, Cowgill Grange, in Cowgill, Dentdale in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This is a really beautiful dale – if a little wet! On our first night after acquiring the house we arrived at 8pm one drizzly June evening (after a 9 hour drive from Scotland), opened the door to be greeted by a strong stench and tumbleweeds of hair billowing down the hallway. The previous owners had left the place in a dreadful state of dust, grease and damp. We wanted to cry. We headed to the village pub for dinner; arriving at 8:35pm to be told that the kitchen closed at 8:30pm. Not an auspicious start. Fortunately, we had already lined up a team to help us but a 4-week makeover turned rapidly into a 6 to 9-month project involving builders, damp specialists, electrician rewiring the whole house, new central heating system, new bathrooms, new kitchens, complete redecoration. We spent our first month of ownership organising the work, stripping carpets and wall paper, and filling 3 vast skips with rubbish from house and garden. We managed some evenings with Michael and Eric - our neighbours. As a weekend respite from clearing grease and dirt we managed to catch up with Hank, Gillie and Janie in Sarah’s old stomping ground, the Cotswolds. We walked with Hank for a few miles (one afternoon and one morning) of her Cotswold Way fundraiser/ challenge, and enjoyed dinners in Winchcombe and Broadway (the “Lygon Arms”, naturally). We also managed to catch up with Ozzy and Clive one Saturday morning in Kendal. And after many years caught up with Sarah's cousin Siobhan Kelly and her partner Jon. We also managed a couple of days in London and caught up with Angela, Jeremy and Clare, and Teresa. Seeing friends and family (somewhere in the UK) is clearly one of the benefits of living in Yorkshire!

July, August, September 2018: Our house in Italy was a welcome respite from housework and renovations. Whilst the UK and other parts of Europe roasted, fortunately, summer in Le Marche was not as hot.
We enjoyed as always the cycling, swimming, gardening, eating, meeting old friends and attending the Macerata Opera. We also had a memorable few days in each of Florence and Venice, visits from several friends (Jude and David) and family, and enjoyed some exploratory wine tours with Kjersti, and our first sea-borne trip on the Adriatic with Monique, Robert and M's mum. It was paradise!

Trips further afield included driving north via the Dolomites and Munich in order to attend, finally, the Wagner opera festival in Bayreuth. 3rd time lucky – and we actually made it this time. But it proved quite a challenge: sitting in 30C ++ without aircon on very hard uncomfortable wooden seats for 5+ hours. The plus side was the mediaeval castle we stayed in nearby, the company we kept, the interval activities - stein and bratwurst and an opportunity to cool down by paddling in icy waters (frocks, hitched up).

The Rossini opera festival in Pesaro is always a highlight; it is becoming something of a fixture for us. The singing gets better and better each year, and it is such a festive town, with amazing weather, lots of swimming in the Adriatic and good food.

October 2018: Back to NZ. The Currans visited and NZ put on a splendid show of mid-winter weather with fresh snow most days. Despite the resumption of trips to hospital, we managed to fit in the Central Otago Rail Trail overnight (150 km) again with Jo in the front on her e-bike taking the luggage and the brunt of the wind. This is really a spectacular off-road cycle route. We whizzed over to Sydney for a few days to catch up with our mates there, to visit the Blue Mountains and to see the always impressive, if rather crowded, Sculpture By The Sea. This time in hurricane conditions, which only adds to the drama of the sculpture and venue. Afterwards we flew up to the Gold Coast and took part in the Noosa triathlon as the Tea Ladies with Bev Brady and Simon Collins. None of us could remember whose silly idea it was to enter – actually we were each convinced it was the others’ fault. Sarah swimming 1.5km (in huge seas), Jo cycling 40km and, last minute substitute for Bev, Simon running 10km – both in sweltering heat. Sarah and I swore never to do it again. Watch this space. Fortunately, we were able to relax afterwards with David and Krysia in Buderim.

December 2018: Sarah headed off to Fiordland (one of the wettest places on the planet) to spend a week eating dehydrated food, not washing, walking and packrafting. She loved it.
Jo opted for a relaxing weekend in Auckland catching up with Wendy Ford and Robbie and Marti.

We are now preparing for Jo’s parents, Barbara and Joe, for their first visit to New Zealand. It will be a family festive season.

Finally, having slowed down (a bit for Sarah; a lot for Jo) we have been able to better appreciate the wildlife, plant life and flowers of NZ.
The cabbage tree is flowering beautifully. This is supposed to be a sign of a hot summer, although we have not experienced it yet.

The NZ Christmas tree is the Puhutukawa tree (red blossoming all over Auckland burbs) here next to a Norfolk Island Pine.

Back home in the garden. we have nurtured plants from seeds, watched the cherry trees shed leaves, grow buds, blossom and turn green again;

best of all have been the blackbirds. Every morning they fling the wood chips off the borders on to the path in the hunt for food (Jo painstakingly throwing them back again) They built a nest in our wood store, hatched 3 chicks and waited patiently, feeding them grubs until they could fly. Early one morning, we awoke to louder than normal tweeting; the fat Queenstown Hill tabby tormenting the last surviving chick (having killed the first 2) We chased her off but do not know for sure if the third chick lived or not. We hope so.
Meanwhile, the hedgehogs come and go; the fat cats hunt the quail chicks; quail are very trusting or stupid; instead of flying off, they just run across roads, round and around in circles or just back and forth. The feral goats pay nocturnal visits and eat whatever new shoots they can find on plants (mostly on our roses).  GRRRRRRR!
The possums jump all over the trees and now and again we find a dead one on the road outside. Where is the possum lady, when you need her?

Wherever you are today, we hope that you have a great holiday season, with fun, friends, and family.
We look forward to hearing your news.

Best wishes for a very happy Christmas and a healthy and happy 2019.

Lots of love
Jo and Sarah
xxxxxx

Sarah and Jo's Christmas Greetings 2017

Looking back on our year in 2017, at first it seems to have been an “Annus Horribilis” due to Jo discovering pulmonary embolism on her lungs, followed closely by the diagnosis of Myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell) It is treatable but currently incurable.

Jo is 9 months into a 14-month treatment plan and has written a separate blog on the experience so no need to dwell on that here. In case you are interested and have not already got the link, her detailed account of the treatment, life generally and loads of photos can be found at http://canibeatmyeloma.blogspot.co.nz

So it has been rather a more eventful year for us both but particularly for Jo than we would have hoped for!  All that we had planned in 2017 had to be cancelled. Planning ahead is all very well and good, but we have decided to do more things on the spur of the moment in 2018, unless we have more certainty on Jo’s health/ability to travel.  Quite frustrating for Jo as a project manager trying to map out the adventure in the months ahead. Hopefully we will both be back to more rufty tufty and less pushing the MTB uphill in 2018.

On second thoughts, when all the negative stuff has been parked, processed and faded into distant memory, it has been more a glass half full sort of year as we have still managed to have adventures, explore more of NZ magnificent countryside, towns and cities, meet new people, learn new things and enjoy ourselves.

We are both busy and positive and always manage a belly laugh at least once a day. Being able to smile at the ridiculousness of life really helps.

When reflecting on the year, we both independently selected Jo’s wigs episodes (trying them on in the shop, wearing them at home and Sarah wearing them when we go out) causing us the most laughter.

Closely followed by Jo wearing her beanie whilst driving the car.

Simon Collins even got in on the act.

We very much appreciated visits from friends during the course of the year,

starting over New Year with Kjersti, Cecilie, Bev and Simon and continuing throughout (Marti and Robbie, Linda A, Carolyn) ensuring our spirits were kept up. 

We know it is a long way for most of you and no cheap airlines exist in this part of the world. Luckily for us, we have also developed a really fabulous group of friends here. We also discovered that winter in NZ is actually really good.

Very cold, dry with plenty of snow and sunny clear blue-sky days.

Autumn and winter are Sarah’s favourites in NZ, but summer and spring are pretty good too!

Jo missed Europe entirely this year but Sarah managed a few weeks away in May/ June – to get Grace’s Barn on the market, to check out Casa Cesara and to BBQ at Austwick Hall.

As a result, the live classical /opera and theatre culture was limited this year. Thank goodness for the internet.

Long distance travel has been limited to short flights for Jo; an enjoyable long weekend in Auckland with Marti and Robbie in March (pre-chemo) and a fabulous visit to Sydney and the Blue Mountains

in early November (post stem cell transplant) crammed with activities and visits to friends when Jo was feeling really well.

We enjoyed the sculptures by the sea - even those with strange visual effects.

Having to visit hospitals in Clyde, Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch also has its upside, as we have managed to explore much more of Otago and Southland countryside.

The most time away from home was spent in Christchurch in August/ September when Jo had her stem cell removal and return. We stayed in a hostel over the road from the hospital, next to the beautiful botanical gardens.

Fellow cancer sufferers and family hung out there so sharing the communal facilities was always salutary. Nevertheless, it was comfortable and super convenient.

Sarah’s culinary skills were tested due to Jo’s total lack of interest in food and a very small kitchenette. One night she rolled out the pizza dough on the bedside table and even roasted some pork belly! Fortunately, sourdough bread is still being made on a regular basis (favourite with fennel and poppy seeds) and Jo has recovered her appetite for oysters, wine, blue cheese and steak.

Christchurch is an interesting city as it is recovering from widespread mayhem caused by earthquakes in 2011. 

Enormous efforts have been made, successfully, to bring the city to life and to encourage the arts with lots of sculptures, graffiti, theatre and restaurants.

Closer to home, Sarah been learning how to make gorgeous pottery and to expand on her woodwork skills (cabinet making, bowl turning, making a stool) and is always aiming to achieve something stunning. Lucky for Sarah, she has a fantastic woodwork teacher in Wanaka (Simon King) so patient and always happy to share all his tricks. However, it is hard when you have spent most of your life not doing practical things. Measuring accurately is a real challenge! Pottery is easier but there is a limit to how many misshapen, thick set mugs can be accommodated!  Candle making is back on the to do list for 2018 to accompany the sunset drinks on the balcony perhaps?

Jo has been focused on encouraging tradesmen to finish the renovation work, furnishing and launching the flat for Airbnb rental and to tending the garden on and off, when feeling up to it. Thankfully after 2.5 years, we finally finished all the renovation work in November. The rental of our little flat is going really well and the garden is looking lovely – apart from all the herbs being scoffed by very noisy quail last night. Jo doesn’t lose her temper very often, but got very focused on fencing the herb garden, so much so that it now looks like a prison for herbs with no door. Fortunately, we have wire cutters.

Golf has featured a lot in the past year as Sarah wants to get her handicap down whilst Jo’s goes up from lack of playing. Sarah’s test for a good day has progressed from how many golf balls she can find, to whether or not we manage to recover our green fees per round and has it been a big enough walk. Overall for 2017 we are in credit and we have had a lot of fun along the way. Sarah’s new toy is a remote battery-operated “trundler” (English term is trolley). So, you still walk. But the trundler does its own thing with remote guidance only. After playing with a 9 and 12-year-old in a competition recently – both of whom had electric trundlers – Sarah realised you do not have to be over 60 to have one. The youngsters were even riding on theirs. The golf pro told Sarah he would void the warranty if she did that. Unfortunately, after 1.5 games of golf the trundler has stopped working! And yes, I did charge the battery.

Sarah’s will business is ticking along and the index for the book has been written. That was actually done late one night when she had to explain to HK Immigration why she was away from HK so much. Writing and researching a book, of course. It worked – Sarah now has her HK Permanent Residency.

Sarah was expecting to do a lot of ex gratia wills work through the cancer network but this (unfathomably) has not materialised. Neither has the knicker-ripper novel promised several years ago. How she is going to combine sex, wills and legal stuff is beyond comprehension, but I suppose John Grisham has done it (and fact is sometimes stranger than fiction).

We are writing this letter as we approach midsummer. It is already swelteringly hot here (think BBQ on balcony to lake and mountain view) Sarah has not yet swum in the lake yet with wetsuit

but has just invested in an inflatable SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) to float around on the icy Lake Wakatipu. (about 5C even when the air temperature is 30C).

We had hoped to kayak on Christmas day, but as we have reluctantly just agreed to sell Bumble our yellow Nissan Juke and will be carless for a few weeks whilst we wait for the next one to arrive (a Land Rover Evoque – Jo wants to call her FuFu but jury is still out). We can’t get the monster kayak down and up the hill we live on as it’s too heavy to push up again. We may just have to walk up a local mountain probably Ben Lomond or go for a cycle instead.

In 2018, we are hoping to make it back to Europe towards the end of June for 2-3 months and very much look forward to catching up with many of you then.

In the meantime, we look forward to hearing from you and wish you a wonderful Christmas and Best Wishes for 2018.

Lots of love

Sarah and Jo  

xxxx