Ah yeah - seems only just yesterday I posted last years little life story for the year! RE-reading that - NOTHING has changed!
Oh sure, the China Virus is doing its thing and Life is generally progressing - who knows in which direction. However - last night - we took Michael back to ED and he's been re-admitted into Ward6 - the Leukemia Ward!
Heaves a big sigh!!!
Anyhow - here is a short overview from last year!
PS - at least the post is getting to other places - many in Austria got theirs already!!! WHICH does not explain why post from Austria cannot get to NZ!! Go figure. . . .
Have fun!
Howdy.
At point of drafting this letter we are sitting at the beach-campsite at Kekerengu inside our Bearmobile#2, with the sun streaming in and a fresh breeze coming of the beach!! A good time to draft our annual Christmas epistle.
Another year, another set of news. Last year we posted calendars excluding letters, to various points on the globe and it took anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months, and in one case still not being delivered! :( Hopefully this year it will be better and finds you all in good health if not spirits!!
Of course like all other countries we ended up being in some form of lockdown. Our virus free nation did import said virus and as I type Delta is running around freely, mostly in Auckland! Like many other nations, everyone is putting a lot of faith into being vaccinated.
Pam had worked from home for 2 weeks at the end of August – and found it easier going then at the last lockdown! Her commute time to work was exactly 35 seconds – so Reinhold had fun timing the lunches and dinners. They had to be on time on the table!!
One of the bigger news from us is, that we sold our trainer-wheels – yes the original Bearmobile was sold to a lovely couple in Taranaki (and as we are told, is having a great time still touring NZ). We had made the decision that we liked going away in a camper and really wanted a permanent bed made up in said camper; so that required selling our old one and buying a new van. We talked with the bank and eventually got our Bearmobile #2!!! It is a lovely big van with a bigger fridge and 2 single beds. Sadly due to Michael not being well and our Government restricting people movements, we have not been out and about as much as had wanted! However we did survive a mid-winter trip to Queenstown, where we caught up with Jonathan and his place of work (Remarkable Skifield). We’d just visited Jonathan when the next day the entire country was put in lockdown and we had to do a quick long trip back home!!
Reinhold has re-discovered his passion for woodwork and has set up a *cough* (TINY) part of his garage with tools and timber and been busy making things. Initially some 3d crosses were made (way to heavy to export). He also buys dilapidated furniture (coffee tables so far) and restores them to former glory days and then tries and sells them for a small profit (to cover the cost of tools and materials). Lately, one of his friends has been helping out – partly for his friends mental health and partly to be useful in his early retirement, and partly to keep Reinhold ‘honest’! Reinhold has celebrated his 60th Birthday in June and is now “officially” classed as old – although still 5 years away from receiving NZ Pension and the much coveted ‘Gold Card’ which gives discounts to Seniors on selected activities / public transport etc! Sadly his “60th Birthday gift” could not be realized – a trip away again to the Cook Islands for a mid-winter break! For one, we sunk most of our $$ into the Bearmobile #2 and also we still have big restrictions on international travel. Maybe next year!!!!
Michael is an ongoing concern! I lost count how many times we did mad dashes into the hospital for further ongoing medical care. He had to have a 2nd Bone marrow transplant which came from Germany at the middle of March this year! That will be his last transplant. He told us the other day that he is on 14 Pills – just for breakfast!! It is a daily challenge to stay focused and remain positive. ONE day this will be all behind us too.
Jonathan has completed his Te Araroa walk in early April 2021 – a challenge to finish it in the end – so he can claim now, to have walked the length of NZ – all 3000km plus!!! He is keeping himself busy with his work at the skifield (hiring out of ski gear) and has picked up a summer job back at Milford Sound – so he is very happy about that! We may see him here for a week or two, in between jobs!
Have fun.
