Author: Fee Writes

Fee Writes

Random

All Things Come To An End

And house-sits are no exception. A bit of a quick post today.

Yesterday I moved out of the lovely home in Devonport road and went to stay with my fab friends overnight and, of course, their lovely dog, Scotty who I have got to know over the years.

But before I left I went to visit the neighbour who has a great B&B in a really old home that has been lovingly restored. Well, a few modern bits and bobs e.g. kitchen!!! It dates back to 1880 when it was built as a private home and the couple who own it now are only the 4th owners – not bad for an old shack.

Of course, I wanted to take a look around, as you do, and I have to say what a place to stay if you’re coming to these parts and want to be in the city. Pics below.
But, being two floors and on a different section, the view was different from the one I had been enjoying in my lovely house-sit. That’s where the featured image up there at the top came from. Yup the day was not the best, but it still is a stunning view!

So, “where to next?” I hear you ask. Yes, I’m off to another home oddly enough at the completely other end of the same road. This time it’s looking after Lily while “mum” is away in the U.K. A shorter stay, but still long enough to get used to the place.

More on Lily later. Right now – enjoy some of the images from the historic home named Taiparoro.

Fee Writes

The Kiwi Icon The Batch

I’m sure that most of the kiwis reading this fondly remember the batch

And for my other readers who are not kiwis, the definition of The Batch is really a knocked up shed on steroids. The batch was a summer holiday home and basically made from recycled whatever the dad and his mates could get their hands on.

Our batch had been an army hut before it was hauled off to a piece of sand at the beautiful beach, Whangamata. The wooden, recycled, french doors opened up to a sea view and us running off over the sand dunes to the sea.

Now, that batch has gone – there are two holidays homes on that one piece of land, the outside dunny (toilet) has been replaced with sewage and there is now a road with houses on either side where we would run to get to the sea.

Last weekend Jess (my fellow SAFE cor-ordinator) and I had a meeting at a cafe in Papamoa – a beachy part of Tauranga that is becoming the “place to be”. After our coffee and cake (lovely vegan cake mmmmmmm), we went for a drive to have a look at the new developments that have sprung up.

Some of the old places are still there and, obviously, being used in a variety of ways as you can see by the close up below.

But what made us the happiest was seeing some of the original batches are still there. I only managed to grab a couple of photos – Nostalgia reigns!

This one is three stories and is very typical of the “let’s go up one more” mentality of the time …. no building consent needed!

There were quite a few of this style at many beaches, although how it gets on when it rains with the flat roof and no eves ???? just lots of buckets I guess.

And just in case you can’t remember what the Kiwi Icon is called …

Although this next one isn’t a “batch”, both Jess and I wondered what on earth the bits of timber were for ….. Please comment if you’ve got any idea.

What we found intriguing about the old batches (and there were lots more), they are all in prime position – a spit of a walk to the beach. And all the flash homes – well, they’re in the “suburbia” area and have to drive. It’s wonderful to see, although how long it will last is anyone’s guess!

Fee Writes

Random | Rants

News Is Just a Fleeting Moment

This is a serious post this time … it is a post that I hope you will think about.

The reason I’m writing is that I had a very stark reminder of how fleeting news items can be. And how bizarre our perception of what is important and what is not.

Now I like my Facebook – can’t speak for anyone else, but I like mine. I have very few friends compared to most, but my friends post good stuff about what they’re doing, or something they’ve come across that they have laughed at/cried over/thought about etc.

All my “friends” I know personally – I have actually spoken to them in real life and that’s why I enjoy my Facebook. I also have “liked” a number of pages that cover my interests.

Yes, Facebook is changing, and there’s more sponsored posts, but that’s o.k. – hey, I have a business on Facebook and do some of those myself, so I’m cool with it.

Unfortunately, sometimes the “you may like these” posts that pop up in a group, aren’t exactly synced.

Take a close look at this this – can you see what’s wrong with it?

I had watched a video for Whittaker’s chocolate … yes, I love Whittaker’s ’cause they have yummy vegan chocs. And when I finished the video this came up.

Do you see what is wrong here?

The horror of the war in Syria is outted by the two chocolate videos. Which leads me to my heading – News is just a fleeting moment.

Because it doesn’t affect us, because it is something that is happening on the other side of the world, because the people are not “like us”, because we here in this isolated island country have absolutely no idea what these mothers, fathers, sons and daughters are experiencing – we go for the chocolate.

We go for the chocolate because it’s “known”, we go for the chocolate because it’s “sweet”, we go for the chocolate because it can’t hurt us and it is safe.

This little boy has been labeled the “pin-up” for the Syrian war. I remember another little Syrian boy about a year ago who was rescued off the Greek island of Lesbos – he became the “pin-up”. I’m sure there will be another one.

News is just a fleeting moment.

I know there is nothing we can do, but please take time to appreciate what you do have.

Fee Writes

Random

Past The Half Way Mark

It’s now week 6 of the 10-week stint I have in this home. Have to admit the location is pretty spot on. It really is true – “location, location, location”.

Two blocks from Grindz (the fav cafe), three blocks from the start of the CBD, around the corner from the Saturday farmers market and to top everything off – three op shops (thrift stores) within a one-block radius…what could be better? Ha, I’m in my element.

Of course, it’s been winter so even though the above paragraph sounds ideal … it’s been either raining or just too cold to go out walking the streets too often.

And, speaking of winter, although this is a really, really lovely home, it doesn’t get much sun in the area where I work on my computer. The view is awesome from the table window and quite distracting at times, but just on the wrong side of the house to catch some warming, winter sun. Mind you, good excuse to get up, make a coffee and take a break in the courtyard and the sunshine.

Now, this is not complaining, not at all, just a mere observation regarding the lack of sun. In fact, it did get me thinking. “here we go again” I can hear you say “thinking…nothing good comes from her thinking too much”. Well, I have been thinking and here’s what my suggestion is. Anyone who is considering building a home should go house-sitting for awhile.

Why? Because each place I’ve been to have wonderful things and not so wonderful things about them. Take, for example, a double sink, one big, one a bit smaller (the sort used for those compost thingies), but the tap is positioned incorrectly. It fits over the small sink perfectly, but only just gets into the large one.

So if rinsing out pots or larger dishes, it is a little more difficult with the tap over the large sink … the tap should have been moved over a just a tad to give more leeway in the bigger sink.
Then there’s the matter of a shower cubicle being big enough. I mean, I know I’m only little, but if I struggle with not having enough space to step back a bit so I’m not being drowned from the water which comes from a fixed shower head, then I pity anyone who is bigger than me.

Enough of the downers, obviously there are good things and they come under the category – “now this is a brilliant idea”. For example, a full house water filter, an automatic light in the pantry … that actually lights everything, not just one shelf – and the best one I’ve come across so far is an extra hot water tap that delivers boiling water. Oh, how easy was making the cup of tea with that!!!!! – no jug needed.

All the homes I’ve looked after have been really lovely, homey and with such a good feel to them all. Do I have a favourite? Not really. A bit like the cats I look after … don’t have a favourite there either as each one has been different.

Winter is nearly over, the sun seems a bit warmer and today the sky is blue. Life is delicious. I’m now going to go get a cuppa, sit in the sun and do some more thinking.

ps – would love you to scroll down and put in an odd comment or, even subscribe to this silly old blog.

Fee Writes

Environment | Rants

Health of the Oceans.

I sincerely hope you read this. This is positive and gives me hope for the future.

I happen to see a heading on the Internet the other day – “5 reasons it might be OK to be optimistic about our oceans” and, because I usually end up shaking my head and swearing at the ninnies who continue to pollute and destroy our planet, this title made me click through and read the article.

Now it’s early days, but it looks like the oceans just may come back from the brink of destruction where they were heading. Of course, we really do have to do something about the plastic. Which segues nicely into what I’d like to say about plastic

There was no plastic when I was growing up. Of course, plastic had already been invented. The original in 1907 being Bakelite made from combining formaldehyde and phenol. But plastic, as we know it today, wasn’t around in such mass – e.g. plastic bags, plastic wrap, bottles, storage and all the disposables e.g. cups, utensils etc that are such commonplace.

Now I’m really not THAT old – didn’t you know that the 60s are the new 40s? – (Yes I’ve taken 20 years off instead of 10 … sue me!)

So the pollution of the plastics in the ocean started in the 1970s and still continues today. You only need to look at The Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is a soupy collection of marine debris – yup, mostly plastics. These garbage patches (which are elsewhere besides the Pacific) are almost like floating islands. So if we could only clean these up, which, I might add, there are some amazing inventions out there that need to get the funding and get put in place and all will be good.

But, getting back to the article. Countries have actually taken the ocean’s health on board and are doing something about it. It appears that 13% of oceans saw a decrease in human impact between 2008 and 2013, and Ocean health improved 1% in the last year. Apparently, there was an International Agreement in 2010 that challenged countries to protect 10% or their land and 10% of their oceans.

Just look at what Obama did – In 2014 he created 490,000 square miles of protected ocean around US islands in the Pacific then in 2015 David Cameron (the British PM back then) created the largest contiguous ocean reserve around the UK’s Pitcairn Islands in the southern Pacific — 322,000 square miles of ocean safe from seafloor mining and commercial fishing.

Then, go figure, N.Z. created a sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands spanning 620,000 sq km. Obviously, Simon Bridges had nothing to do with it seeing as how he allowed mining in the dolphin sanctuary!

But, all this leads me to think, maybe there’s a world of “I can do better” going on – even Mozambique has gone up 8 points in the Ocean Health Index – a point scoring system.

If you want to read the full article the truck on over to Ideas.ted.com

It certainly brightened my day.

Author: Fee Writes

All Things Come To An End

And house-sits are no exception. A bit of a quick post today.

The Kiwi Icon The Batch

I’m sure that most of the kiwis reading this fondly remember the batch

News Is Just a Fleeting Moment

This is a serious post this time … it is a post that I hope you will think about.

Past The Half Way Mark

It’s now week 6 of the 10-week stint I have in this home. Have to admit the location is pretty spot on. It really is true – “location, location, location”.

Health of the Oceans.

I sincerely hope you read this. This is positive and gives me hope for the future.

Search

I’m On Bluesky

About Me

Categories

DROP ME A LINE

A Trusted Site