Exploring the Land of the Long White Cloud

So, I've found some downtime in this ever-hectic life of late. I was clearing out some emails and decided to watch a video in one. That's where the title is from and Marie Forleo is the speaker - it's very good timing for me as I'm midway through a marathon of activities and that simple phrase, "Everything is figureoutable" is going to come in handy. http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-sessions/marie-forleo-everything-is-figure-out-able In the last two months things have really been ramping up. I've increased my client base, I've gone to Sydney and launched a new Zumba class with another insructor, I've created and run a successful health and wellbeing event , I'm involved in planning two other events ( Startup Weekend and a Zumba Breast Caner Fundraiser ) and this is on top of the usual life and love we live. Finding downtime feels rare at the moment and even Porter has stopped playing with his ball long enough to just sit and snooze besi...

All these years, I've been such a music addict but yet I can only claim fame to hot cross buns on the recorder and a very simple piano song as far as musical instrument talent. Well, not anymore! I've probably mentioned it but Dustin got me a ukulele for my birthday last year and thanks to ultimateguitar.com (yep they have tons of uke tunes!) I have a bundle of songs in my repertoire now. I keep being a bit shy to post any videos of me playing though. The great thing is it fits my hands perfectly (which was what kept me from learning guitar - my fingers just couldn't reach and I guess I didn't have the resolve to force them to!) and it works really well for lots of punk rock tunes. So, I don't have to learn new songs really, I just have to learn them on the uke. It's really handy to play things where I know the rhythms and words, it definitely makes it easier. I need lots of work on my strumming patterns as I seem to keep it at a simple down/up down/up. Ah w...

I know that I don't pay enough attention to this blog but I wanted to let you know that I've started to blog on my business website so if you just need a fix, you can find me there too now!  www.assistia.nz My arms can barely hold my hands to type properly because I've just had a full on personal training session tonight. Getting prepared for adding a specialisation to my Zumba training! There's a class that has started at the local girls high school so I'll be part of a team of us leading that class. It just started last week so we've done two now and had about 40 girls attend each one! They seem to have lots of fun. I have done my first song for the usual classes I attend! Only a couple times but I am able to ask to add it to the playlists at any time so I just need to start asking more! I am starting to practice another couple of songs too! I should really be taking my phone with me on my morning Porter walks because Mt Taranaki has been stunning lately...

Well it's not summer here that's for sure! At the moment, Porter and I are curled up under a blanket on the couch and the wind is gusting outside in the single digits! But I realize most of you still have about half the summer left to go. So, get in the sun, and crank this song... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbMoEM99Dn8 Sorry, I can't embed it because it doesn't come up when I search within blogger's video tool! :(

These dogs were hanging out at a cafe in Thames when Jodi and I walked by! I thought it was awesome. This little dog was hanging out in our living room... those are all of his toys stacked up, ready for a day of playing! I am working from home a couple days a week these days but the other days he's on his own and he works through his kong and his puzzle ball very quickly! I keep wanting to set up the go pro to watch what he does in the day but Dustin doesn't want to invade Porter's privacy. So, we haven't. I also want to get him one of these automatic ball launchers: http://goifetch.com/ or this remote controlled ball camera: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/playdate-world-s-first-pet-camera-in-a-smart-ball#/ but we haven't gotten him either yet! I think I'll be hunting on the black Friday sales before we take our trip to Canada in December!

We sure miss our Kraft Dinner. Our latest supply ran dry months ago! A woman I work with was up in Vancouver a couple weeks ago and we happened to be talking about fake cheese before she left and I raved about Kraft Dinner so she brought me some back!! So kind :) I am saving it. I'm not sure for when but it has to be just right. Really, (aside from people of course), there are very few things we miss as we live overseas. But nothing compares to some good Kraft Dinner!!

So back on the Queen's birthday long weekend in June, Dustin worked very hard to put down the flooring we've had for a long long time now, waiting for the time when we could install it! Since there was so much painting, we wanted to be through all of that before we installed it. That, and life really, just made for a delay in our motivations... But he spent all three days, getting in into the laundry room, the bathroom, the hallway the kitchen and the dining room! One day when everything is tidy, we'll make a point to take some nice photos for before and after shots! We were definitely happy to cover up the speckled floor from the 60's that we'd been living with for many months after pulling up the linoleum that was there. Then we even got carpet installed in the lounge so things are really coming together!! Yay!