#blogjune Loved places

Maungakiekie/ One Tree Hill is one the 60+ volcanoes that make up Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland's landscape.


In pre-European times it was the largest Māori pā in the region. It has seen long periods of occupation, fighting and cultivation for the rich, volcanic soil is highly fertile and proved excellent for growing crops.  Just as the soil is highly fertile, so is the history rich in tales.  Those aren't my stories to tell in this blog, but you can read them elsewhere. 

The surrounding land became a public park in 1901 (more or less) through a circuitous route.  This is the park I've known and the threads of my life have been interwoven with it at a number of points along the way.

As a child, I could see the top of the cone from my bedroom window at least until the neighbor's oak tree grew too high. We regularly drove by the gates in our maroon Cortina and then the sunshine yellow Datsun Sunny on the way to Sunday morning fellowship. Squeezed in the back with my sisters, we'd frequently clamour for a visit on the way home.  At that time, our greatest interest was the playground which contained three important features.

Firstly, a mono-rail train that we sat in while some hapless adult pushed us around the rail circle, through a damp, mouldy smelling tunnel and out the other side to a "station". Given the effort required to propel this, the adult quickly tired of it and we'd be encouraged to move on to something less taxing.  

The second point of interest was the slide.  Painted an optimistic winter sky blue, this slide wound it's way around an oak tree and emerged at it's roots onto a rubbery type mat.  The original planter of the oak probably didn't intend these venerable trees to be forced into such frivolous activity, but this wasn't one of the boring, safe slides you have today.  This slide was actually a worthwhile ride.

Lastly, this park had a genuinely exciting flying fox on which you breathlessly swooped down to a hard braking bump, the momentum forcing you to swing joyously out over the path and back again.  It is a bit tamer now.

A trip to the park often ended at Ollies, the ice cream parlour in nearby Royal Oak.   Ollies seemed to have every possible flavour of ice cream including some exotic ones that adults liked and we did not, such as Rum and Raisin or Cassata.  We would roll the wooden slider door back and press up to the counter, searching the menu board while breathing in the heady, humid mix of milky ice cream and cloying hot oil for the fry ups.  Having obtained the cone of choice, we would seat ourselves at a sticky table, surrounded by the beeep boop beep of the spacey machines and continuous woosh from the cars outside driving around the round-about. 

We often took overseas visitors to the park.  From the top of the cone there is a 360 degree view of the Auckland isthmus showing both harbours.  It was a picnic park of choice for family and church gatherings.


Fish-eye view from the top of One Tree Hill by Beth Wilson on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirsasha/40960237115

In the late 90's, it became the place of courtship for my husband and I.  I would drive there in my rusty blue Mazda hatchback and meet him in one of the car parks. From there we would walk, earnestly talking about our hopes and dreams, forging connections and exploring if we wanted to spend our lives together.  It was here he first grabbed my hand, startling me, as we walked along, a thing that became natural as the day wore on.



View from One Tree Hill, Auckland by Traveltt on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/8knhde

The park was a place to escape the interested eyes of younger sisters and parents while we exchanged heated kisses and increasingly passionate explorations.  On Waitangi Day 1999 we strolled along one of the lava spurs overlooking a crater where some teens were sliding down the slopes on old carboard boxes.  He turned to me as I was avoiding clumps of olive green sheep poo and asked me, a little hesitantly, to marry him.  Reader, I said yes.  Six months later we celebrated our marriage elsewhere in the same park at a function centre.

It has been 20 years now.  I have taken the children to the park a few times since.

2009 at Cornwall Park

Now we live 33 kms away so it is not as easy to get to.  Tāmaki Makaurau - the place of many lovers, or perhaps the place of many loves.  Certainly Cornwall Park is a loved place for me.

#blogjune Writing with pencil

Writing with pencil as a satisfying tell.  Perhaps it is the tactile or haptic feedback of pressure on paper.  Or the swirly, scratchy sound of the lead trailing behind the pencil tip as it travels over the paper landscape.  Typing has it's own satisfaction but it is different for me.

A primary school we had to use pencil until we could write sufficiently well to graduate to pen.  Those early letters, painstakingly traced in the double spaced books we had, were like explorers venturing into an unknown terrain.  For some, there were monsters waiting, especially if you deviated from the "correct" formation or held your pencil "wrong".  Not so for me.  I still have a callous on my right middle finger even though most writing I do now is via a keyboard.

5x HB pencils were listed on the stationery list.  Back in the 70's when I started school there were only a few options for pencil brands.  Red and black Staedtler were the most common, I think.  You weren't to use any other grade pencil except HB.  Most classrooms had a table mounted sharpener that curled out long shavings, releasing the fresh smell of wood and the somehow grey smell of graphite.  Children got told off for staying too long sharpening their pencils.  Once a classmate proffered the top of her pencil to everyone sitting at our table.  "Here," she said slyly, "Smell this."  I knew the smell, even as the other children wrinkled their noses and pretended not to.  My suspicions were confirmed when I watched her sneak it under the table and inside the edge of her Womble undies to re-anoint it with odour.

Pencils had to be named of course. Gently Dad would scrap off a little bit of paint at one end leaving the wood bare for my name to be printed carefully on it.  The name would sometimes be destroyed by teeth marks as many pencils suffered the indignity of having their tops chewed.  But oh, the sensation of breaking through the initial resistance of the paint to the softer wood below was irresistible to young teeth.

Ultimately we moved on to ball point pens.  Bic was the most common brand for school pens. How gratifying to see 2x Blue Ball Point Pens on your stationery list?  No more "baby" pencils for you in Standard 3.  Even so, sometimes you would write in pencil before tracing over with pen.  Usually for title pages on which we spend large amounts of time ornamenting with fancy lettering, colour and pictures until it was almost overwhelmed.  The popularity of lettering books grew exponentially among us of this age group.  Mine was one of the common titles of the day.  One offering in the book was a cursive font that I admired mostly because Dad commented favourably that it looked like my grandmother's writing.  He had been taught by Nanny to write growing up on a farm and attending the Australian School of the Air.  Now an adult, he wrote weekly to Nanny and Poppy who lived still in Australia, and each week there was a letter back in Nanny's elegant cursive.  I made it my mission to write like Nanny and at least until I went to University, my writing was pretty good with swoops and dives of copperplate cursive.

I have always loved stationery, so imagine my thrill when obliged to use fountain pens for writing while attending the Ernst Ludwig Schule in Bad Nauheim, Germany during Dad's sabbatical there in 1985-6.  There was a much greater choice in pen style than boring Bic, even in the austerity of the 80's.  Plastic capsules of ink removed the challenge of bottles and suckers for school children.  We even had an eraser pen to dissolve mistakes like magic.

I don't write in in pencil much now.  I once used it to scribe notes from an interview but was told it wasn't clear enough for recording purposes so had to go back to pen.  Writing with pencil has a sense of impermanence. It is easily erased and we use the phrase "pencil it in" when we're not sure about committing to an event or meeting.  Maybe it is the sense of transience or potential that adds to the attraction.  But for me, I mostly like how it feels, sounds and the memories it invokes of school classrooms baking in the afternoon sun while we practice our capital A's.

2016 summary & 2016 reads

The best of times, the worst of times?  That seems to be a reasonable summary of 2016.

On the "best" side I would say the holiday we had in the South Island is up there.  Visiting Dunedin, the Caitlins then on around the bottom of he South Island was fantastic.  Then we drove up to Queenstown and had a few days there as well.





Both children have had a reasonable year at school.
Mr13 starts high school next year.  Mr13's dyspraxia has been managable and he's made progress.  High school will be a new challenge but I think the school we've chosen is the right one for now.
Miss9 joined soccer this year and got the prize for the Most Improved Player at the end of the season. She does enjoy getting out there and kicking the ball around.

In May I got to go to Aurora Leadership Institute in Sydney.  This is a 5 day leadership course/retreat for librarians held in the beautiful surounds of Q Station, North Head, Sydney.  It was a valuable experience for me, and is something I will carry with me.



My work year has been challenging but positive.  I feel like I'm mostly succeeding as a manager.  There is always room for improvement though.

On the "worst" side the biggest challenge for this year has been DH's mental health which took a turn for the worse in July and resulted in him resigning from his job. The environment there was not helping his anxiety and while they tried to accommodate him, it was clear that it wouldn't be sustainable as part of the issue was workplace culture.  Some treatment and counselling has helped, and now he's in the job hunting mode which isn't easy.  Living in Auckland on one income is survivable but no fun.  I am so fortunate to have a job which has enabled us to survive while he takes time to recover.

On the reading front, it has been a great year!  Most of my reading has been recorded on GoodReads with a few exceptions.
Total: 89
Fiction: 57
Non-fiction: 32

Books that stayed in my mind:
Seven Eves by Neal Stephenson
The Poseidon's children series by Alaistair Reynolds
Both are sci-fi which is interesting.

I don't have any particular reading goals for 2017 because I read what I feel like.  My "to-be-read" list is huge! Survival has been very much on my mind so have been reading some of Bear Grylls work. In his view some marks of the survivor are positivity, resourcefulness and never giving up. Things I need to bear in mind for 2017.

2015 Reading summary

2015 reaches it's end and here I am ... *dusts off the blog* ... to jot down my reading for this year. 

It's been a good year for reading for me.  I am confident that this is due to my commute into town being so long that I spent much of the time on the ferry reading a book.  Also, the ability to read during lunchtime helps.  Now that I'm working closer to home and no longer using public transport as much, that will change though.

Number of books read: 90
I'm impressed!  This is the most I've read since I joined GoodReads.  I abandoned one book, Gone Girl.  I really couldn't find any reason to continue with it.

Number of non-fiction books: 28

Number of fiction books: 62

Number of poetry books: 1

As always, there were a few books not counted in the GoodReads statistics.  I re-read at least 2 Connie Willis books that I can remember. 

Stand out books this year

Do no harm by Henry Marsh

This is Marsh's memoir about his life as a brain surgeon.  I also watched the documentary associated with the book.  This one stood out for me because of the candid nature of his tale, the challenges that a person in his position faces and the weight of responsibility that patients place upon him, his skills and judgement.  It also made me think more deeply about the nature of humanity.

The Martian by Andy Weir

I enjoyed this book as true escapism, funny narrative and gripping story.  Nothing deeper than that!

The secret chord by Geraldine Brooks & Game of queens by India Edgehill

These two books stand out for similar reasons.  They are retold tales of Biblical characters that in scripture are role models for many in the Judeo-Christian tradition.  Brooks chose to write about David's life - I found it an engaging story which did actually flesh out what makes for pretty dry reading in the Bible.  Edgehill's story of Esther certainly enlivened the Biblical telling - the latter is of course told from a patriarchal view, whereas the fiction is mostly from a women's point of view.  Both stories are great reads.

The life and times of Auckland by Gordan McLauchlan

While this isn't the most exciting of reads, I found the history of my home town very relevant to the challenges it faces even today.  If you are an Aucklander, I'd recommend you read this one.  As it happened, I was reading this in September when the 175th anniversary of Hobson's purchase of the land from Te Kawau (Orakei tribal chieftain) occurred. It was particularly poignant to attend the small ceremony that took place in Emily Place to commemorate this.  I later read Tessa Duder's biography of Sarah Mathew, who was present at the event.

Most disturbing books

The blue between sky and water by Susan Abulhawa
The perspectives in this story are rarely seen portrayed in the media.

Pandemic by James Barrington
The premise this book is based on is pretty much enough to keep you awake at night.

Books that made me laugh (and also cry)

A spot of bother by Mark Haddon
The Rosie project by Graham Simsion (and the sequel, The Rosie effect)

Heading into 2016, my "To-read" list has not got any shorter!

Future of Libraries Summit #fol15

Friday July 31 was spent in Wellington for the Future of Libraries summit.  There are several blogs already about this event and a Storify is embedded below (thanks to @sarahlibrarina).

I was excited to attend the event, enjoyed the day and came away invigorated and a bit frustrated too.  It was a beginning though and I look forward to seeing some consolidated actions come from it.

The first agenda item was to look at the key drivers for the profession.  This is something I'd been thinking quite deeply about as it was the focus for my presentation to the panel for my application to be awarded ALIANZA.



In my opinion the two main key drivers are access and openess - and most other drivers fall out of these.

Such as:

• Preservation & curation
• Information & creativity
• Learning
• Community spaces
• People (staff and customers)
• Literate, knowledgeable and connected citizens

I also like Lankes assertion “The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities” but this statement needs major unpacking to illustrate it's comprehensive coverage.  (There is a whole book that does this)!

The next agenda item 

What would a flourishing library sector look like in 2025 if we address these key drivers?

I think the library sector is already doing pretty good if not flourishing already.  But we do need to keep agile, true to our professional values and constantly looking for ways to advocate our relevance to our funders.  There is plenty of research out there that can help us with the latter.

If access is a key driver then our profession needs to seek ways to increase access.  One way to do this is to look at making library access ubiquitous and the "norm".  Could we do this though a lifelong library pathway? There are libraries for every age of life but they aren't obviously contiguous.

Perhaps we should be seeking collaborative arrangements with groups such as Plunket to give newborns and their families a library card and introduction to programmes especially for that young group.  Join our mobile library services with Plunket clinics (and a coffee cart)!  How then to link to school libraries --> tertiary libraries -->coporate libraries?  I wonder if the library as a platform is the answer to this?  One library card for all of the nation's public libraries?  How would this address gaps such as people in rural areas, marginalised groups?  I don't have the answers but I think these are conversations we need to be having.

In order to keep flourishing I do think our voice as a profession needs to be louder and our advocacy around the key driver of openess more visible.  

This kind of change starts with me.  I need to learn how to be a better advocate for the profession in the places I have influence over.  This includes my friends and family.  The message I'm giving them when talking about things the profession is concerned about - such as copyright, the TPPA, open access - needs to be clearer and I need to be less reticent.  This is the challenge for myself... to have my "elevator speeches" sorted so I'm an effective advocate. The hard work done on Brand Libraries could assist myself and others with this. 

We are a trusted profession but not one that necessarily attracts a representative diversity we need right now.  Our faces and our profession needs to be on the back of buses as a "go to" vocational option for school leavers.  How can we invite more tangata whenua into librarianship - do we need to be visiting marae around the country with a roadshow?   Although I'm a believer in the value of library qualifications, there is room for diversity in our workforce so lets be open minded and welcoming.  

To me, flourishing libraries are key to strengthening communities - whatever that community is.  

I came away from the summit wanting to see bold statements of a shared vision with backbone.  That didn't happen as such but some provocations were made and I'm keen to see a consolidated report of the event which I hope will include some next steps.

In the meantime... advocacy.  Working on that.

Transitions

I'm going to be an aunty this year. I am quite excited by this thought because I never expected to be a 'real' aunty.  This fact, and the arrival of a number of new babies for some colleagues and acquaintances makes me realise I have reached that liminal time in my life where I am in between states.

I am no longer in a position where pregnancy would be welcomed. My age and stage in my work life are against me. Physically and biologically it would be possible but would be a strain on every kind of resource - me, mentally, financially, physically, the family.  In some ways this saddens me.  I see my sister passing milestones in her pregnancy that I remember reaching with joy. I remember those first flutters of quickening, like secret messages between the baby and I shared with no one else. Then the languorous rolls and stretches that happen towards the end of gestation - thoughtful and experimental pushes as though testing the boundaries their interior world.  I remember even the feeling of intense stretching of giving birth and the euphoria afterwards. These things I will never experience again.

Yet, while I will allow myself to get clucky I am happy to be reaching out into the next stages.  New experiences await.  Transitional times can be uncomfortable - releasing one for another, acknowledging the passing of things that were valued and looking for new things to embrace.  I am curious to see what is ahead.

#blog12daysxmas 1Jan 2015

Happy new year!

Busy day packing boxes to move house.  I am going to miss a few things about this house when we move.  The fruit trees we planted for example - not going to be much room for fruit trees at the new place.

I am looking forward to putting in a herb garden- I already have some in pots so they will come with us.

Monarch butterflies choose the dumbest places to put their chrysalis.  😵

#blog12daysxmas Dec 31 - Reading this year

Keeping track of my reading is so much easier with Goodreads.

This year I read 43 books.  Actually I read more than that but there were a few I didn't record via Goodreads for various reasons.  

Nonetheless, here is the list of books I read this year below. 

Stand out books for me according to my rating at the time were:

Cutting for stone / Abraham Verghese

The kashmir shawl / Rosie Thomas

Written in my own hearts blood / Diana Gabaldon
A dance with dragons / George R.R. Martin

14 books were non-fiction this year - 32% of the total.  Last year it was 40% so hardly statistically significant.  However, my total is down from 2013 and 2012 which is probably not suprising given the business of the year and the multitude of things I was doing.

#blog12daysxmas 30 Dec. new table

#blog12daysxmas Monday 29th Dec

This is my new remedy to survive stress... a colouring book for adults.

Back to work for me this day.  Surprising how many people were actually in the library on such a gorgeous day but I notice the computers being heavily used by our regulars who don't have their own computing power.  It makes one even more aware of the role public libraries play in the lives of some of our less fortunate citizens.  There were a lot of people looking for the JP service too which (of course) is closed.

It's really important that Aucklanders engage with the planning going on at present on how to spend the budget over the next 10 years.  The long term plan or LTP is coming up for consultation and there are some key things that need Aucklander's input.  Otherwise, the proposals made will go ahead without modification and they may not truly represent what Aucklanders want.  If you care about how your rates are spent - and from my experience there are plenty of people out there who are prepared to moan about it so they must care - then do something productive about it.

So have your say!  You may not get exactly what you want but at least your voice will be heard.  You can do this a number of ways.  The Shape Auckland website is one way.  You can make a submission through your local library.  You can go to the Auckland Council website.

Obviously as an employee of the council I have a vested interest in some of the proposed changes because they will affect me directly.  But I'm also a rate payer and a citizen of Auckland who cares about our city and what is happening in it.  I hope you do too.

#blog12daysxmas 28th Dec

Sunday - first day of the week and my meditations have been on kindness (specifically Eph 4.32 & Col 3:12).  Kindness always has an impact.

Lunch with the 'rents and then out to the new house to strew some grass seed on the the bare ground outside.  Hoping there'll be some rain to help it sprout before we move in!  (Which is supposed to be towards the end of January).

To that end I packed up some of my cupboards - the glassware, some crockery and my special tea cups.  I have plans to finally get a china cabinet where these can be displayed and more accessible... and therefore used.

#blog12daysxmas Saturday 27th December

On the third day of Christmas we travelled home from up north having feasted on Denheath's amazing custard squares - the BEST in the world - for morning tea. 

Apparently Miss7 was keen for us to leave so she could get on with her plans for complete domination of Grandad's attention.  She hid his piggy pea popper that he was annoying her with and I fear peace negotiations may be as difficult as that between the West and North Korea. Particularly as water guns have been stockpiled and it's a sunny day.

#blog12daysxmas Boxing Day

On the second day of Christmas I got frustrated by my crochet projects. 

My baby coccoon I was making for a January baby (started the project in July) has turned out to be too small for a full term sproglet - my tension is probably the culprit. So... It's most likely going to be sent to NICU. I will have to think of another present for the newbie. (Not mine btw, far too old for that).

I had made a couple of booties earlier in the year, managing to get two different sizes despite using the same pattern and (I think) the same hook. I managed to make one matching one to at least get a pair, but they aren't as perfect as I'd like. Oh well. My sister is expecting and she seems keen to have them anyway. 

I have started making an amigurumi Totoro (http://lucyravenscar.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/all-totoros.html ) - let's hope I don't muck this one up.

#blog12daysxmas

On Christmas eve we visited with my family and my sisters and I recreated a photo of us... Spot the 33 years differences!

On the first day of Christmas the children woke at 5.30 but having learned from past experiences I had told them that they could open 1 present each before we got up. Naturally they opened the biggest ones which were Lego, so that kept them occupied until we got up! My cunning plan worked.

We then drove up north to have Christmas with DH's family. Lunch features high on my Must Do Properly At Christmas, so leaving it to someone else is always a bit of a relinquishing of control thing for me. Happily there were good things to eat, not to mention 3 desserts!  We left the pavlova for next dinner.
After that it was time for a nap...

Photo dump & new blouse

Pictorial representation of the books I read in 2013

Bow tie Blouse I made using Gertie's ( http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/) book for better sewing.  It is a test blouse - I have some other fabric I want to use to make another version but I am fairly pleased with the pattern.  It needs a few tweaks to improve the fit, but this one is chiffon so I don't mind the drape. My other fabric is cotton so I will adjust the darts a bit and take some width out of the shoulders if I can.

I paid for 5 buttons and when I got home I discovered there were only 3 in the bag so I used some teapot buttons instead. I didn't attempt the bound buttonholes... It isn't a technique I want to learn just yet. ;-)

Reading for 2013

According to Goodreads I have read 60 books this year - the same as last year.  I think it is fairly accurate as I have been trying to keep the records up to date.

26 non-fiction
34 fiction

Of note, I started reading the Game of Thrones series and have just the most recent one to go before I'll join the waiting crowd for George R.R. Martin to write the remaining story!  I have also discovered the Phyrne Fisher murder mysteries which I have been enjoying too.

I'm in the midst of finishing up The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton.  It's been hard going, not because it is a bad book but the writing style takes time to appreciate.

The titles that stand out for me this year have been:

The Last Runaway | Remarkable Creatures - both by Tracy Chevalier
The Dragon Keeper by Mindy Mejia

I have done a lot of reading on my iPad this year, some on my Kobo and some in print. I can't say I have a particular preference, but the convenience of ebooks has been a big plus for me.

I continue to read blogs and professional related stuff, but that is mostly done online via my iPad or computer.

How about you? Have you read any good stuff this year?

Tarty goodness

I do love a bit of tart.  Here are some I made the other day.

@ home, with love / by Julie Le Clerc (2004)

Auckland: Penguin Books

Pg117

Burnt Sugar Tarts (Creme Brûlée Tarts)

Sweet Pastry

1/2 cup caster sugar

200g butter, softened

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

Pinch salt

1. Place sugar, butter and egg in a bowl and beat to just combined. Stir in flour, salt to form dough. Turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly to bring together. (Note: I cut the butter through the flour in the food processor and then add the remaining ingredients and pulse the processor until the dough starts to form together, then I finish it off by hand).

2. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 mins before using as recipe following directs.

Vanilla Custard

1 vanilla bean ( I used a good teaspoon of vanilla paste)

1 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons caster sugar

3 egg yolks

Demerara sugar to brûlée 

1. Roll out pastry to 3mm thick and use to line 6 10cm individual tart tins. Prick base with a fork and chill for 30mins.

2. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with baking beans/weights - bake blind for 10 mins. Remove paper and weights and return cases to oven for 5 mins to dry out.  Decrease oven temperature to 140 degrees C.

3. If using the vanilla bean, cut in half lengthways and scrape out seeds. Combine with cream and milk in a saucepan. Bring to boil then remove from heat for 10 mins for vanilla to infuse. (if you use paste like me, just add it to the milk and cream and bring to the boil.)

4. In a bowl beat caster sugar and yolks together until pale. Strain cream mixture and pour onto yolks, then whisk to combine.

5. Return mixture to a clean saucepan. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Don't let it boil or it will curdle. Pour mixture into pastry cases. Bake 15 mins or until custard is just set. Remove to cool.

6. Just before serving, dust top of custard with Demerara sugar. Caramelise with a brûlée torch of quickly under a grill. (Personally I think caster sugar is a better option).

Salted caramel tarts

(I used the same pastry and method as above to make these).

The salted caramel recipe I got from one of the cooking blogs I read and I neglected to write down in my cookbook which one. So I do apologize - if this looks familiar to someone, I am more than happy to link directly to your blog if you let me know! It must have been a US one because it uses the term "stick" of butter.

250g sugar

80ml water

115g salted butter 

150ml heavy cream

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, combine sugar and water. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Add butter. Let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from heat. Add cream - be careful because it will spit - whisk to combine and put back on stove. Let it come to the boil again and cook 25-35 mins until you reach a creamy consistency. (Note: I wanted a sauce consistency and took it off the heat sooner than 25 mins. Even so, it was really too far gone along the road to hardening off for sauce. Great for soft caramels though).

For the tarts I spooned in the caramel to the tart cases and then cooked them briefly (about 5-10 mins) until it seemed like a good time to take them out - I used mini tart cases to it didn't take long. I then broke a piece of chocolate into the hot caramel and sprinkled a few salt grains on it.

You will have plenty of left over caramel. I don't see this as a problem...

Emergence

Poor neglected blog.  Time for an update I think!

So time passes and I'm emerging from the fog of change.  I'm learning a lot! Fortunately I have some good allies and examples as I move from minion to manager thinking processes.  (I still am a minion to others though which keeps me humble). I am learning to care about stuff I would have dismissed as annoying minuteae .. Well some of it anyway.  Some of it is still silly.  

I can see there are going to be good opportunities within the system I am in and this is a positive change for me.  

The daily commute is still long.  I spend quite a bit of time on my phone while on the bus. Social media features of course,  but surprisingly I have found it a good time to do my daily Bible devotions too. I had thought that audio books would be good too, but for some reason I find it better for my mental health to just be quiet in my own head.  I think it is that introvert thing of needing time alone to recover after interacting with people all day.

So stuff happens even if I don't blog.

We went and saw Alice the TBM.  She was pretty impressive! 

Miss6 wrote our names on a piece of the tunnel - so when we drive through it we can imagine our names on it somewhere!

The lava flow the works has exposed is quite amazing.

I have been involved in setting up a maker space at MPOW which includes a 3D printer. It is quite exciting to see the developments around the space and the engagement with staff and customers.

The children have finished school for the year and both have made progress in various ways. Miss6 does well at school - she is one of those kids for whom the school system works just fine. I have appreciated the efforts the school makes with Mr10 though.  We've have had opportunity to make an IEP for him and his teacher and the SENCO have been on to it in terms of looking for ways to help him.  One thing that has made a big difference for him is the iPad we bought for him at his teacher's request. It has meant he is able to by pass the difficulties he has with physical writing.  The additional help from SPELD and Kip McGrath has helped too. However, I think one of the biggest contributors to his improvements (apart from increased maturity) is the work his OT has been doing with him.

We have also discovered he has some allergies to dust, cats, wheat, some fish, soy, prawns and peanuts so I have been trying to eliminate those things as much as possible.  It isn't easy... or cheap.

Some of us folks on Twitter have been helping a women's refuge with things.  Their needs are ongoing though, so if anyone else has it in their heart to help there is a current list of needs here: http://goodeyemcwoowoo.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/looking-forward-to-the-new-year/

I have been doing some more crochet learning! Here are two beanies I am making to send to the refuge (Te Whare Marama).  Mum has been doing the cream one, I am following along with the red one.  It's quite relaxing. There are so many cool projects to do in crochet.  Learning to read the instructions on the pattern is like learning a new language though. Luckily I have Mum to show me and interpret.

That's all for now.  Is anyone going to do the blogging for 12 days of Christmas challenge?

Change process

Three weeks ago I started a new job.  You would think that wouldn't be such a big deal.  Libraries being the same and all. But in fact it has been a big deal for me and libraries are the same ... but different.

For 16 years I have worked in the tertiary sector. It has been a comfortable fit for me and my values align with the kind of things you find there.  For about 10 of those years I worked in one particular institution so became very familiar with the environment, the people, the type of customer, the culture and enjoyed the close proximity to my home.

But I left that very comfortable job, one that I enjoyed, a team that have been very supportive and have changed sector (to public libraries) and job role (now a team leader) and location (the CBD).  I moved from a position of being the person who knows things to a person who knows very little.

So yes, to me it has been a big deal. Just before I left, I attended a course called "dealing with change". In it I learned about the change cycle and what happened during that process. 

So far I can say I have been through stage 1 and 2!

Image from The Change Cycle, Retrieved from http://www.changecycle.com/changecycle.htm 

The first week was actually pretty tough. I also had this bad cold virus which didn't help. Poor DH copped his wife wailing about making the wrong decision, going off to work in tears and coming home not much better. The commute is long which puts family and recharge time under strain.

But things are starting to make more sense now. I am getting used to the different culture even if I don't always like it. Fortunately, people are friendly and though I still feel a bit Nigel No Mates sometimes, I also realize that will change as I make connections.

It both amuses and disturbs me how much I have become used to the technology freedom found in the tertiary sector. I no longer have a laptop to take around with me to meetings.  No Macs seem to exist in the organization.  I can't use Firefox (and consequently all the plug ins I had set up to use in my work), Dropbox, Skitch, slideshare... Anything cloud based is difficult which feels so alien to me. I have worked out how to get TweetDeck as a web version so that makes me more connected to my PLN thankfully.  I have managed to download Chrome so some plugins work on that. My iPad plus the free wifi lets me connect to Dropbox and other things that the web marshal clamps down on if I use my desktop.

There are things that I am doing that are exciting, challenging and will provide me with some great experience. These are the things I am trying to focus on to move myself into stage 4.

A hat library? Yes please!

HAT LIBRARY