30 Days of Blogging Challenge – Day 25

Here we are at Day 25, I’ve been doing this all month with Maggie and Cheila! We’re nearing the end of the challenge. Today’s prompt is about Things I Would Still Like to Learn.

Sounds easy enough, this will probably be similar to goals I have set for myself, as well as some random thoughts. I also thought I’d include random images, cause you guys know I like having pictures, even when sometimes they weren’t taken by me.

I Would Still Like to Learn:

• How to improvise meals – I’m great at following recipes and instructions, but if you just give me ingredients and say “Go for it”, I will look at you blankly.

Whatever this is looks nice, I think its guacamole? That’s what Google says anyway

• How to look after a car – I’m still in the process of driving more frequently, but that’s getting rarer and rarer, but I still want to know how to look after a car. So far, Rory has shown me how to change the oil (which I’ve already forgotten), and how to fill up the tank (which I have done successfully a few times!!).

I still hate the smell of gas

• Tagalog – I always say I want to make an effort on this, but I never do. Last I checked Duolingo doesn’t have a course in tagalog. Any other apps you guys can recommend?

Why no Tagalog option Mr Owl?

• This is more relearn, as I haven’t touched any in a while. But the ukulele, piano and flute. I really want to relearn all those skills.

At least I can still read music I guess

• How to swim – I mean I can kinda float for a while, and I’m not too bad. But I’d like to learn proper techniques. Plus its an exercise I actually really enjoy.

I love swimming!

• How to properly use a sewing machine – I know how useful it is and what it can do. I just don’t know how to use it properly.

Help.

• How to motivate myself to clean every weekend – Like seriously, it’s getting ridiculous. Look at our carpet. It needs vacumming…

Help again, someone motivate me.

• Finally, I still have to learn not to let my optimism run rampant. I was starting to daydream about owning that house we put an offer in on, and we just heard back that the seller has gone with another offer (sigh). It would have been way too convenient for us to get the first home we ever went for I suppose. I’m kinda bummed, but now we know how the whole process works. We just need to wait until we see another house that we can see as a future home.

That’s all I can think of for now.

What’s something you guys still want to learn?

Angela.

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Golden Bay

Welcome to another TBT! Today is about when we visited Golden Bay in Nelson. This was during our Christmas Holidays in the South Island back in 2009.

Golden Bay is located around Nelson, a few hours drive from Blenheim (in the South Island) where we were spending Christmas with our extended family. We often went for little day trips, and one day Dad suggested this. The name alone sounded intriguing, and we were all keen to go out for a day trip.

It was very pretty, and very busy! Especially since it was the summer holidays.

Evanescent

The theme of this week’s photo challenge is Evanescent.

I’m going to be totally honest. I had no idea what that meant. My  first thought was of that band Evanescence, but I figured that wasn’t right. It took reading the definition a couple of times to finally figure out what photos I wanted to share.

e.v·a·nes·cent [evəˈnes(ə)nt]
adjective

1. Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing.

So for my interpretation, I thought about Pohutukawa. For those not in New Zealand, the Pohutukawa is a native flower and a kiwi icon.

During summer, the trees go into full bloom, the red flowers bring the promise of summer, and for us Christmas! Red and green are traditional Christmas colours, and who needs Christmas trees when you have Pohutukawa lining the streets.

My family often spends Christmas in the South Island, and in our grandparents front yard, they have a Pohutukawa tree.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that tree not in bloom. Then again, we only ever visit in summer. Every year, we know we will see that tree. I love these flowers, the colour is so vibrant, and their association with summer and Christmas doesn’t hurt my opinion of them either.

But too soon, the flowers fall on the ground, making somewhat of a mess. But decorating the ground with their colour. It’s a reminder  that summer is at an end, and soon it will be cold again.

Then everything is back to just green, and we wait.

Wait for those red flowers to come back, reminding us of the arrival of summer.

That’s my interpretation for this week’s photo challenge. A moment in time that passes or disappears quickly. Evanescent.

Angela.