Christchurch Pettys in March 2014

At the beginning of March we went to a reunion at the Elmwood Visual Resource Centre. Jonathan played for them, though there was something funny about the keyboard that didn’t really show how well he did. We all enjoyed meeting up with students and teachers from Jonathan’s childhood and my research days.

Seth stayed with us a couple of times and lasted about 5 minutes each time before starting to cry. He is very attached to his mother.  He is now crawling and very cute. He loves the piano, and Jonathan plays for him when Seth comes over. Seth is an outdoor boy, and really enjoyed gumming a carrot I gave him.



My brother, Michael, and his wife Marian visited from Brisbane and the whole family went out to dinner one night, and another night they came over for the evening.

We sent out some invoices, and have some money coming in to the business – enough that we can pay William for the six month contract. We have set up a thing on a website called Patreon, that we hope might bring some money in with our videos. When it is launched we will let you know.
http://www.patreon.com/StatsLC

The Avon River and the Fendalton Chapel

We had flooding just near where we live.  I was lucky to spend the day in Auckland, where it only rained a little. As Mark drove me to the airport, we had to go down the middle of the road in several places due to flooding. Part of the problem is that the area near us has sunk by about half a metre in the earthquakes, which exacerbates a tendency to flood. However the next morning when the sun was out, I went for a run, and it was almost back to normal.

On the 8th March we finally finished stacking the wood for winter and we could get  the car in the garage. It is a great relief as the car has a leak and was starting to smell. Jessica and William have the other car more often than we do now. Mark is really good at keeping the garage available for the cars, and looking after the cars in general.

I had another day in Auckland, this time tootling about in a Suzuki Splash. They have a special deal, that makes it cheaper than getting a taxi into town. I really love driving the little car as it is so manoeuvrable in tricky school carparking lots. As I walked out the airport in the morning in Auckland, I thought to myself how much I love my work, and how lucky I am to be able to do it.

Elder Thompson, an Area Seventy who I knew as a YSA, visited our stake. I requested a meeting with him and they had the Stake President with him. It was not enormously satisfactory, but I will keep on trying. I was still feeling rather frustrated the following morning and set off for a run to burn off a bit of energy. Part way my knee started hurting, so I had to abandon the run. I decided then, to go for a bike ride, but my bike wasn’t working properly. Altogether it was a frustrating day. And Mark discovered that the big car had been without a warrant since December, and we had to juggle it and the other car.

I prepared a talk about how Jesus treated women, to give in Sacrament meeting on the Sunday of the Relief Society birthday. I didn’t get to give it, though, as the speakers before me used up all my time. I did get to give a week later, though, at another ward that I was visiting, and a speaker failed to turn up. I saw women smiling at me all through the talk. I had so enjoyed researching it too – Jesus was a total radical in the way he treated women. I doubt he would be happy at the way women are often treated in the church these days.

Charlotte, Jonathan’s helper at Jazz School, was away for about three weeks. As she lives near us, she usually taxis Jonathan as well, so I had to do a whole lot of driving, which ate into my productive time. I also had to help him more with his work, which I wasn’t all that good at. He is a delight to teach, though, as he tries really hard. One day I forgot to pick him up from CPIT. He just went an asked the administrator if he could borrow the phone, and called home. I was on the line, so he called Mark on the cellphone, and Mark texted me. Jonathan wasn’t worried at all. I was so proud of his problem-solving skills.

Jonathan having on the Armour of Righteousness at a Ward Activity

Jonathan has to belong to a specialist ensemble each year as part of his major study, and this year I encouraged him to go in the choir, and I go with him. I am really enjoying it, and he is doing well. Because Jonathan has perfect pitch, he is sometimes asked to provide the starting notes.



Our wireless router was proving inadequate so I spent two days installing the new one. The main problem was Jonathan’s braillenote, which has to have WEP authentication, and I took a while to get that all sorted out.

I visited a few schools, and even took classes at some of them. I do enjoy being in the classroom and wish I had more opportunities. Maybe next year…

I have finally done something I’ve wanted for a long time, and joined the Koru club. It means that I get a meal and a rest in the koru lounge before I fly home from Auckland each time. I also get to book better seats nearer the front with more room, and can take an extra bag any time I travel. And our luggage will come out first. As I fly to Auckland or somewhere else about every two weeks, it will make things much more pleasant.

On the last Sunday of March we visited Timaru for church for their Branch Conference. On the way back we visited the place we are going to hold our retreat.

Mark is probably going to have to work more hours to help us survive financially while we establish the business. William is working well in his job, and I enjoy having him around far more than I thought I would. Jonathan is happy as ever.

And that is it for March.
All the best from Nicola, Mark, Jonathan, William, Jessica and Seth

Nicola experimenting with the panorama feature on her phone