Aaron had a craving to have turkey and a proper Thanksgiving this year (he hasn't had Thanksgiving for >5years). Unfortunately we don't get thanksgiving off as a public holiday and when it takes a couple of hours to cook a turkey we would have been eating at midnight. So we cheated slightly and had a little celebration on Saturday instead. The weather was even appropriate - grey, cool and rainy! Excellent weather for spending half the day cooking and then eating lots!
We bought a small turkey (7lbs), then we invited a few people over to help Aaron eat it. I was a little worried that it wasn't going to be defrosted in time and then it wasn't going to be cooked. I did some research on the web before hand and had about 5 different sets of instructions and then modified them to suit. It turned out just fine and fortunately we invited our friend Carolyn who wasn't scared to carve/attack it! I even made stuffing and gravy to go with it. We then finished the meal off with pumpkin pie and brownies. An almost perfect thanksgiving feast - apart from the fact that it was on Saturday.
However, our friends didn't do a very good job of eating the turkey - so Aaron will have a lot of turkey sandwiches to eat in the next week!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Woods Hole, MA, again!
After only just visiting Laura in September I found out that I got funding to go to a workshop in Woods Hole. I arrived on the weekend, which also coincided with Gill visiting from Canada. So we had a fun weekend catching up and hanging out - the first time the three of us have spent together (without partners) for the last 10 years. Laura, Gill and a couple of Laura's friends did a fun run from Woods Hole to Falmouth. They did a 7.1 mile run in an hour - very respectable.
Kate Hendry (Laura's postdoc), Laura and Gill
The workshop was great. Two weeks of lectures, lab-work and computer stuff about Ocean Acidification. It was rather intense - but we learnt a lot and I met lots of people. We were very lucky with the weather during the two weeks and we regularly went for walks around the village and up to the Woods Hole campus on the bike path. Laura also kindly lent me a bike - so I could ride back and forth to Falmouth and her house. It was really nice to catch up with her several times during the weeks and have a home away from home!
Unfortunately my visits to Cape Cod/New England missed the best of the autumn/fall colours. There were a few leaves still left on the trees and they ranged in colour from yellow, orange to bright red. There were plenty of leaves on the ground that made a great satisfying crunching noise as you walked through them.
The beautiful autumn/fall leaves
Most of the leaves on the ground
Woods Hole village was quiet when we were there. I am told it is very busy in summer. It is a very pretty place with lots of boats in the harbour. Although I think I left at the right time - the weather turned just on the last day with a cold wintery storm.... It was good to get back to summer in New Zealand.
Boats on the Eel Pond
Sunset over the harbour
Kate Hendry (Laura's postdoc), Laura and Gill
The workshop was great. Two weeks of lectures, lab-work and computer stuff about Ocean Acidification. It was rather intense - but we learnt a lot and I met lots of people. We were very lucky with the weather during the two weeks and we regularly went for walks around the village and up to the Woods Hole campus on the bike path. Laura also kindly lent me a bike - so I could ride back and forth to Falmouth and her house. It was really nice to catch up with her several times during the weeks and have a home away from home!
Unfortunately my visits to Cape Cod/New England missed the best of the autumn/fall colours. There were a few leaves still left on the trees and they ranged in colour from yellow, orange to bright red. There were plenty of leaves on the ground that made a great satisfying crunching noise as you walked through them.
The beautiful autumn/fall leaves
Most of the leaves on the ground
Woods Hole village was quiet when we were there. I am told it is very busy in summer. It is a very pretty place with lots of boats in the harbour. Although I think I left at the right time - the weather turned just on the last day with a cold wintery storm.... It was good to get back to summer in New Zealand.
Boats on the Eel Pond
Sunset over the harbour
Friday, November 6, 2009
Guy Fawkes Night
Last night was Guy Fawkes night. For those of you without an English (or Australian or Kiwi) background, Guy Fawkes became famous when he was caught in an attempt assassinate King James I by blowing up the English Houses of Parliament during the state opening on the 5th of November 1605.
Details of the plot were leaked due to concerns over the safety off others who would be present at the opening of parliament. Fawkes and several other conspirators were captured before they were able to detonate the gunpowder they had stockpiled in a ground-floor flat beneath the House of Lords.
Each year the people of England celebrate the foiling of the plot by lighting bonfires or setting off fireworks. In Wellington, last night, we had a 20 minute fireworks display set off from three boats in the harbour. I find it pretty odd that the Australians don't celebrate Guy Fawkes really at all, but the Kiwis really seem to get into it. I guess any excuse to light fireworks...
Fireworks in Wellington Harbour
I think this a fascinating bit of history. A really good movie to rent if you haven't seen it is V for Vendetta. It borrows many ideas from Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
Details of the plot were leaked due to concerns over the safety off others who would be present at the opening of parliament. Fawkes and several other conspirators were captured before they were able to detonate the gunpowder they had stockpiled in a ground-floor flat beneath the House of Lords.
Each year the people of England celebrate the foiling of the plot by lighting bonfires or setting off fireworks. In Wellington, last night, we had a 20 minute fireworks display set off from three boats in the harbour. I find it pretty odd that the Australians don't celebrate Guy Fawkes really at all, but the Kiwis really seem to get into it. I guess any excuse to light fireworks...
Fireworks in Wellington Harbour
I think this a fascinating bit of history. A really good movie to rent if you haven't seen it is V for Vendetta. It borrows many ideas from Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot.
- Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
- The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
- I know of no reason
- Why the Gunpowder Treason
- Should ever be forgot.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Domestic weekends
It was nice to get back home after several weeks of travelling. However, the garden was completely overgrown with the grass a good foot/30 cm high. So we have spent the last two weekends trying to get back on top of the grass, weeds etc.. My seedlings that I had planted before we went away are making good progress, so I have put some of them in. Labour weekend (this weekend) is traditionally the time when everyone plants their vegetable gardens and the weather has cooperated with a beautiful weekend. However, there are a few more southerly storms forecast for the next week - so I think I will wait a few more weeks for summer to start and before I plant out the tomatoes seedlings.
I have been harvesting the cabbages, silver beet, broad beans, rocket and lettuce. The cabbages and rocket had bolted, so they were pulled out to make some more room for the new seedlings. I will have to pull out some of the broad beans as well as they have grown out of control. My 3 compost bins have also finally composted down and have some nice looking compost which I have been dumping on the garden, ready for the rest of the seedlings.
Aaron has become very good at destructive gardening! He has been pulling out some of the lavender that was taking over the front garden.
On top of gardening I also enjoyed doing some cooking for the first time in several weeks. I made some sour dough bread and some mascapone cheese. I then used the cheese to make canneloni, and tiramisu - yum!
I think the cats are also happy we are home. They have been very cuddly and attention seeking for the last couple of weeks.
I have been harvesting the cabbages, silver beet, broad beans, rocket and lettuce. The cabbages and rocket had bolted, so they were pulled out to make some more room for the new seedlings. I will have to pull out some of the broad beans as well as they have grown out of control. My 3 compost bins have also finally composted down and have some nice looking compost which I have been dumping on the garden, ready for the rest of the seedlings.
Aaron has become very good at destructive gardening! He has been pulling out some of the lavender that was taking over the front garden.
On top of gardening I also enjoyed doing some cooking for the first time in several weeks. I made some sour dough bread and some mascapone cheese. I then used the cheese to make canneloni, and tiramisu - yum!
I think the cats are also happy we are home. They have been very cuddly and attention seeking for the last couple of weeks.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Gill and Mike's wedding in the Cotswolds
We spent Friday afternoon in Oxford catching up with Sam Burgess and meeting her lovely new guy Ed before the last event on our whistle stop tour, and the main excuse for the trip which was to attend Gill and Mike's wedding in the Cotswolds. It was held in a lovely little village - Bibury. Very traditional and cute.
It was a very fun day and Gill and Laura both looked great in their dresses.
Laura, Gill and Helen
Aaron and Helen
Gill and Mike had thought of everything - including providing toys for the kids to play with. This was a great giant Jenga game!
Playing Jenga in the garden
It was a very fun day and Gill and Laura both looked great in their dresses.
Laura, Gill and Helen
Aaron and Helen
Gill and Mike had thought of everything - including providing toys for the kids to play with. This was a great giant Jenga game!
Playing Jenga in the garden
Friday, October 9, 2009
Visiting the Bostocks in the UK
We flew from Boston to London and spent most of a week visiting the Bostocks! We started in London visiting Katherine and Jonathan (Chandlers - rather than Bostocks), but we met up with Graham, Theresa and Victoria in the afternoon at Darwin's house in Kent. We stayed with Katherine and Jonathan and were very impressed with all the amazing work they have done on their house, as well as with their Wii bowling prowess!
Then we headed up to Grandma and Grandads for a few days. Mum and Dad and Andy, Clare and Andrea had come down from Aberdeen to see us as well. We had a couple of days being entertained by little Andrea and with a day trip to Stratford upon Avon, the home of Shakespeare. We also dropped in to see my great aunt and uncle, Irene and Jim.
Andrea playing in the fountain
Four generations - Grandad, Mum, Dad, Grandma, Aaron, Helen, Clare, Andy, Andrea
Then we headed over to Wales to catch up with my Uncle Andy, Sarah, Holly and Fiona. Fortunately the weather cleared up and we got to go out riding with Sarah along the coast looking out over the Bristol Channel.
Aaron and I riding along the coast in Wales
Final family stop was Paul, Thalia, Christopher and Hattie in High Wycombe. I think Aaron deserves a medal for surviving a week of Bostocks!
Then we headed up to Grandma and Grandads for a few days. Mum and Dad and Andy, Clare and Andrea had come down from Aberdeen to see us as well. We had a couple of days being entertained by little Andrea and with a day trip to Stratford upon Avon, the home of Shakespeare. We also dropped in to see my great aunt and uncle, Irene and Jim.
Andrea playing in the fountain
Four generations - Grandad, Mum, Dad, Grandma, Aaron, Helen, Clare, Andy, Andrea
Then we headed over to Wales to catch up with my Uncle Andy, Sarah, Holly and Fiona. Fortunately the weather cleared up and we got to go out riding with Sarah along the coast looking out over the Bristol Channel.
Aaron and I riding along the coast in Wales
Final family stop was Paul, Thalia, Christopher and Hattie in High Wycombe. I think Aaron deserves a medal for surviving a week of Bostocks!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Visiting Laura in Falmouth, Cape Cod
On our way over the UK we stopped off in Boston/Cape Cod to visit Laura. This was Aaron's first visit to the east coast of the US. Laura works at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, one of the very well known and highly respected oceanographic institutes, so I wanted to visit and look around.
Laura's very cute house
Cape Cod has some beautiful beaches and we went for several walks on the beaches near Falmouth and Woods Hole. This time of year you can often find the horse-shoe crab carapaces on the beaches. Some of them were enormous. To me they look like trilobites!
Horse-shoe crab carapace on the beach
Helen and Laura
Laura's very cute house
Cape Cod has some beautiful beaches and we went for several walks on the beaches near Falmouth and Woods Hole. This time of year you can often find the horse-shoe crab carapaces on the beaches. Some of them were enormous. To me they look like trilobites!
Horse-shoe crab carapace on the beach
Helen and Laura
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