Orewa here we come!

Here are a few pictures of our "new" house and the lake that is right beside it! The fourth photo shows the back of our house with the walkway up from the lake.
(We don't move till the end of October.)

 Walkway to lake begins on right hand side of house.

Our house on the right. 

Hope for the future

If you sometimes find it hard to be hopeful about what is happening to our planet and its people, take a few moments to scroll through these pictures of people all round the world united in a common commitment to the survival of our home planet.

Avaaz Executive Director Ricken Patel presenting the 2 million strong petition to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the People's Climate March, New York

And if you don't yet know about Avaaz (= a voice for the people) then please sign up for a chance to join in similar commitments to peace, justice, human rights and a green planet.

Climate change

In the midst of house selling and election aftermath it still felt important to join the Climate Change march in Auckland on Sunday. If generations to come are going to have a place to live and a country to govern something has to change - and soon.

This isn't a great photo but there were several hundred of us marching in weather that was sometimes driving rain and blustery wind. But as Jeanette Fitzsimons said in her speech in Aotea Square: "With what is happening to the climate we are going to have more extremes of weather - floods, droughts, storms and rising sea levels." There are many photos from around the world here if you are interested. One banner I thought summed up a lot was in Australia (so aimed at Tony Abbott) It said: "Tony what part of irreversible and disastrous do you not understand!"

What party would God vote for?

Since I'm writing on election day this will be too late to influence your vote! But I found it a fascinating article to feature in our biggest national newspaper The Herald. You'll find it here.

SOLD!

Smile, breathe and go slowly...

"Smile, breathe and go slowly…"

Thich Nhat Hanh

This is good advice for Anthea and me as we are in the final run-up to our house going to Auction on the 14th. We have worked hard at presenting our home beautifully for 8 Open Homes and various other people coming through as well. But the outcome is out of our control. I admire people who seem to manage calm serenity no matter what is happening. I'm not there yet! But this is a great chance to practice!

Two more quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh:

“Waking up this morning, I smile. Twenty-four brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
 


“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child - our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”
 


What young people want for Auckland

The Auckland Council has run a competition for young people (under 25) to make a one minute video answering the question "What should Auckland spend money on to become the world's most livable city?" The five finalists are shown on YouTube here. Well worth watching!