Tag Archives: gratitude

A cow portrait for the neighbors

Cow in moonlit landscapeWhen our neighbors John and Aussie Bronwyn announced that they were selling their property and moving away, CJ and I were mortified. More than anyone, those two have taught us how to live on 20 acres. How could they abandon us?

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Never give up: From blog to book

Cherry blossoms“I’m giving up,” I said. “‘Moon over Martinborough’ is never going to be a book.”

Ever since I’d started this blog I’d wanted to turn it into a book, but I was losing hope.

“Maybe you shouldn’t give up just yet,” Uncle Oscar replied.

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Kiwi country Thanksgiving 2009

Roast turkeyCJ called me at work on Thursday morning in a panic. “It’s going to rain all day Saturday!” he said. “We need to cancel Thanksgiving!”

Some might think canceling Thanksgiving due to a little rain is a bit extreme. Those people have never been to one of our Thanksgiving parties.

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Olive harvest on a misty day

Mist on the hills beyond the bottom paddockThe first of the city friends arrived on Friday night, driving over the Rimutaka Hill Road after work in the dark, ready to settle in for a three-day weekend full of food, friends, olives, and a lot of hard work. There were big hello hugs all around and bags deposited in guest rooms.

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