Starry Night, Starry Lives

Friday, September 16 - Saturday, September 17, 2022

We had to take Corinne on a bus ride to Masterton! 

And a goodbye to Heni, the bus driver, who helped mom and me the first night. 

So wonderful to make new friends and connections!

We went to the Sheep Museum again and the staff person recognized us and let Corinne in for free. We walked around again. So impressed with how sheep are sheared. 

It takes a lot of muscles to hold a sheep down. 

Had some of the best fried shrimp tempura ever at Sushi Planet. Ate the tail too it was so good!

The Masterton library is a great go to for the restroom break!

Had dinner at Circus Cinema the local theater with a restaurant. Yummy! 

Seafood chowder is the bomb!

A puzzle we picked up three weeks ago. It's taken us a bit to get this far. Don't think we'll finish it before we leave.  Someone else at Sage Cottage can tackle it! Doing puzzles is calming and meditative and when complete, one feels a great sense of accomplishment.  

We were going to buy some thank you cards in town, but thought to reuse materials that we already have. We used the Hobbiton brochure and some maps to make thank you cards for folx in New Zealnd. 

Corinne is a wonderful artist!

I love taking materials that we already have and repurposing it. No need to buy more

Corinne woke up one morning and did a selfie photo shoot in the living room of Sage Cottage. 

Gorgeous set up and gorgeous girl- inside and out!

Ate brunch at Margrain Vineyard Cafe... great menu. Mom got to taste of bit of Hong Kong. She had "black pudding" which is is pig's blood.  No thanks. 

Lisa saw on the blog how mom was struggling on the two wheeler, so she lent mom the trike to try! While mom was riding, she said: "I should get one of these for riding in San Francisco." Mmmm...good idea, but maybe only in Golden Gate Park?

Lisa is so artsy and crafty. And she does a wonderful job at gardening. Loved looking at everything from the latch hook pillows, to the framed insects and pictures, to the beautiful garden! She says that this is what "coffin dodgers" do. Haha..

Martinborough School was celebrating their 150th anniversary! 

They had a lot of festivities planned for this big day!

Birthday girl in her birthday celebration outfit. 

We chose to eat at Union Square in the Martinborough Hotel to celebrate Corinne's birthday and the closing of our time in New Zealand. Jesse, the chef, happens to be Lisa's nephew. Mom really enjoyed the roast lamb rump and said that was the best meal she had in New Zealand. 

On our last night in Martinborough, we took our one and only walk in the dark back to Sage Cottage. The stars were brightly shining. Thank you, Kate and Peter, for the opportunity. Our stay and holiday here in NZ was more than we could hope for. There were so many chances to create, connect, and care during the time here. May the stars in sky and in your lives continue to shine brightly for you and those you touch.

Our hearts are full and we are grateful for your generosity and kindness. 

With deepest gratitude: Corinne, mom and me.