The new, the old and disposing of the past.

What a whirlwind few weeks its been!

The New

Charlie - 4 1/2 hours old

 

I have a new grandson! 

 

Charlie James was born by caesarean on 21 June 2013 at 11.54am weighing 8 pounds 12 ounces. A little brother for Joseph.  He was due on the 15th June and so I flew down to Christchurch on the 13th.  We knew that if he was overdue, my daughter Jessica wouldn't be kept too long before a decision was made whether or not to have a caesarean especially after the birth of their first son Joseph, amid the tumultuous days after the Christchurch earthquake. However, there was a snowstorm forecast for the same time his caesarean was scheduled that was meant to be the worst since the 1992 Canterbury snowstorms...luckily just days of wind and torrential rain with a smattering of snow actually occurred in Christchurch. 

 

 

I've told Jess that she can't have another baby or a tornado might occur LOL! Seems her children like making their entry with a natural disaster attached!

The proud parents Jessica and Hamish

Charlie and mum

Charlie meets his big brother Joseph [aged 2 1/4 yrs]

 










Grammy and Charlie





Grammy and Charlie

 

 

Grammy with her boys!

 

 

Lots more photos HERE

The Old

 

 

Now and then my mum comes out with the odd little gem she has been given over the years by now deceased family members so that I can keep them.  This visit, I've been given the lovely hanky that her Uncle Bob sent her when she was 6 or 7 [1943-44] and he was serving in the RAF after serving in the RNZAF.  It still has the wee note attached to it with a rusty pin [unfortunately] however I'll deal to that :) On close inspection it appears to be hand embroidered and wouldn't surprise me at all if this was done by Bob.

Uncle Bob was a wireless operator and tail gunner was himself shot down twice during the war but survived. His story is here, a rather romantic one in parts.

 

Disposing of the past

Whilst in Christchurch I've been having a lovely time staying with my parents who are now well and truly settled in their 'new' home.  I did take the opportunity to take photographs of the empty section where their earthquake damaged, 'red zoned' former home [and where I grew up] stood until a few weeks ago] which has now been demolished.  This was quite an eerie feeling but I feel the cycle has been completed in the life of the house and I've been lucky to have had the chance to go back over the months to gather photos of it's decline.

 

The past has also been disposed of in relation to my quake damaged but now repaired [which did not happen without it's own set of very stressing events house in a TC3 zoned area of Christchurch.  It's been for sale since 20 March 2012 and I could have sold it at least 3 times except that prospective buyers could not secure insurance for it.  Luckily this purchaser knew someone connected to the insurance world who obtained full cover.  The Government does not know how crippling an effect it has become to home owners by labelling our properties and causing such stress.  Here is the earlier story of my house.  I was one of the first home owners whose insurance company refused to reinsure their home after the quake in February 2011.

 

It feels very weird after 32 years of mortgage paying to not have a mortgage anymore but WOO HOOO it also feels fantastic!

©2013 Sarndra Lees