rivettingKateTaylor

There used to be a saying in Hawke’s Bay. If you want to break a drought, schedule an international cricket match at McLean Park in Napier. Bingo. Rain.

Yesterday, my district council put roading team backup and comms in place in light of a Met Service heavy rain warning for up to 20-30mm of rain an hour over five to six hours. Our region is absolutely sodden (it’s literally been raining since May) and every time it rains, it exacerbates the issues with slumps, slips, fallen trees and potholes.

It rained a bit over night, but the estimated 70 to 100mm didn’t eventuate and this morning, there’s this bright yellow thing in the sky…

For clarification, this is not a shot at the Met Service forecasting. It is forecasting; prediction of what MAY happen! But I, for one, am pleased this time, the forecast was wrong.

This shot is taken out my office window. I’ve gone for a low angle so you can’t see the lawn (forest of grass) because it hasn’t been mowed for weeks (because of the rain remember!)

I was asked to MC the local Christmas Carnival the other day.

I. Loved. It.

I have a radio background and am very comfortable with a microphone and going up to talk to people I don’t know. I think they got more than they bargained for – instead of just introducing the different entertainment acts and reading the notices about what was on where and when, I wandered around the stage talking to the crowd as well. My favourite questions were, ‘what is your go-to food on Christmas Day?’ and ‘what’s your favourite Christmas tradition?’.

The responses were lovely. From Grandma’s stuffing or roast lamb or pavlova through to ‘just’ spending time with extended family. Not one single person mentioned presents.

I’ve already told them I’ll be back to MC next year (they don’t have a choice!)

Dear Monday. I want to break up. I’m seeing Tuesday and dreaming of Friday. It’s not me; it’s you.

It feels like this is going to be a week where I’m going to be asking if it’s Friday, by 10am this morning.

I have some stories to write (make that quite a few) for NZ Hereford magazine, of which I am editor, and some planning to do for Stuff’s Farming First features in Waikato and Taranaki for mid-January. That’s not too horrific.

Tomorrow is one of those days that you wonder what you were thinking when you planned hair, osteo, ears, eyes and coffee all on the same day (saving mileage…) Add a work farewell and a tangi to that, drinks with my antenatal girls (even though the babies are now 22) and maybe some housework (settle down Kate, that’s getting serious).

“Even the best weeks start with a Monday.” And this one ends with Christmas x

I haven’t been writing on rivettingkatetaylor.com for a while (if a decade counts as a while between friends…)

Since I started the blog, Facebook has taken a large chunk of my time and attention. Lately, I’ve also been posting on LinkedIn. But it’s not writing in the informal (lazy?) style that I like. It’s just a moment in time; fleeting, then gone. I want to take more than a moment of your time. I want to be an important storyteller in your day.

I’m back… actually, well, bear with me while I refresh myself with the inner workings of WordPress.

I’ll be back (move over Arnie).