Playing Father Christmas.

 I have been absurdly slack on the update front. I’m not terribly sorry, though. As the amount of things going on here and there and everywhere, have amounted to a mentally and physically busy Rachel! Christmas and New Years were beyond brilliant.

Another warm Christmas… I spent it with Margie and her family on an orchard in the Bay of Plenty, just outside the town of Katikati. That part of the country is stunning. The soil is so rich that everything grows at least twice as lush. And the family! What fun they are, and more welcoming to me than I could’ve asked for.

They have a tradition in the Pyle family that anyone new to the family has to play Father Christmas. So, with the help from Margie, I decked myself out in NZ attire- red gumboots, check; sunnies, check. Margie thought it would be a good idea to drive me the few meters to the front of the house from the garage in her dad’s red car, whilst blowing a whistle to announce Father Christmas’ arrival. The only problem was, she’d never driven it before and it kept stalling. And then we both couldn’t stop breaking out into stitches of laughter. Especially with my foot hanging out the window.

On Dasher and Dancer and Margie!

The Pyle’s were absolute delights. They made sure my veggie needs were met, sometimes cooking two types of mains, and made sure I had all the nutrients I needed. Their family has a completely different lifestyle- as they’re from South Africa. They have a constant sense of adventure and activity- not only do her parents run this orchard, but they just got back from doing two treks in Nepal over a month. Good effort! On Boxing Day we all went for a 7km tramp (aka hike) along the coast, from Waihi Beach, past Orokawa Bay and on to Homunga Bay. A paradise in its own right. I couldn’t stop basking in the heat and the pulse, and the blue of the water! One thing I don’t do is cold water. So when the rest of the family jumped into the sea, I felt obliged. I lasted all of 15 seconds before I ran out in near hysterics. Dramatic, yes, but necessary. My favourite moments of the trip were when we all cooked and ate together. It reminded me so much of my family, that it felt incredibly comfortable to be around them. We sat around the table sharing quotes of the day, moments of the day, live performance of the year, craziest person we met that year, and things we were thankful for. One of the days, Margie and I were out and came back in the house to find Maddy and James (mom and son) dancing to South African tunes in the kitchen. Keith was laughing and taking photos, and Margie and I of course had to join in. It was priceless.

The coastal walkway.

Another bonus to this trip was going to the Original Gypsy Fair. I have officially decided that I could live a life in a caravan, decorated with knitted steps, plant boxes on the windows, and wind chimes made of flattened silverware. I could sew, make, and sell my wares and jam out with the musicians. Margie and I even had a mini ukulele jam in front of the fam. It started out as a few strums, then turned into a full on duo! We covered classics like Folsom Prison Blues, Crazy, No Rain, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow. As ridiculous as we probably sounded, I think we were a hit. My last night with them was spent at a vineyard, with the sun setting, a bottle of red, yummy food, and a live French gypsy jazz group performing outside for all of us. I was spoiled beyond belief.

I could get used to this.

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