Sunday Post: Hope

Jo Bryant, , , , , ,

I feel that I have been neglectful lately…life has gotten rather busy. But I did promise a post about the adventures of Marianne, her hubby and Moi

portrait
Life is laughter.

…so here goes.

On Sunday they arrived around lunchtime and we picked up right where we left off. What a wonderful couple they are. Watching them [after so many years of marriage] is like walking in to Aladdin’s Cave in the dark of night. Truly illuminating. This is how I have always imagined real love would look.

couple portrait
Exploring the Haiku Path

We spent the day at the A&P Show.

Al Paca baby.
Introducing old friends to new friends.
Sand Wrestling
A friend’s daughter competing in the dressage.
Marianne making friends.
Photographing a horse trailer that cost more than my house.
Marianne making another friend.
There is never an excuse for NOT dressing up !
Marianne’s hubby was fascinated with this engine.
This little girl was kicking butt out there !
I want a pair !
Bagpipes and sailors ‘costumes…what more could you ask ?

Checking out Katikati‘s murals and the Haiku Path.

Stair to The Balcony Cafe.
A romantic shot on the Haiku Path
Introducing Barry to the visitors.
Hanging out with Barry
Kiwifruit Mural
The Second Pioneer Store 1

Dinner was snapper [caught with my own two hands] for the main and Berry Ice Cream [homemade], with a lovely bottle of local wine to finish off the day.

Notice Chevvy hanging around...
Notice Chevvy hanging around…
Friendship, food and wine...bliss !
Friendship, food and wine…bliss !

Chevvy, Jackie, Charlie and Crash did their best to make our visitors feel welcome. I have a sneaking suspicion they wormed their little furry and feathered selves in to a heart or two by the time they left.

After our Friday outing…I had no qualms about how easy it would be to have them stay, but I did have one amusing reaction to announcing their forthcoming visit. It proceeded along these lines.

Lunch at Mount Maunganui.
Lunch at Mount Maunganui.

Me: “I have visitors arriving from Spain on Sunday, I am taking them to the A&P Show before they head off Monday.”

Friend: “How do you know them?”

Me: “I met her through blogging.”

Friend, who suddenly had eyebrows that resembled Pricilla Presley’s: “You’ve never met? And they’re staying at your house!”

Me: “Yes.”

Friend: “Bloody hell. Have you got a lock on your bedroom door?”

At this point I resembled Chevvy rolling around on the ground…only laughing.

But seriously…that conversation showed me something. Something important. I still look for the good in things, not the bad. I still have hope that life is a treasure chest of bounty and I have many gifts yet to receive. One of those gifts came last week…the gift of new friendships.

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Published by Jo Bryant

I was born in the land of Banjo Paterson, gum trees, and weather extremes. I am a freelance photographer. I love to make images that make people happy. To capture forever a precious moment. I am also a freelance writer/editor. I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, but still like to claim my Australian heritage. I graduated with a Bachelor of Communications in 2008. I am writing my first novel. I love to write poetry, short stories, and also write for the web. And there is nothing that is on a par with a sunny summer's day spent at Waihi Beach.

78 Comments

  1. What a wonderful friendship made. I have one like that. I met Dan at a photography show in Las Vegas. He invited me (and my now-ex husband) to come up to Canada and stay with him and his wife, not knowing much about us really. We did, met his family, and had a wonderful time. Twenty-five-plus years later, the ex is gone but Dan and his wife are still great friends of MINE. They are here in Hawaii now, for 6 weeks, staying at a North Shore cottage by the ocean (how neat is that), and we’ve planned many outings with them, starting with a tour of an ukulele factory tomorrow and a party on Saturday. They are what love looks like, too.

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    1. That is wonderful Jennifer. You have a ukulele factory…I am soooooooo coming to visit you one day. We have a ukukele group in town and I love watching them play.
      😉
      I hope you have a wonderful time with your friends. An ocean cottage…wow that is indeed neat !

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      1. Actually, there are several ukulele factories. We took the tour today, and the one we went to is 98 years old. How marvelous that you have a uke group. I’ve heard that it is quite popular now all over the world. And to think it started when the Portuguese brought a little stringed instrument to Hawaii, and the Hawaiians changed it to suit them.

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        1. That is cool. I had no idea that the ukulele came about like this. You should do a post on the history of it with photos of your factories and their histories. I love reading stuff like that.

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          1. I thought about that as I was commenting, but now that you’ve asked, I’ll have to put it on my ToBlog list. I feel terrible that I haven’t written a new blog post since Dec. 24. It’s been such a whirlwind since then. I’m hoping that after this weekend, I’ll have a bit more time to write.

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  9. You got it all in this one. The laugh, the story, the pictures, friendship, the treasure was yours once again………here’s to Marianne, the Captain and Gilligan.

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  10. That’s interesting about hope, or rather trusting in one’s gut instinct about people – especially when we hear so many alarming stories of misplaced trust and predators on the web. But I’m with you – a person’s blog, and the conversations we have with them, reveal their characters as plainly as if we were meeting them in the flesh. What a terrific experience for you all 🙂

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    1. Thanks !!! The house still has a lot of work to be done to fix things up…but in the meantime I try to make it mine anyway !!! The vibes were awesome…even the fur/feather babies were getting down with all that joviality.
      😉

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    1. Thanks Madhu !
      🙂
      I think that whether we take note of them or not we all have spidey senses about people and situations. Mine tingled in a good way with Marianne, and her delightful hubby !!!!

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  16. Wonderful post Jo ,What a great stunning collections of images you have here ….
    Good living ….Thanks for sharing my friend 🙂

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  19. Hi Jo 🙂

    I’m only just able to join in with this conversation as I’ve had little or no internet connection since you posted this…sorry.

    We had a GREAT time, didn’t we, Jo? And you and I talked about our kind of meeting, after being online friends, being a way of creating hope. Hope and trust that people who live on opposite sides of the world, are really very similar, decent, people who all want to just get on with their lives and freely give to others when they can and when the opportunity arises – whether that is sharing a meal together, or in our case, when you so kindly opened your home for us to stay with you.

    You were a kind and generous hostess, Jo, not only with the material things, but also with your time. We would never have seen so much of Katikati without your guidance. You introduced us to many of your friends and we were even able to share in your delight when you won so many accolades in the A&P photographic competition. I told you I had a good feeling about that, didn’t I? Why – you even got up early to pack us a picnic lunch to take with us as we headed north to Tairua. What a treasure!

    Wonderful memories and great photos 🙂

    Thank you so much.

    Hugs Marianne xx

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    1. It was such a pleasure to have you guys here. I think Chevvy is missing you both !!!! Our conversation really inspired me with this post. The talk we had led me to thinking about friendship, myself, what I hope for, all those things that life is about. I hope the rest of your journey is a delight to both of you.

      Take care
      xx

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  20. G’day to both Marianne and Jo, that was a beautiful post, the story and the photos. It is a story of trust and faith in the kindness and goodness that I believe is more the norm than the tales of hatred and hostility the media dwell on. As one of the comments said they would trust all their blog buddies, hear, hear to that I say…. 🙂

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    1. Here, hear indeed PP !! I feel sad when I see others who are inately mistrustful…yes at times you get stung…but for the majority people are good and you miss out on so much if you don’t trust.

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      1. We have done a lot of couch surfing and WWOOFing during our travels and that is an ultimate trust situation for both the host and visitor but every single experience has been a highlight of our travels

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          1. I Love the response I get from that acronym. It means “willing workers on organic farms”

            You agree to do approx 4 hours work, whatever you are capable of, I usually got weeding the garden or helping with house work or cooking, in exchange for full board and lodging. Again it is a great trust thing as the only contact you have had is a phone call or email contact before you turn up on their door-step. Often a great friendship developed with the hosts taking you around and showing you the highlights of their area. Google it for more info…

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          4. That would be great PP. Marianne was telling me about house sitting sites, and also about a site that has B&Bs…not commercial ones…just ordinary people who occassionally rent out a bedroom. They stayed at one here in Bethlehem with a fabulous couple and it was really cheap…but gorgeous…and the couple made their stay incredible. So I say do…most people don’t know what this is or how to access these types of things. And coming from someone who has done it would be perfect.

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        1. Now you made me all mushy.
          Did you see the latest episode ???
          I’m loving it…wondering where it will all lead with The Boys being LEGACIES
          😉

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  23. A wonderful post Jo ! You have shown that to go with your instinct can very very right , for it to lead to such a brilliant outcome of what seems like a new firm friendship with Marianne and her husband like that well … that’s just marvellous 😀

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  25. What a lovely visit, Jo. Yes, Marianne and her hubby do look very much in love. I also have blog friendships. We’re a lovely lot, in general, and I think you have a really good feeling about some bloggers and know that you would get on like a house on fire. 😀 Chevvy is too cute.

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    1. it was such a fun journey for me too !!! Thank you for saying so. Especially to hear from you that this post makes you feel inspired…wow…for it is always something that happens to me when I visit your posts.
      I feel honoured to have YOU say that.
      🙂

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  28. This is the weirdest feeling! I read the story that is about bloggers and feel like it talks about my friends!!!!!! I understand your friend and the locking the door thing, i guess you should be part of this cyber company to understand how it feels to know a person you have actually never met! Lovely post you guys!!!!!! I am dropping by east of Malaga now! 😀

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