The sun was rising as I walked home with my ‘Press’, and there was a beautiful pink rainbow. My camera could capture only one end.
Pink rainbow on Day 22
Yesterday the ‘Press’ had our usual crosswords for the first time since the earthquake. I appreciated the ‘Dominion Post’ sharing their crosswords meanwhile but it was wonderful to have our own ones back. I finished the cryptic in one sitting – always satisfying – and did wonder whether they’d made the first one easy to break us in gently. Haven’t yet had time to look at today’s
We’ve got mail!
Three weeks' mail arrived today
Stephen went to the depot and collected it all. Because I was supposed to be working I opened only three items. Lovely to have cards from Louise and Marjorie, and a black and red ribbon from Mary!
Later I walked down to Jackson’s on Bealey Cafe, now our nearest coffee bar, to receive a replacement copy of the VolCan accounts package, and they kindly let me plug the laptop into their power point. I walked home past the lovely Rose Chapel, sadly due for demolition.
The doomed Rose Chapel
The beautiful rose window has gone, and you can see right through the building. I’ve done a number of ceremonies here, and loved it because there was a memorial window for the Gardner family. Not my Gardners, who were staunchly non-conformist, but I always felt I could share it.
I worked until 4.30pm, then turned off the laptop and took a walk by our tiny permitted piece of river to make the transition from work to home. Now I can tackle all that mail.
“I’m settling down into routine
my office desk a busy scene.”
Ruth's Reflections 
Must have been nice to receive all that mail. We got some mail from overseas today. Wishing well messages and a card from old friends who don’t have our email and don’t know how we are. All heartwarming. So sad when all these nice buildings disappear
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Hi Ruth. Just letting you know Beat Street Cafe is open again and just up Barbados Street about two blocks (argmah corner) if you want some coffee and nice baking.
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Sounds good T’Nealle. We’ve enjoyed breakfast there in the past.
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What a mix of comfort and sadness – to see that lovely old church marked for demolition. I feel so glad that you have your mail —there’s something so reassuring about letters being delivered. The pink rainbow is beautiful; may it bring some peace.
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There are far too many places that I have driven past but never been inside, thinking “One day…” and now it is too late. Now I have to add the Rose Chapel to the list.
The Rose Chapel and the Catholic Bascilica were two places on the list to take my Mum to see when she comes to NZ, along with the Time Ball Station… She was planning to come at Christmas this year – something planned for since Feb last year.
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Hi Ruth. Yes, I thought the Press had made the cryptic crossword especially easy on it’s first day back. It’s good to have the old puzzles format back – just another small step back to normality.
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