About

This blog has three main purposes:

  • to communicate our daily life to our family all over the world;
  • to explore the theme of Joy & Woe as expressed by William Blake in Auguries of Innocence;
  • to counterbalance the woe caused by the four large earthquakes and the 12,500 after shocks (to date) our city has experienced since the first big shake on  September 4, 2010.

(The earthquakes destroyed the centre of the city and damaged many many other properties in the suburbs. Although the big things have changed and continue to change, the little things prevail and bring joy.)

201 thoughts on “About”

  1. restlessjo

    It took me a while to work out where you were blogging from. Other people’s tragedies so soon leave our thoughts, don’t they? I can’t begin to imagine the impact on so many lives.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      The impact is astonishing really. Makes me realise how long it must have taken people to recover from the World Wars; indeed there will be some who are still recovering and still impacted by those tragedies.

      Reply ↓
  4. The Hopeful Herbalist

    I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award! You can check out the rules and get the badge on my blog, but it’s a no-strings-attached-award, so you don’t have to do anything unless you want to. 🙂

    Reply ↓
  5. Playamart - Zeebra Designs

    i hope that these little creatures manage to get from my archives to yours! if they don´t come through, emaill me, and i´ll send them when i am back in town on thursday!

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1950606-gecko-01.jpg?w=529&h=273 (watercolor in progress)

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1950613-gecko-03-watercolor.jpg?w=529&h=288 (watercolor finished)

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1780814-palo-santo-cafe-gecko.jpg?w=529&h=243

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/tres-manos-10-gecko-butterfly.jpg?w=529&h=230

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1320742-tres-manos-gecko.jpg?w=529&h=293

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/p1500556-quad-gecko2.jpg?w=529&h=262

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/mola-jama-museum-p1010833-geckow.jpg?w=529&h=300

    http://playamart.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/gecko-0a2.jpg?w=529&h=264

    i hope that they´re about to take the ride of their lives when i hit ´post comment´!!!!
    tzeebra at yahoo dot com

    Reply ↓
  7. Klausbernd

    Oh dear, I am so late to comment – never mind, better than never …
    We really like visiting your blog. It`s such another world you are living in. Thanks for giving a glimpse of your life.
    All the best to you.
    Lots of Love from sunny Norfolk – we still hope for snow
    The Fab Four
    Klausbernd 🙂

    Reply ↓
  9. BLYSS chocolate

    lovely to read about your journey! And also glad you loved my chocolate. Wish you all the best! xoxo love lyss

    Reply ↓
      1. BLYSS chocolate

        bless your kindness! xoxo (ps. let’s demand more and better standards from all the other chocolate growers and makers, so we can have more accessible great cacao experiences. we don’t have to do this alone, and i know there are some great minds around your region of the world too! )

        Reply ↓
  10. jennypellett

    Just thought I’d pop over to say hello as I seem to be following you around other people’s blogs. I loved the comment you made on Marylin’s latest about why…s – not terrible at all – I thought it was very clever 🙂

    Reply ↓
  11. Su Leslie

    Thanks for taking the time to read and follow my blog. You are right; I can see how the earthquakes would make you (and everyone) feel disconnected with their world. Even sitting in unshaken Auckland, the Christchurch quakes have altered the way we see the world. I’ve so enjoyed reading your posts about Christmas; look forward to reading more of your blog.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Looking forward to our blogging journey together in 2014. You may inspire me to continue with my family history blog which has come to a halt in recent months!

      Reply ↓
      1. Su Leslie

        So am I; am very glad I found your blog! My family history research goes in fits and starts. I have a long list of questions to start the year with, but who know where I will end up going with it. Happy New Year.

        Reply ↓
        1. Gallivanta Post author

          Happy New Year; may it be full of wonder and adventure and may we have the strength to manage, and make the best of, the not so wonderful and the downright dull which are bound to be with us too 🙂

  13. Pingback: Amazing words | silkannthreades

  14. Argus

    You have a truly lovely blog. It’s nice to read something peaceful and gentle, with beautiful photographs. Spouse and I are off into town this morning, but I’ll be back later to read some more …

    Reply ↓
  15. celestedimilla

    Hey there! You liked a post on my blog so I wanted to check out your blog and say, “Hi!” I’m so sorry to hear about the earthquakes in your city. What a difficult thing to deal with. I’m gonna go check out your posts now! Celeste 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you. I did enjoy my visit to your blog. You post on areas that greatly interest me, for it is my experience that there is no one, absolutely no one, who is not impacted by mental health issues either directly, or indirectly. I have written a few posts on mental health and carer issues as I see them in New Zealand. I will dig them out and give you links when I come to see your blog again. You may find them informative. There are differences in our systems but the one common denominator is how ridiculously difficult it is for people to access what is rightly and fairly their due. I wonder how much more difficult it is for you in America, at the moment, with the partial Govt shut down.

      Reply ↓
      1. sheridegrom - From the literary and legislative trenches.

        I will be looking forward to reading the articles when you find them. No hurry. Tom and I are lucky in that I elected to keep our private pay health insurance and we shouldn’t have any cut-backs when it comes to procurring medical care. You may also send the links to my e-mail account at: sdegrom@conwaycorp.com. I used to post on Mon and Thu but now that Tom is so ill, I normally only post on Monday. That’s about all I can keep up with for now.

        Reply ↓
  21. Daniela

    Hi,
    I ‘followed’ you from the Lantern, and I see you are blogging from Christchurch; a city I once lived for 10 years.
    Greetings to you and Christchurch from Wellington
    Daniela

    Reply ↓
      1. Daniela

        I loved my time in Christchurch, even if counting terrible earthquakes that devastated the city. My job took me to Wellington but I still visit my friends in Christchurch. City is going to feel and look very different in some 5 or 10 years … excited times ahead!

        Take Care,
        Daniela

        Reply ↓
  30. Judy Guion

    I’m a little confused. I believe I’m following you but I haven’t been receiving your posts. Do I have to do something different? I’d definitely like to get them.

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      On my stats it says you are a follower. You shouldn’t have to do anything different. Try going to your Reader and click on the Blogs you follow list and then if you find my silkannthreades ,click on edit and ask that you be notified by email whenever I post. Not sure if that will help.

      Reply ↓
  33. Mrs. P

    You have a very lovely blog! I especially enjoy the way you capture life and emotion through a lens. Very pleasing to the eye. Is that Sweet Pea in your header?

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you. And, yes, it is a sweet pea in my header. The sweet peas are from my garden. They were my grandfather’s favourite flower and also the flower I chose for my tiny wedding bouquet.

      Reply ↓
  36. The House of Bethan

    Hello lovely, I know this is really random – but I find it very coincidental. Having stumbled upon your gorgeous blog quite recently, I hadn’t yet read the About section and I hadn’t seen your connections with William Blake. I have just spent the entire Christmas Holidays with my 12 year old girl creating a project about the works and life of this amazing artist and visionary. Had to share that with you!! x

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Oh my gosh, how amazing is that! I wish I had been in on the project with you because I really need to refresh my memory on Blake, and a great many other matters as well, I must confess. I most likely met Blake when I was about 12.

      Reply ↓
  39. Playamart - Zeebra Designs

    Pingbacks and Awards! Are you smiling? You should have received one of each when I published the Banana post.

    I’ve been receiving more than my fair share of awards lately – very humbling but also a huge task to pass them on – especially when i’m chasing dead-end road pingbacks!

    I might not ever get around to passing awards if I dedicate special posts to each award in queue. Your notification is presented here: http://playamart.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/bananas-bananas-and-more-bananas/
    where you can retrieve the bright-pink award and place it on your blog!

    Here are the rules

    1. The nominees have to thank the person that nominated them.

    2.Nominate a bakers dozen of other Super Sweet Bloggers and let them know.

    3. Answer these easy questions:
    Cookies or cake: Cake
    Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
    What is your favourite sweet treat? Brownies
    When do you crave sweet things the most? When I see brownies!
    If you had a sweet nickname what would it be? People call me Sweetie, so I suppose that’s it!

    Thanks, and have fun passing this along!
    Lisa/Z

    Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thanks so much Leapingtracks. It’s lovely to have recognition of my blog from someone who writes such a brilliant one. You could give up your day job for it 😀

      Reply ↓

  44. Pingback: Stars Change the World | Clanmother

    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank you so much for your kindness. I am taking awhile to understand the blog world so it may take me awhile to respond fully.

      Reply ↓
    1. Gallivanta Post author

      Thank Miss Marzipan for your nomination. I am also grateful and surprised. I feel as though I have a little sunshine halo above my head :). You deserve all your nominations. Your blog is enlightening and entertaining and so friendly and welcoming. I do accept the nomination but I think it may take me awhile to work it all out.

      Reply ↓
  50. Teresa

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and liking my “about” section. Hope you come back and take a peek through the archives and check out some of my recipes. I have healthy as well as non-healthy. Lots to choose from.

    Reply ↓

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