Pictures from the weekend

So, even though there were blue moments this weekend, there were also some lovely, grounded ones.

This first picture is of a rose from our new rose bush. I've waited eleven years to have a rose bush because we didn't have the room for it in Cambridge or in DC. Here, we have several roses already in bloom, and this new one is now planted out back, where I can see it from the bedroom and smell it from the open French doors in the study. Magnificent.

Next is from Saturday morning at Paraparaumu Beach, where we'd been to the farmer's market and now were playing at the park (Michael and I are on the other ends of the sea saw, and from the top of the sea saw you can see the sea).

You'll see that Michael has become quite the dashing kiwi fellow--on the Ocean Road stairs, in full boogy-board gear, and in front of the Christenberry print weaving red New Zealand flax into a flax flower (which he gave to the neighbor who smoked us the fish). He's jumping into NZ life with both feet.

And last, the children (ours plus Naomi's friend) for an evening walk up the beach. We walked last night through the warm summer evening (the warmest night we've had since we've been here) and the children couldn't resist swimming in their clothes as the sun set. When we got to the part of the beach where Trish and Keith live, we were going to go and borrow towels, but instead they came out to the beach, with Keith's sister Anne. Soon Jemma and Phil joined us and we all waited, while the children bounced in the waves, for the comet to show up on the first clear night we've had in nearly a week. The children played, the adults watched the sun set and the comet rise, and life felt pretty close to perfect. It's all a mixed bundle, but it's always beautiful.