Residents in Aotearoa

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Merry Christmas!

What I saw and thought of as I walked to the rail road station this morning:

I'll have a Blue Christmas without you.

I'll be so blue just thinking about you.

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't mean a thing if you're not here with me.

You'll be doing alright with your Christmas of white,

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue Christmas

I sure do miss my family back home in Michigan, but I am so grateful for my family here in my new home in New Zealand! May God bless us, every one! - JMF

5 comments:

Jeanne23 December 2014 at 00:25
I just noticed my camera is out of sync with the time zones. Silly thing, it still thinks it is in Michigan, when actually it is taking pictures 18 hours ahead of itself. The photos were taken on Tuesday December 23 at nine-ish in the morning.
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Allie23 December 2014 at 11:16
Great photos, Mom, and I love that I know where all of them were taken! I miss home too, and everyone there. But, I am so glad you and Dad are here with me and the boys. (((hugs!)))
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Anonymous23 December 2014 at 13:48
I just love the pictures. We sure miss you also but we love seeing the pictures and reading your blog. Thank heavens for Skype also. I never thought I would be happy that I had it. Merry Christmas to you all. Love, McKenzie
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Dianne23 December 2014 at 15:33
Jeanne, I am so glad you took these pictures to help me remember some of those familiar walks and to see the gorgeous bloomery that I was just a little too early to enjoy. Love those intense blues of the hydrangas.
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Erin Viau28 January 2015 at 10:20
I'm just catching up on your blogs now, Doug and Jeanne, but am so grateful that you guys are sharing your experience there with us back home. Blue hydrangas are my favorite! We missed you guys here during the holidays (and every day) but I am glad you are there with Allie and the boys! God Bless!
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My deer blind, a place outside of time and space.

This is a picture of my deer hunting blind. I built in in 1975 and used it until about 2010. I'm publishing this picture and text on November 15 of 2022, the opening day of Michigan's rifle deer hunting season, to remember all the years I spent sitting there and occasionally harvesting a deer. I think that the meat I provided for my family was only a small portion of the benefit I received from hunting in this manner. Of greater value to me was the time I spent alone, watching the forest and its many components interact. I had time to unwind from the stresses of my work, to appreciate our world, and even sometimes to pray. That blind was a refuge to me. It was cozy, and comfortable and I spent much more time filming the activities of not only deer, but bears, racoons, turkeys, squirrels, hawks, and once, even a snowy owl, than I did harvesting deer. May I suggest to all of you that you try to find some time and a place, where you can be alone, and where you can ponder and appreciate your life and your place in the world. It does a body good. -djf